Symantec Extends Common Share Repurchase Program

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TORONTO, ON - October 20, 2004 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), the global leader in information security, today announced that its Board of Directors has increased the dollar amount of the company's authorized stock repurchase program from $940 million to $1.24 billion. The company had previously announced a repurchase plan under Rule 10b5-1 to facilitate such purchases. Symantec expects to purchase approximately $60 million per quarter under this plan through March 2006.

A portion of the repurchased shares may be used for the company's employee benefit plans, and the balance will be available for other general corporate purposes.

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).

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please view the Symantec Press Center at http://www.symantec.com/PressCenter/ on Symantec's Web site. All prices noted are in US dollars and are valid only in the United States.

Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks or registered trademarks, in the United States and certain other countries, of Symantec Corporation. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking statements, including the amount of stock we expect to purchase each quarter under our stock repurchase program, that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual levels of stock repurchase activity to differ materially from that expressed or implied by this press release. Such risk factors include, among others: general market conditions; fluctuations in stock price; and changes in our financial position. The actual level of stock repurchase activity may differ materially from that 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 recently filed Form 10-Q. Symantec assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release.