Is this a scam or genuine marketing?

I have been using the Norton Mobile Security App on my mobile phone for a while. This morning when I was reading something through a browser I got a warning from the app indicating that a third party was attempting to decrypt my data traffic on my home wifi network (which is a Telstra wifi server provided as part of the NBN package) and offered a solution. When I clicked on the “solution” it turned out to be a solicitation to trial an app called Norton WiFi Privacy (free for a while and then it would cost some $35 per year subscription). I felt I was being conned. Has anyone encountered this?
It also did not offer a method of making my home wifi network more secure. Strangely, the Norton Internet Security software on my PC did not flash up a similar alert although it was using the same wifi network at that very same time.

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It appears that the Norton Security software may have a bug…

https://community.norton.com/en/forums/norton-mobile-message

It might be worth leaving a message onthe norton communuty forum (above link), saying you are having the same problems as many others.

Hopefully norton fixes the bug promptly.

Also, if you select your local wifi in the norton package as ‘home’, this may remove the annoying notifications. It works for Android devices and something I did earlier today.

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Why would they if it brings $35 income when somebody buys the service?

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True, but there were similar bugs in late 2017 which they fixed through an update. I expect they will do the same for this one… …but the unwary may depart with $35 in the interim. It could be grounds for a refund if the $35 is spent and the bug in fact is a software/app one.

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Thank you very much Mr Briggs. My mind is at ease now.

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No worries.

If setting home doesn’t work, go into the app/software setting and turn off wifi security - unsecure network alerts or all notifications from norton. Turn back on when the software has been updated/patched.

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Hi @kcw151,

Norton have just patched the Android app and the updated version has removed the wifi security bug.

If your Norton mobile doesn’t automatucally update, go to Google Play, look at My Apps and select Norton Mobile for updating.

I have run the wifi scan and it works without gremblins in this update.

Also, don’t forget to turn the notifications back on as well.

Good luck.

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Thank you very much for your help. Everything is fine now. Have a good Easter!

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Two things you can do in this situation are to right-click on the response link to see where your reply is going; and forward the offer to norton’s support desk as a probable phishing expedition.i’m pretty sure Norton would not be making any such offer unless it was addressed to you personally and the source was verifiable.
JohnN

Thank you for your advice. I got the alert on my mobile phone as a direct response from the Norton app itself; it was not an email solicitation which would allow me to right click on the response link. From Norton’s user support website it became apparent that there was a software glitch, producing the false alert that a third party was trying to decrypt my wi-fi network. The problem went away after Norton provided a correction patch.

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