Symantec Norton Password Manager

Password Vault

You'll spend most of your time with Symantec Norton Password Manager in the browser extension, either capturing and replaying passwords or viewing the full vault, as seen here.

Password Capture

When you log in to a secure site, even a site with a two-page login like Gmail, Norton Password Manager offers to save your login credentials.

Multiple Logins

If Norton has more than one set of credentials saved for a site, it offers a menu of choices when you revisit that site.

Password Generator

Norton's password generator defaults to creating impressively long 20-character passwords, using all four character sets.

Online Access

Logging in to your collection of passwords online requires first logging into your Norton account, then entering the master password. The online dashboard is almost indistinguishable from the browser extension's vault display.

Safety Dashboard

New with this version, the Safety Dashboard lets you view sites with weak and duplicate passwords, or list all your saved passwords sorted by strength. For selected popular sites, Norton can automate the process of updating to a new, strong password.

Mobile Password Generator

You can download mobile Norton Password Manager apps for both Android and iOS. Most features are very similar to the Windows version. Note, though, that the mobile password manager defaults to using too-short eight-character passwords.

Mobile Edition

Seen here on iOS, the mobile edition offers full access to all the product's features. On a mobile device, you can set it to open with a PIN or (where supported) fingerprint.

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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