In the security software market, Symantec Endpoint Protection is a solution that provides businesses a defense against the usual malware and viruses, but also against targeted attacks, even whether they are new or unknown. The company’s Insight platform collects and collates data from more than 200 million systems around the world in over 200 countries.

The collected data is used to identify and establish a security rating for each and every single file accessed via the Internet. Because of this exhaustive, comprehensive approach, it can neutralize even advanced attacks and the most persistent of threats that goes well beyond the protections offered by most traditional anti-virus solutions. This is an on-premise deployment solution that gives companies the peace of mind they need across both physical and virtual platforms, with additional scalability and flexibility provided through its granular policy control. It facilitates optimal efficiency, and its innovative design ensures that a company’s hardware will run faster and longer for the best performance. It can be used in several operating environments, including Mac OS X, Linus, and Windows. This is a security solution that works especially well for mid-sized companies needing robust protections.

Pros

Here are some of the positive things users have noted about Symantec:

• Users note that the basic protection functionality of Symatec is everything they expect it to be. Users rate the virus protection as dependable and note that the firewall is extensive enough to offer solid protection while still maintaining a degree of flexibility.
• Several users noted that once it’s implemented, workstation deployment is relatively straightforward to push out.
• Others note how they appreciate that network-user activities can be limited based on preferences that you set, such as use of removable devices.

Cons

Below are some of the drawback to Symantec noted by its users:

• Several users note that Symantec is a large corporation, and as such it can be difficult to get the support needed to get the system configured and running, or to resolve problems and errors that come up. Setup can be complex and time-consuming, especially when dealing with the management console or when you have to change servers.
• Some users noted that technical support documentation is somewhat lacking.
• Other users note that getting good information out of the reporting function is also difficult, especially alerts when there are devices that need “correction.”
• Some users noted that while it’s a good solution for smaller and mid-sized companies, you do need to plan on having an administrator with firm understanding of the company’s network and business rules.
• When scanning, the system uses up a lot of processing power, so it’s best to schedule it for off-peak hours. Otherwise, you whole system will become increasingly sluggish. Make sure at least 4 gigabytes of RAM are available to run it properly. This could mean expensive hardware upgrades to reap the full benefits of the system.
• Any problems with the endpoint protection manager seems to result in updates not happening at workstation via the Internet, leaving them vulnerable to attack.

Symantec Endpoint Protection is rated highly functional by its users, even though your system needs to be up-to-date to take full advantage of it.