Norton Goes Phishing

Norton Confidential is a first response from the dormant Symantec security company aimed directly at Microsoft. And if the Redmond Company offers monopoly prices, Symantec is diversifying its services with Norton Confidential announced for a fall release. This product focuses on establishing secure connections for online transactions providing real-time protection against phishing, pharming, and keystroke loggers.

The beta program currently run by Symantec is meant as a barrier against online identity theft and scams, while keeping confidential all user information exchanged during online transactions. Norton Confidential will act as a filter for the known phishing sites, malware and other threats designed for data theft, and will scan every website accessed prior to logging in, product purchase or any data transfer that accompanies online transactions. Probably the main feature of Symantec's product is that it will confirm to the user the authenticity of banking, shopping, online payment services or other sites. Furthermore, Norton Confidential will stop all data concerning password information from being sent to unauthorized sites.

David Hall, Senior Director, Consumer Products and Solutions, Asia Pacific and Japan for Symantec, said, "As the Internet landscape has become more crowded with phishing sites and threats designed to steal information for financial gain, consumer confidence in conducting business online has eroded. To help restore confidence in doing business over the Internet, Symantec is introducing Norton Confidential-the first solution that offers consumers both fraud site and crimeware protection for their personal information at the point of greatest risk-during a transaction, login or other submission of confidential data to a Web site."