Friday, 1 October 2004 09:58 EST

Symantec Engages In October Cyber Security Awareness Month and PSA Campaign

CUPERTINO, Calif. – Sept. 30, 2004 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), the global leader in information security, today announced its participation in the October National Cyber Security Awareness Month initiative organized by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). As a founding sponsor of the NCSA, Symantec will also support the NCSA’s national public service announcement campaign to promote online security among individuals, small businesses and schools.

“Raising awareness about each individual’s role and responsibility for securing their own personal cyber space is key for ensuring online safety in today’s digitally-connected world,” said Tiffany Jones, Symantec government relations manager and board member of the NCSA. “Today’s cyber threats continue to intensify in terms of malicious intent and the speed with which they spread. Increased awareness about proper security solutions and best practices is more important than ever to ensure the integrity of one’s information.”

According to Symantec’s September 2004 Internet Threat Security Report, the time between the announcement of a new vulnerability to the appearance of a code or virus to exploit the vulnerability has now dropped to 5.8 days. Findings from the study also indicate that the motives behind today’s cyber attacks are focused more than ever on criminal financial gain. As a result, data from the report suggests that attacks in the form of phishing and spyware will continue to increase in the coming months.

The NCSA is a non-profit, public-private partnership consisting of businesses, consumer groups, government agencies and educational institutions dedicated to raising the awareness of cyber security issues and best practices. The NCSA provides tools and resources to empower home users, small business, and schools to stay safe online. More information about the organization and the October National Cyber Security Awareness Month can be found at www.staysafeonline.info.

About Symantec
Symantec is the global leader in information security providing a broad range of software, appliances and services designed to help individuals, small and mid-sized businesses, and large enterprises secure and manage their IT infrastructure. Symantec's Norton brand of products is the worldwide leader in consumer security and problem-solving solutions. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 35 countries. More information is available at www.symantec.com.