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The release sees a continuation of Symantec's quest to aggressively reduce its software's impact on system resources.

Speaking at a pre-release workshop in Dublin, Dong Chung, manager of Symantec's Performance Team, admitted that "in the past we've not done so well at this" - but change is already underway, with this year's Norton 360 and Internet Security 2007 products receiving wide praise for their comparatively small footprints.

Norton Internet Security 2008 promises to make even lighter demands of the host system, with engineers reportedly undertaking a huge range of real-world technical tests to ensure the new product compares favourably with earlier products and the competition.

The company claims the final code will use 69% less memory than the industry average, respond 54% more quickly and have 20% less impact on system boot time.

Besides reducing system resources, the developers have

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also focused on making the package less intrusive, seeking to eliminate requesters that pester users for decisions they may not be qualified to make.

In Dublin, software architect Shane Pereira explained that, when confronted by a firewall pop-up, "most home users are unable to make the right decision. A truly effective firewall must make decisions automatically without prompting the user."

Enhanced detection

In addition to usability enhancements, Norton Internet Security 2008 also aims to increase the efficacy of its detection routines by using behavioural analysis to identify malicious code, even in the absence of a signature. This technology lies at the heart of the new Browser Defender module, which protects against browser exploits that take advantage of vulnerabilities in ActiveX, JavaScript or VBScript.

Other additions include new home network security features, and a secure central repository called "Norton Identity Safe" for personal information. This permits you to automatically send credentials to websites without exposing yourself to keyloggers. Parental controls will be available as an optional extension.

To help users make the most of the new home network features, the standard Norton Internet Security 2008 package will be licensed for installation on three computers, as opposed to a single computer as at present. Prices are yet to be confirmed, but should be in line with current products. Look out for a full PC Pro review in the near future.