Yahoo teams up with Symantec as Internet security rivalry increases
Yahoo are pushing forward with an increased Internet security service for its mail, search and toolbar users by teaming up with Symantec, who make the Norton product range.
It seems Symantec will provide virus and spyware protection to Yahoo users at a discounted price, in return for access to the hundreds of millions of contact details.
Yahoo get to boast that an Internet experienced through their services is much safer to use – just as Microsoft and Google will do.
I don’t know if users who sign up for Norton protection via Yahoo are then tied into using Yahoo’s services, or whether all systems are protected. For example, the spyware protection will work with the Yahoo toolbar – what if you want to use the Google toolbar?
Full details of the service aren’t available yet, but it will be important to make users aware of exactly what parts of their PC and internet usage are protected. Personally, I’d rather stick with a standalone product from one of the anti-virus firms than get tied in to co-branded services, but then I’m not particularly in love with any one of the big three search providers – I don’t use their online mail or their toolbars on a regular basis. For me, a £10 annual discount on protection just isn’t worth it.
Read
