Symantec Brings Norton ConnectSafe to Wi-Fi Hotspots

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Norton by Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) today announced new partnerships that bring Norton online security to public Wi-Fi networks in more than 15,000 food and beverage locations in the United States. Partnering with service providers Hi-Tech Wi-Fi, OneWiFi, The WiFi Company, Contingent Network Services and Sputnik, Norton ConnectSafe (formerly Norton DNS) will be integrated into the Wi-Fi platform in a seamless manner to the consumer and will provide a safer public Wi-Fi experience in a variety of food and beverage locations.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110201/LA39884LOGO)

With rapid adoption of public Wi-Fi access in places consumers frequent most, Norton ConnectSafe addresses the growing need for businesses to provide customers with a safer online experience. In a recent studyⁱ, two-thirds of surveyed public Wi-Fi users indicated strong interest in visiting businesses with secure networks.ⁱ And according to the 2012 Norton Cybercrime Report, 67 percent of online adults use free public Wi-Fi at cafes, airports, hotels or at home, and 53 percent of users indicated concerns about security.ⁱⁱ

Different than a full Norton security suite, Norton ConnectSafe acts as a first layer of protection, preventing computers, smartphones and other Web-enabled devices on a network from connecting to known unsafe or undesirable websites. Norton ConnectSafe leverages the power of Norton Safe Web, which contains information on millions of websites accessed billions of times each day, and also uses data from industrial-grade Symantec content filtering to protect the Wi-Fi experiences for businesses and their customers.

"With Norton ConnectSafe, we will be able to extend Norton's protection to more people in more places than ever before, regardless of how they connect to the Internet," said Sally Jenkins, vice president, Consumer Worldwide Marketing, Symantec. "Our partnerships enable businesses to create a secure Wi-Fi experience for their customers, while bringing the most trusted brand name in security to mobile and Wi-Fi users all around the globe."

Norton today also released Norton Hotspot Privacy, a new service that takes wireless security a step further by delivering a secure personal virtual private network (VPN) for consumers using public Wi-Fi on Macs and PCs. While both Norton offerings provide Wi-Fi protection, Norton ConnectSafe allows businesses to provide their customers safe surfing experiences, and Norton Hotspot Privacy is a consumer offering that keeps usernames, passwords and other sensitive data safe from "eavesdroppers" and identity thieves who can capture this information over Wi-Fi networks.

About Norton by Symantec
Norton protects the Stuff that matters to consumers, across all aspects of their digital lives. Norton provides a range of security solutions including technologies for PCs and mobile devices, live tech support services and online backup. "Like" Norton on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/norton.

About Symantec
Symantec protects the world's information, and is the global leader in security, backup and availability solutions. Our innovative products and services protect people and information in any environment – from the smallest mobile device, to the enterprise data center, to cloud-based systems. Our industry-leading expertise in protecting data, identities and interactions gives our customers confidence in a connected world. More information is available at www.symantec.com or by connecting with Symantec at: go.symantec.com/socialmedia.

Note to Editors: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please visit the Symantec News Room at http://www.symantec.com/news. All prices noted are in U.S. dollars and are valid only in the United States.

Symantec and the Symantec Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Forward-looking Statements: Any forward-looking indication of plans for products is preliminary and all future release dates are tentative and are subject to change. Any future release of the product or planned modifications to product capability, functionality or feature are subject to ongoing evaluation by Symantec, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by Symantec and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions.

ⁱ  Symantec Internal Research in Partnership with Synovate (now Ipos), October 2011
ⁱⁱ Norton Cybercrime Report, Symantec Corporation, September 2012,

SOURCE Norton by Symantec