When it comes to protecting your PCs can go a bit software crazy. There is Antivirus software that lets you surf security from an offsite computer; nanny software the lets parents control what their kids can access online; anti-malware software that protects against things like ransomeware and phishing attempts ads blocking software and of course antivirus software. Or there Norton 360 that wraps all of this up in a neat little software bundle. It is not cheap, but it is complete.
Level up
Norton 360 offers 4 different levels of protection that range from affordable to ouch. But, depending on your needs and how many other software programs you may be able to stop paying for, even the maximum subscription levels might still be a bargain for you.
The standard level costs $29.99 per years and includes protections against viruses and other online threats; a secure virtual private network (Antivirus) ad blocking, anonymous browsing and bank-grade encryption for all your surfing activity. Norton also throws in a password manager to keep all your login details in one secure places plus 10 GB of Secure online storage for backing up your PC and 24/7 customer support for help of users.
Stepping up to the Deluxe level will cost you $49.99 per year and get you protection for up to five devices and 50 GB of secure online storage for backing up your PCs and parental control of which sites your kids can access.
The next level of Norton up Select cost 99.99 per years. For that significant increase in price, you get services from LifeLock, an identity theft protection company Norton bought in 2017. At this level, in addition to all the services offered at the Deluxe level, you can also get LifeLock’s stolen funds reimbursement insurance of up to $25000 if any of your online accounts are breached, as well as alert about the unauthorized use of your social security number and change to your credit status. You get more insurance as well: up to $25000 in reimbursement for personal expenses and up to $1 million to cover legal fees if your identity is stolen. You are also able to moniter your credit with one of the major credit reporting agencies. Plus your online storage limits increase to 100 GB.
If you really want to splash out on security, the final level of Norton 360 might be for you. It is called Ultimate plus and it costs a whopping $299 per year. For that your online storage limits bumps up to 500 GB the stolen funds reimbursement limits goes up to $1 million and you can moniter your credit at all three major bureaus. Norton 360 also throws in the scanning of court records; data breach notification; alert when someone applies for or seeks to transfer bank accounts in your name; and alert when there are suspicious changes to your investment accounts.
Summary
Our favorite choice of the bunch is the $49.99 per year Deluxe platform because of the five fold increase in your online storage and allowable number of devices. If you feels that identity theft might be a real issue for you then stepping up to the Select plan with LifeLock certainly makes sense. And if money is not an issue for you then really can not get a better all in one online protection suite than the Ultimate Plus plan.
Be aware though that the prices in this articles are all based on Norton one year introductory plan. After your first year, the cost of the different levels climbs significantly as you can see here. The adjusted prices are certainly at the range for cybersecurity software, but you are getting protection from one of the giants in the field and you are getting a multi pronged solution. Still it might be best to sign up for a year and set your calender to look for a cheaper solution when it is comes to renew.