Does Norton protection slow down my computer? 5 reasons why it doesn’t

You may have heard this one before: Norton protection may slow down my computer.

Norton protection has been rated No. 1 in performance for 12 consecutive years by PassMark, a leading tester of software products.

That means you should not notice a difference in speed if you have Norton protection on your device. Really.

Speed and protection? Here’s how to get it

You probably want two things when you buy security software. Speed and protection.

Speed? We covered that. No one wants their computer to load in the time it takes to eat a pizza. And if you’re a gamer, you probably have even less patience.

Protection? You want your security software to help protect against threats like computer viruses, malware, spyware, and ransomware.

Norton 360 protection does that. And does it fast. Even so, sometimes you hear people say — in the here and now — “Norton protection slows down my computer.”

OK. We understand. Rumours die hard but that leaves us no choice but to present a numbered list…

5 reasons Norton protection doesn’t slow down your computer

This list could have been avoided, but anytime anyone says, “Norton protection slows down my computer,” a Norton engineer screams…

…And we can’t have that. So here goes:

1. Performance mindset

It’s our speed team’s No. 1 priority — Norton Security’s engineering team measures the performance of every new program version. Here’s what you get. Consistency, for starters. Plus, the lowest impact on performance compared with competitors when it comes to everyday uses of your devices.

For Kevin Haley, director, Symantec Security Response, it comes down to this: “I’m not only a part of the Norton team, I’m a Norton user,” he says. “And I don’t want my system slowed down either. If a Norton protection technology might slow down your computer, we won’t ship it.”

2. Best protection

High protection used to mean low performance. Not anymore.

Norton Security has been rated the Best Protection security product in the industry for four straight years. That’s according to AV-Test, an independent institute that tests antivirus software. As for the protection-vs.-performance question, Norton Security gets kudos for innovative technologies that challenge the trade-off and deliver speed.

3. Built for everyday use

We noted Norton’s winning streak for performance. Now the details. Norton protection was rated No. 1 in performance for 12 straight years by software testing company PassMark.

4. Intelligent scanner

In security software programs, as in life, timing matters.

Norton’s “protection scanner” feature minimises performance impact by monitoring your system and your activities. How? It tracks your system resource usage to decide the best time to perform essential software updates and scan your files for viruses and other threats.

Bottom line: You get computer performance during your busy times, while Norton protection does its work during idle times.

5. Optimised for hardware and software

As everybody knows, optimisation is, well, optimal. So, engineers optimised Norton 360 for solid state drives, as well as conventional hard disk drives.

That’s not all. The team also tested and optimised for the latest web browsers. That means Norton Security provides its best protection with the least impact on web browsing.

Tips for you to help boost performance

Still a nonbeliever? Consider this possibility: You might think Norton protection is slowing down your computer, but it could be something else, or a combination of things.

Here are a few things you can do that might help you boost the performance of your computer or laptop.

• Make sure you install the latest versions of your Norton 360 solutions.
• Update your web browser. You can check your settings to confirm you are running the most-current version of your browser.
• Check out Norton protection’s Performance feature. It shows you what could be creating performance delays. It also lets you to take actions like optimising disks, cleaning up files, and editing system start-up items — all in the name of speed.
• Contact Norton Support. They can check to see if your settings are optimal. You can reach Norton Support by phone, email, or chat 24/7 and free of charge.

Take the Norton solutions performance pop quiz

We hope this sets the record straight.

Just to make sure, let’s end with a quiz question.

True or false: Norton protection slows down my computer.

If you answered “false,” you are correct.

If you answered “true,” you may be wearing fluffy boots.