ZDNET Says Norton Blocks 98% of Malware as $70 Add-Ons Undercut Its Antivirus Review
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Jul 9
ZDNET Says Norton Blocks 98% of Malware as $70 Add-Ons Undercut Its Antivirus Review
1 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 9
Summary
Six weeks of testing found Norton highly effective at core antivirus work, with a Startup Scan uncovering a hidden Trojan that Windows Defender and Malwarebytes had missed.
MRG Effitas' June 2026 assessment backed that result: Norton blocked 98% of malware samples, logged no false positives and earned Level 2 certification, though Malwarebytes posted a perfect detection rate.
166GB of junk-file alerts and Smart Scan prompts repeatedly steered the reviewer toward paid extras, including Norton Utilities Ultimate at $45.73 for the rest of year one and $70 annually after that.
Norton 360 Deluxe is priced at $50 for the first year before rising to $125, and ZDNET said the suite's broad tools still make it a strong all-in-one option despite the intrusive upselling.