Symantec Announces Two-For-One Stock Split

TORONTO, ON - October 20, 2004 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq:SYMC), the global leader in information security, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a two-for-one stock split, to be effected in the form of a stock dividend. The company will discuss the split in more detail during today's scheduled conference call to report fiscal second quarter 2005 earnings results.

Shareowners of record at the close of business on Nov. 11, 2004, will be issued one additional share of common stock for each share owned as of that date. The company anticipates that the additional shares resulting from the split will be issued in book-entry form on or about Nov. 30, 2004. Shareowners will be entitled to receive physical stock certificates upon request. The stock split will increase the number of total shares outstanding from approximately 316 million shares to approximately 632 million shares.

Conference Call
Symantec has scheduled a conference call for 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT today to discuss fiscal second quarter 2005 results, and to review guidance for the fiscal third quarter and fiscal year 2005. Interested parties may access the conference call on the Internet at http://www.symantec.com/invest/index.html. To listen to the live call, please go to the Web site at least 15 minutes early to register, download, and install any necessary audio software. A replay and script of our officers' remarks will be available on the investor relations' home page shortly after the call is completed.

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.