MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --Norton from Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC) announced today that its award-winning online family safety service, Norton Online Family, will now be offered for free worldwide in 25 languages. Previously available in English only, the new version of Norton Online Family is the first globally available free solution to give parents the comprehensive tools they need to not just block inappropriate websites, but truly connect with their children's online lives and foster ongoing dialogue about safe Internet behaviors. According to the Norton Online Family Report, a global study that was released today, 62 percent of kids worldwide have had a negative online experience, underscoring the need for a service like Norton Online Family that helps create positive online experiences for their kids.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100615/LA20855LOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100615/LA20855LOGO)

Norton Online Family takes a different approach to online safety by helping parents manage the grey areas of the Internet. While Norton Online Family contains the baseline tools that effectively block objectionable content, the free service also encourages open discussion between parents and kids. Parents can set up clear house rules, get insight into search terms their kids use, and learn more about how their children represent themselves on social networking sites. Norton Online Family also delivers real-time messaging that lets kids send a note to their parents about their intentions when attempting to visit a blocked site. Because it's a primarily Web-based service, parents are also given the convenience and peace of mind of being able to log in from any computer to adjust settings or monitor activity whenever and wherever they'd like. The new version launched today includes usability and user interface improvements, more flexible daily curfews to set appropriate boundaries for kids' daily computer usage, and additional support pages.

In order to ensure the service continues to best meet the needs of parents around the globe, Norton has added five international members to the Norton Online Family Advisory Council, from Canada, Brazil, France, Australia and the United Kingdom. The Norton Online Family Advisory Council draws upon the expert backgrounds of its now 13 members from around the world, who meet directly with the product team to discuss functionality and features. Members were chosen based on their contributions and background within Internet safety, parenting and child behavior.

"We believe that cybersafety and cybersecurity go hand in hand and children should learn about protecting themselves online the moment they first get connected," said Marian Merritt, Norton Internet Safety Advocate and Chair of the Norton Online Family Advisory Council. "Families have trusted Norton for years to protect their computers from online threats, and we want to lend a hand and support them in their efforts to keep their kids safe online with this free tool. Parents can turn to Norton to help protect their families from all types of cybercrime - from viruses and hackers to cyberbullies and inappropriate content."

Norton Online Family Advisory Council Members

-- Dr. David Bickham, Ph.D.: Research Scientist, Center on Media and Child Health, Children's Hospital, Boston -- Anne Collier: Co-Director, ConnectSafely.org -- Veronique Fima: Director, NGO Action-Innocence (France) -- Marsali Hancock: President, Internet Keep Safe Coalition -- Marian Merritt: Norton Internet Safety Advocate -- David Miles: Director, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Family Online Safety Institute (UK) -- Rob Nickel: Cyber Safety Expert, Cyber-Safety.com (Canada) -- Dr. Gwenn O'Keeffe, MD, FAAP: CEO and Editor-In-Chief, Pediatrics Now -- Robin Raskin: "The Internet Mom," Founder, Living in Digital Times, LLC -- Samantha Shiraishi: Founder, A Vida Como a Vida Quer (Brazil) -- Kim Stroemel: President, Signal Hill Parent Faculty Association -- Robyn Treyvaud: Founder, CyberSafe Kids (Australia) -- Vanessa Van Petten: Author and Youthologist, RadicalParenting.com

Pricing, Availability and Compatibility

Norton Online Family is available for free at https://onlinefamily.norton.com/ in 25 languages:

1. US English/Intl English 2. German 3. French 4. Japanese 5. Brazilian Portuguese 6. European/Iberian Portuguese 7. European Spanish 8. Latin American Spanish 9. Italian 10. Korean 11. Simplified Chinese 12. Traditional Chinese 13. Hong Kong Chinese 14. Hungarian 15. Czech 16. Dutch 17. Polish 18. Swedish 19. Norwegian 20. Danish 21. Finnish 22. Russian 23. Greek 24. Romanian 25. Turkish

To use Norton Online Family on a PC (Windows 7, Windows XP Home or Professional, SP2 or later; Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, Windows Vista 32-bit or 64-bit, SP1 or later) or Mac (Mac OS X 10.5), parents simply sign up and create a family account at https://onlinefamily.norton.com/. Parents download and install Norton Safety Minder, a small application, onto each child's computer. As a Web-based service, Norton Online Family is able to track the Internet activities of each child in real-time. Parents enjoy peace of mind with instant reporting and the convenience of accessing their account anytime from any Internet-connected device.

About Norton From Symantec

Symantec's Norton products protect consumers from cybercrime with technologies like antivirus, anti-spyware and phishing protection -- while also being light on system resources. The company also provides services such as online backup, PC tuneup, and family online safety. Fan Norton on Facebook at www.facebook.com/norton and follow @NortonOnline on Twitter.

About Symantec

Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.