Symantec

Symantec Corporation was an American software company that specialized in cybersecurity. Founded in 1982 by Gary Hendrix in Tempe, Arizona, it grew to become a leading provider of security software for both consumers and enterprises. The company became widely known for its Norton brand, whose antivirus software and security suites were among the most widely used consumer products. In the enterprise market, Symantec offered a broad portfolio including endpoint protection, email and web security, data loss prevention, and threat intelligence services, marketed under the Symantec Enterprise Security umbrella.

Over the years, Symantec expanded through acquisitions and product development, broadening into cloud and hybrid security platforms, threat analytics, and incident response capabilities. The company played a prominent role in the evolution of consumer and enterprise cybersecurity, integrating protection across devices, networks, and data.

In 2019, Broadcom announced plans to acquire Symantec's enterprise security business for approximately $10.7 billion. The transaction was completed later that year. As part of the restructuring, Symantec's consumer business, including Norton, was spun off as NortonLifeLock, an independent company that markets Norton products along with LifeLock identity theft protection. The Symantec brand and the enterprise security portfolio were retained by Broadcom, which operates them under its software division as part of Broadcom’s enterprise security offerings.

Today, NortonLifeLock continues as a separate public company focused on consumer security and identity protection, while Broadcom maintains the Symantec-branded enterprise security products for business customers.