Symantec is investigating the incident internally and has contacted law enforcement regarding an attempt to extort and steal intellectual property," Symantec spokesman Chris Paden wrote in a statement. The source code is for a Symantec product called pcAnywhere, which allows users to log in and control home or work computers remotely. Access to the code could theoretically give hackers insight into how to grab computers using the software. The company urged any users of its pcAnywhere product to immediately apply security patches. Symantec said hackers stole the code in 2006 and that it affected four products: Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition, Norton SystemWorks, Norton Internet Security and pcAnywhere. The source code for those products has been updated with new code since 2006, according to the company. Nonetheless, it said it has contacted customers in recent weeks to encourage them to apply software upgrades that address known security issues. A hacker going by the name Yamatough released a code file Tuesday to the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, just as Symantec revealed that ransom negotiations with the hacker were conducted by law enforcement officials posing as Symantec employees. "Of the four products, only pcAnywhere is still being sold," Paden wrote. "All have either been retired and discontinued -- or in the case of Norton Internet Security, it has been completely, entirely rebuilt." Last Tuesday, a series of emails apparently between Yamatough and Symantec employees were posted on the website pastebin.com. The emails reveal back-and-forth over how to arrange a payment of an alleged $50,000 ransom agreement between the hacker and Symantec without revealing the return of the code. Symantec said the talks were conducted by authorities after the company tipped them off about the scam. The email charade was "part of the technical investigation into all types of incidents like this," he added, noting that the company couldn't reveal law enforcement involvement while the probe was ongoing. Related theme articles: Free "How to Promote Your Website" Guide Search Engine Marketing & Internet Marketing Services Comments on this page are combined from all categories of SEO Software Search Engine Marketing & Internet Marketing Services In China, labor costs are built into the price of an iPad