Norton Symantic failed to provide advertized service Internet

There is no such a perfect Anti-virus in the world. Even though I do not like Norton at all, I can see how virus/Internet worm is installed into a computer. It is usually from a user manually allows this to happen. In other words, when a user goes to a website and the site shows a pop up asking you to install a missing plug-in or add-on. If the user accepts it, no anti-virus can stop it from there. There are ways to deviate any virus/worm signature, which is used to do a quick scan, in order to by pass the scan. Once it by passes the protection, it then can be installed in the user's computer. When you discovered it, the user would have no knowledge of how this malware is installed.

Think of it as your house door is locked (to simplify this, the house has only one door for accessing in-and-out). Normally, no one would attempt to break it to come in (if someone is breaking in, it is similar to a hacker is trying to get access to your computer). Then someone knocks on your house door (you go to a web site and a pop up ask you to install something), and then you open the door (you click 'Yes' or 'Install' to accept it). Now, the worm may force to come in and that your Anti-virus will attempt to stop (the stranger force to come in and you fight back to stop the person). However, there is a much sneaky way that the stranger smooth talk you and you let the person in (the program is a deivated version of malware and your Anti-virus doesn't recognize as malware when you click 'Yes').

However, your report points out the extra service that Norton attempts to charge you when there is a problem. The 'conduit', from what I heard, it is not a virus but a malware which hijacks your browser search to its own search screen. It is difficult to be removed by a novice. To me if that's the case, $99 fee is too much for this type of service. Unfortunately, if the hijacker malware might have been installed by other virus which is already in the computer, the $99 may be considered as an OK fee.

Yet, doesn't Norton has its own removal tools? If they cannot remove and you have bought it, then it is a rip-off as you report.