Norton Safe Search – New and Improved

Norton Security | Norton Internet Security
1

We’re excited to tell you about the new and improved version of Norton Safe Search, now available as part of the Norton Internet Security 2010 public beta.  Norton Safe Search takes the site ratings provided by Norton Safe Web a step further by delivering a fully customized search results page with built-in security features such as filtering out unsafe sites, an interstitial warning page, Privacy Safeguard, and other options such as allowing users to display only safe shopping sites. 

 

Norton Safe Search is completely optional and provides users more control over their search experience.  By partnering with a search provider, Ask.com, we were able to co-develop a new safe search destination that goes beyond Norton Safe Web’s site ratings, quickly implement and iterate new safety features, and provide search data that can be used to enhance our site ratings. 

 

We originally rolled out Norton Safe Search in March as an update to Norton Internet Security 2009 and Norton 360v3.  We quickly learned that users wanted to be given the choice to add the Norton Safe Search feature or not.  We took immediate action to respond to these concerns by turning off the feature by default. 

Over the past months, we’ve conducted extensive user research and surveyed hundreds of our customers for input.  Based on user feedback, we made several major changes to the Norton Safe Search experience including:

 

1) Obtaining consent prior to enabling Norton Safe Search and adding the search box to the Norton toolbar.

 

Consent_Dialog.png


2) Removing partner branding on the Norton toolbar to minimize confusion that we are installing a third-party search toolbar (all the search box code on the Norton toolbar is Symantec’s – not third-party).

 

Norton_Toolbar_with_Search_Box.png


3) Addressing data privacy concerns by working with Ask.com to make Privacy Safeguard easily accessible and simple to turn on/off.  If you do decide to turn off Norton Safe Search, you’ll still get the full benefits of Norton Safe Web, which provides site ratings for search results on Google, Yahoo! and bing.com. 

 

Privacy_Safeguard.png 


4) Enhancing the Norton Safe Search results page to include additional security features making it easier to identify and avoid unsafe sites as well as embedding useful shopping safety information directly into the search results page.

 

Search_Results.png


We encourage you to download the 2010 beta here and give the new Norton Safe Search a try. We want to hear your feedback. Did you find these changes helpful?  Do you find Norton Safe Search useful?

 

Message Edited by KhanhT on 08-05-2009 05:33 PM
2

I apologize if this issue has been discussed but could not locate it.  I did post recently my feedback on Safe Web.  I agree that this is a great option when you do a lot of searching as I do for my business.  The primary problem which I just recently found an answer to is the following:  I use many different search engines in my research.  I contacted Norton because Safe Web would only work on Google.  I was advised that Safe Web is only an option for Google, Bing and Yahoo.  I would like to see Safe Web an option for other search engines as well.

3

Personally I think Safe Web is terrific. Obviously, over time, it will evolove and get better. However, we should bear in mind that any information pertaining to the safety of a site is very useful indeed and we cannot and indeed should not expect it to be 100% perfect. Safe Web will not cover upeither for those people who persitently visit dubious web sites. Safe Web is just one tool in many that we have available to us to protect us in our day to day PC use.

4

We’re excited to tell you about the new and improved version of Norton Safe Search, now available as part of the Norton Internet Security 2010 public beta.  Norton Safe Search takes the site ratings provided by Norton Safe Web a step further by delivering a fully customized search results page with built-in security features such as filtering out unsafe sites, an interstitial warning page, Privacy Safeguard, and other options such as allowing users to display only safe shopping sites. 

 

Norton Safe Search is completely optional and provides users more control over their search experience.  By partnering with a search provider, Ask.com, we were able to co-develop a new safe search destination that goes beyond Norton Safe Web’s site ratings, quickly implement and iterate new safety features, and provide search data that can be used to enhance our site ratings. 

 

We originally rolled out Norton Safe Search in March as an update to Norton Internet Security 2009 and Norton 360v3.  We quickly learned that users wanted to be given the choice to add the Norton Safe Search feature or not.  We took immediate action to respond to these concerns by turning off the feature by default. 

Over the past months, we’ve conducted extensive user research and surveyed hundreds of our customers for input.  Based on user feedback, we made several major changes to the Norton Safe Search experience including:

 

1) Obtaining consent prior to enabling Norton Safe Search and adding the search box to the Norton toolbar.

 

Consent_Dialog.png


2) Removing partner branding on the Norton toolbar to minimize confusion that we are installing a third-party search toolbar (all the search box code on the Norton toolbar is Symantec’s – not third-party).

 

Norton_Toolbar_with_Search_Box.png


3) Addressing data privacy concerns by working with Ask.com to make Privacy Safeguard easily accessible and simple to turn on/off.  If you do decide to turn off Norton Safe Search, you’ll still get the full benefits of Norton Safe Web, which provides site ratings for search results on Google, Yahoo! and bing.com. 

 

Privacy_Safeguard.png 


4) Enhancing the Norton Safe Search results page to include additional security features making it easier to identify and avoid unsafe sites as well as embedding useful shopping safety information directly into the search results page.

 

Search_Results.png


We encourage you to download the 2010 beta here and give the new Norton Safe Search a try. We want to hear your feedback. Did you find these changes helpful?  Do you find Norton Safe Search useful?

 

Message Edited by KhanhT on 08-05-2009 05:33 PM
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Hi Floating_Red,

  

If Norton Safe Web detected different types of threats (Virus, Browser Exploit, Spyware, etc) on the site then we would mark the site as "Multiple Risks Detected".

 

In general our site rating works as follow:

1) If the site hosts what we consider to be critical attributes such as Virus, Browser Exploits, Spyware, Remote Access, etc we will rate the site as "red".

2) If the site does not contain critical attributes but host downloader, trackware, misleading apps, etc then we rate the site as "yellow".

3) However, if the site does not contain critical attributes but were found to host several lower risk threats, we will also rate the site as "red" as the likelihood that users will stumble across those threats is higher.

 

I hope this help answer your questions.

 

Thanks,

KhanhT

6

Hi,

 

I like the CAUTION and WARNING; but will the yellow box surround the Search Result? 

 

And what's the difference between "Multiple Risks Detected" and "Computer Threats"?

 

And why is one Web Site got a "X" while the other has a "!"?  WHat guidelines do you follow to determine what gets a ! or a X?

7

For me it is very sad because Norton safe search is available for

Us.Canada&Uk only...

Not Included in the Philippines....

So I cannot use that feature...

 

8

Hi, KhanhT,

 

What I don't understand is why symantec is doing this.  I personally think that if a Web Site has any kind of Threat on it, it should automatically by Marked X (Un-Safe).  Any Web Site which has any sort of Trackware and any Nuisances, then those are the Web Sites that should have the ! (Caution).  Perhaps this is something you should think about; just keep it simple.  If you want any examples, just let me know.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Floating_Red.

9

"...if a Web Site has any kind of Threat on it, it should automatically by Marked X (Un-Safe)."

 

And obviously if a Web Site has any Broswer Exploits.

10

When the above pop-up window “Introducing norton safe Search” comes up -which it has started doing constantly on my computer-How do you indicate you do not want to try it . all I see is the enable box-already checked-what if you dont want to enable? what do you do? -I don’t see a “no thanks” to check off or anything like that. Also,I feel like I am being forced to use ask.com to search if I do use this feature.

KhanhT wrote:

We’re excited to tell you about the new and improved version of Norton Safe Search, now available as part of the Norton Internet Security 2010 public beta.  Norton Safe Search takes the site ratings provided by Norton Safe Web a step further by delivering a fully customized search results page with built-in security features such as filtering out unsafe sites, an interstitial warning page, Privacy Safeguard, and other options such as allowing users to display only safe shopping sites. 

 

Norton Safe Search is completely optional and provides users more control over their search experience.  By partnering with a search provider, Ask.com, we were able to co-develop a new safe search destination that goes beyond Norton Safe Web’s site ratings, quickly implement and iterate new safety features, and provide search data that can be used to enhance our site ratings. 

 

We originally rolled out Norton Safe Search in March as an update to Norton Internet Security 2009 and Norton 360v3.  We quickly learned that users wanted to be given the choice to add the Norton Safe Search feature or not.  We took immediate action to respond to these concerns by turning off the feature by default. 

Over the past months, we’ve conducted extensive user research and surveyed hundreds of our customers for input.  Based on user feedback, we made several major changes to the Norton Safe Search experience including:

 

1) Obtaining consent prior to enabling Norton Safe Search and adding the search box to the Norton toolbar.

 

Consent_Dialog.png


2) Removing partner branding on the Norton toolbar to minimize confusion that we are installing a third-party search toolbar (all the search box code on the Norton toolbar is Symantec’s – not third-party).

 

Norton_Toolbar_with_Search_Box.png


3) Addressing data privacy concerns by working with Ask.com to make Privacy Safeguard easily accessible and simple to turn on/off.  If you do decide to turn off Norton Safe Search, you’ll still get the full benefits of Norton Safe Web, which provides site ratings for search results on Google, Yahoo! and bing.com. 

 

Privacy_Safeguard.png 


4) Enhancing the Norton Safe Search results page to include additional security features making it easier to identify and avoid unsafe sites as well as embedding useful shopping safety information directly into the search results page.

 

Search_Results.png


We encourage you to download the 2010 beta here and give the new Norton Safe Search a try. We want to hear your feedback. Did you find these changes helpful?  Do you find Norton Safe Search useful?

 

Message Edited by KhanhT on 08-05-2009 05:33 PM

 

11
Not impressed AT ALL with Norton's use of the ASK.com search engine for Safe Web search.
 
I registered my website with Norton Safe Web and with Verisign.
(doesn't really matter what website, my complaint is generic and likely applies to others)
 
Norton Safe Web:  ownership verified
 
But when I type my domain into the Norton Safe Web search (uses Ask.com):
 
"Your search for (my domain) did not match with any Norton Secure results"
 
my domain is registered with Norton Safe Web, and with VeriSign, and a search on Norton Safe Search with ASK search engine will not even bring it up. Not even by typing the exact web address. It refuses to find it. That is ridiculous. If I have gone through the trouble to register my domain with Norton Safe Web AND with VeriSign, you'd think it would come up in a Norton Safe Search.
 
I am appalled that NORTON uses ASK as a search engine for Norton Safe Web and Safe Search, yet ASK refuses to recognize sites that have been registered as "Norton/VeriSign Secure".
 
ALL NORTON SECURE AND VERISIGN VALIDATED WEBSITES SHOULD GET RECOGNITION IN THE NORTON SAFE SEARCH AND ASK SEARCH ENGINE.
 
I'm posting this in hope that some Norton policy personnel actually get to see it.  Not holding my breath.
 
ASK Search doesn't respect Norton Safe Web or VeriSign registered sites
NORTON IS NOT GETTING RECOGNITION FROM ASK.COM
VERISIGN IS NOT GETTING RECOGNITION FROM ASK.COM