It is this new feature of Norton Internet Security software that convinced me to install Symantec’s 2008 product edition. Since I am confined to using Internet Explorer, I need (you, too) a good browser defender. One that defends against drive-by downloads and other new or unknown threats that exploit the vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer.

Norton Internet Security 2008 assures "revolutionary, zero-day proactive protection against obfuscated code attacks using Active X, JavaScript, and VBScript that specifically target the Web browser.

"We are focused more on the Internet Explorer because 90 percent of attacks are against IE’s Active X," explained Philip Hickey, consumer product marketing manager, Symantec Asia Pacific.

He added, "Our 2008 products bring valuable new protection technologies to block treats before they get a foothold in systems as well as significant performance improvements to make the enduser experience better than ever before."

He continued, "With next-generation security tools and enhanced performance, Norton Internet Security 2008 and Norton Anti-Virus 2008 help deliver on Symantec’s promise to provide confidence in a connected world."

New to Norton in 2008 is the Identity Safe feature which keeps personal information and identity safeguarded when buying, banking or browsing online. It enables users to control which information is shared with Web sites, stores private information securely, and fills in passwords and Web forms automatically.

It stores and encrypts passwords and other confidential data, automatically retrieving it at a user’s request to save time and protect it from being stolen by eavesdropping keystroke loggers (included in Norton Internet Security 2008 only).

A word of caution. Take note of this feature because I did not pay attention and did not write down my password.

At a product briefing for the press Hickey conducted, he reported, "Both products include the powerful SONAR behavioral detection technology that protects against malicious code before standard virus and spyware detection definitions have been created."

In Norton Internet Security 2008, SONAR (Symantec Online Network for Advance Response) will run a full scan every time an application attempts outbound communication, further protecting identity information by improving the firewall’s effectiveness against unknown threats.

New Norton Threat Interceptor vulnerability protection technologies include: Browser Defender, Intrusion Prevention, and Generic Exploit Blocking.

The two products are designed for both Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista users.