EXHIBIT 99.01


                    SYMANTEC CORPORATION ANNOUNCES PRICING OF
               PRIVATE OFFERING OF CONVERTIBLE SUBORDINATED NOTES

         CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 19, 2001--Symantec Corp.
(Nasdaq: SYMC - news) today announced the pricing of a private offering of $525
million of its 3% convertible subordinated notes due November 1, 2006. The
offering is expected to close on October 24, 2001. The company has also granted
the initial purchaser a 30-day option to acquire an additional $75 million of
the notes. The company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for
general corporate purposes, including working capital, potential acquisitions,
stock repurchases and investments in the company's infrastructure.

         The offering was made only to qualified institutional buyers in
accordance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933. The notes are
convertible into shares of the company's common stock at a conversion price of
$68.28 per share, which represents a premium of 30% over the closing bid price
of the company's common stock on the Nasdaq National Market on October 18, 2001.

         The securities being offered have not been registered under the
Securities Act of 1933 or any state securities laws and unless so registered may
not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption
from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the
Securities Act of 1933 and applicable state securities laws. This announcement
is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy any of these securities.

         Note to Editors: 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 statements regarding anticipated activities and results,
that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may
cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to
differ materially from results expressed or implied by this press release. Such
risk factors include, among others: the risks that current global adverse
economic conditions and reduced spending will continue or worsen; currency
exchange fluctuations will adversely affect our results; the continuing
integration of Symantec and AXENT will not be successful; the difficulty of
developing and marketing products that compete effectively with others; new
security threats and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory
factors affecting Symantec's business generally. Actual results may differ
materially from those 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 the Company's previously filed Form
10-K for the year ended March 30, 2001 and the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
June 30, 2001.