Keeping customers satisfied is a challenge for antivirus vendors.
Some of them are looking for a simple and quick fix. Others desire a plethora of options. All of them are looking for a high level of security.
It’s difficult to strike a balance between the needs of the user and the needs of the developer.
Bitdefender, on the other hand, may have discovered a method to accomplish it.
One thing I’ll argue in this Bitdefender review is that it’s one of the most well-rounded antivirus solutions available. So it’s on our best antivirus list worldwide and in the UK.
Neither is it hefty or bare-bones nor is it costly. If you’re shopping for free antivirus for Android product, chances are you’ve previously heard of the name. It has a market share of roughly 10.2 percent, making it one of the top five antimalware companies.
We’ll be taking a look at Bitdefender’s most popular home solution, Total Security. We’ll talk about what this program has to offer, what technologies it employs, and so on. To answer the question that brought you here in the first place: Is Bitdefender a decent antivirus program?
Price
Prices vary depending on how many devices you want to protect.
Depending on how many devices you have, the Antivirus Plus plans range in price from $19.99 for one to $79.99 for ten.
- Internet Security plans range in price from $24.99 to $89.99.
- It costs $39.98 for five devices and $44.99 if you want to protect 10 devices.
- Only 10 devices may be covered by the Premium Security plan, which costs $64.99 a year.
- The Family Pack is a good choice if you have approximately 15 devices. For a year, the subscription costs $49.99.
- The Small Office Security bundle is available to company owners. It costs up to $124.99 per year to protect up to 20 devices.
- Subscribing for a period of two or three years will save you money.
Free Version
If you’re on a budget and need antivirus protection, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is a decent option. However, the Bitdefender free edition has anti-phishing, anti-fraud, and hazardous website protection, which isn’t quite enough to compete with the paid version of Bitdefender Total Security. Not to mention ransomware defenses on the web as a whole.
As we all know, a free lunch does not exist. Bitdefender’s offer, on the other hand, is like getting a free dessert!
That’s not all, either. Before purchasing Bitdefender, you can use the 30-day trial version to see whether it’s right for you.
Requirements
Computer security software requires at least Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 and 2GB of RAM, as well as 2.5GB of free disk space, in order to run.
Installation
To get Bitdefender up and running, you must first download a 472 MB file. You’ll be invited to establish a My Bitdefender account once the installation is complete (it took a little over 2 minutes). To utilize the program, you must first complete the following steps.
User Interface
Bitdefender’s UI was designed with internet security in mind, and it’s easy to access all of the functions it has to offer. Protection (threat avoidance) and Privacy comprise the vast majority of the software’s features and capabilities. (data protection). You’ll only need to click on it two or three times after you’ve gotten the hang of using Bitdefender.
The VPN and ransomware protection are only a couple of the suggested features you’ll see on the Dashboard.
Custom actions can also be added. The mobile security for Android of the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to can be tested, for example, by adding a fast action button.
In order to do my research for this Bitdefender review, I created a list of quick action buttons and tested each one. The fact that you can only add a certain number of buttons is a little irritating. Others, like myself, want to have more choices accessible to them while using a system. It’s a pity.
Bitdefender’s arsenal is on display in the Protection tab, which includes antivirus, online threat prevention, and ransomware protection.
You may also examine your device’s software for vulnerabilities and harden Bitdefender’s firewall from this location. Everything is in one convenient location.
You can control what information is shown to the public by using the Privacy tab. With Bitdefender VPN, you’ll have everything you need to safeguard your online transactions, from your webcam to your files.
Features
Bitdefender has quite a few options. Everything you need to keep your home network safe from internet dangers may be found here. But what precisely is it about Total Security that makes it so popular with so many people?
Scanning
Can you vouch for the quality of Bitdefender’s scans? I’ve done some testing, and the findings will be shared later in this post.
Bitdefender’s fast scan and full system scan features are standard fare for any antivirus program. Full scans take more time and may slow down your computer.
The ability to customize scans for certain folders or partitions is a wonderful feature. You don’t have to wait for a thorough hard disk check to keep your computer clean. Right-clicking on a file will allow you to scan it. Bitdefender Total Security has added a nice touch!
Ransomware Protection
Ransomware has become one of the most dangerous (and lucrative) cyber threats in recent years. In order to decrypt your data, you’ll have to pay a fee that’s determined by the malicious code (usually in cryptocurrencies).
Organizations are the primary target, however, individuals can also fall prey to ransomware. Either your data will be encrypted or you’ll get a notice from the FBI that your computer has been locked (this isn’t actually the FBI; hackers are trying to trick you into thinking it is).
Are Bitdefender’s actions designed to keep this from happening in the future? To prevent ransomware assaults, it employs the Ransomware Remediation function. As soon as a danger is identified, a copy of the affected files is made using the program. Once the assault has been stopped, the data can be recovered.
The Safe Files option is also included in Total Protection. Certain files on your hard disk are protected from being destroyed or altered by this software. Protect only the files you choose.
VPN
Because this isn’t a Bitdefender VPN review, I’ll keep this section short and sweet. 😉 Is there a built-in VPN service in Bitdefender? Yes, it’s based on the VPN technology of Hotspot Shield.
However, the free edition that comes with Total Security has a daily traffic limit of 200 MB. To connect, the service will select a server for you based on your geographical preferences.
Antitheft
Bitdefender Total Security’s antitheft function is one of my favorites. Bitdefender’s antitheft functionality is more user-friendly than competing security systems’ antitheft features.
If your smartphone is ever stolen or misplaced, you’ll be glad you have this capability. You may use the Bitdefender Central dashboard to lock it remotely with a PIN number. No one could access the hard drive’s data this way. The gadget will send you webcam images of anyone who attempts to gain access to it.
Aside from seeing the device’s location, Bitdefender Central gives you the opportunity to delete all data on it. This is a great chance to safeguard your private data.
Overall, it’s easy to see why Bitdefender is so highly regarded as a top-tier internet security solution.
Data Protection & Encryption
In order to protect yourself from hackers, you should always encrypt your data. Bitdefender, like any excellent antivirus software, has the ability to encrypt important data folders.
Sadly, it won’t allow you to encrypt the complete hard disk. Partitions can only be encrypted up to a certain point. However, the GravityZone Full Disk Encryption may be purchased from the same vendor for that precise purpose.
When it comes to permanently erasing files and directories, the File Shredder does the trick. It’s a must-have feature for any cybersecurity product. If you don’t, you’re putting your data in danger of being accessed by anyone who gets a hold of your device.
Payments Protection
Online banking and shopping are both made safer with Safepay, a browser add-on. Most of the finest internet security software includes a safe browser by default since banking malware and fraudulent websites are common problems. It tries to protect your transactions from phishing, keylogging, and MITM attacks, among other things.
All financial websites are immediately opened in a safe browser when using Safepay.
When you use Safepay, a virtual keyboard is provided to prevent you from keylogging. It also prevents you from taking screenshots of your screen. If you’re utilizing unprotected public Wi-Fi, your transactions will be safe thanks to the built-in hotspot protection. Using a public Wi-Fi network is never recommended, but if you must, Bitdefender can help reduce your exposure to security risks.
Scanning for Viruses
As time goes by, Bitdefender’s Photon scanning technology gets smarter and faster, according to the company. Because Photon is hosted in the cloud, you’ll need an active internet connection to use it.
Bitdefender completed a comprehensive scan in about 51 minutes. Not unheard of, but nonetheless amazing, for security software. Despite the fact that it was operating in the background, the software had no noticeable impact on performance. Using the laptop as normal had no effect on its performance whatsoever.
Scan times were as low as two minutes. Daily, weekly, or monthly schedules for short and thorough scans, as well as startup scans, are all options. However, it is not possible to plan a scan on a certain day.
Real-Time Protection
Men and boys must now be separated. Check out Bitdefender’s threat detection capabilities.
Phishing protection
When put to the test against real phishing websites, Bitdefender got a flawless score of 10. At the time of this writing, it has identified and banned all of the phishing sites that were available online.
Phishing emails are used in 91% of all cyber assaults. As a result, it is critical to have adequate defenses in place. Internet security software should be able to do this for you as well.
Parental Control
Unfortunately, Bitdefender’s parental controls aren’t flawless. In fact, it didn’t stop a video-heavy site from loading at all! As a bonus, it sent me to an MMA-related website! This is a competitive sport, but it is also a physically demanding one. Competitor products’ parental control filters prevent such web pages from appearing in the browser. Kaspersky Total Security is one such example.
However, this is a review of Bitdefender, so let’s get on with it.
In order to make advantage of Parental control, you must first create a Bitdefender Central profile for your child. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have access to a wealth of information on your child’s online habits, including the websites and apps they visit, the people they call, the phone numbers they use, and the amount of time they spend using the device.
However, despite its limitations, Bitdefender Total Security’s parental control filter is still a good one.
Downloading the Eicar Test File
Using the EICAR Antimalware Test file, Bitdefender revealed no symptoms of being infected. The danger was quickly identified by the program. More specific information regarding the detection was available to me in the Notifications menu via a popup.
Independent Lab Test
AV-Test, an independent antivirus lab, gave Bitdefender Internet Security a perfect score of six out of six in their study. Internet Security doesn’t contain antitheft protection and OneClick Optimizer, but it’s very equivalent in terms of functionality.
AV Test found that Bitdefender has a 100% success rate in detecting zero-day malware threats. It also fought off all known malware samples with an impressive 100% success rate.
Customer Support
The customer service team responds quickly and courteously to all inquiries. As with all the greatest computer security systems, you have the option of email, chat, or phone help.
It took almost two hours to obtain a response to an email. After that, another question was submitted, and a response was provided within an hour.
As a final resort, I used the live chat feature. Two of my questions were answered in under five minutes. Despite the fact that it isn’t anything groundbreaking, it demonstrates a level of dedication to client service.
Verdict
Bitdefender is a major player in the anti-virus market. What most home users want and need are well-balanced in this program. That might mean a lot of various things to different people.)
It’s simple to use, has a robust anti-malware engine, is jam-packed with options, and runs on all the major operating systems.
In other words, it is not ideal. Antivirus software, on the other hand, is not. I really hope that my Bitdefender review has been useful to you in making an informed decision about which security program is right for you.
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