Editing Gen Digital (section)

===2000 to 2014===
[[File:PLM12 24 Competition Porsche.jpg|thumb|Symantec sponsored [[Porsche 911 GT3|Porsche 997 GT3 Cup]] competing at the [[2012 Petit Le Mans]]]]
From 1999 to April 2009, Symantec was led by CEO [[John W. Thompson]], a former VP at IBM. At the time, Thompson was the only African-American leading a major US technology company. He was succeeded in April 2009 by the company's long-time Symantec executive [[Enrique Salem]].<ref>{{cite web |date= 2012 |url= http://www.symantec.com/about/news/resources/press_kits/detail.jsp?pkid%3Denrique_salem |title= Enrique Salem |access-date= June 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121220015950/http://www.symantec.com/about/news/resources/press_kits/detail.jsp?pkid=enrique_salem |archive-date= December 20, 2012 }}</ref> Under Salem, Symantec completed the acquisition of [[Verisign]]'s Certificate Authority business, dramatically increasing their share of that market.

In 2009, Symantec released a list of the then "100 dirtiest websites", which contain the most [[malware]] as detected by [[Norton Safe Web]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parrish |first1=Kevin |title=Symantec Lists 100 ''Dirtiest'' Websites |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/us/Symantec-Dirtiest-Websites-Malware-Exploits,news-4485.html |website=Tom's Guide |language=en |date=August 21, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Barry |title=Symantec reveals the 100 dirtiest sites on the web |url=https://www.alphr.com/news/security/353719/symantec-reveals-the-100-dirtiest-sites-on-the-web |website=Alphr |date=November 30, 2009}}</ref>
[[File:Symantec Headquarters Mountain View.jpg|thumb|Former Symantec headquarters in [[Mountain View, California]]]]

Salem was abruptly fired in 2012 for disappointing earnings performance and replaced by [[Steve Bennett (software entrepreneur)|Steve Bennett]], a former CEO of Intuit and GE executive.<ref>{{cite news |last= Finkle |first= Jim |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/us-symantec-ceo-idUSBRE86O13620120725 |title=Symantec fires CEO, successor begins turnaround effort |publisher= Reuters |date= July 25, 2012 |access-date= July 11, 2013}}</ref> In January 2013, Bennett announced a major corporate reorganization, with the goal of reducing costs and improving Symantec's product line. He said that sales and marketing "had been high costs but did not provide quality outcomes". He concluded that "Our system is just broken".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236174/Symantec_CEO_on_reorg_our_system_is_just_broken_|title=Symantec CEO on reorg: 'our system is just broken'|last=Messmer|first=Ellen|date=January 24, 2013|website=Computerworld|access-date=June 7, 2015|archive-date=May 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507110750/http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9236174/Symantec_CEO_on_reorg_our_system_is_just_broken_|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Robert Enderle of CIO.com reviewed the reorganization and noted that Bennett was following the [[General Electric]] model of being product-focused instead of customer-focused. He concluded "Eliminating middle management removes a large number of highly paid employees. This will tactically improve Symantec's bottom line but reduce the skills needed to ensure high-quality products in the long term."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cio.com/article/727598/Symantec_Reorganization_Offers_a_Lesson_on_Knowing_When_to_Leave|title=Symantec Reorganization Offers a Lesson on Knowing When to Leave|last=Enderle|first=Rob|date=January 25, 2013|website=CIO|access-date=June 7, 2015|archive-date=October 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022200341/http://www.cio.com/article/727598/Symantec_Reorganization_Offers_a_Lesson_on_Knowing_When_to_Leave|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In March 2014, Symantec fired Steve Bennett from his CEO position and named [[Michael Brown (corporate executive)|Michael Brown]] as interim president and chief executive. Including the interim CEO, Symantec has had 3 CEOs in less than two years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.informationweek.com/security/security-monitoring/symantec-fires-ceo-in-surprise-move/d/d-id/1127848 |title= Symantec Fires CEO In Surprise Move |work= Dark Reading |date=March 21, 2004 |access-date= June 7, 2015 |first= Mathew |last= Schwartz}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Yadron|first1=Danny|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/symantec-fires-ceo-steve-bennett-1395346086|title=Symantec Fires CEO Steve Bennett|date=March 20, 2014|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=April 16, 2017|last2=Lublin|first2=Joann S.|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> On September 25, 2014, Symantec announced the appointment of Michael A. Brown as its president and chief executive officer.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Stynes|first=Tess|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/symantec-appoints-brown-as-ceo-1411677167|title=Symantec Appoints Brown as CEO|date=September 25, 2014|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=May 29, 2017|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}}</ref> Brown had served as the company's interim president and chief executive officer since March 20, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/symantec-ceo-idUSL3N0MH4HZ20140320|title=UPDATE 2-Symantec fires CEO Bennett|date=March 20, 2014|website=Reuters|access-date=May 29, 2017}}</ref> Mr. Brown has served as a member of the company's board of directors since July 2005 following the acquisition of VERITAS Software Corporation. Mr. Brown had served on the VERITAS board of directors since 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/symantec-welcomes-new-ceo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008081416/http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/symantec-welcomes-new-ceo|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 8, 2014|title=Symantec Appoints Michael A. Brown CEO|publisher=Symantec Press Release|access-date=June 7, 2015}}</ref>

==== 2014 information management business spin-off ====
{{main|Veritas Technologies}}

On October 9, 2014, Symantec declared that the company [[Spin-off (business)|would separate]] into two independent publicly traded companies by the end of 2015.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 10, 2014 |title=Symantec latest company to split in two |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29563475 |access-date=February 17, 2015 |work=BBC News}}</ref> Symantec will continue to focus on security, while a new company will be established focusing on information management. Symantec confirmed on January 28, 2015, that the [[information management]] business would be called Veritas Technologies Corporation, marking a return of the [[Veritas Software|Veritas]] name.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brown |first=Michael |title=New Veritas Name Blends our History and Vision for Tomorrow's Data Challenges |url=http://www.symantec.com/connect/announcing-veritas |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129104015/http://www.symantec.com/connect/announcing-veritas |archive-date=January 29, 2015 |access-date=January 28, 2015 |publisher=Symantec}}</ref> In August 2015, Symantec agreed to sell Veritas to a private equity group led by [[The Carlyle Group]] for $8 billion. The sale was completed by February 2016, turning Veritas into a privately owned company.<ref>{{Citation |author=Corporate press release |title=Symantec and Veritas separation |url=http://www.symantec.com/content/en/us/enterprise/veritas/other_resources/aug-symantec-separation-update-for-customers-en.pdf |access-date=February 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130170758/http://www.symantec.com/content/en/us/enterprise/veritas/other_resources/aug-symantec-separation-update-for-customers-en.pdf |archive-date=November 30, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>