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Norton Smart Firewall and Norton Intrusion Prevention System

Don’t let your files and data leave your computer without your permission.

A firewall helps defend against unwanted intrusions to your computer. Protect your Windows PC or Mac from unauthorized access with Norton Smart Firewall and Intrusion Prevention System, part of Norton Device Security plans. Norton Intrusion Prevention System is also available as part of the Norton Safe Web browser extension.

What is a firewall?

As part of advanced online threat protection, a firewall is like a gatekeeper for your computer. You want to keep your personal information in and keep cybercriminals’ attacks and malware out. The firewall monitors network traffic and enforces rules about access to a computer.

Do firewalls protect against viruses?

A firewall is like a filter or barrier, but something has to inform the firewall of which rules to apply.

Learn more

What do firewalls protect against?

You connect to the web through networks, and networks can be accessed by others.

Learn more

What is an Intrusion Prevention System?

An Intrusion Prevention System is technology that looks at network (e.g., internet) traffic to detect cybersecurity threats like unwanted access.

Learn more
Slide 1

1. Who has access to your computer?

❌ Problem

A cybercriminal may hack into your computer and take your valuable information.

✅ Solution

A cybercriminal can gain unauthorized access to your computer, posing a serious threat to your valuable information. Once inside, they can steal sensitive data such as passwords, financial details, and personal files, leaving you vulnerable to identity theft and financial loss. Often, this invasion occurs without your knowledge, as malware silently infiltrates your system. Protecting your devices with strong passwords, regular updates, and reliable security software is essential to defend against these intrusions and keep your information safe.

Slide 2

2. Keep your personal information where it belongs.

❌ Problem

Malicious apps or processes already installed on your computer can attempt to steal your private

✅ Solution

Malicious apps or processes that are already installed on your computer can pose a significant risk to your privacy. These hidden threats can quietly monitor your activities, capturing sensitive information like login credentials, credit card numbers, and personal messages. Often disguised as legitimate software, they may go unnoticed while siphoning off your private data for malicious purposes. Regularly scanning your system for unusual applications and keeping your security software up to date are crucial steps in safeguarding your information from these lurking dangers.

Slide 3

3. What is cryptojacking?

❌ Problem

A cybercriminal attempts to hijack your browser and run crypto-mining tasks using your computer’s privacy.

✅ Solution

Cryptojacking is a sneaky and unauthorized use of someone else’s computer or device to mine cryptocurrency. It often happens through malicious scripts that run in the background, consuming system resources and slowing down performance. Victims may not even realize it’s happening until they notice unusual activity or spikes in their electricity bills. As cryptocurrencies rise in value, so do the tactics used by cybercriminals, making it crucial for users to stay vigilant and protect their devices with strong security measures.

Online threats are complex. Advanced layers of security technology can help stop them.

A firewall is one part of advanced security technology solutions that complement each other to help block online threats like malware, viruses, and intrusions. The Norton security technology stack includes six layers of protection, and each layer works in a different way to help protect you from complex online threats:

6 layers of protection to catch malware.
Security Technology

Intrusion Prevention Wall

Our Intrusion Prevention System safeguards your browsers and operating systems. If there’s a vulnerability in either, harmful code could potentially bypass security. Our system examines incoming traffic at the byte level and successfully blocks nearly 60% of attack attempts.

Antivirus file scan

Malware creators often reuse code from earlier attacks. Our antivirus scans the files on your device to detect known harmful snippets. Whenever we discover new malware code, we promptly add it to our global threat intelligence database.

Reputation database

Malware creators often reuse code from previous attacks. Our antivirus scans the files on your device to identify known harmful snippets. When we uncover new malware code, we quickly add it to our global reputation database.

Sonar™ Behavior Monitoring

Malware can perform actions that legitimate software typically wouldn't, such as accessing your email contacts or establishing a communication channel with an IP address in another country. Sonar™ Behavior Monitoring detects this suspicious activity and helps prevent it from occurring on your device.

Script control

Scripts enhance documents by automating tasks and making them dynamic and interactive. They can consist of ActiveX controls, macros, data connections, add-ins, linked objects, embedded OLE files, color-theme files, and more. Script Control helps safeguard you from malware found in phishing emails or attachments that you receive or download.

Powerful Erase and Repair

Our Intrusion Prevention System safeguards your browsers and operating systems. If there's a vulnerability in either, harmful code could potentially slip through. This system analyzes incoming traffic at the byte level and blocks nearly 60% of attack attempts.

The first layer, known as the Intrusion Prevention Wall, examines incoming traffic and helps block numerous attack attempts before they reach your devices. The subsequent layers provide protection against any malware that manages to infiltrate a device. The Norton Smart Firewall and Norton Intrusion Prevention System collaborate at this initial level of defense. Many online threats enter computers through their internet connection, and this is where these technologies join forces as the first line of defense for your devices.

Norton Smart Firewall + Norton Intrusion Prevention System

Norton Smart Firewall + Norton Intrusion Prevention System, and the other technologies that make up the network-based protection in Norton Device Security, work together to help block malicious attacks before they even have a chance to reach your system.

Smart Firewall

Our Smart Firewall protects your computer from unauthorized access to your personal files and financial information by monitoring and blocking suspicious network traffic.

Intrusion Prevention System

The Intrusion Prevention System conducts a much more thorough inspection of traffic compared to the Smart Firewall. Once the Smart Firewall allows permitted traffic to enter, the Intrusion Prevention System steps in to carefully analyze the contents of all incoming data.

Antivirus for Mac®

Norton Smart Firewall combined with Norton Intrusion Prevention System

In the One Stop Solution technology, the Smart Firewall and Intrusion Prevention System work in tandem to detect and block malware and intrusions from network traffic. Although each component has a distinct role, they are designed ..

You can compare the roles of the Smart Firewall and Intrusion Prevention System in network security to the different security checks at an airport. Just as the first security check at an airport verifies passengers' identification and tickets to ensure only permitted individuals are allowed through.

AntiVirus Plus Image
AntiVirus Plus Image

Antivirus for Mac®

Antivirus software for Windows computers

Norton was one of the first antivirus solutions for Windows computers, and we’ve been innovating for decades to develop new ways to help protect PCs. Today, the antivirus protection in Norton solutions uses advanced machine learning and emulation to determine whether files are good or bad, but Norton device security also has more ways to help protect your computer beyond antivirus.

The technology that powers Norton protection for PC uses Reputation Protection (Insight) to analyze reputation data, a tool that uses the reputation information gathered from our global network to classify software application files. It includes Behavioral Protection to monitor and help block applications that exhibit suspicious behavior, also based on the learnings from our huge trove of data.

Smart Firewall is included in Norton 360.

Frequently Asked Questions


How does a Smart Firewall differ from a traditional firewall?
What are the main benefits of using a Smart Firewall?
Can I use a Smart Firewall with other security software?
How do I monitor the activity of my Smart Firewall?
What should I do if the Smart Firewall blocks a legitimate application?