Security giant Symantec and Internet service provider EarthLink announced Tuesday they are offering an antivirus and firewall subscription bundled with the ISP's service. The move comes on the tail of heightened consumer awareness after half a year of high-profile virus attacks.

The Symantec-EarthLink deal introduces a new model for consumer-level security services. Rather than having to pay $49 up front for a security software package and a year of updates--which must then be renewed a year at a time--this offering lets consumers pay about $4 to $6 per month for as long as they choose, and receive the bill on their EarthLink statement.

The partnership not only enhances EarthLink's security offerings to its users, but also addresses a way for Symantec to hold onto the phenomenal growth it has seen with its consumer products. Security companies, which are experiencing strong sales of their antivirus software, want to keep customers once their first-year subscriptions expire. Customers sometimes neither upgrade the software nor renew the current subscription, though this leaves their computers vulnerable to viruses created after their last security update.

Continued at CNET News