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BitDefender Review: Internet Security Software |
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| Excellent virus protection; good for gamers; custom and pre-set user levels | |
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BitDefender has released the 2010 version of its Internet security suite. Don't look for many new whiz-bang features; according to the literature, BitDefender has mostly made improvements in its speed, detection, and control. It also promises Windows 7 compatibility.
Bit Defender offers various degrees of configurability through different activity types: Typical, parent, gamer, and custom. You can then choose your experience level: Beginner, intermediate, or advanced. We chose typical/intermediate settings and started our testing. The results are decidedly mixed: a confused setup process followed by great virus detection. BitDefender's setup process was irritating from the start. It tried to update our virus definitions and run an initial scan simultaneously, only to tell us that it was impossible to do so. It also allowed us to run multiple virus scans at once, and wouldn't declare the machine safe until the redundant scans were completed. After setup, BitDefender found three threats on our machine that were missed by both McAfee and Kaspersky. The first two times it found them we were not given the ability to delete them (due to insufficient access privileges), which is odd given that we were logged in as admins. Somehow, it figured it out and were able to delete the three trojans. As we used it, it continued to catch Trojans that others didn't, though we were allowed to download at least one as we practiced our ultra-risky surfing behaviors, going to sites that we knew to host malware. While BitDefender does not have any kind of url interceptor for malware, it does kick in phishing detection on occasion, sending you to a warning page when you hit a suspect site. Despite our initial problems, we were very impressed with BitDefender's virus protection capabilities. It largely outshined Kaspersky in its recognition of new threats, and it seemed particularly snappy when intercepting trojans. BitDefender also offers an encrypted file vault, so you can safely store your files on an external drive. Instant messaging encryption for Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger is also included, along with a two-way firewall and Wi-Fi monitor. BitDefender is $39.95 for 1 PC, and 3 can be protected for $49.95; a 30-day trial gives you plenty of time to see if BitDefender is right for you. System Requirements: Windows XP, Windows 7 or Windows |
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| Price: | $39.95/yr |
| Virus Protection: | Real-time protection with hourly virus definition updates |
| Adware and Spyware Protection: | Identifies and removes spyware threats in real-time |
| Identity Theft Protection: | Advanced tools help prevent personal information leaks through email or web |
| Spam and Phishing Protection: | Protects from spam and phishing using adaptive engines |
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