Security specialist releases public beta of latest security tool.

Symantec has announced the availability of a public beta of the latest version of its security tool, Norton 360 security suite.

Included in the new, 3.0 release is Norton Safe Web, a web site rating service which will help users assess the security and validity of any visited websites as well as a number of security and performance improvements.

“Our goal for this version of Norton 360 is to deliver comprehensive protection with zero impact on performance, so consumers can be productive online, backup their valuable data, and keep their computer running at peak performance,” said Rowan Trollope, senior vice president of the Consumer Business Unit at Symantec. “With Norton Safe Web, we are extending that protection to make shopping and other everyday online activities safer.”

Also included in the beta release is Norton Insight, which speeds up scanning times, continuous update tools and protection against new and emerging threats, a username and password storage facility, and improved network monitoring. To further increase performance Norton 360 comes with a number of educational and support tools, designed to strengthen the human element of the security equation.

Backup Tutorial offers an easy to follow guide on securing content, while also included are a number of backup tools and resources, such as the Smart Startup Manager which can be set to turn off unnecessary programs and applications at start up.

The new beta is available now through the Norton website as a download or as a browser plug-in.