Symantec First to Detect, Remove Viruses in New Microsoft Word Documents

Symantec AntiVirus Solutions Now Scan for XML Threats in New Microsoft Office 11 Word Documents

CUPERTINO, Calif. - October 21, 2003 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), the world leader in Internet security, today announced that it is the first internet security vendor to provide virus protection for XML documents created using Microsoft's new Office 11 Word application. Symantec's consumer and corporate antivirus solution users are protected against these threats by regularly updating their Symantec AntiVirus and Norton AntiVirus PC desktop solutions.

"Symantec continues to focus on securing users against both existing and emerging threats by building solutions based on industry-leading technologies, then offering them to users via intuitive and efficient mechanisms," said Arthur Wong, vice president of Symantec Security Response. "Through the expeditious delivery of virus protection for Microsoft Office 11 Word documents, we are enabling our customers to stay well ahead of any new threats that might eventually target this new business application."

With online threats on the rise, Symantec and Microsoft continue to exchange security threat information to help customers better secure their systems. Symantec and Microsoft are developing a variety of educational and promotional programs that will inform users of the simple measures they can take to safeguard their computing experience.

Symantec AntiVirus provides award winning, comprehensive virus protection at the desktop, server and gateway. Symantec's antivirus solutions are supported by Symantec Security Response, a team of dedicated intrusion experts, security engineers, virus hunters, and global technical support teams that work together to provide extensive coverage for enterprise businesses and consumers. Symantec Security Response provides customers with comprehensive, global, 24x7 Internet security expertise to guard against today's complex Internet threats.

About Symantec
Symantec, the world leader in Internet security technology, provides a broad range of content and network security software and appliance solutions to individuals, enterprises and service providers. The company is a leading provider of client, gateway and server security solutions for virus protection, firewall and virtual private network, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, Internet content and e-mail filtering, remote management technologies and security services to enterprises and service providers around the world. Symantec's Norton brand of consumer security products is a leader in worldwide retail sales and industry awards. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has worldwide operations in 36 countries. For more information, please visit www.symantec.com.

Symantec’s Canadian operations are headquartered in Toronto with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. For more information on Symantec products or current promotions, contact the Canadian office at (416) 441-3676 or access Symantec’s Canadian Web site at www.symantec.ca. Symantec is an active member of the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft (CAAST).

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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking statements, including forecasts of future revenue and earnings per share, expected activities, and other financial and business results that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied by this press release. Such risk factors include, among others: the sustainability of recent growth rates, particularly in consumer products; the anticipation of the growth of certain market segments, particularly enterprise security; the positioning of Symantec's products in those segments; the competitive environment in the software industry; general market conditions, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, changes to operating systems and product strategy by vendors of operating systems; and whether Symantec can successfully develop new products and the degree to which these gain market acceptance. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is contained in the Risk Factors sections of Symantec's previously filed Form 10-Q for the fiscal year ended July 4, 2003. Symantec assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release except as otherwise required by law.