Okay
Norton Online Family
- Company
- Symatec Corporation
- Version
- 2.9.5.39
- Devices supported
- Computer
- Operating system
- Mac OS X
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows Vista
Windows XP - Price *
- free of charge
- Language of interface
- chinese, czech, danish, dutch, english, french, german, greek, italian, japanese, korean, norwegian, polish, portuguese, romanian, russian, slovanian, spanish, suomi, swedish, turkish
- Test date
- SIP Bench III, 3rd test cycle, Summer 2014
EFFECTIVENESS
The overall effectiveness score is good on adult content and very weak on other harmful content.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between teenagers and children.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between web and web 2.0.
There is no major difference in effectiveness among the different languages.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between teenagers and children.
There is no major difference in effectiveness between web and web 2.0.
There is no major difference in effectiveness among the different languages.
Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 3.6
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 0.0
Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users 13 years and older: 3.2
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users 13 years and older: 0.0
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users up to 12 year old: 0.0
Effectiveness score with adult content filtering for users 13 years and older: 3.2
Effectiveness score with other harmful content filtering for users 13 years and older: 0.0
Effectiveness score for users up to 12 year old: 1.8 out of 4 points
Effectiveness score for users 13 years and older: 1.6 out of 4 points
Effectiveness score for users 13 years and older: 1.6 out of 4 points
USABILITY
Installation of the tool: The installation of the tool is combined with some first configuration steps. The installation itself is very short, quite easy and runs nearly automatically, it doesn't provide advanced options. The overall design is appealing. The setup isn’t named after the program and you have to select the language online.
Configuration of the tool: The configuration process is well comprehensible and easy to learn, but has to be done online because the product uses a server based configuration. It is possible to jump between the steps and to save settings at any point of the configuration. The process is mostly consistent and meets users' expectations, except for some filter categories. The configuration progress generally meets users' expectations.
Usage of the tool: The software offers a dialogue between parents and child, when content has been blocked. The child can ask the parents by a message for allowance to see a website. The alert message is worded with respect to children's capability of understanding. The reporting is comprehensible, easy to handle and provides various views of the results.
Usability of the installation process: 3.0
Usability of the configuration process: 3.4
Usability of the usage of the product: 3.2
Overall score for usability: 3.3 out of 4 points
FUNCTIONALITY
It is possible to block the access to specific content. The user can also activate the monitoring function that provides information on children’s web activities (reporting). The parent can indicate specific URLs to be blocked (creation of a black list) or allowed (creation of a white list). Social networking can be blocked through the specific topic-based categories. It is possible to set time limits to access the Internet. Safe Search and personal data provision are available. It is also possible that children ask for unblocking by parents and a redirection to a safe resource is offered.
SECURITY
The low rate results from the possibility for the user to close the tool through the task manager.
Overall score for security: 1 out of 4 points
DETAILED FUNCTIONALITY
| Area of need | Functionality | Specific issues | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management | Management of User profiles | Create several profiles | Yes |
| Remote Management | Manage on various devices | Yes | |
| Monitoring | Remote access to monitoring | Yes | |
| Filtering Customisation | Topics | Customisation of Filtering Topics | Yes |
| URLs White List | Restrict Browsing to White List | No | |
| Default White List | No | ||
| Modification OR Creation | Yes | ||
| URLs Black List | Creation of User's own Black List | Yes | |
| Keywords | Keywords | Default Black List | No |
| Default White List | No | ||
| Creation of a User's Black List | No | ||
| Creation of a User's White List | No | ||
| Time | Time Limit Settings | Set a specific time frame or web access duration | Yes |
| Blocking Message | Type | Ask for unblocking by parents | Yes |
| Redirect to safe resources | Yes | ||
| Usage Restriction | Web | Block Access | Yes |
| Monitor Access | Yes | ||
| Safe search | Availability | Yes | |
| Social Networks | Block Access | Yes | |
| Monitor Usage | No | ||
| Personal data Provision | Block | Yes | |
| Streaming | Block Access | Yes | |
| Monitor Access | No | ||
| P2P | Block the application | No | |
| Monitor Downloads | No | ||
| Skype | Block chat | No | |
| Block video chat | No | ||
| Monitor | No | ||
| Prevent new Contact | No | ||
| Windows Life Messenger | Block chat | No | |
| Block video chat | No | ||
| Monitor | No | ||
| Prevent new Contact | No | ||
| Block email client and/or webmail access | Yes |
DETAILED USABILITY FINDINGS
| Yes / No | |
|---|---|
| I: installation in 3 steps or less | No |
| I: choice of installation for beginners or advanced users | No |
| C: different degrees of strength for the filtering | Yes |
| C: different content criteria for the filtering | Yes |
| C: option to transfer filter configurations between target users | No |
| C: option to transfer filter configurations between devices | No |
| C: overall comprehensible configuration | Yes |
| C: overall conformity with user expectations | Yes |
| C: overall easy to learn | Yes |
| U: alert message in a child friendly language | Yes |
| U: option to customise the reaction in case of blocking | Yes |
| U: overall easily operable and comprehensible reporting | Yes |
DETAILED SECURITY FINDINGS
| The Tool prevents the user from by-passing the filter by: | Yes / No |
|---|---|
| Using the IP address instead of the URL | Yes |
| Using an alternative browser | Yes |
| Changing time and date settings* | n/a |
| Disabling or uninstalling the software without a password* | Yes |
| Closing the filtering tool trough the Task Manager | No |
| Using a proxy instead of a direct connection to the Internet | Yes |
| Accessing the web-pages through the Google Cache | Yes |
| Reaching a website through translation sites | Yes |
| Renaming a blocked application | Yes |
| Using Safe Mode | No |
| Filtering Content personalised by user | No |
| Filtering Content evolving through time | No |
| Filtering Multimedia content | No |
| Filtering outbound content | No |
