Symantec is in trouble again after its Security Response has delivered an update, which has
apparently blocked the Internet access for the Solid Oak customers who had installed CyberSitter. "PC Magazine" today reported that Symantec's security tools incorrectly flagged the Internet filter (a.k.a. parental control utility) as a virus and blocked its files. This caused a complete shut down over the Internet for all the consumers, the same publication informed. Moreover, some of the clients who had installed Norton Antivirus got their CyberSitter files deleted, after the were initially flagged as infections.

The result? Most consumers tried to apply several tricks to repair the Internet connection, such as reinstalling the software or even the operating system. Among the Solid Oak customers, you can easily find schools, libraries and individuals, "PC Magazine" added.

Symantec is a company with millions of consumers in every corner of the world, a fact which obviously requires a high-quality technical support available to all of them. However, in our case, Symantec's reply hasn't been the one Solid Oak expected.

Just after it was informed by the glitch, Symantec created a special phone line addressed to the Solid Oak clients, in order to help them repair the problems. However, it seems like the number is not available anymore although it was released on Wednesday. "That number, however, is no longer in service. When PC Magazine called it on Thursday evening, it directed callers to the Norton customer service Web site, which provides standard fixes to common problems but does not address the problem facing Solid Oak customers", "PC Magazine" noted.

As expected, both Solid Oak officials and consumers have been pretty disappointed by the glitch, as it occurred during the holiday shopping season when many of them went online for shopping.

"In my opinion, Norton products are worse than any virus I can think of. We have thousands of users with no Internet access and all Symantec has done is to provide our mutual customers with a non-functioning support number that tell them to use on-line support. The problem is even worse because the holiday season. Users are trying to order gifts on-line and they can't", Brian Milburn, president of Solid Oak Software, said according to the same source mentioned above.