Norton Introduces Elegantly Designed Norton Core, A Digital Safety Solution for Connected Homes

New High-Performance Wi-Fi Router, Built from The Ground Up to Secure Home Networks and IoT Devices, Will Come Bundled with Subscription to Award-Winning Norton Security

Mountain View, Calif. – Jan. 3, 2017 – Building on a heritage of industry-leading and award-winning  security software, Norton by Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) today changed the future of digital safety with the announcement of Norton Core. Norton Core is a uniquely-designed, high-performance Wi-Fi router that is available for pre-orders today and will change the way people secure their connected homes.

Today’s home networks, bursting with connected devices, thermostats, smart televisions and refrigerators, need exceptional security to protect against malware, viruses, and suspicious activity. Yet, many consumers don’t understand these devices can be an easy on-ramp for hackers to access their home networks. The Norton Cyber Security Insights Report found 65 percent of U.S. consumers believe connected devices are made with security in mind, even though Symantec uncovered vulnerabilities in more than 50 different categories of IoT devices.  

“We’ve all seen the high-profile attacks in recent months and know that hackers are now exploiting an array of connected devices as a new means to access personal and financial information,” said Fran Rosch, executive vice president, Consumer Business Unit, Symantec. “Norton is extending our digital safety platform in an innovative way – to now include a wireless home router with an atypical artisanal design – to help our customers incorporate security more personally and elegantly into their homes.”

Designed for connected homes

Unlike conventional routers, Norton Core was built to secure and protect connected homes. To provide strong wireless coverage, Norton Core has a unique antenna array inside a geodesic dome of interlocking faces, inspired by defense and weather radars deployed in the extreme reaches of the globe. Norton Core’s unique mathematical design encourages users to place it out in the open, as part of their home décor, providing a strong, unobstructed Wi-Fi signal.

Superior and customizable parental controls

Norton Core comes with convenient and customizable tools allowing users the flexibility to set parameters that work for their home. Parents can easily set limits for each child for daily internet use, filter out inappropriate content, and even pause the entire home network so the family can enjoy dinner together. If an attempt is made to visit an unauthorized site, access will be blocked and parents will receive a notification.

“As more and more consumers are automating their lives at home, there are many considerations to evaluate with regard to how protected their data is, what data is being shared from their connected devices, and how their connected devices are managed within their home,” said Robert Westervelt, Research Manager, IDC. “There are potential pitfalls that come with the convenience of home connectivity, but consumers can take steps to protect themselves and their devices with the right level of security.”

Unparalleled performance, security and complete digital safety

Unparalleled performance, security and complete digital safety
Norton Core fundamentally changes the equation as it is built consciously, with security as the primary consideration. From data encryption, to secure DNS, to automatic security updates, Norton Core will secure connected homes with state of the art security.

Norton Core is designed with speed, coverage, reliability, ease of use and security as top considerations for all of the notebooks, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, gaming consoles, Wi-Fi thermostats, IP cameras and other connected devices in a home. A few key product highlights include:

• Superior wireless performance: Norton Core will support Wave 2 Wi-Fi and will be powered by a 1.7 GHz dual core processor, with ample memory and flash storage to ensure optimal performance for Wi-Fi and security features. Norton Core will simultaneously transmit at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, so every device connects to the best available band. Norton Core will also support speeds up to 2.5 Gbps , for fast 4K streaming and lag-free gaming. Using MU-MIMO technology, Norton Core can simultaneously stream to multiple devices, providing maximum bandwidth.
• Advanced Security: With security at the heart of Norton Core, every network packet incoming and outgoing across the home network is scanned for malware, viruses, spam, intrusions, and much more. If a connected device is detected with known vulnerabilities or threats, Norton Core can immediately quarantine the device to a segregated network and send an alert to the user.
• Security Score: To help consumers manage their connected home security, Norton Core is introducing “Security Score.” This feature is like a “credit score” for home network security. Users will be able to quickly understand how secure their network and devices are in real-time, and are given tips to strengthen their security settings and improve their score.
• Easy to manage: Users can manage and monitor their home network directly from their connected mobile devices. With a single tap, the home screen will display the security score, show the number of threats blocked, and the number of devices currently connected to a home network. Using the app, consumers can remotely adjust Wi-Fi settings and block suspicious behavior.
• Secure guest access: Norton Core makes it easy to set up and create a secure guest network with a few easy clicks. For added protection, guest access can be set for a specific duration, so when it expires, the guest can no longer connect.
• Automatic updates: Norton Core protection stays new and current by automatically updating itself with the newest features and the latest security updates, without interrupting the connection.
  

Availability

Norton Core is available for pre-orders for a limited time at $199.99 ($279.99 MSRP), bundled with a one-year complimentary subscription to Norton Core Security Plus. With protection for up to 20 PCs, Macs, Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, plus unlimited IoT devices, Norton Core can be pre-ordered in two distinct colors: Titanium Gold or Granite Gray. Norton Core is planned to begin shipping in the United States in summer 2017, with plans to expand globally. To learn more, visit us.norton.com/core.

About Symantec

Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC), the world’s leading cyber security company, helps businesses, governments and people secure their most important data wherever it lives. Organizations across the world look to Symantec for strategic, integrated solutions to defend against sophisticated attacks across endpoints, cloud and infrastructure. Likewise, a global community of more than 50 million people and families rely on Symantec’s Norton suite of products for protection at home and across all of their devices. Symantec operates one of the world’s largest civilian cyber intelligence networks, allowing it to see and protect against the most advanced threats. For additional information, please visit www.symantec.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Note to U.S editors:

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Forward-looking statements:

Any forward looking plans for product offerings are preliminary and may include use of estimates or predictions, including future release dates that are tentative and subject to change. While these statements represent our current judgement, any future release or planned modifications to our offering’s capability, functionality, or features are subject to ongoing evaluation by Symantec, may or may not be adopted, and should not be considered firm commitment by Symantec and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. Please keep in mind that we are not obligating ourselves to revise or publicly release any revision of these statements in light of new information or future events.

1 2015 AV-Test Awards:
https://www.av-test.org/en/award/2015/best-protection-norton-by-symantec/; AV-Test methodology and procedures: https://www.av-test.org/en/test-procedures/certification/

2 Ballano Barcena, M., & Wueest, C. (2016). Insecurity in the Internet of Things, Symantec [White paper]

3 Based on theoretical peak speeds. Actual speeds may be lower.