Norton adds a VPN and more to its refreshed 360 products

Symantec has quietly rejigged its Norton software line-up, eliminating some old favorites and bringing in some fresh new blood in a bid to provide a more rounded offering to an audience facing security and privacy challenges from multiple fronts.

Highlighting the fact that security is no longer restricted to antivirus, the change also marks the first real step towards integrating LifeLock, the identity theft protection service Symantec acquired in 2017 for $2.3 billion, into the security suite.

Norton Antivirus Basic has been replaced by Norton Antivirus Plus; it is essentially the same antivirus but now also includes 2GB of cloud storage. It now costs $39.99 for the first year and $59.99 thereafter - a tenner more than the previous edition. It is also available as a monthly subscription for $5.99.

Norton is the only security provider that currently offers both monthly and annual payment options. This, according to a Symantec spokesperson, is down to “customers who come in on mobile platforms [and] expect a monthly price“.

• Check out the best antivirus of 2019

Wave goodbye to Norton Security Premium

Norton Security Standard and Norton Security Deluxe have become Norton 360 Standard and Norton 360 Deluxe. Both now include VPN (Secure VPN) and cloud storage (10GB per user) by default and cater for individuals (for the Standard SKU) or families of up to five people (Deluxe SKU).  

Another firm favorite, Norton Security Premium, has been replaced by three separate products: Norton 360 with LifeLock Select, Norton 360 with LifeLock Advantage, and Norton 360 with LifeLock Ulitmate Plus.

All three offer the LifeLock identity alert system with stolen funds reimbursement (up to $1 million) plus a host of alerts and monitoring services. The top of the range version will offer protection for unlimited PCs, Macs, smartphones or tablets for $299.99 for the first year ($349.99 thereafter).

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