Bitdefender 2021 review

Bitdefender's antivirus protections are just a hair behind those of industry leaders Kaspersky and Norton among the best antivirus software, but its programs pack in more useful features at lower prices. 

We recommend the entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus for any Windows 10 user who doesn't need parental controls. It's one of the best Windows 10 antivirus programs, hands-down.

There is also the bare-bonesBitdefender Antivirus Free Edition (one of our top picks for best free antivirus), although it's being discontinued later in 2022.  You'll get more features, outlined below, with Bitdefender Internet Security and Bitdefender Total Security. 

Finally, there's the flagship Bitdefender Premium Security with its unlimited VPN use and cross-platform password manager.  All five packages use the same malware-detection technology.

The biggest change from earlier years is that Bitdefender now seems to take longer to fully scan a system. Still, the programs deliver excellent malware protection and are the rare antivirus programs that can be purchased in a bundle with home networking hardware. 

Read on for the rest of our Bitdefender review.

Bitdefender Total Security subscription options:
• 12 month plan - $0 per month ($0 total cost) (opens in new tab)

Bitdefender: Costs and what's covered

The lowest rung of Bitdefender's line is Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, which provides basic protections in a no-frills but effective package. As mentioned above, this is unfortunately going away soon.

The cheapest paid program, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, offers a lot for its price. It includes Bitdefender's Network Threat scanner, a file shredder, an unlimited (but Windows-only) password manager, the company's Safepay hardened browser and an anti-tracking feature. 

Yearly subscriptions range from $40 for one PC to $80 for 10 PCs, although steep discounts are frequently available.

The next step up, Bitdefender Internet Security, is again only for Windows machines; yearly costs range from $60 for one PC to $90 for 10. It adds a two-way firewall, parental controls and dedicated webcam and microphone protection. The file-encryption feature has been dropped for 2021.

Bitdefender Total Security adds software for Macs and Android devices, plus a new system optimizer to squeeze a little extra performance out of your system. It covers  five devices for $90 a year or 10 systems for $100, and it's one of our top picks among the best internet security suites. 

The Bitdefender Family Pack is Total Security for up to 15 systems, with a list price of $120.

The Mac antivirus software is also available as the stand-aloneBitdefender Antivirus for Mac starting at $40 per year. There are two Android antivirus apps, the stripped-down Bitdefender Antivirus Free and the $15-per-year feature-richBitdefender Mobile Security. Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS also costs $15 per year, but Apple won't let it do much.

Except for the free option, all these programs give you 200MB of data daily on Bitdefender's VPN service. Unlimited data costs an additional $7 a month or $40 a year, or you can get Bitdefender's Premium Security antivirus suite. That package costs $150 a year for 10 systems and also comes with priority support and an unlimited, cross-platform password manager that by itself costs $30 per year.

There are also two ways to get Bitdefender antivirus protection with home networking hardware.

Netgear's newer routers, including the Orbi mesh systems and the Nighthawk line, have optional protection called Netgear Armor that protects smart-home devices and also includes an unlimited-device license for Bitdefender Total Security. 

Some new Netgear routers come with one to three free years of Armor protection. After that, it's $70 a year. You can also add it to routers that have already been purchased. 

That's quite a bargain considering you're getting the same coverage as the $120 Bitdefender Family Pack. (Netgear has a full list of routers that support Netgear Armor here (opens in new tab).)

You can also get Bitdefender Total Security for unlimited devices with the Bitdefender Box network-security appliance, which retails for $200. Like Netgear Armor, the Box protects smart-home devices. Subscription is free for the first year and costs $99 a year after that.

Bitdefender's Windows antivirus software works with Windows 7 (with Service Pack 1), Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10. The Mac software requires macOS 10.10 Yosemite or later. Mobile devices require a minimum of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or iOS 11.2. Like most antivirus makers, Bitdefender doesn't offer a consumer Linux program.

Bitdefender: Antivirus protection

Whenever Bitdefender's malware-scanning engine encounters what may be a new piece of malware, it uploads the suspicious item to Bitdefender's online testing lab for analysis. New malware signatures are distributed several times daily to the 500 million systems protected by Bitdefender products.

These uploads will include some information about your system and what it was doing when a new threat was detected. If you'd rather Bitdefender not know that, you can opt out of this data collection. (You'll still get the malware-signature updates.)

Bitdefender blocks potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), fileless malware and bootkits. It also guards the integrity of files and automatically copies files under attack from encrypting ransomware so that you have backup copies.

The Profiles feature monitors what you're doing and tailors the protection accordingly. There are preset profiles for work, movie, games and public Wi-Fi.

Bitdefender no longer offers the free downloadable Bitdefender Rescue CD, which booted a severely infected system into Linux for a complete scan and cleaning. 

Bitdefender paid software still creates the similar Bitdefender Rescue Environment in a hidden hard-drive partition during installation, but the Rescue Partition now uses a sandboxed version of Windows 10 instead of Linux to remove persistent threats. 

Bitdefender: Antivirus performance

In November-December 2020 testing by the Germany-based AV-Test lab (opens in new tab), Bitdefender's malware-scanning engine detected 100% of both brand-new "zero-day" malware and known "widespread" malware. 

But it picked up 12 false positives, a rather high number and by far the most of all seven brands of paid antivirus software we review. Those other brands — ESET, Kaspersky, McAfee, Norton, Sophos and Trend Micro — also all got 100% scores across the board. 

Bitdefender has done very well in most of AV-Test's 30 monthly evaluations since January 2017, failing to detect 100% of zero-day malware only three times and failing to detect 100% of widespread malware only once with a 99.9% score. 

In tests conducted by the AV-Comparatives lab in Austria, Bitdefender's defenses let a few threats through. It caught 99.6% of the "real-world" online threats in cumulative tests from July through October 2020. Trend Micro had a perfect 100% score, and Kaspersky 99.7%.

Bitdefender had four false positives over the entire period and Kaspersky had two, but Trend Micro had an astounding 63 false positives. Its malware scanner may be a little too sensitive.

We also use results from London-based SE Labs (opens in new tab), in which Kaspersky usually comes out on top, but Bitdefender is no longer tested by that lab.

Bitdefender: Security and privacy features

Each Bitdefender paid program blocks web-tracking in the Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome browsers, but not in Edge.  

There's also a powerful file shredder that's quick and easy to use. Bitdefender's File Vault encryption feature has been discontinued, but files encrypted with older versions of Bitdefender programscan still be retrieved (opens in new tab) if you remember the password.

The password manager you get with Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, Internet Security and Total Security is Windows-only works with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Bitdefender's own Safepay hardened browser, but not Edge or Apple's Safari. 

For an additional $30 per year ($20 for the first year (opens in new tab)), you can subscribe to Bitdefender's cross-platform, stand-alone password manager, which supports Edge, Firefox and Chrome on Windows and macOS, and also has iOS and Android apps. Safari support is on the way.

The Safepay hardened browser protects online banking and shopping sessions by blocking browser extensions and making sure you're using a secure HTTPS session. It has an on-screen keyboard so you can type in passwords and credit-card numbers without having to worry about keyloggers.

Bitdefender Internet Security, Total Security and Premium Security still have one of the industry's easiest and best webcam- protection features, which not only blocks access but lets you choose which applications have webcam access.

They also include a two-way firewall, which can be set to Stealth mode to make sure nobody from outside your home network gets access.

Parental Controls come with Internet Security, Total Security and Premium Security and work across all platforms for seamless control and monitoring.

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The new OneClick Optimizer makes recommendations for speeding up your computer, such as getting rid of junk files or fixing Registry problems.

Bitdefender: Performance and system impact

Bitdefender Total Security had a moderate impact on system performance.

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To measure the performance impact, we used our custom benchmark test, which clocks how long a PC takes to match 20,000 names and addresses on an Excel spreadsheet. The Lenovo ThinkPad T470 laptop we used had a 2.5GHz Core i5-7200U processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage with 61.2GB of files.

Before we installed Bitdefender, the T470 took an average of 10.4 seconds to complete the benchmark, a result we used as a baseline. The completion time increased to 12.4 seconds after Total Security was loaded but before any active scanning took place, indicating a a rather heavy 19% decline in performance. 

By comparison, Kaspersky Total Security's post-installation performance decline was only 12%, and other brands had even less.

During a full scan of the entire computer, it took our benchmark test 13.8 seconds to finish — an 11% percent decline in performance compared to the post-installation score, and a 33% decline from the pre-installation baseline.

The benchmark completion time during a quick scan was 13.6 seconds, indicating a 10% performance drop from the post-installation score and a 31% drop from the baseline. 

Kaspersky Total Security and ESET Smart Security Premium both had lighter impacts overall. But the other brands we tested had heavier tolls, with McAfee nearly doubling the system load during full scans.

The Bitdefender scanning engine took 35 minutes and 41 seconds to complete the first full scan, looking at a comprehensive 1,208,083 files. That's more than twice as long as the 2020 edition's time of 15:01 to do roughly the same task. But the second time through the system, Bitdefender's engine learned what to ignore and examined 826,635 files in 8:38.

By contrast, Kaspersky Total Security 2021 took 17:34 to scan through 400,571 files on the first pass — one-third as many as Bitdefender Total Security. Subsequent Kaspersky passes were lightning-fast at 1:26, faster than Bitdefender Total Security's Quick Scan.

Speaking of Bitdefender Total Security's Quick Scan, it took 3 minutes and 58 seconds to run through 9,121 key files that might be infected. That time dropped to 3:35 on subsequent scans. The older version took 1:58 to look at 9,117 files.

While Kaspersky Total Security ran through one-third as many files, it took 1:26 to check for malware that dropped to 1:12 on the second pass. 

Bitdefender: Interface

Bitdefender's desktop interface has been slightly updated and tightened up. The Dashboard shows the program's major categories on the left, including Protection, Privacy, Utilities, Notifications and Settings. 

On the right, you can start a scan and also fire up the VPN or open the Safepay hardened browser. You can add another "action" of your choosing or replace an existing one.

Bitdefender's Taskbar icon lets you open the main program or update its malware definitions, but it can't start a scan.

You can check your subscription, get tech support and use the Parental Advisor feature on your Bitdefender Central online account, which has atwo-factor-authentication option.

Bitdefender now offers Digital Identity Protection (opens in new tab), which checks your online personal data exposure and alerts you to threats, data breaches and identity theft. It costs $60 a year for up to three phones and five computers.

Bitdefender: Installation and support

Loading Bitdefender on a fresh system starts with creating an account at Bitdefender Central, then downloading the nearly-500MB installer file.

As the program installs itself, it runs a quick device assessment and lets you run a Quick Scan. It took us 13 minutes to get and install Bitdefender Total Security 2021, roughly twice as long as the previous version took.

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Bitdefender's paid programs include full 24/7 tech support, and you can call, email or use the company's chat window. With Bitdefender's Premium Security suite, you get priority support. (We've heard several complaints about Bitdefender tech support over the years.)  The Bitdefender website has a slew of FAQs, self-service material and instructional videos.

Bitdefender review: Bottom line

Bitdefender's Windows antivirus lineup returns to the top tier of security programs with excellent defenses that comes close to air-tight protection. Bitdefender's scanning engine let a few threats through and took up a moderate amount of system resources, but it remains one of the best antivirus software  options available and the near-equal of Kaspersky's and Norton's products.

For consumers who need more than just antivirus software, Norton 360 with LifeLock also delivers identity-theft protection and unlimited VPN use, but your wallet may feel the hit. Kaspersky Total Security remains our top choice for pure antivirus software — but that's only if you need everything it offers.

If you're looking for a bargain, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is a good balance between cost and features, starting at $40 for a single PC. By the same token, Bitdefender Total Security is a good buy considering all it includes, and you can get it for even less with Bitdefender's Box security appliance or Netgear Armor router protection.

Updated to add cross-platform password manager and end-of-life for Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. This review was originally published in October 2020.

Brian Nadel is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in technology reporting and reviewing. He works out of the suburban New York City area and has covered topics from nuclear power plants and Wi-Fi routers to cars and tablets. The former editor-in-chief of Mobile Computing and Communications, Nadel is the recipient of the TransPacific Writing Award.

Our Verdict

In 2022, Bitdefender is a go-to antivirus if you put versatility and user-friendliness first. It is reliable, fast, and relatively reasonably priced. However, compared to some of the leaders like Kaspersky and Norton, it’s not as effective against modern-day threats. On top of that, its Mac and mobile apps are quite limited, not to mention entry-level plans only cover the Windows OS.

We’re not saying that Bitdefender is a terrible antivirus product – far from that. Still, if you’re in the market for the best possible protection, you might want to look elsewhere. If you are not really convinced – it might be useful to check the list of the best antivirus solutions and see that Bitdefender is among the best of them. Read the full review to learn the details.

Bitdefender antivirus in 2022: Pros and Cons

Before we start talking about malware protection, pricing, packages, the list of features, and more, let’s take a quick look at the strong and weak sides of this antivirus. Like all the other products, Bitdefender has its advantages and disadvantages.

Bitdefender Security Features

Protection against all potential attacks – that’s the #1 concern of any antivirus solution. With the Bitdefender antivirus, you get access to a long list of features, including webcam protection, password manager, a VPN, parental controls, and a firewall, to name a few. What’s more important, it performs decently in various third-party lab tests.

These days, you won’t be fully protected without advanced anti-malware and anti-phishing modules. Anti-tracking, safe online banking, and encrypted storage also play a key role in keeping the cybercriminals at bay. First, we’ll take a look at how Bitdefender performs against the most common threats. Then, we’ll discuss the extra features and take a look at the independent lab test results.

Malware Protection

As a top-10 antivirus, Bitdefender implements many advanced anti-malware protection techniques. Mainly, it has a scanner that works 24/7 and looks for any known threats included in the database. This “traditional” scanner is backed up by a so-called “heuristic” monitor. This module detects behavioral signs and takes a different approach to virus detection and elimination.

Whenever a new potentially malicious file is detected, it is automatically uploaded to the company’s servers. Once an update is ready, it is sent to every single Bitdefender user around the world. Overall, 500+ million systems are running this antivirus program. A quick note: if you don’t like the idea of a third-party app collecting data from your device, you can turn that off at any time.

The same is true for almost every feature of this product. Just go to Settings, choose a feature/module you don’t like, and shut it off. Plus, the users can switch to a Gamer or Movie mode, which will eliminate any pop-ups and other interruptions by the antivirus software.

Last but not least, Bitdefender includes a rescue environment feature. It uses a hidden sector on the hard drive (or SSD) to launch a full scan of the system and fight malware while being undetected. The majority of antivirus solutions recommend downloading this module on a CD or USB drive, but with Bitdefender, you can launch the full scan from the main dashboard.

Of course, it should only be used when the program can’t eliminate infection with real-time and offline modules.

Phishing Protection

When it comes to phishing protection, Bitdefender is among the leaders. With industry-leading results in third-party lab tests, you can rest assured that this antivirus will protect you from fake websites, malicious links, login-password stealers, and all the other emerging threats. In this regard, it is almost on par with Kaspersky, ESET, and McAfee, mainly thanks to real-time analysis.

Here’s how phishing works: it takes advantage of the user’s carelessness and tricks them into visiting fake copies of legit websites.In many cases, these fakes have the wrong URL, but, again, most users simply don’t pay attention to that. And, the second they enter their credentials (say, in the malicious copy of PayPal), the criminals get access to their bank accounts and steal their money (or sensitive data).

Now, these fakes are continually being blocked and blacklisted, but the hackers create new sites and continue profiting on trusting users. A solid anti-phishing module reveals phishing websites and warns the user(s) against visiting them. However, many emerging phishing attacks aren’t included in any lists, and that’s why you need a leading antivirus to protect you against new threats.

Bitdefender’s Online Threat Protection (OTP) relies not only on the blacklist database but also implements real-time analysis to detect zero-day attacks. In our in-house tests, OTP detected 99/100 fraudulent pages. Still, it lags a bit behind the leaders – Kaspersky and McAfee. It is crucial: Bitdefender Free only detected 91/100 threats, as it uses a different approach to dealing with phishing.

Firewall Web Protection

It’s hard to imagine a modern-day anti-malware program without a firewall. The one included with Bitdefender is pretty much the same as in other popular antivirus solutions. It works 24/7 in a fully automatic mode and blocks all incoming attacks when you’re online. Plus, it decides which apps are safe and can be allowed to connect to the Internet and which aren’t.

What’s more interesting is the Network Threat Prevention (NTP) module. It works alongside OTP, but, in many ways, it acts as an advanced firewall. It has only one job: to find vulnerabilities and security “holes” in the OS and the various apps installed on the user’s device.

Exploit protection is more of a nice addition to an antivirus suite, rather than an essential component. With that said, while Bitdefender blocked only 45% of our planted samples, Norton, the leader, managed to detect up to 85%.

Spam Filter

This module does exactly what its name suggests. It filters spam, keeping any potentially malicious email and attachments away from the user. It isn’t a particularly advanced feature and only provides basic protection. Still, during our tests, we were impressed by its effectiveness: the spam filter blocked more than 90% of the planted samples.

As for the percentage of false positives, it only flagged one percent of legit emails, which is a reliable result. The good news is – you don’t have to do anything for this filter to work. It’s automatically enabled in Bitdefender and is active 24/7. You can create blacklists and whitelists, mark specific types of email, and “fine-tune” the module to your liking. While that’s not very impressive in terms of the feature set, as we just said, the detection rate is well above average.

Bitdefender Webcam Protection and Microphone Filter

In 2022, webcam hijacking is one of the biggest threats. By accessing the webcam on your notebook, tablet, or phone, criminals can watch you from the other side without you even knowing it. Bitdefender’s Webcam Protection module determines which apps on the OS can have access to the webcam. The user can choose to block specific programs, browsers, and even turn off the camera for good.

It is how it works: whenever an app that doesn’t have permission to access the webcam attempts to do that, Bitdefender instantly notifies you. As for the Microphone Filter, it works similarly but is focused on the microphone rather than the camera. Sadly, the level of control is much lower: you only get alerts and can’t set up any rules. But, since most rivals don’t have any filters for the mic, this feature deserves our praise.

Parental Control

These tools have only one task: to protect your kids from accessing explicit content on the Internet. Bitdefender’s Parental Control includes a reasonable line-up of features for monitoring (and controlling) what your child can see online. Restricting app use is one of the most useful features. Plus, you can block websites by content, turn off various devices (like a Smartphone), and set up daily limits of device use.

All this is done with a couple of clicks. You don’t have to be an expert to activate Parental Controls. The mobile app for Android allows parents to monitor who the children communicate with through SMS messages and calls. Blocking calls is also an option. The app leaves a lot to be desired, though: most of the time, it doesn’t work properly and sets the wrong blocks and limitations.

So, be careful with the Bitdefender antivirus Parental Controls, because during our review, it blocked a test phone, and we couldn’t even turn it back on. Premium, the higher tier, includes cyberbullying detection, address request, and other extras. But, again, it’s a faulty feature.

Password Manager

Bitdefender’s Wallet is good at storing passwords, logins, sensitive data, and credit card credentials. Plus, it’s capable of linking and syncing these passwords, allowing you to access your accounts through any device quickly. Over the last couple of years, the Wallet hasn’t changed. It still can’t work with 2-page login systems and isn’t as impressive as some rivaling password manager tools.

Yet, as an entry-level module, it’s quite useful and easy to use. And, when you create a new account, Wallet’s password generator can quickly generate a strong (15-character) password which includes numbers and letters. Enabling special characters will make the password even more reliable. The lack of 2-factor authentication, automatic password updates, and secure credentials sharing still makes it a below-average manager.

Bitdefender VPN

A Virtual Private Network is a secure server that you can connect to and turn into a digital shadow. When activated, a VPN prevents government agents, hackers, and even the ISP from monitoring your activity on the Internet. While Bitdefender’s VPN isn’t nearly as good as ExpressVPN or CyberGhost, as a part of the antivirus suite, it’s pretty decent.

With it, you can watch your favorite shows on various streaming platforms, download torrents, and unblock access to geo-restricted websites. The highest Bitdefender tier provides unlimited VPN use. The less expensive tiers limit traffic to 200MB data per day, which is better than what most rivals offer.

Anti-Tracking Features

Anti-Tracker is a browser extension, and it’s available not only for Chrome but also for the Internet Explorer and Firefox. Whenever you visit a website that’s filled with various trackers, Anti-Tracker warns you about them in the top right corner. You can see the exact number of ad trackers (the same is true for Avast’s Online Security).

The built-in Do-Not-Track module automatically blocks every single tracker it detects – that’s what it does by default. But, you can always change the settings and, say, prevent it from disabling specific ad categories. As mentioned, the Anti-Tracker is very similar to other browser extensions and is on par with all of them. A quick note: while some ads are known to be harmless, most of them are just annoying and increase web page load times.

Safe Files – Ransomware Protection

By encrypting essential files on your device, ransomware demands payment for decryption. Otherwise, your work will be paralyzed, and you won’t be able to access those files (or even the OS as a whole). Safe Files, Bitdefender’s ransomware protection module, blocks any unauthorized modifications of data, apps, and folders in the most vulnerable places. Those include Documents, Videos, and Pictures.

With it, you can hand-pick additional locations that should be protected. Whenever an unknown and potentially malicious program attempts to modify a file/folder under this module’s protection, Safe Files instantly alerts the user. Ransomware Remediation, a brand-new Bitdefender feature, automatically creates backups of important files at the hint of a potential attack.

Sadly, while the multi-layered anti-ransomware approach is quite effective, it’s not as good as, say, the Trend Micro module. In our extensive tests, Safe Files failed to detect Petya and other emerging threats.

Bitdefender SafePay – Online Banking Protection

SafePay is a highly secure desktop that automatically launches when you connect to a banking site. It is very similar to Bank Mode (Kaspersky) and provides an additional layer of protection. Password, login, and credit card number theft is a big threat in 2022. That is why you should always use safe environments like SafePay when logging into your accounts.

Of course, it includes a safe browser, and all operations run through it. The desktop doesn’t have any connections to your actual desktop – that provides brick-strong protection against keyloggers. On top of that, SafePay has a virtual keyboard that makes it almost impossible for keystroke-stealing malware to interfere with your online banking.

We also recommend running the VPN whenever you activate SafePay for enhanced protection. You can never be too careful during online banking.

Bitdefender Lab Tests

If you’re looking for flawless protection against modern-day threats, go for Kaspersky, Norton, or Trend Micro. As we said earlier in this Bitdefender review, it lags behind the leaders in terms of malware protection but is still a reliable option. For example, in the most recent AV-Test evaluation, it managed to detect 100% of the widespread malware. In the zero-day attacks test, however, it only detected 98.8% of the threats.

Bitdefender also had three false positives. While this isn’t a horrible result, compared to the leaders, it’s not as good (they didn’t have one single false flag). In the AV-Comparatives test, Bitdefender successfully detected and eliminated 99.99% of the planted malicious samples. It is very close to the Kaspersky result (100%) and better than Norton and Trend Micro (99.6%).

Our team of experts also ran a series of tests and confirmed that while this is a top-10 antivirus solution, it’s not the best pick on the market.

Bitdefender Products: How Much Does Bitdefender Cost?

Along with malware protection and the feature set, the cost of an antivirus is the #1 concern for the average user. Bitdefender is not the most affordable solution on the market. At the same time, it’s more reasonably priced than many rivaling products. Let us take a look at the current price-tags for all the available Bitdefender packages:

We highly recommend checking the prices on the official website before committing to any of these packages. The reason – antivirus companies constantly change their pricing policies. Plus, you might get lucky and get a discount, like a 50% off deal for the first year of subscription.

Bitdefender Free Version

With the free edition of the Bitdefender antivirus, you get core protection against malware and automatic updates. That makes it one of the most modest free antivirus products on the market. For example, Kaspersky free also includes Secure Connection (the company’s VPN), password management, security alerts, and account check.

It’s important to say that Bitdefender free is only available for the Windows OS. The Mac users can only expect a virus scanner that scans hand-picked files/folders as well as the entire OS. The Android app is a bit more advanced and, along with malware protection, also provides cloud scanning. Still, compared to the Win edition, it’s not nearly as effective.

On the bright side, Bitdefender offers free trials of every single paid package. Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, Total Security, and Premium Security are available with a 30-day free trial. It is more than enough time to test the product(s) on your device and see whether you want to upgrade or not. Overall, Bitdefender free is a good starting point before you upgrade, but it lags behind Kaspersky, Avast, and other leading products.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2022

It is the entry-level paid Bitdefender package, and with it, the company offers a rather limited list of essential features. The biggest downside of this package – it’s only available for the Windows OS, just like the free edition. It’s relatively affordable, but, compared to similarly-priced products, is a bit less feature-packed.

Here is what Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is good for:

• Real-time protection – prevents malware of all kinds from infecting your device. The antivirus engine works 24/7, offers decent protection against ransomware.
• SOB (Safe Online Banking) – a safe environment that prevents cybercriminals from stealing your credentials. We’re talking about banking information (like login-password for your bank account) that hackers steal and get access to your money/sensitive data. SOB works effectively against keyloggers and, well, allows for safe banking online.
• Password Manager – safe storage for all your passwords and logins. Apart from linking and syncing all your credentials, it also helps to come up with hard-to-crack passwords.
• VPN (limited) – a Virtual Private Network for hiding your online activity. With Antivirus Plus, VPN usage is limited to 200MB per day. Yes, this isn’t enough for torrenting or watching shows on streaming platforms (like Netflix). However, for online transactions, the 200MB limit will be more than enough. We highly recommend activating the VPN when using a public network, as it’s good for Wi-Fi security.

Bitdefender Internet Security 2022

The second tier is more feature-packed, and, according to official statistics, is one of the most popular Bitdefender packages. Still, even though it’s a paid package, Internet Security is not available on Mac, iOS, or Android (just like Antivirus Plus). The only supported platform is Microsoft’s Windows, which puts Bitdefender well behind competitors like Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, and others.

As for the extra features, here’s the full list:

• Parental Controls – as mentioned earlier, these tools are used to control and limit the content that’s available on your kids’ devices. For keeping tabs on their activity online, limiting their device use, and blocking certain websites and programs (apps), the Bitdefender parental controls are a good pick.
• Firewall – network traffic filtration. The firewall controls which apps get access to the network and looks for any holes in the operating system (or the network) that can be exploited by cybercriminals.
• Webcam + Microphone Protection – no modern-day user wants third parties to watch him/her through the webcam or to eavesdrop on private conversations. That’s why this webcam-mic protection module is so important. It allows you to hand-pick which apps can access the webcam and the mic and even turn off these devices completely.
• File Encryption – an extra layer of security for the most critical files and folders.
• File Shredder – perfect for getting rid of unwanted files for good.

Bitdefender Total Security 2022

Moving up the “package ladder,” we have Bitdefender Total Security, a product that can cover every single device you own. Compared to Antivirus Plus and Internet Security, TS has one big advantage – it’s fully compatible not only with Win, but also Mac, Android, and iOS. It includes all the features from the previous packages and adds four extras.

The Total Security users get access to the following modules:

• BTD (Behavioral Threat Detection) – real-time monitoring of all active programs on the OS. Whenever something unusual/suspicious starts to happen, BTD takes immediate action.
• Anti-Theft – allows you to lock a stolen/lost device remotely. It also helps to trace the device and to find it before the thieves manage to steal anything important.
• One-Click Optimizer – Bitdefender’s tune-up tool. It boosts overall system performance and gets rid of unnecessary junk.
• Photon – an advanced optimization tool that further improves performance and frees up RAM and CPU power.

Bitdefender Premium Security 2022

The most expensive tier in Bitdefender’s line-up covers ten simultaneous connections and includes every single feature available with the previous packages. However, unless you own this many devices and need every unique extra feature, Premium Security might not be the best pick for you. Regardless, it’s a good deal, and, with it, you’ll get:

Priority Support – self-explanatory: whenever you contact customer service, your request will be prioritized over the regular users. It is true not only for phone support but also for the ticket system. User prioritization based on the packages isn’t exclusive to Bitdefender, by the way.

Unlimited VPN Usage – Premium Security doesn’t have a daily limit on VPN traffic usage. That means you can freely download as many torrents as you want and stream movies and TV series on your favorite device.

Bitdefender for Mac

For the Mac users, Bitdefender offers three packages to choose from (as opposed to four packaged with Windows). Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac, the entry-level plan, costs the same as Bitdefender Antivirus Plus for Windows. And, it’s only available for macOS. With it, you’ll get comprehensive protection against Mac-unique malware, adware, and spyware.

Add protection for online banking, protection of backed-up sensitive files, and a low system impact, and you’ll get a decent product. Internet Security is not available for Macs. A for Total Security and Premium Security, while they are priced the same, they’re not as feature-packed for Mac as they are for Windows.

The following list includes every single feature available for the macOS:

• Malware protection
• Phishing protection
• Network security
• Safe Files – Bitdefender’s ransomware protection module
• Traffic Light (browser extension that filters out potentially dangerous content. Implements AI that scans all links before the user follows them)
• Ad-blocking (self-explanatory: keeps ad pop-ups at bay. This module also battles hijackers and toolbars, thus optimizing browser performance)
• Parental controls
• VPN (data cap depending on the package)
• Anti-tracker
• Time Machine Protection (prevents malicious files from encrypting sensitive data)
• Advanced file encryption
• Password manager
• Bitdefender Internet Shield (takes care of all the security processes without the user’s involvement. Automatic detection and elimination of potential threats)
• Autopilot (a smart security advisor, a module that consults the user on security measures, helping them to stay safe while surfing the web)

As mentioned, even if you pick the most advanced Bitdefender tier – Premium Security – you won’t get as many features as with Windows. Those extras include webcam/mic protection, Photon, OneClick Optimizer, social network protection, and more.

Bitdefender for Business

Bitdefender is available not only for home users but also for businesses, both small and medium-sized. The business solution is called GravityZone, and it can be hosted by Bitdefender, as well as installed locally. No matter which package you choose, multi-layered protection, anti-ransomware, and machine learning will be a part of the deal.

Heuristics, anti-exploit modules, device control features, and a powerful firewall are even more GravityZone standout features. Overall, there are six plans to choose from. Those include:

• Business Security. The entry-level package is perfect for small businesses that are looking for a simple, yet affordable solution for their companies.
• Advanced Business Security. Owners of mid-sized businesses should pick Advanced Business Security over the regular package. It provides more security features and is, overall, more reliable.
• Elite Security. If you’re dealing with high-level threats and want to protect your enterprise, Elite’s aggressive (and highly effective) approach may earn your trust.
• Ultra Security. It is an integrated endpoint protection and EDR platform designed for modern-day businesses. Much like Elite, this package aims at detecting and eliminating sophisticated threats.
• Enterprise Security. Larger organizations should pick Enterprise Security over the other plans. It’s a flexible product, meaning you can add new features whenever you want.
• Cloud Security for MSPs. Remote protection of multiple devices (customers) from one single console – that’s what MSP specializes in.

Ease of Use

Below-average system impact, relatively fast scans, and a user-friendly interface – that’s Bitdefender in a nutshell for you. Every single important feature is within reach, and it takes one-two clicks to activate/deactivate an option. There’s a green shield with a white mark in the middle of the Bitdefender central dashboard, which means the system is secure.

Quick scans, the VPN, and SafePay are always on the main screen. All the other important settings are located on the left side in Protection, Privacy, and Utility. In our passive-performance loss test, Bitdefender slowed down the CPU by 15%, which is a better result than, say, Kaspersky’s 18%. During a full scan, we registered an 18% drop in performance, which, again, is a very good result.

For example, the Kaspersky full scans have an over 50% negative effect on the CPU. McAfee’s Total Protection, in turn, has the lowest overall system impact and slowed down performance by +/-10%. With Bitdefender, a quick scan takes 2-3 minutes to complete. Full scans are also impressively fast: the initial scan takes 15-20 minutes. Consecutive checks take even less time.

Bitdefender for Mobile Protection (for Android and iOS)

Owners of Android phones/tablets will be pleased to learn that Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android will cost them only 15 dollars a year. To run it, you’ll need a device compatible with Android 4.1 or higher. Here’s what it has to offer:

• Remote location/lock/wipe of an Android device. It is very useful in the case of a lost or stolen gadget. By locking it, you’ll protect sensitive data on the OS and prevent the thieves from stealing your passwords/logins.
• Secure VPN. It comes with the same 200MB/day limit. It’s possible to upgrade to Premium VPN – that’ll cost $39.99 a year.
• Account Privacy. Checks your email address (account) for breaches and sends alerts whenever suspicious activity is detected.
• Low Battery Impact. Self-explanatory: optimizes battery performance.
• Web Protection.
• Autopilot.

As for the iOS edition, it costs the same ($15 per year) but is a bit different. The list of available features includes:

• Web protection
• Secure VPN(only 200 megabytes per day)
• Account breach check
• Full iPad support
• To run it, you’ll need iOS 11.2or higher

Customer Support

Regardless of the Bitdefender package, the company provides free access to 24/7 support. Customer service is available through phone calls, emails, and, most importantly, an online chat form. It doesn’t take the technical agents for more than 24 hours to send a response. During our test, the average time it took them to hit us back was 15 hours, which is quite impressive.

And if you want to cut the standby time to one-two hours, upgrade to Premium Security – the most expensive tier. As mentioned earlier, it grants priority support. On the official website, Bitdefender includes an extensive FAQ section, full guides on installation and product use, as well as a forum. There are even how-to videos that explain all the important functions/procedures in a friendly manner. Overall, Bitdefender’s customer support is well above average.

Still, you can contact them via the phones:

• (+1) 954 414 9655
• (+1) 954 281 4024

Guide: Bitdefender Installation and Setup

The installation process is very user-friendly and straightforward. Here’s what you have to do:

• First of all, pick a package that you like from the official website.
• Next, choose a payment method (Credit Card, PayPal, or 7-Eleven/ACE).
• Once you’re through with payment, you can download the installation file.
• We recommend downloading the free trial and only paying for a package once the trial is over.
• Installation doesn’t take long. We tested it on several different devices and operating systems. On average, Bitdefender takes less than 10 minutes to install.
• The company requires its clients to create an account, but it only takes one minute to go through with that.
• To activate the product, all you have to do is enter the code that you received on your email – that’s it.
• After the software is installed, you’ll be welcomed by the main dashboard.
• The antivirus starts to work automatically, meaning you won’t have to set anything up manually for it to be effective against malware.

Bitdefender Antivirus FAQ

Bitdefender Antivirus Alternatives & Competitors

This is it for our Bitdefender review! Last but not least, we recommend comparing it to other antivirus products to see whether Bitdefender is the best option for you or not:

VISIT BITDEFENDER

At a Glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

• Easy to use
• Excellent malware protection
• Scam protection on Android

Cons

• 200MB per day via VPN
• Basic parental controls
• No identity protection

Our Verdict

Total Security offers impressive protection and has an improved interface. The additional features, such as the VPN, password manager and parental controls are far from best-in-class but malware protection for Windows and Android is top notch.

Bitdefender has an excellent track record when it comes to detecting and blocking malware, and this remains its highlight.

This year the company has added a few useful features – particularly to its VPN – and keeps the same familiar interface which is easy to use.

Like many other security companies, the core malware protection is so good – regularly scoring 100% in independent tests – that it’s now focusing on other types of security. Not just the VPN but also the mobile apps.

Windows protection

As you’d expect from modern security software, Bitdefender offers multiple layers of protection.

At its core is a rock-solid antivirus component which has an enviable track record for its ability to detect and block all sorts of malware.

This is the same whichever Bitdefender product you buy. What Total Security adds is features such as anti-spam, microphone and webcam protection, a firewall, parental controls, anti-theft and a useful OneClick Optimizer to declutter and speed up your PC.

There’s also a password manager, a VPN service, the Safepay browser for protecting online transactions (such as making payments), an anti-tracker utility to stop web tracking and various other things including a file shredder.

It sounds comprehensive enough, but take a look at what rivals offer in their security suites and you’ll realise there’s no ID protection (now included with packages from Norton and McAfee among others), no cloud storage (a bonus with Norton 360) and the VPN and parental controls are very basic and not comparable with fully fledged products.

As standard, you get 200MB of VPN data per day, which isn’t very convenient as you then lose that protection until the next day once you’ve hit that limit. There have been a few updates to the service, though, including a kill switch (to improve privacy), split tunnelling (so not all apps have to use the VPN) and an auto-connect option so the VPN connects based on rules you set (such as on unknown Wi-Fi networks).

Though Total Security doesn’t include ID protection, Bitdefender does offer Digital Identity Protection – it’s a separate service which costs a few dollars / pounds per month.

Apps and interface

To start with, you’ll get an activation code and you begin at the Bitdefender Central website (or mobile app) where you create an account and then use the code to redeem your subscription. This is a handy portal where you can manage your subscription and send links to devices (or family members) so they can install Bitdefender on their devices.

The links include login details, which makes it really easy for everyone to install the app and get protected.

Install it on Windows and you’ll be presented with an clean-looking interface that tells you ‘You are safe’. For non-technical users, the default shortcuts to Quick Scan, System Scan, Vulnerability Scan aren’t particularly easy to understand.

The first does what it says, the second is a full system scan, while the third – vulnerability – checks your device for things like out of date apps, system settings that have been changed from defaults and weak passwords. There’s also a dedicated Wi-Fi scan that checks you’re not using weak encryption or authentication protocols.

If you do a vulnerability scan you’ll see a list of identified risks, along with their severity. My test PC had an out of date version of Firefox and was set to automatically log in after Windows performed an update. Those along with three others were deemed LOW risk, but in each case you can click Fix issue to take care of it.

You can, of course, edit these six shortcuts and replace them with the features you want to see. And above them is the ever-useful Autopilot which offers recommendations for actions you need to, or might want to take. The first is to turn on ransomware protection, which is simply a case of clicking Enable.

On the left-hand side are tabs for Protection, Privacy and Utilities. Notifications is a log of what Bitdefender has been doing or noticing on your system, and Settings lets you pick dark or light mode, the language and a host of other things, including turning off special offer notifications which are on by default.

The Protection tab is a lot less intimidating than it once was and is much easier to understand. Ransomware Remediation, for example, backs up important files as an extra safeguard so they can be restored if the worst happens and Bitdefender is unable to stop a ransomware attack in the first place. Though, as you’ll see, all the major antivirus testing labs found Bitdefender exceptionally good at blocking all types of malware.

One of the features exclusive to Total Security (and Premium Security which sits above Total Security) is OneClick Optimizer. This looks for disk space that can be freed up, Registry entries that can be deleted (improving Windows’ performance) and does a Privacy Cleanup, which wants to delete your browsing history, temporary internet files and cookies.

Fortunately, after analysing what can be deleted, there’s a warning to check the items before doing the optimisation. And you can uncheck cookies and other items that you don’t want to be deleted.

Another utility is Profiles. These kick in automatically when you’re watching a movie, or playing a game, for example. The different modes prevent popups, or put off housekeeping events until the software detects that they’re appropriate. All you have to do is click the Enable button if you like the sound of it.

The anti-spam module allows you to explicitly whitelist friends and blacklist real spammers and works with Outlook and Thunderbird email apps. You also have the option of automatically banning any spam written with Asian or Cyrillic character sets, and of submitting any unknown samples to the Bitdefender cloud for analysis before opening them.

Web browsing is protected by the Online Threat Prevention module. This uses machine learning and a global website reputation database to judge whether any site you visit should be considered malicious. Like the Safe Browsing service used in Chrome and other browsers, this is constantly updated, meaning that you’re technically getting global real-time protection. (This is also available on iOS and Android.)

Performance

In the most recent tests from AV-Test and AV Comparatives (covering July-October 2021), Bitdefender’s performance is outstanding. In September and October, it blocked 100% of threats in AV-Test’s evaluations, and from July-October it blocked 99.7% of malware in AV Comparatives’ Real-World Protection Tests.

A new feature is Deep Level Analysis, which shows you how an attack was triggered and what Bitdefender did to block it. It looks rather technical, though, and doesn’t offer clear advice to the user to tell them whether they could have done anything differently (such as not clicking on links in email) to avoid the malware in the first place.

Privacy

As well as the webcam and microphone monitoring already mentioned, Anti-Tracker blocks data collection from websites. It’s ‘enabled’ by default but this misleading because that default is to only apply this protection to Internet Explorer. Who still uses Internet Explorer?

You have to click on the settings to enable it in Chrome and install it on Firefox.

As mentioned, the VPN service – powered by Hotspot Shield – is also part of Total Protection. But what you get is a cut down version of Bitdefender Premium VPN.

There’s a daily data limit of 200MB per device per day and you can’t choose which server to connect to: selection is automatic.

Bitdefender Premium Security is what you need if you want unlimited VPN data and the ability to pick from the 30 or so countries. This suite also gives you Premium technical support.

A bundled password manager allows you to set up multiple wallets, each protected by its own master password. Simply enter this master password to have logins entered automatically for websites and services. It’s relatively basic, though, and doesn’t offer two-factor authentication. Nor will it tell you if any of your passwords are weak or have been included in data breaches. Plus, using a password manager bundled with a security suite means you lose access if you stop your subscription. Instead, we recommend using a dedicated service – some of the best password managers are free, too. 

The parental control features work on children’s devices that are already protected by Bitdefender. The older Premium parental controls are no more: what you’re left with are basic screen time limits, plus the ability to block apps and filter web content by category.

Filtering works fairly well, but there’s no way for a child to request access to a specific website that they think they should be allowed to use. If your child has an iPhone, Bitdefender can’t tell you what they’re using the device for, so you’re better off (if you also have an iPhone or iPad) using Apple’s built-in Screen Time controls.

The location aspect of Bitdefender’s parental controls lets you set up geo-fenced locations so you can get alerts when your child arrives at or leaves a specific place.

Android and iOS protection

As usual with security apps, the Android version has a lot more features than the iPhone one.

Several useful features are included on Android. For example, Account Privacy allows you to enter an email address and have Bitdefender test it to see if the credentials have been harvested or otherwise leaked online. You must have access to the address as it sends a verification code to it.

Web Protection is on by default and protects you from dangerous web pages and supports a lot of browsers. New is a scam alert which warns you of any dangerous links found in messages – not just SMS but also WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and others.

Anti-Theft has all the usual features (remote locate, lock, wipe, and play a noise), and also allows you to automatically take a picture when someone fails to unlock the device three times in a row. This is all controlled from Bitdefender Central.

App Lock is another handy feature that stops anyone from using apps you choose by requesting a PIN before the app will launch.

You still have that same limit of 200MB of free data per day via the VPN.

Of course, there’s also a proper antivirus component which will protect Android devices from a similar variety of threats to the Windows version.

On an iPhone you don’t get that, but you do get anti-theft features, the VPN and basic web protection which works based on a website’s main address, not specific pages.

The only new feature is an audit which warns you if security features such as Face ID are disabled, and if there is an operating system update available.

Price & Availability

Bitdefender Total Security has an RRP of £69.99/$US$89.99, but there’s a first-year discount which brings it down to half those prices.

This gives you five licences, but you can also pay £5/$5 extra for 10 if you have more than five devices.

You can see how alternatives, including McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 Deluxe compare in our roundup of the best antivirus software.

Verdict

Bitdefender’s track record for malware protection is absolutely excellent, so is easy to recommend on that basis. However, Total Security is starting to look a little like a misnomer, especially when compared to the mega-suites offered by certain rivals.

The restricted VPN and the lack of ID protection are two key reasons for this: they can both be ‘fixed’ by paying more, but the fact is, you don’t get them as standard.

If these don’t bother you and you don’t tend to shop around for a new antivirus deal each year, then Total Security’s on-going yearly price is still competitive: others charge more for subsequent years.

Related articles for further reading

One of Bitdefender’s strengths is the number of features each plan offers. Forbes Advisor breaks down the key attributes to summarize what Bitdefender offers.

Bitdefender’s consumer-centric plans start at $19.99 per year for one device and go all the way up to $99.98 for 10 devices for the first year. With the personal plan, you get standard features including anti-phishing capabilities, vulnerability assessment reports and a file shredder that permanently removes sensitive information off of your machine.

This review mainly focuses on the business on the business package option, but Bitdefender’s personal plans are also impressive. If you run a small or one-person business, those packages may be worth considering.

The GravityZone Security Platform

Bitdefender’s protection is built on the company’s GravityZone platform. GravityZone is a powerful security solution that can protect email servers, deal with security patches and encrypt your most sensitive data.

Pricing for Bitdefender’s entry-level business security plan starts at $77.69 per year with protection for up to three devices and one server. Depending on what package and add-ons you go with, the software can easily cost over $10,000 per year for larger teams. This is in line with other business antivirus platforms we’ve seen on the market.

GravityZone also offers security for virtual machines, full disk encryption and protection for mobile devices, all of which you can manage through a centralized control console. Some versions of GravityZone security also provide a risk management console that shows your company’s overall risk to attacks and breaks down the specific machines that are causing problems.

Endpoint Detection and Response

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is one of the newest features in Bitdefender. This add-on module provides a visual overview of your computer systems that highlights potential attack paths by identifying any weak links in your systems and suggests the steps to patch any holes. If an attack happens, EDR lets you isolate and analyze where itcame from and why it happened in the first place.

Protection for Small Businesses

Although Bitdefender offers a lot of tools for a large enterprise, it also offers protection for small businesses. Bitdefender offers GravityZone Business Security, designed for anything from three devices to 100, which features a list of tools that are tailored toward small businesses without a dedicated IT team.

GravityZone is still at the heart of the service, so you have access to features like application behavior monitoring, ransomware protection and web-based security. Over similar small business services, however, Bitdefender also offers server protection.

You can protect a virtual or physical server as part of your plan, no add-on required. Server protection compromises 30% of your total devices, so you can protect one server with three devices and five servers with 15 devices. If you don’t have a server, you can still use your available devices as normal.

This is a huge benefit for small businesses with a local file server or two. A lot of competing services only offer server protection through an add-on or reserve it for more expensive plans. With Bitdefender, you can keep your servers safe no matter how many devices your business needs to protect.

BitDefender Total Security 2022: Premium VPN

Key takeaway: Bitdefender’s VPN is excellent. It is secure, includes a kill switch on each operating software, doesn’t track you online, works with Netflix and torrents, and is fast enough for every purpose. However, we’re not sure whether it works in China. Of the VPN sold by big antivirus brands, Bitdefender’s VPN is the most advanced. But unlike Norton’s VPN, it isn’t included for free with the antivirus software.

What is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet connection and masks your Internet Protocol (IP) address, which is your device’s identification number online. Doing so has several advantages:

• You are anonymous online: Many people want to track your digital activities, usually to show you ads. Whether it is your internet service provider (ISP), Facebook, or Google, none of these organizations can track you online when you are connected to a VPN.
• You are safe on public Wi-Fi networks: When you are connected to a VPN while surfing on a public Wi-Fi network, and a hacker intercepts your data stream, all the hacker can see is encrypted and unusable information.
• You can watch foreign streaming services: Many streaming services, like Netflix, have unique shows in particular countries. Shows that only locals can watch. However, if you log into a VPN server in that country, you can watch anything without restrictions.
• You can unblock the internet: Some countries, like China, censor the internet. This means that you cannot access some websites and apps while in that country. But if you log into a foreign VPN server, all of a sudden, you can access the entire web.

So the advantages of a VPN are clear. But is Bitdefender’s VPN any good? To find out, we put it to the test:

• On what operating software does the VPN work?
• How fast is it and how does it compare to other VPN?
• How secure it is?
• How private it is?
• How many server options do you have?
• Does it work with Netflix?
• Does it work with torrents (P2P)?
• Does it work in China?

Before we answer those questions, there is one thing you need to know about Bitdefender’s VPN: It’s not their technology.

Several antivirus companies, such as Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and Panda, have decided not to create their own VPN technology. Instead, they license the technology from a company called Aura, the owner of several VPNs, including Hotspot Shield.

This has a few implications. First, the download speeds and features of all those VPN should be similar. Second, we will need to take both Bitdefender’s and Aura’s privacy policy into account. After all, both companies will have access to your data.

Note: Bitdefender includes a free VPN, limited to 200 MB per day per device, with all its security products. For unlimited data, you will need to upgrade to Bitdefender’s premium VPN subscription.

On what operating software does Bitdefender’s VPN work?

Bitdefender works on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

How fast is Bitdefender’s VPN and how does it compare?

When you connect to a VPN server, your internet connection slows down. This is because you are routing your data through a server while encrypting it. However, with an advanced VPN like NordVPN or CyberGhost, these slowdowns are very minimal. Usually somewhere between 5% and 15%.

To figure out how fast or slow Bitdefender’s VPN is, we tested it on a 300 Mbps connection in Europe. The process was the following:

• We tested our download speed without an active VPN connection via speedtest.net.
• We then tested Bitdefender’s download speed while connected to one of their local servers, and while connected to one of their US-based servers.
• We then did the same for CyberGhost VPN and Hotspot Shield.

We ran each test three times and averaged the results afterward. These were the results:

As you can see, Bitdefender’s VPN is more than fast enough and can keep us with ultra-fast VPN like Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost. 

How secure is Bitdefender’s VPN?

To find out whether Bitdefender’s VPN is secure, we investigated the following:

• What encryption protocols and standard does it use?
• What security features are present, and which aren’t?
• Does it leak any data?

Encryption protocols and standard

As mentioned, Bitdefender’s VPN uses Aura’s technology. Therefore, we know that it uses the Hydra VPN protocol with AES-256 encryption. It is a performance-focused protocol that third-party security experts frequently evaluate. Hotspot Shield has an in-depth article on the workings of its protocol here.

Security features

Kill Switch: Bitdefender’s VPN includes a kill switch on all operating software. It is a feature that stops your internet connection when the VPN suddenly fails. In doing so, it makes sure none of your data is transmitted via an unsecured connection.

Split Tunneling: The VPN includes the Split Tunneling feature on Windows, Android, and iOS, but not on macOS. Split Tunneling allows you to select websites or apps that will bypass the secure VPN tunnel. On Windows and iOS, you can only split-tunnel websites. But on Android, you can split-tunnel both websites and apps.

Start-Up and Auto-Connect: On Windows and macOS, there is also a start-up feature that will make sure the VPN connects as soon as you start up your PC or Mac. Sadly that is not available on Android and iOS. However, there are various auto-connect options:

• On all operating software, you can set the VPN to automatically start when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network.
• You can also set the VPN to automatically start when you download a file via a peer-to-peer platform. As most people use P2P networks only on Windows and Mac, this is feature is exclusive to those operating software.
• Finally, on Windows, you can select specific apps, websites, and website categories to activate the VPN connection automatically. Categories include dating, mature content, file sharing, health, online payments, and financial.

Interestingly, the auto-connect feature for specific categories is not available in Hotspot Shield’s app on Windows. So it could be that Bitdefender is developing VPN features separately, even though it is using Aura’s technology.

Data leaks

We tested the VPN on browserleaks.com for IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks. But everything came back clean. So Bitdefender’s VPN does not leak your data.

How private is Bitdefender’s VPN?

Bitdefender has a direct link to its privacy policy from within the VPN app, which we liked. Chapter 7.3 of the privacy policy is about the VPN. It states:

“(…) we use Aura as data processor (…). We do not store any details regarding your location or online activity nor do we share them with other entities.“

So Bitdefender does not track you. That’s pretty clear. But what about Aura?

Aura’s privacy policy states:

“Aura does not record your VPN browsing activities in any way that can be associated back to you. When you use a VPN connection, we do not store any information that identifies what you browse, view, or do online via that VPN connection.“

All in all, there is no need to worry. When you use Bitdefender’s VPN, no one is tracking your online activities or your location. You’ll be anonymous online.

How many server options does Bitdefender’s VPN have?

Bitdefender counts 48 VPN server locations.

Outside of the many European countries, these are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Chile, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, the USA, and Vietnam.

Sadly, Bitdefender does not allow you to select servers on a city level in big countries, like the USA. You are only able to pick servers on a country level. Nonetheless, the country list is extensive enough to satisfy 99% of all users.

Does Bitdefender’s VPN work with Netflix?

Yes. Even though Bitdefender’s VPN doesn’t have any dedicated streaming servers like Hotspot Shield or CyberGhost, Netflix worked perfectly fine in our tests. Both on the local VPN server, as well as on the US-based VPN server.

Does Bitdefender’s VPN work with torrents (P2P)?

Yes. Bitdefender’s VPN is a safe choice to download torrents. It didn’t leak any data in our IP, DNS, and WebRTC leak test, and it uses a kill switch. So you can download via P2P networks without worrying.

Does Bitdefender’s VPN work in China?

Maybe. Bitdefender uses the same technology as Hotspot Shield, which only works intermittently in China and other highly censored countries. So if you are in China, or heading to China, better not rely fully on Bitdefender’s ability to function there.

Bitdefender's antivirus protections are just a hair behind those of industry leaders Kaspersky and Norton among the best antivirus software, but its programs pack in more useful features at lower prices. 

We recommend the entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus for any Windows 10 user who doesn't need parental controls. It's one of the best Windows 10 antivirus programs, hands-down.

There is also the bare-bonesBitdefender Antivirus Free Edition (one of our top picks for best free antivirus), although it's being discontinued later in 2022.  You'll get more features, outlined below, with Bitdefender Internet Security and Bitdefender Total Security. 

Finally, bitdefender total security 2020 review, there's the flagship Bitdefender Premium Security with its unlimited VPN ytd downloader pro and cross-platform password manager.  All five packages use the same malware-detection technology.

The biggest change from earlier years is that Bitdefender now seems to take longer to fully scan a system. Still, the programs deliver excellent malware protection and are the rare antivirus programs that can be purchased in a bundle with home networking hardware. 

Read on for the rest of our Bitdefender review.

Bitdefender Total Security subscription options:
• 12 month plan - $0 per month ($0 total cost) (opens in new tab)

Bitdefender: Costs and what's covered

The lowest rung of Bitdefender's line is Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, which provides basic protections in a no-frills but effective package. As mentioned above, this is unfortunately going away soon.

The cheapest paid program, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, offers a lot for its price. It includes Bitdefender's Network Threat scanner, a file shredder, an unlimited (but Windows-only) password manager, the company's Safepay hardened browser and an anti-tracking feature. 

Yearly subscriptions range from $40 for one PC to $80 for 10 PCs, although steep discounts are frequently available.

The next step up, Bitdefender Internet Security, is again only for Windows machines; yearly costs range from $60 for one PC to $90 for 10. It adds a two-way firewall, parental controls and dedicated webcam and microphone protection. The file-encryption feature has been dropped for 2021.

Bitdefender Total Security adds software for Macs and Android devices, plus a new system optimizer to squeeze a little extra performance out of your system. It covers  five devices for $90 a year or 10 systems for $100, and it's one of our top picks among the best internet security suites. 

The Bitdefender Family Pack is Total Security for up to 15 systems, with a list price of $120.

The Mac antivirus software is also available as the stand-aloneBitdefender Antivirus for Mac starting at $40 per year. There are two Android antivirus apps, the stripped-down Bitdefender Antivirus Free and reimage repair windows 7 Free Activators $15-per-year feature-richBitdefender Mobile Security. Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS also costs $15 per year, but Apple won't let it do much.

Except for the free option, all these programs give you 200MB of data daily on Bitdefender's VPN service. Unlimited data costs an additional $7 a month or $40 a year, or you can get Bitdefender's Premium Security antivirus suite. That package costs $150 a year for 10 systems and also comes with priority support and an unlimited, cross-platform password manager that by itself costs $30 per year.

There are also two ways to get Bitdefender antivirus protection with home networking bitdefender total security 2020 review newer routers, including the Orbi mesh systems and the Nighthawk line, have optional protection called Netgear Armor that protects smart-home devices and also includes an unlimited-device license for Bitdefender Total Security. 

Some new Netgear routers come with one to three free years of Armor protection. After that, it's $70 a year. You can also add it to routers that have already been purchased. 

That's quite a bargain considering you're getting the same coverage as the $120 Bitdefender Family Pack. (Netgear has a full list of routers that support Netgear Armor here (opens in new tab).)

You can also get Bitdefender Total Security for unlimited devices with the Bitdefender Box network-security appliance, which retails for $200. Like Netgear Armor, the Box protects smart-home devices. Subscription is free for the first year and costs $99 a year after that.

Bitdefender's Windows antivirus software works with Windows 7 (with Service Pack 1), Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10. The Mac software requires macOS 10.10 Yosemite or later. Mobile devices require a minimum bitdefender total security 2020 review Android 4.1 Jelly Bean or iOS 11.2. Like most antivirus makers, Bitdefender doesn't offer a consumer Linux program.

Bitdefender: Antivirus protection

Whenever Bitdefender's malware-scanning engine encounters what may be a new piece of malware, it uploads the suspicious item to Bitdefender's online testing lab for bitdefender total security 2020 review. New malware signatures are distributed several times daily to the 500 million systems protected by Bitdefender products.

These uploads will include some bitdefender total security 2020 review about your system and what it was doing when a new threat was detected. If you'd rather Bitdefender not know that, you can opt out of this data collection. (You'll still get the malware-signature updates.)

Bitdefender blocks potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), fileless malware and bootkits. It also guards the integrity of files and automatically copies files under attack from encrypting ransomware so that you have backup copies.

The Profiles feature monitors what you're doing and tailors the protection accordingly. There are preset profiles for work, movie, bitdefender total security 2020 review, games and public Wi-Fi.

Bitdefender no longer offers the free downloadable Bitdefender Rescue CD, which booted a severely infected system into Linux for a complete scan and cleaning. 

Bitdefender paid software still creates the similar Bitdefender Rescue Environment in a hidden hard-drive partition during installation, bitdefender total security 2020 review, but the Rescue Partition now uses a sandboxed version of Windows 10 instead of Linux to remove persistent threats. 

Bitdefender: Antivirus performance

In November-December 2020 testing by the Germany-based AV-Test lab (opens in new tab), Bitdefender total security 2020 review malware-scanning engine detected 100% of both brand-new "zero-day" malware and known "widespread" malware. 

But it picked up 12 false positives, a rather high number and by far the most of all seven brands of paid antivirus software we review. Those other brands — ESET, Kaspersky, McAfee, Norton, Sophos and Trend Micro — also all got 100% scores across the board. 

Bitdefender has done very well in most of AV-Test's 30 monthly evaluations since January 2017, failing to detect 100% of zero-day malware only three times and failing to detect 100% of widespread malware only once with a 99.9% score. 

In tests conducted by the AV-Comparatives lab in Austria, Bitdefender's defenses let a few threats through. It caught 99.6% of the "real-world" online threats in cumulative tests from July through October 2020. Trend Micro had a perfect 100% score, and Kaspersky 99.7%.

Bitdefender had four false positives over the entire period and Kaspersky had two, but Trend Micro had an astounding 63 false positives. Its malware scanner may be a little too sensitive.

We also use results from London-based SE Labs (opens in new tab), in which Kaspersky usually comes out on top, but Bitdefender is no longer tested by that lab.

Bitdefender: Security and privacy features

Each Bitdefender paid program blocks web-tracking in the Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome browsers, but not in Edge.  

There's also a powerful file shredder that's quick and easy to use. Bitdefender's File Vault encryption feature has been discontinued, but files encrypted with older versions of Bitdefender programscan still be retrieved (opens in new tab) if you remember the password.

The password manager you get with Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, Internet Security and Total Security is Windows-only works with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Bitdefender's own Safepay hardened browser, but not Edge or Apple's Safari. 

For an additional $30 per year ($20 for the first year (opens in new tab)), you can subscribe to Bitdefender's cross-platform, stand-alone password manager, which supports Edge, Firefox and Chrome on Windows and macOS, and also has iOS and Android apps. Safari support is on the way.

The Safepay hardened browser protects online banking and shopping sessions by blocking browser extensions and making sure you're using a secure HTTPS session. It has an on-screen keyboard so you can type in passwords and credit-card numbers without having to worry about keyloggers.

Bitdefender Internet Security, Total Security and Premium Security still have one of the industry's easiest and best webcam- protection features, which not only blocks access but lets you choose which bitdefender total security 2020 review have webcam access.

They also include a two-way firewall, which can be set to Stealth mode to make sure nobody from outside your home network gets access.

Parental Controls come with Internet Security, Total Security and Premium Security and work across all platforms for seamless control and monitoring.

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The new OneClick Optimizer makes recommendations for speeding up your computer, bitdefender total security 2020 review, such as getting rid of junk files or fixing Registry problems.

Bitdefender: Performance and system impact

Bitdefender Total Security had a moderate impact on system performance.

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To measure the performance impact, we used our custom benchmark test, which clocks how long a PC takes to match 20,000 names and addresses on an Excel spreadsheet. The Lenovo ThinkPad T470 laptop we used had a 2.5GHz Core i5-7200U processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state storage with 61.2GB of files.

Before we installed Bitdefender, the T470 took an average of 10.4 seconds to complete the benchmark, a result we used as a baseline. The completion time increased to 12.4 seconds after Total Security was loaded but before any active scanning took place, indicating a a rather heavy 19% decline in performance. 

By comparison, Kaspersky Total Security's post-installation performance decline was only 12%, and other brands had even less.

During a full scan of the sound forge audio studio 12 manual computer, it took our benchmark test 13.8 seconds to finish — an 11% percent decline in performance compared to the post-installation score, and a 33% decline from the pre-installation baseline.

The benchmark completion time during a quick scan was 13.6 seconds, indicating a 10% performance drop from the post-installation score and a 31% drop from the baseline. 

Kaspersky Total Security and ESET Smart Security Premium both had lighter impacts overall. But the other brands we tested had heavier tolls, with McAfee nearly doubling the system load during full scans.

The Bitdefender scanning engine took 35 minutes and 41 seconds to complete the first full scan, looking at a comprehensive 1,208,083 files. That's more than twice as long as the 2020 edition's time of 15:01 to do roughly the same task. But the second time through the system, Bitdefender's engine learned what to ignore and examined 826,635 files in 8:38.

By contrast, Kaspersky Total Security 2021 took 17:34 to scan through 400,571 files on the first pass — one-third as many as Bitdefender Total Security. Subsequent Kaspersky passes were lightning-fast at 1:26, faster than Bitdefender Total Security's Quick Scan.

Speaking of Bitdefender Total Security's Quick Scan, it took 3 minutes and 58 seconds to run through 9,121 key files that might be infected. That time dropped to 3:35 on subsequent scans. The older version took 1:58 to look at 9,117 files.

While Kaspersky Total Security ran through one-third as many files, it took 1:26 to check for malware that dropped to 1:12 on the second pass. 

Bitdefender: Interface

Bitdefender's desktop interface has been slightly updated and tightened up. The Dashboard shows the program's major categories on the left, including Protection, Privacy, Utilities, Notifications and Settings. 

On the right, bitdefender total security 2020 review, you can start a scan and also fire up the VPN or open the Safepay hardened browser. You can add another "action" of your choosing or replace an existing one.

Bitdefender's Taskbar icon lets you open the main program or update its malware definitions, but it can't start a scan.

You can check your subscription, get tech support and use the Parental Advisor feature on your Bitdefender Central online account, which has atwo-factor-authentication option.

Bitdefender now offers Digital Identity Protection (opens in new tab), which checks your online personal data exposure and alerts you to threats, data breaches and identity theft. It costs $60 a year for up to three phones and five computers.

Bitdefender: Installation and support

Loading Bitdefender on a fresh system starts with creating an account at Bitdefender Central, then downloading the nearly-500MB installer file.

As the program installs itself, it runs a quick device assessment and lets you run a Quick Scan. It took us 13 minutes to get and install Bitdefender Total Security 2021, roughly twice as long as the previous version took.

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Bitdefender's paid programs include full bitdefender total security 2020 review tech support, and you can call, email or use the company's chat window. With Bitdefender's Premium Security suite, you get priority support. (We've heard several complaints about Bitdefender tech support over the years.)  The Bitdefender website has a slew of FAQs, self-service material and instructional videos.

Bitdefender review: Bottom line

Bitdefender's Windows antivirus lineup returns to the top tier of security programs with excellent defenses that bitdefender total security 2020 review close to air-tight protection. Bitdefender's scanning engine let a few threats through and took up a moderate amount of system resources, but it remains one of the best antivirus software  options available and the near-equal of Kaspersky's and Norton's products.

For consumers who need more than just antivirus software, Norton 360 with LifeLock also delivers identity-theft protection and unlimited VPN use, but your wallet may feel the hit. Kaspersky Total Security remains our top choice for pure antivirus software — but that's only if you need everything it offers.

If you're looking for a bargain, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is a good balance between cost and features, starting at $40 for a single PC. By the same token, Bitdefender Total Security is a good buy considering all it includes, and you can bitdefender total security 2020 review it for even less with Bitdefender's Box security appliance or Netgear Armor router protection.

Updated to add cross-platform password manager and end-of-life for Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. This review was originally published in October 2020.

Brian Nadel is a freelance writer and editor who specializes in technology reporting and reviewing. He works out of the suburban New York City area and has covered topics from nuclear power plants and Wi-Fi routers to cars and tablets. The former editor-in-chief of Mobile Computing and Communications, Nadel is the recipient of bitdefender total security 2020 review TransPacific Writing Award.

Our Verdict

In 2022, Bitdefender is a go-to antivirus if you put versatility and user-friendliness first. It is reliable, fast, and relatively reasonably priced. However, compared to some of the leaders like Kaspersky and Norton, it’s not as effective against modern-day threats. On top of that, its Mac and mobile apps are quite limited, not to mention entry-level plans only cover the Windows OS.

We’re not saying bitdefender total security 2020 review Bitdefender is a terrible antivirus product – far from that. Still, if you’re in the market for the best possible protection, you might want to look elsewhere. If you are not really convinced – it might be useful to check the list of the best antivirus solutions and see that Bitdefender is among the best of them. Read the full review to learn the details.

Bitdefender antivirus in 2022: Pros and Cons

Before we start talking about malware protection, pricing, packages, the list of features, and more, let’s take a quick look at the strong and weak sides of this antivirus. Like all the other products, Bitdefender has its advantages and disadvantages.

Bitdefender Security Features

Protection against all potential attacks – that’s the #1 concern of any antivirus solution. With the Bitdefender antivirus, you get access to a long list of features, including webcam protection, password manager, a VPN, parental controls, and a firewall, to name a few. What’s more important, it performs decently in various third-party lab tests.

These days, you won’t be fully protected without advanced anti-malware and anti-phishing modules. Anti-tracking, safe online banking, and encrypted storage also play a key role in keeping the cybercriminals at bay. First, we’ll take a look at how Bitdefender performs against the most common threats. Then, bitdefender total security 2020 review, we’ll discuss the extra features and take a look at the independent lab test results.

Malware Protection

As a top-10 antivirus, Bitdefender implements many advanced anti-malware protection techniques. Mainly, it has a scanner that works 24/7 and looks for any known threats included in the database. This “traditional” scanner is backed up by a so-called “heuristic” monitor. This module detects behavioral signs and takes a different approach to virus detection and elimination.

Whenever a new potentially malicious file is detected, it is automatically uploaded to the company’s servers, bitdefender total security 2020 review. Once an update is ready, it is sent bitdefender total security 2020 review every single Bitdefender user around the world. Overall, 500+ bitdefender total security 2020 review systems are running this antivirus program. A quick note: if you lightwave keygen Free Activators like the idea of a third-party app collecting data from your device, you can turn that off at any time.

The same is true for almost every feature of this product. Just go to Settings, choose a feature/module you don’t like, and shut it off. Plus, the users can switch to a Gamer or Movie mode, which will eliminate any pop-ups and other interruptions by the antivirus software.

Last but not least, Bitdefender includes a rescue environment feature. It uses a hidden sector on the hard drive (or SSD) to launch a full scan of the system and fight malware while being undetected. The majority of antivirus solutions recommend downloading this module on a CD or USB drive, but with Bitdefender, you can launch the full scan from the main dashboard.

Of course, it should only be used when the program can’t eliminate infection with real-time and offline modules.

Phishing Protection

When it comes to phishing bitdefender total security 2020 review, Bitdefender is among the leaders. With industry-leading results in third-party lab tests, you can rest assured that this antivirus will protect you from fake websites, malicious links, login-password stealers, and all the other emerging threats. In this regard, it is almost on par with Kaspersky, ESET, and McAfee, mainly thanks to real-time analysis.

Here’s how phishing works: it takes advantage of the user’s carelessness and tricks them into visiting fake copies Tenorshare ReiBoot Pro 8.0.2.4 Crack+Registration Activators Patch legit websites.In many cases, these fakes have the wrong URL, but, again, most users simply don’t pay attention to that. And, the second they enter their credentials (say, in the malicious copy of PayPal), the criminals get access to their bank accounts and steal their money bitdefender total security 2020 review sensitive data).

Now, these fakes are continually being blocked and blacklisted, but the hackers create new sites and continue profiting on trusting users. A solid anti-phishing module reveals phishing websites and warns the user(s) against visiting them. However, bitdefender total security 2020 review, many emerging phishing attacks aren’t included in any lists, and that’s why you need a leading antivirus to protect you against new threats.

Bitdefender’s Online Threat Protection (OTP) relies not only on the bitdefender total security 2020 review database but also implements real-time analysis to detect zero-day attacks. In our in-house tests, OTP detected 99/100 fraudulent pages. Still, it lags a bit behind the leaders – Kaspersky and McAfee. It is crucial: Bitdefender Free only detected 91/100 threats, as it uses a different approach to dealing with phishing.

Firewall Web Protection

It’s hard to imagine a modern-day anti-malware program without a firewall. The one included with Bitdefender is pretty much the same as in bitdefender total security 2020 review popular antivirus solutions, bitdefender total security 2020 review. It works 24/7 in a fully automatic mode and blocks all incoming attacks when you’re online. Bitdefender total security 2020 review, it decides which apps are safe and can be allowed to connect to the Internet and which aren’t.

What’s more interesting is the Network Threat Prevention (NTP) module. It works alongside OTP, but, in many ways, it acts as an advanced firewall. It has only one job: to find vulnerabilities and security “holes” in the OS and the various apps installed on the user’s device.

Exploit protection is more of a nice addition to an antivirus suite, rather than an essential component. With that said, while Bitdefender blocked only parted magic mac Activators Patch of our planted samples, Norton, the leader, managed to detect up to 85%.

Spam Filter

This module does exactly what its name suggests. It filters spam, keeping any potentially malicious email and attachments away from the user. It isn’t a particularly advanced feature and only provides basic protection. Still, during our tests, we were impressed download the ccleaner free its effectiveness: the spam filter blocked more than 90% of the planted samples.

As for the percentage of false positives, it only flagged one percent of legit emails, which is a reliable result. The good news is – you don’t have to do anything for this filter to work. It’s automatically enabled in Bitdefender and is active 24/7. You can create blacklists and whitelists, mark specific types of email, and “fine-tune” the module to your liking. While that’s not very impressive in terms of the feature set, as we just said, the detection rate is well above average.

Bitdefender Webcam Protection and Microphone Filter

In 2022, webcam hijacking is one of the biggest threats, bitdefender total security 2020 review. By accessing the webcam on your notebook, tablet, or phone, criminals can watch you from the other side without you even knowing it. Bitdefender’s Webcam Protection module determines which apps on the OS can have access to the webcam. The user can choose to block specific bitdefender total security 2020 review, browsers, and even turn off the camera for good.

It is how it works: whenever an app that doesn’t have permission to access the webcam attempts to do that, Bitdefender instantly notifies you. As for the Microphone Filter, it works similarly but is focused on the microphone rather than the camera. Sadly, the level of control is much lower: you only get alerts and can’t set up any rules. But, since most rivals don’t have any filters for the mic, this feature deserves our praise.

Parental Control

These tools have only one task: to protect your kids from accessing explicit content on the Internet. Bitdefender’s Parental Control includes a reasonable line-up of features for monitoring (and controlling) what your child aida64 monitoring Activators Patch see online. Restricting app use is one of the most useful features. Plus, you can block websites by content, bitdefender total security 2020 review, turn off various devices (like a Smartphone), and set up daily limits of device use.

All this is done with a couple of clicks. You don’t have to be an expert to activate Parental Controls. The mobile app for Android allows parents to monitor who the children communicate with through SMS messages and calls. Blocking calls is also an option. The app leaves a lot to be desired, though: most of the time, it doesn’t work properly and sets the wrong blocks and limitations.

So, be careful with the Bitdefender antivirus Parental Controls, because during our review, it blocked a test phone, and we couldn’t even turn it back on. Premium, the higher tier, includes cyberbullying detection, address request, and other extras. But, again, it’s a faulty feature.

Password Manager

Bitdefender’s Wallet is good at storing passwords, logins, sensitive data, and credit card credentials. Plus, it’s capable of linking and syncing these passwords, bitdefender total security 2020 review, allowing you to access your accounts through any device quickly. Over the last couple of years, the Wallet hasn’t changed. It still can’t work with 2-page login systems and isn’t as impressive as some rivaling password manager tools.

Yet, as an entry-level module, it’s quite useful and easy to use. And, bitdefender total security 2020 review, when you create a new account, Wallet’s password generator can quickly generate a strong (15-character) password which includes numbers and letters. Enabling special characters will make the password even more reliable. The lack of 2-factor authentication, automatic password updates, and secure credentials sharing still makes it a below-average manager.

Bitdefender VPN

A Virtual Private Network is a secure server that you can connect to and turn into a digital shadow. When activated, a VPN prevents government agents, hackers, and even the ISP from monitoring your activity on the Internet. While Bitdefender’s VPN isn’t nearly as good as ExpressVPN or CyberGhost, as a part of the antivirus suite, it’s pretty decent.

With it, you can watch your favorite shows on various streaming platforms, download torrents, bitdefender total security 2020 review, and unblock access to geo-restricted websites. The highest Bitdefender tier provides unlimited VPN use. The less expensive tiers limit traffic to 200MB data per day, which is better than what most rivals offer.

Anti-Tracking Features

Anti-Tracker is a browser extension, and it’s available not only for Chrome but also for the Internet Explorer and Firefox. Whenever you visit a website that’s filled with various trackers, Anti-Tracker warns you about them in the top right corner. You can see the exact number of ad trackers (the same is true for Avast’s Online Security).

The built-in Do-Not-Track module automatically blocks every single tracker it detects – that’s what it does by default. But, you can always change the settings and, say, prevent it from disabling specific ad categories. As mentioned, the Anti-Tracker is very similar to other browser extensions and is on par with all of them. A quick note: while some ads are known to be harmless, most of them are just annoying and increase web page load times.

Safe Files – Ransomware Protection

By encrypting essential files on your device, ransomware demands payment for decryption. Otherwise, your work will be paralyzed, and you won’t be able to access those files (or even the OS as a whole). Safe Files, Bitdefender’s ransomware protection module, blocks any unauthorized modifications of data, apps, and folders in the most vulnerable places. Those include Documents, bitdefender total security 2020 review, Videos, and Pictures.

With it, bitdefender total security 2020 review, you can hand-pick additional locations that should be protected. Whenever an unknown and potentially malicious program attempts to modify a file/folder under this module’s protection, Safe Files instantly alerts the user. Ransomware Remediation, a brand-new Bitdefender feature, automatically creates backups of important files at the hint of a potential attack.

Sadly, while the multi-layered anti-ransomware approach is quite effective, it’s not as good as, say, the Trend Micro module. In our extensive tests, Safe Files failed to detect Petya and other emerging threats.

Bitdefender SafePay – Online Banking Protection

SafePay is a highly secure desktop that automatically launches when you connect to a banking site. It is very similar to Bitdefender total security 2020 review Mode (Kaspersky) and provides an additional layer of protection. Password, login, and credit card number theft is a big threat in 2022. That is why you should always use safe environments like SafePay when logging into your accounts.

Of course, it includes a safe browser, and all operations run through it. The desktop doesn’t have any connections to your actual desktop – that provides brick-strong protection against keyloggers. On top of that, SafePay has a virtual keyboard that makes it almost impossible for keystroke-stealing malware to interfere with your online banking.

We also recommend running the VPN whenever you activate SafePay for enhanced protection. You can never be too careful during online banking.

Bitdefender Lab Tests

If you’re looking for flawless protection against modern-day threats, go for Kaspersky, Norton, or Trend Micro. As we said earlier in this Bitdefender review, it lags behind the leaders bitdefender total security 2020 review terms of malware protection but is still a reliable option. For example, in the most recent AV-Test evaluation, it managed to detect 100% of the widespread malware. In the zero-day attacks test, however, it only detected 98.8% luminar 3 crack Free Activators the threats.

Bitdefender also had three false positives. While this isn’t a horrible result, compared to the leaders, it’s not as good (they didn’t have one single false flag). In the AV-Comparatives test, Bitdefender successfully detected and eliminated 99.99% of the planted malicious samples. It is very close to the Kaspersky result (100%) and better than Norton and Trend Micro (99.6%).

Our team of experts also ran a series of tests and confirmed that while this is a top-10 antivirus solution, it’s not the best pick on the market.

Bitdefender Products: How Much Does Bitdefender Cost?

Along with malware protection and the feature set, the cost of an antivirus is the #1 concern for the average user. Bitdefender is not the most affordable solution on the market. At the same time, it’s more reasonably priced than many rivaling products. Let us take a look at the current price-tags for all the available Bitdefender packages:

We highly recommend checking the prices on the official website before committing to any of these packages. The reason bitdefender total security 2020 review antivirus companies constantly change their pricing policies. Plus, you might get lucky and get a discount, like a 50% off deal for the first year of subscription.

Bitdefender Free Version

With the free edition of the Bitdefender antivirus, bitdefender total security 2020 review, you get core protection against malware and automatic updates. That makes it one of the most modest free antivirus products on the market. For example, Kaspersky free also includes Secure Connection (the company’s VPN), password management, security alerts, and account check.

It’s important to say that Bitdefender free is only available for the Windows OS. The Mac users can only expect a virus scanner that scans hand-picked files/folders as well as the entire OS. The Android app is a bit more advanced and, along with malware protection, also provides cloud scanning. Still, compared to the Win edition, it’s not nearly as effective.

On the bright side, Bitdefender offers free trials of every single paid package. Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, Total Security, and Premium Security are available with a 30-day bitdefender total security 2020 review trial. It is more than enough time to test the product(s) on your device and see whether you want to upgrade or not. Overall, Bitdefender free is a good starting point before you upgrade, but it lags behind Kaspersky, Avast, and other leading products.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2022

It is the entry-level paid Bitdefender package, and with it, the company offers a rather limited list of essential features, bitdefender total security 2020 review. The biggest downside of this package – it’s only available for the Windows OS, just like the free edition. It’s relatively affordable, bitdefender total security 2020 review, compared to similarly-priced products, is a bit less feature-packed.

Here is what Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is good for:

• Real-time protection – prevents malware of all kinds from infecting your device. The antivirus engine works 24/7, offers decent protection against ransomware.
• SOB (Safe Online Banking) – a safe environment that prevents cybercriminals from stealing your credentials. We’re talking about banking information (like login-password for your bank account) that hackers steal and get access to your money/sensitive data. SOB works effectively against keyloggers and, well, allows for safe banking online.
• Password Manager – safe storage for all your passwords and logins. Apart from linking and syncing all your credentials, it also helps to come up bitdefender total security 2020 review hard-to-crack passwords.
• VPN (limited) – a Virtual Private Network for hiding your online activity. With Antivirus Plus, VPN usage is limited to 200MB per day. Yes, this isn’t enough for torrenting or watching shows on streaming platforms (like Netflix). However, for online transactions, the 200MB limit will be more than enough. We highly recommend activating the VPN when using a public network, as it’s good for Wi-Fi security.

Bitdefender Internet Security 2022

The second tier is more feature-packed, and, according to official statistics, is one of the most popular Bitdefender packages. Still, even though it’s a paid package, Internet Security is not available on Mac, iOS, or Android (just like Antivirus Plus). The only supported platform is Microsoft’s Windows, which puts Bitdefender well behind competitors like Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, and others.

As for the extra features, bitdefender total security 2020 review, here’s the full list:

• Parental Controls – as mentioned earlier, these tools are used to control and limit the content that’s available on your kids’ devices. For keeping tabs on their activity online, limiting their device use, and blocking certain websites and programs (apps), the Bitdefender parental controls are a good pick.
• Firewall – network traffic filtration. The firewall controls which apps get access to the network and looks for any holes in the operating system (or the network) that can be exploited by cybercriminals.
• Webcam + Microphone Protection – no modern-day user wants third parties to watch him/her through the webcam or to eavesdrop on private conversations, bitdefender total security 2020 review. That’s why this webcam-mic protection module is so important. It allows you to hand-pick which apps can access the webcam and the mic and even turn off these devices completely.
• File Encryption – an extra layer of security for the most critical files and folders.
• File Shredder – perfect for getting rid of unwanted files for good.

Bitdefender Total Security 2022

Moving up the “package ladder,” we have Bitdefender Total Security, a product that can cover every single device you own. Compared to Antivirus Plus and Internet Security, TS has one big advantage – it’s fully compatible not only with Win, but also Mac, Android, and iOS. It bitdefender total security 2020 review all the features from the previous packages and adds four extras.

The Total Security users bitdefender total security 2020 review access to the following modules:

• BTD (Behavioral Threat Detection) – real-time monitoring of all active programs on the OS. Whenever something unusual/suspicious starts to happen, BTD takes immediate action.
• Anti-Theft – allows you to lock a stolen/lost device remotely. It also helps to trace the device and to find it before the thieves manage to steal anything important.
• One-Click Optimizer – Bitdefender’s tune-up tool. It boosts overall system performance and gets rid of unnecessary junk.
• Photon – an advanced optimization tool that further improves performance and frees up RAM and CPU power.

Bitdefender Premium Security 2022

The most expensive tier in Bitdefender’s line-up covers ten simultaneous connections and includes every single feature available with the previous packages. However, unless you own this many devices and need every unique extra feature, Premium Security might not be the best pick for you, bitdefender total security 2020 review. Regardless, it’s a good deal, and, with it, you’ll get:

Priority Support – self-explanatory: whenever you contact customer service, your request will be prioritized over the regular users. It is true not only for phone support but also for the ticket system. User prioritization based on the packages isn’t exclusive to Bitdefender, by the way.

Unlimited VPN Usage – Premium Security doesn’t have a daily limit on VPN traffic usage. That means you can freely download as many torrents as you want and stream movies and TV series on your favorite device.

Bitdefender for Mac

For the Mac users, Bitdefender offers three packages to choose from (as opposed to four packaged with Windows). Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac, the entry-level plan, costs the same as Bitdefender Antivirus Plus for Windows. And, bitdefender total security 2020 review, it’s only available for macOS. With it, you’ll get comprehensive protection against Mac-unique malware, adware, and spyware.

Add protection for online banking, protection of backed-up sensitive files, and a low system impact, and you’ll get a decent product. Internet Security is not available for Macs. A for Total Security and Premium Security, while they are priced the same, they’re not as feature-packed for Mac as they are for Windows.

The following list includes every single feature available for the macOS:

• Malware protection
• Phishing protection
• Network security
• Safe Files – Bitdefender’s ransomware protection module
• Traffic Light (browser extension that filters out potentially dangerous content. Implements AI that scans all links before the user follows them)
• Ad-blocking (self-explanatory: keeps ad pop-ups at bay. This module also battles hijackers and toolbars, thus optimizing browser performance)
• Parental controls
• VPN (data cap depending on the package)
• Anti-tracker
• Time Machine Protection (prevents malicious files from encrypting sensitive data)
• Advanced file encryption
• Password manager
• Bitdefender Internet Shield (takes care of all the security processes without the user’s involvement. Automatic detection and elimination of potential threats)
• Autopilot (a smart security advisor, a module that consults the user on security measures, helping them to stay safe while surfing the web)

As mentioned, even if you pick the most advanced Bitdefender tier – Premium Security – you won’t get as many features as with Windows. Those extras include webcam/mic protection, Photon, OneClick Optimizer, social network protection, and more.

Bitdefender for Business

Bitdefender is available not only for home users but also for businesses, both small and medium-sized. The business solution is called GravityZone, and it can be hosted by Bitdefender, as well as installed locally. No matter which package you choose, multi-layered protection, anti-ransomware, and machine learning will be a part of the deal.

Heuristics, anti-exploit modules, bitdefender total security 2020 review, device control features, and a powerful firewall are even more GravityZone standout features. Overall, there are six plans to choose from. Those include:

• Business Security. The entry-level package is perfect for small businesses that are looking for a simple, yet affordable solution for their companies.
• Advanced Business Security. Owners of mid-sized businesses should pick Advanced Business Security over the regular package. It provides more security features and is, overall, more reliable.
• Elite Security. If you’re dealing with high-level threats and want to protect your enterprise, Elite’s aggressive (and highly effective) approach may earn your trust.
• Ultra Security, bitdefender total security 2020 review. It is an integrated endpoint protection and EDR platform designed for modern-day businesses. Much like Elite, this package aims at detecting and eliminating sophisticated threats.
• Enterprise Security. Larger organizations should pick Enterprise Security over the other plans. It’s a flexible product, meaning you can add new features whenever you want.
• Cloud Security for MSPs. Remote protection of multiple devices (customers) from one single console – that’s what MSP specializes in.

Ease of Use

Below-average system impact, relatively fast scans, and a user-friendly interface – that’s Bitdefender in a nutshell for you. Every single important feature is within reach, and it takes one-two clicks to activate/deactivate an option. There’s a green shield with a white mark in the middle of the Bitdefender central dashboard, which means the system is secure.

Quick scans, the VPN, and SafePay are always on the main screen. All the other important settings are located on the left side in Protection, Privacy, and Utility. In our passive-performance loss test, Bitdefender slowed down the CPU by 15%, which is a better result than, say, Kaspersky’s 18%. During a full scan, we registered an 18% drop in performance, which, again, is a very good result.

For example, bitdefender total security 2020 review, the Kaspersky full scans have an over 50% negative effect on the CPU. McAfee’s Total Protection, in turn, has the lowest overall system impact and slowed down performance by +/-10%. With Bitdefender, a quick scan takes 2-3 minutes to complete. Full scans are also impressively fast: the initial scan takes 15-20 minutes. Consecutive checks take even less time.

Bitdefender for Mobile Protection (for Android and iOS)

Owners of Android phones/tablets will be pleased to learn that Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android will cost them only 15 dollars a year. To run it, you’ll need a device compatible with Android 4.1 or higher. Here’s what it has to offer:

• Remote location/lock/wipe of an Android device, bitdefender total security 2020 review. It is very useful in the case of a lost or stolen gadget. By locking it, bitdefender total security 2020 review, you’ll protect sensitive data on the OS and prevent the thieves from stealing your passwords/logins.
• Secure VPN. It comes with the same 200MB/day limit. It’s possible to upgrade to Premium VPN – that’ll cost $39.99 a year.
• Account Privacy. Checks your email address (account) for breaches and sends alerts whenever suspicious activity is detected.
• Low Battery Impact. Self-explanatory: optimizes battery performance.
• Web Protection.
• Autopilot.

As for the iOS edition, it costs the same ($15 per year) but is a bit different. The list of available features includes:

• Web protection
• Secure VPN(only 200 megabytes per day)
• Account breach check
• Full iPad support
• To run it, you’ll need iOS 11.2or higher

Customer Support

Regardless of the Bitdefender package, the company provides free access to 24/7 support. Customer service is available through phone calls, emails, and, most importantly, an online chat form. It doesn’t take the technical agents for more than 24 hours to send a response. During our test, the average time it took them to hit us back was 15 hours, which is quite impressive.

And if you want to cut the standby time to one-two hours, upgrade to Premium Security – the most expensive tier. As mentioned earlier, it grants priority support. On the official website, Bitdefender includes an extensive FAQ section, full guides on installation and product use, as well as a forum. There are even how-to videos that explain all the important functions/procedures in a friendly manner. Overall, Bitdefender’s customer support is well above average.

Still, you can contact them via the phones:

• (+1) 954 414 9655
• (+1) 954 281 4024

Guide: Bitdefender Installation bitdefender total security 2020 review Setup

The installation process is very user-friendly and straightforward. Here’s what you bitdefender total security 2020 review to do:

• First of all, pick a package that you like from the official website.
• Next, choose a payment method (Credit Card, PayPal, or 7-Eleven/ACE).
• Once you’re through with payment, you can download the installation file.
• We recommend downloading the free trial and only paying for a package once the trial is over.
• Installation doesn’t take long. We tested it on several different devices and operating systems. On average, Bitdefender takes less than 10 minutes to install.
• The company requires its clients to create an account, but it only takes one minute to go through with that.
• To activate the product, all you have to do is enter the code that you received on your email – that’s it.
• After the software is installed, you’ll be welcomed by the main dashboard.
• The antivirus starts to work automatically, meaning you won’t have to set anything up manually for it to be effective against malware.

Bitdefender Antivirus FAQ

Bitdefender Antivirus Alternatives & Competitors

This is it for our Bitdefender review! Last but not least, we recommend comparing it to other antivirus products to see whether Bitdefender is the best option for you or not:

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Bitdefender is one of my favorite antiviruses in 2022. It has all of the cybersecurity protections most users need to stay 100% safe, it’s super easy to use across all devices and operating systems, and it’s cheaper than most competing brands.

During all of my tests, Bitdefender had perfect results against all types of malware samples, and thanks to its cloud-based virus engine, it didn’t slow down my computer even during full system scans. It also has some of the best web protections on the market, detecting more fake and risky sites than both built-in protections from Chrome, Firefox, or Edge, and anti-phishing protections from other antiviruses.

In addition to high-end malware and web protections, Bitdefender also has more security features than almost all other brands, and all of its extras work as promised and are very simple to find and use. Bitdefender has:

• Advanced ransomware protection.
• System optimization.
• Secure web browser for safe online payments.
• Password manager.
• VPN (virtual private network).
• Parental controls.
• Webcam and microphone protection.
• Anti-theft protection for Windows and Android.
• And a lot more…

Most of Bitdefender’s features work great — the system optimization tools cleared up a lot of space on my PC and improved my device’s performance, the VPN is comparable in speed and performance to standalone VPNs, and the parental controls are highly customizable and even include location tracking and geofencing. I also think it’s amazing that Bitdefender’s anti-theft protection works on Windows devices – most competitors like McAfee and Avira offer anti-theft on mobile devices only.

But as much as I like Bitdefender, I can’t say it’s without flaws. Its password manager may be too basic for some users — it doesn’t have a bitdefender total security 2020 review app, and it’s lacking features like emergency access and password sharing. The mobile security app for iOS is also very limited, providing only web protection, simple email breach monitoring, and a limited VPN. And the VPN that comes bundled with most of Bitdefender’s plans only lets you use 200 MB data per day, which is barely enough for web browsing. That said, the VPN with unlimited data is available on Bitdefender’s top-tier Premium Security plan (or you can get it as an add-on to any of the bitdefender total security 2020 review plans).

And even if you upgrade to the most expensive plan with the unlimited VPN (and coverage for up to 10 devices), Bitdefender still offers an excellent value (and it’s still cheaper than most brands with fewer features).

Overall, Bitdefender is one of the best internet security products around. It’s got unbeatable malware protection, provides lots of really good features, it’s easy to use, and it offers affordable plans for all budgets. And all of Bitdefender’s packages come with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, so there’s no risk in trying it out.

Risk-Free for 30 days – Try Bitdefender (62% off)

Bitdefender Full Review

Bitdefender provides cutting-edge internet security for a great value.

Its cloud-based scanner uses machine learning along with traditional signature-based scanning to provide 100% malware detection.

It also provides excellent web protections, a fast VPN, comprehensive system tune-up, bitdefender total security 2020 review secure browser, and some of the best parental controls on the market today (along with several more useful additional protections).

Alongside free versions for Windows and Mac, Bitdefender offers several premium plans — Antivirus Plus is a good entry-level antivirus for users looking to protect 1 Windows PC, Internet Security adds coverage for up to 3 Windows PCs and is a great mid-range option for families, Total Security is an excellent value for users looking to protect up to 5 Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices, and Premium Security is the best-value package for those who want all of Bitdefender’s features plus the VPN with no limitations.

There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of Bitdefender’s plans.

Bitdefender Security Features

Virus/Vulnerability Scan

Bitdefender’s antivirus scanner is both thorough and lightweight. It uses a huge malware directory and machine learning to detect both known and emerging malware, bitdefender total security 2020 review. And because most of the malware scanning takes place in the cloud, Bitdefender’s antivirus engine takes up a fraction of CPU and disk space during scans.

Bitdefender offers 4 types of scans:

• Quick Scan. A lightweight scan of core system files and temporary files where viruses are often stored.
• System Scan. An in-depth analysis and scan of the entire system for malware and vulnerabilities.
• Custom Scan. Scanning sound forge audio studio 12 manual any system location where there might be potential threats.
• Vulnerability Scan. Scanning for privacy risks in application settings as well as critical software updates.

I tested Bitdefender’s virus scanner by hiding nearly 1,000 malware samples throughout my virtual Windows computer, including viruses, worms, trojans, adware, spyware, rootkits, ransomware, cryptojackers, and keyloggers — once my system was fully infected with malware, I performed a full system scan.

Bitdefender’s full system scan took just under 1 hour to complete — this is comparable to top competitors such as Norton and Avira whose scans take around 45 minutes to complete.

However, unlike most competitors, Bitdefender has a minimal impact on system performance, bitdefender total security 2020 review. I didn’t notice any slowdown on my system bitdefender total security 2020 review the entire scanning process — even other premium competitors like TotalAV cause some slowdown during full system scans.

Bitdefender also lets users schedule scans — you can choose between several scheduling options, including at system startup, daily, weekly, and monthly. However, users can only schedule custom scans — Norton, Avira, and TotalAV all provide easy, one-click scan scheduling for all types of scans.

Overall, Bitdefender’s malware scanner is one of the best on the market — it’s fast, it doesn’t cause slowdowns, and it has perfect malware detection rates. If you’re looking for a lightweight, powerful antivirus scanner, Bitdefender is an excellent choice.

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Real-Time Protection

Bitdefender’s real-time protection (Bitdefender Shield) actively scans every file and email attachment the moment you access them. Bitdefender Shield’s default settings include the following scans:

• Potentially unwanted applications. Software that hides inside other applications (usually bundled freeware).
• Network shares. Issues in remote networks on your device.
• Boot sectors. Issues that may change the boot sequence.
• Only new and modified files. Threats that may hide in new and changed files.
• Keyloggers. Malware that captures keystrokes.

While Bitdefender Shield’s default protections are good enough for most users, advanced users can customize real-time settings to also include applications, scripts, bitdefender total security 2020 review, and archives. Advanced users can also choose to exclude any of the options mentioned above.

For my testing, I downloaded around 100 infected .exe samples. txt files, and .rar files (compressed folders), and I also ran network-based attacks from my Android and another PC.

Bitdefender’s real-time protection blocked every single malware file before I could download it. But Bitdefender Shield didn’t merely interrupt my downloads — it wouldn’t even allow me to start them, greying out the “Save File” button.

Overall, I’m really impressed by Bitdefender’s real-time protection. Some competitors provide similar real-time malware detection rates, but Bitdefender provides the best customization options on the market for its real-time scanner.

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Anti-Phishing/Web Protection

Whenever you visit a website, Bitdefender’s anti-phishing protection compares it against a regularly updated database of millions of dangerous, blacklisted sites. If there’s a match, Bitdefender blocks access to the site.

I tested Bitdefender’s anti-phishing protection with a huge directory of phishing sites — Bitdefender blocked all of the fake websites I tried to access. Chrome, Firefox, and even third-party anti-phishing tools from competitors like Panda and Kaspersky failed to detect as many suspicious sites as Bitdefender.

What’s more, bitdefender total security 2020 review, Bitdefender features a convenient notification screen, so you can see what websites it has blocked and why. This makes it easy to permanently add a false positive to Bitdefender’s exception list. Whitelisting sites can be done in one click, whereas other antiviruses such as Norton require you to dig through settings and advanced protocols to whitelist safe sites. However, keep in mind that you should only whitelist sites if you are absolutely certain that they’re legitimate and don’t contain malware.

Bitdefender’s web protection also prevents you from accessing a webpage that contains downloadable malware — it also checks search results for dangerous sites, bitdefender total security 2020 review, scans encrypted websites, and checks sites for fraudulent content.

Overall, Bitdefender provides exceptional anti-phishing protection as well as protection against a wide range of other web-based threats. In addition to blocking more phishing sites than most competitors, Bitdefender also makes it easy to whitelist websites and adjust web protection settings.

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System Optimization

Bitdefender’s OneClick Optimizer is a basic but useful tool for freeing up disk space on your computer. It scans your system and removes unnecessary files from your device — but it’s pretty minimal when compared to competitors like Avira (which offers a startup optimizer, game booster, driver updater, and battery usage manager).

Bitdefender basically removes a variety of junk files, including:

• Temporary system files.
• Windows junk files.
• Recycle bin files.
• Broken registry items.
• Browser history.

I ran the scan with no other applications running in the background, and it only took around 2 minutes to complete.

Bitdefender managed to free up a total of 1.3 GB from my PC, which is really good. Some competitors that have a better assortment of system tune-up tools weren’t as effective at making room on my disk! However, I would recommend that most users double-check the scanned “junk” files by clicking View details before proceeding to delete them.

However, bitdefender total security 2020 review, Bitdefender’s tuneup tool has some annoying limitations — for example:

Before clicking “Optimize,” Bitdefender recommended that I review the issues it had flagged. Bitdefender total security 2020 review Bitdefender didn’t let me view the details about those issues. For example, it flagged one broken software location in my registry options, yet it wouldn’t let me see the file name or date. This was frustrating because I wanted to know what I was deleting, not just the location of the file in question.

I’d also like to see more features included in Bitdefeder’s system tuneup tool. For example, TotalAV’s built-in optimization includes a startup manager, an application uninstaller, and a duplicate file finder.

That said, after running Bitdefender’s one-click optimization, I noticed a speed increase on my PC. This simple one-click method for freeing up space does have some limitations, bitdefender total security 2020 review, and it’s missing some features that competitors provide. But overall, it’s very convenient and does a good job.

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Secure Web Browser (SafePay)

Bitdefender’s secure web browser, SafePay, is a great way to keep hackers from stealing your personal information when making online transactions.

Here are the main benefits of using SafePay:

• Prevents hackers from remotely accessing your desktop.
• Stops you from taking snapshots of your screen.
• Utilizes Bitdefender’s password manager to protect your passwords.
• Emulates a virtual keyboard to prevent keystroke tracking.
• Turns on built-in VPN protection (200 MB daily limit).

I wanted to show off SafePay’s protections, but I couldn’t capture any screenshots due to bitdefender total security 2020 review built-in screenshot-blocker, which is great — if you can’t screen-capture your browser, then neither can intrusive hackers!

I tested SafePay with my PayPal account. Apart from being unable to use any of my screen capture tools, I was even unable to copy-paste my password or 2FA codes while using SafePay! The virtual keyboard popped up the moment I was asked to enter my login details, keeping keyloggers from recording my password or personal info.

However, pages loaded pretty slowly, and I couldn’t stream HD video with SafePay — it’s definitely not designed to replace your web browser. But for anyone that does business online, SafePay is a really good privacy enhancement tool.

If you’re bitdefender total security 2020 review to protect your information as much as possible during online transactions, SafePay is a really good addition to Bitdefender’s already impressive web protection toolkit.

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Password Manager

Bitdefender’s password manager is simple and secure — but it’s not as good as dedicated password managers like Dashlane or 1Password. Bitdefender doesn’t provide features like two-factor authentication (2FA) Virtual Safe Professional Crack password sharing. However, it does provide the essential functions of a password manager, such as:

• High-level encryption.
• Multi-device sync.
• Password generator.
• Unlimited password storage.
• Payment information storage.
• Auto-save and auto-fill.
• Password vault auditing.

Bitdefender’s password manager comes free with Bitdefender Premium Security, but lower-tier Bitdefender plans come with a 90-day free trial of the password manager, after which you’ll have to pay an additional yearly fee.

To access the password manager, you need to install Bitdefender’s password manager extension (available for Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Brave). There’s also an Android and iOS app, but there isn’t a desktop version.

Bitdefender still offers the My Wallets features for Windows desktop users, which is a basic password vault with auto-fill capabilities and a password generator. But the My Wallets feature doesn’t offer the range of features or cross-platform compatibility included with Bitdefender’s password manager.

Bitdefender’s password manager lets you store passwords, identities (personal information, addresses, and phone numbers), credit cards and bank accounts, email credentials, license keys and logins for bitdefender total security 2020 review, and Wi-Fi passwords.

The auto-fill and auto-save functions worked well during my tests. By default, Bitdefender auto-filled my details without requiring any clicks, but also I had the option to disable this and manually click to auto-fill my details. The auto-save feature offered to save my login credentials whenever I logged into new sites.

Bitdefender also has a pretty good password generator that enables users to generate passwords up to 32 characters long. This is good, but top password managers like LastPass can generate passwords that are up to 99 characters long.

But what I liked most was Bitdefender’s password vault auditing tool (named Security report), which gives users an easy-to-understand overview of their password security. It checks for weak, old, reused, and leaked passwords. While I would like to see Bitdefender include active dark web monitoring to continuously scan for leaked login credentials, like Dashlane does, I still like the simplicity of Bitdefender’s Security report feature.

Overall, Bitdefender’s password manager is intuitive and easy to set up, but it’s not quite as good as standalone password managers like dvdfab 11 keygen Activators Patch, Dashlane, LastPass, or Keeper, all of which offer a wide range of additional tools, like password sharing, password auditing, dark web monitoring, 2FA, biometric logins, and much more bitdefender total security 2020 review a similar price. That said, if you get Bitdefender’s password manager as part of the Premium Security plan, it is a decent easy-to-use option for users that don’t really need an advanced password manager app.

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Bitdefender VPN

Bitdefender’s VPN is powered by Hotspot Shield, one of the more popular VPN providers on the market. However, Bitdefender’s VPN has a much smaller server network and it doesn’t provide the same level of functionality as Hotspot Shield. That said, Bitdefender’s VPN covers all of the basics — it uses unbreakable 256-bit AES encryption, has a no-logs policy, and comes with a kill switch.

Most of Bitdefender’s plans come with a free version of this VPN, but it’s not very good. Bitdefender’s free VPN picks a random server based on your location, and it only includes 200 MB of browsing per day — barely enough to watch a single YouTube video.

However, users that upgrade to Bitdefender’s Premium Security plan or opt for a separate VPN subscription get unlimited browsing data as well as access to 30 servers around the world. And Bitdefender’s premium VPN has some of the best speeds of any antivirus’s VPN on the market — it’s even faster than some standalone competitors.

Here’s a comparison of my internet connection before and after activating Bitdefender’s VPN on a local US server:

As you can see, there wasn’t a bitdefender total security 2020 review difference in internet speed. This is especially good when compared to VPNs from companies like Panda, which can cut your download speed in half and send your PING skyrocketing!

Unfortunately, Bitdefender’s VPN isn’t a good choice for users interested in streaming.During my tests, all popular streaming services like Netflix noticed that I was using a VPN and wouldn’t let me access their content libraries. If you’re looking for a good streaming VPN, I recommend ExpressVPN.

On the other hand, Bitdefender is really good for torrenting — you can even set the VPN to auto-connect whenever you start a peer-to-peer sharing app. This is in complete contrast with McAfee, which doesn’t even let you turn on its VPN if you have a torrenting client installed on your PC.

Overall, bitdefender total security 2020 review, I like Bitdefender’s premium VPN. While it doesn’t have a lot of the features that standalone VPNs provide, bitdefender total security 2020 review, Bitdefender still provides surprisingly fast connection speeds and good encrypted browsing for users that want to increase their internet security.

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Parental Control

Bitdefender’s parental control app is available as a separate download for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.

I tested the parental control app on my PC and Android. To set up Bitdefender’s parental control app, I navigated to the Privacy tab in the desktop app, and then I clicked on Configure under Parental Advisor. This took me to Bitdefender’s online portal, Bitdefender Central, where I first had to add a child. Next, I had to install the Bitdefender parental control app on the device my child would be using — I had to give the app all sorts of permissions on the mobile device, but this didn’t take me longer than a couple of minutes.

Next, I had to customize the parental app’s settings. In Bitdefender Central, I could:

• Set daily device limits (not available on iOS).
• Set device usage schedules.
• Manage (allow and block) apps.
• Whitelist and blacklist specific sites or categories of sites (not available for iOS).
• View location and set safe and restricted areas (available only on Android and iOS).
• View the latest phone contacts added to the contact list (available only on Android and iOS devices).

After configuring all of the settings, I tested the app with a friend. My friend tried visiting dozens of websites that belonged to the blacklisted categories, and Bitdefender’s parental control app blocked her from accessing each of those websites. The only thing I dislike about Bitdefender’s website filtering is that there’s no way for your child to ask for access to a specific website via the app.

All of the other features inside Bitdefender’s parental app worked perfectly — I could see how much time my friend was spending on her mobile phone, view which apps she accessed, and accurately track her location. I was impressed that I could ask my friend to send me a notification when she arrived safely at a specified location — this isn’t something that most competing antiviruses with parental controls offer!

I also really like that Bitdefender allows geo-fencing, so you can drivermax pro activation Activators Patch alerts if your child leaves a predetermined safe area.

Overall, Bitdefender’s parental controls provide some of the best protections of any bitdefender total security 2020 review control app out there — parents who want to make sure that their kids are as safe as possible, both online and in the real world, will find a lot of value in Bitdefender’s parental control app.

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Webcam Security & Microphone Protection

Bitdefender’s webcam and microphone security protections stop hackers from covertly watching you through your device’s webcam and listening into your private conversations.

In my tests, Bitdefender monitored all of the apps that attempted to access my laptop’s webcam and microphone and notified me of any suspicious or unauthorized access attempts. A notification was displayed on my screen every time an access attempt was made, enabling me to either allow or deny access.

I like how I could customize access to my webcam and mic by enabling access for bitdefender total security 2020 review I consider safe, like Zoom and Slack. But I could also completely block any access attempts made by my web browser, and I was also able to block access to my webcam and mic entirely, so no apps could access these features.

My only issue is that the webcam and microphone protections are only available for Windows devices, so I couldn’t use them on my Mac.

Overall, I really like Bitdefender’s webcam and microphone protections, bitdefender total security 2020 review. They’re very easy to set up, there are useful customization options, and the popup notifications make it easy to see which apps are making access bitdefender total security 2020 review Bitdefender

Ransomware Remediation

Bitdefender’s Ransomware Remediation is designed to automatically protect your files when it detects ransomware running on your system. This feature is supposed to prevent any file encryption attempts and enable you to restore files encrypted by ransomware attacks.

I ran some isolated ransomware simulations, and while the Ransomware Remediation was effective in most cases, it didn’t seem to correctly restore a handful of files in other instances.

When clicking on the Restored Files button, I could see a list of all files that had supposedly been recovered, including video clips, photos, and other files, and I was able to access almost all restored files with all of the original information intact. However, a couple of files weren’t restored correctly, which was a little concerning.

Despite a few missed files, I think this feature is very useful. While I would like to see Ransomware Remediation correctly restore all files, almost all of my files were restored correctly, which is impressive, especially considering this feature is not something that many other antiviruses offer.

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Profiles

Bitdefender’s Profiles feature (Windows only) allows users to customize their experience with the software and optimize their PC’s performance depending on why they’re using their PC.

For instance, if you’re working, you can switch on Work Profile to reduce system slowdowns and enhance email protections. Or if you’re gaming, you can choose Game Mode, which improves system performance and reduces notifications while you’re gaming. You can also adjust the settings within each profile to suit your preferences.

Here’s the full list of profiles to choose from:

• Work Profile — Enhances email protections and reduces system slowdowns.
• Movie Profile — Stops pop-up bitdefender total security 2020 review and minimizes background processes.
• Game Profile — Optimizes system performance while you’re gaming.
• Public Wi-Fi Profile — Activiates protections to keep you safe on public Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Battery Mode Profile — Changes software settings to improve laptop battery life.

You can set up Bitdefender so it changes your profile depending on the apps you’re using, but you can also switch between profiles manually.

I really like the Profiles feature — it’s easy to use and significantly improved my performance while using CPU-intensive programs like Adobe Illustrator for work. I also tested this feature while I watched Netflix on my laptop, and I didn’t experience any interruptions or system slowdowns.

While some antiviruses offer similar tools, like Norton’s gaming mode (which also improves system performance while gaming), I’m a huge fan of the range of profile options offered by Bitdefender and how easy it is to adjust each profile.

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Identity Theft Protection

I think Bitdefender has one of the most useful identity theft protection packages on the market in 2022, but they’re only available as standalone purchases. Bitdefender offers a multi-layered approach to digital identity protection, monitoring data breaches and dark web forums, scanning social media for impersonator accounts, and even providing live credit reporting monitoring for US users.

I was really impressed that Bitdefender can track up to 100 pieces of personally identifying information (PII), including addresses, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, and more.

The main Digital Identity Monitor page on Bitdefender’s online dashboard lists these tabs:

• Digital footprint.
• Data breaches.
• Impersonation check.
• Data brokers.
• Education.
• Event history.

I especially like that Bitdefender offers an option to remove your data from data broker lists (data brokers collect personal information on you and sell your file to advertisers and marketing teams) — Norton also offers this option with its identity theft protections. Bitdefender can remove your information from top data brokers like BeenVerified, White Pages, PrivateEye, and Spokeo.

For US users, Bitdefender has also added a live credit report monitoring system with two tiers of protection. Like TotalAV and Norton, Bitdefender monitors the major credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) for any financial activity involving your information. This can include loan applications, mortgages, rental agreements, and more.

Bitdefender’s identity theft protections are available as a standalone purchase.

Bitdefender’s Identity Theft Protection Standard monitors 1 of the 3 credit bureaus and provides live alerts and assistance in the event of identity theft. But upgrading to bitdefender total security 2020 review Identity Theft Protection Premium plan provides a $2M insurance policy, tracks USPS change of address filings, court proceedings, tracking across all 3 credit bureaus, and up to $50K in ransomware and malware insurance.

Overall, Bitdefender’s identity theft protections are among the best on the market. They track as many as 100 pieces of PII, provide live monitoring and assistance, and add a comprehensive credit monitoring service for US users.

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Anti-Theft Protection

Bitdefender’s anti-theft feature performed really well during my testing — I’d say it’s actually one of the best anti-theft features on the market.

However, it’s currently only office for students 365 for Windows and Android devices, and I’d like to see Bitdefender offer support for Mac and iOS too.Lookout offers good anti-theft features for iOS, but Apple’s built-in anti-theft features are currently the best option for MacBook users.

Bitdefender’s anti-theft dashboard is accessible via the Utilities tab on the Bitdefender desktop interface, which will then take you to Bitdefender Central. From there, you can choose to locate your device, make your device sound an alert, lock your device, or wipe all of the data on your device to stop it from being stolen.

I tested it on my Android smartphone, and it was surprisingly easy to set up. All I had to do was download the Bitdefender app, sign into my account, and activate the anti-theft features by pressing TURN ON when prompted.

I first tested the location tracking feature. It was able to locate my device with pinpoint accuracy via the anti-theft dashboard — a dot appeared on the map showing that my phone was located at my exact location on my street. I was able to do the same via the Android app, as well as adjust all other anti-theft settings.

I also tested the alert feature, which sounded an incredibly loud and distressing scream noise, and the remote lock function, which locked my device and required me to input the lock code created during setup to access my device. However, while the lock code was useful on my HP laptop (which doesn’t have a passcode), when I tested the lock feature on my Android, it only required me nod32 antivirus crack input my device’s PIN code.

Overall, I’m very impressed by Bitdefender’s anti-theft tools. They’re very easy to set up, they can accurately detect lost devices, and the added extras such as remote device locking and data wiping help to improve user security. I would like to see Bitdefender extend its anti-theft features beyond Windows and Android devices (support for Mac and iOS would be great), but I think most users would find the anti-theft features incredibly useful.

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Additional Features

Bitdefender is one of the most feature-rich internet security suites on the market in 2022, and the features I previously described are just a small part of its entire offering.

Bitdefender also has:

• Firewall — Adjusts network settings based on whether you’re connecting to a dynamic network, a home/office network, or a public network. There’s also a “Stealth mode” that makes your device invisible.
• Wi-Fi protection — Analyzes Wi-Fi networks and routers for potential threats.
• Anti-tracking protection — Prevents web trackers from collecting your data for advertising and other purposes.
• File shredder — Permanently deletes files or folders.

The anti-tracking protection is a nice addition, as it enhances your online privacy. But I think the most useful extra feature is the file shredder. I have thousands of files on my system that I no longer need, but some of them contain sensitive information. Using Bitdefender’s file shredder, I’m able to permanently delete them, making it impossible for hackers to recover them using file recovery software (deleting them normally would make sensitive files easy to recover with the right technology).

Overall, Bitdefender has a truly impressive range of features — if you’re looking for an antivirus that has almost all of the internet security tools you can think of, Bitdefender won’t disappoint you!

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Bitdefender Plans and Pricing

Bitdefender offers several payment plans that cover 1–100 devices, but only Total Security and Premium Security work across all operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS). However, Bitdefender’s business package, GravityZone Premium, also supports Linux systems.

Most of the plans include a limited VPN (Premium Security is the only plan that comes with the unlimited VPN), but Bitdefender’s premium VPN is also available at checkout, and it costs less than most competing standalone VPNs.

Bitdefender offers both a free Windows plan and a free Mac plan, though both are very limited compared to the premium versions. That said, all of Bitdefender’s plans are affordable and include a risk-free money-back guarantee for 30 days.

Here’s a quick overview of all of Bitdefender’s plans:

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Bitdefender Free Antivirus for Windows — Basic Free Plan for Windows

Bitdefender offers a free Windows-only antivirus plan, but it’s very limited compared to the premium version. It still includes Bitdefender’s advanced anti-malware engine and online threat protection, but not much else.

The anti-malware engine and online protections run exactly the same as the premium versions of Bitdefender, but it doesn’t include Rescue Environment, which enables you to remove advanced malware, bitdefender total security 2020 review, like rootkits.

To access all extra security features, such as network threat prevention, Ransomware Remediation (restore files corrupted by ransomware), Safepay, and the VPN, you’ll need to upgrade to one of Bitdefender’s premium plans.

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Bitdefender Virus Scanner for Mac — Basic Free Plan for Mac

Bitdefender offers a free version of its software for macOS, but it’s very basic — it’s only an on-demand virus scanner that lets you scan your Mac for viruses and malware.

Bitdefender’s free Mac version uses the same advanced anti-malware engine as the premium version — which earned Bitdefender a spot on our best free Mac antiviruses of 2022. But it doesn’t have real-time protection, meaning it’s only good for removing existing malware, and not for protecting against future infections.

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Bitdefender Antivirus Plus — Basic Paid Plan (Windows Only)

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus includes real-time malware defense and web protection, as well as:

• Multi-layer ransomware protection.
• Secure browser for online finances.
• Password manager.
• Wi-Fi protection.
• VPN (200 MB daily data).
• Anti-tracking protection.
• User profiles (including gaming mode).
• File shredder.

One of Bitdefender’s strengths is the number of features each plan offers. Forbes Advisor breaks down the key attributes to summarize what Bitdefender offers.

Bitdefender’s consumer-centric plans start at $19.99 per year for one device and go all the way up to $99.98 for 10 devices for the first year. With the personal plan, you get standard features including anti-phishing capabilities, vulnerability assessment reports and a file shredder that permanently removes sensitive information off of your machine.

This review mainly focuses on the business on the business package option, but Bitdefender’s personal plans are also impressive. If you run a small or one-person business, grammarly free packages may be worth considering.

The GravityZone Security Platform

Bitdefender’s protection is built on the company’s GravityZone platform. GravityZone is a powerful security solution that can protect email servers, deal with security patches and encrypt your most sensitive data.

Pricing for Bitdefender’s entry-level business security plan starts at $77.69 per year with protection for up to three devices and one server. Depending on what package and add-ons you go with, the software can easily cost over $10,000 per year for larger teams. This is in line with other business antivirus platforms we’ve seen on the market.

GravityZone also offers security for virtual machines, full disk encryption and protection for mobile devices, all of which you can manage through a centralized control console. Some versions of GravityZone security also provide a risk management console that shows your company’s overall risk to attacks and breaks down the specific machines that are causing problems.

Endpoint Detection and Response

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is one of the newest features in Bitdefender. This add-on bitdefender total security 2020 review provides a visual overview of your computer systems that highlights potential attack paths by identifying any weak links in your systems and suggests the steps to patch any holes. If an attack happens, EDR lets you isolate and analyze where itcame from and why it happened in the first place.

Protection for Small Businesses

Although Bitdefender offers a lot of tools for a large enterprise, it also offers protection for small businesses. Bitdefender offers GravityZone Business Security, designed for anything from three devices to 100, which features a list of tools that are tailored toward small businesses without a dedicated IT team.

GravityZone is still at the heart of the service, so you have access to features like application behavior monitoring, ransomware protection and web-based security. Over similar small business bitdefender total security 2020 review, however, Bitdefender also offers server protection.

You can protect a virtual or physical server as part of your plan, no add-on required. Server protection compromises 30% of your total devices, so you can protect one server with three devices and five servers with 15 devices, bitdefender total security 2020 review. If you don’t have a server, you can still use your available devices as normal.

This is a huge benefit for small businesses with a local file server or two. A lot of competing services only offer server protection through an add-on or reserve it for more expensive plans. With Bitdefender, you can keep your servers safe no matter how many devices your business needs to protect.

At a Glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

• Easy to use
• Excellent malware protection
• Scam protection on Android

Cons

• 200MB per day via VPN
• Basic parental controls
• No identity protection

Our Verdict

Total Security offers impressive protection and has an improved interface. The additional features, such as the VPN, password manager and parental controls are far from best-in-class but malware protection for Windows and Android is top notch.

Bitdefender has an excellent track record when it comes to detecting and blocking malware, and this remains helicon focus 7.6 4 crack highlight.

This year the company has added a few useful features – particularly to its VPN – and keeps the same familiar interface which is easy to use.

Like many other security companies, the core malware protection is so good – regularly scoring 100% in independent tests – that it’s now focusing on other types of security. Not just the VPN but also the mobile apps.

Windows Aiseesoft MobieSync Crack you’d expect from modern security software, Bitdefender offers multiple layers of protection.

At its core is a rock-solid antivirus component which has an enviable track record for its ability to detect and block all sorts of malware.

This is the same whichever Bitdefender product you buy. What Total Security adds is features such as anti-spam, microphone and webcam protection, a firewall, parental controls, anti-theft and a useful OneClick Optimizer to declutter and speed up your PC.

There’s also a password manager, a VPN service, the Safepay browser for protecting online transactions (such as making payments), an anti-tracker utility to stop web tracking and various other things including a file shredder.

It sounds comprehensive enough, but take a look at what rivals offer in their security suites and you’ll realise there’s no ID protection (now included with packages from Norton and McAfee among others), no cloud storage (a bonus with Norton 360) and the VPN and parental controls are very basic and not comparable with fully fledged products.

As standard, you get 200MB of VPN data per day, which isn’t very convenient as you then lose that protection until the next day once you’ve hit that limit. There have been a few updates to the service, though, including a kill switch (to improve privacy), split tunnelling (so not all apps have to use the VPN) and an auto-connect option so the VPN connects based on rules you set (such as on unknown Wi-Fi networks).

Though Total Security doesn’t include ID protection, Bitdefender does offer Digital Identity Protection – it’s a separate service which costs a few dollars / pounds per month.

Apps and redshift for houdini 17.5 crack start with, you’ll get an activation code and you begin at the Bitdefender Central website (or mobile app) where you create an account and then use the code to redeem your subscription. This is a handy portal where you can manage your subscription and send links to devices (or techtool pro 11 crack Activators Patch members) so they can install Bitdefender on their devices.

The links include login details, which makes it really easy for everyone to install the app and get protected.

Install airflow sleep on Windows and you’ll be presented with an clean-looking interface that tells you ‘You are safe&rsquo. For non-technical users, the default shortcuts to Quick Scan, bitdefender total security 2020 review, System Scan, Vulnerability Scan aren’t particularly easy bitdefender total security 2020 review understand.

The first does what it says, the second is a full system scan, while the third – vulnerability – checks your device for things like out of date apps, system settings that have been changed from defaults and weak passwords. There’s also a dedicated Wi-Fi scan that checks you’re not using weak encryption or authentication protocols.

If you do a vulnerability scan you’ll see a list of identified risks, along with their severity. My test PC had an out of date version of Firefox and was set to automatically log in after Windows performed an update. Those along with three others were deemed LOW risk, but in each case you can click Fix issue to take care of it.

You can, of course, edit these six shortcuts and replace them with the features you want to see. And above them is the ever-useful Autopilot which offers recommendations for actions you need to, or might want to take. The first is to turn on ransomware protection, which is simply a case of clicking Enable.

On the left-hand side are tabs for Protection, Privacy and Utilities. Notifications is a log of what Bitdefender has been doing or noticing on your system, and Settings lets you pick dark or light mode, the language and a host of other things, including turning off special offer notifications which are on by default.

The Protection tab is a lot less intimidating than it once was and is much easier to understand. Ransomware Remediation, for example, backs up important files as an extra safeguard so they can be restored if the worst happens and Bitdefender is unable to stop a ransomware attack in the first place. Though, as you’ll see, all the major antivirus testing labs found Bitdefender exceptionally good at blocking all types of malware.

One of the features exclusive to Total Security (and Premium Security which sits above Total Security) is OneClick Optimizer. This looks for disk space that can be freed up, Registry entries that can be deleted (improving Windows’ performance) and does a Privacy Cleanup, which wants to delete your browsing history, temporary internet files and cookies.

Fortunately, after analysing what can be deleted, there’s a warning to check the items before doing the optimisation. And you can uncheck cookies and other items that you don’t want to be deleted.

Another utility is Profiles. These kick in automatically when you’re watching a movie, or playing a game, for example. The different modes prevent popups, or put off housekeeping events until the software detects that they’re appropriate. All you have to do is click the Enable button if you like the sound of it.

The anti-spam module allows you to explicitly whitelist friends and blacklist real spammers and works with Outlook and Thunderbird email apps. You also have the option of automatically banning any spam written with Asian or Cyrillic character sets, and of submitting any unknown samples to the Bitdefender cloud for analysis before opening them.

Web browsing is protected by the Online Threat Prevention module. This uses machine learning and a global website reputation database to judge whether any site you visit should be considered malicious. Like the Safe Browsing service used in Chrome and other browsers, this is constantly updated, meaning that you’re technically getting global real-time protection. (This is also available on iOS and Android.)

Performance

In the most recent tests from AV-Test and AV Comparatives (covering July-October 2021), Bitdefender’s performance is outstanding. In September and October, it blocked 100% of threats in AV-Test’s evaluations, and from July-October it blocked 99.7% of malware in AV Comparatives’ Real-World Protection Tests.

A new feature is Deep Level Analysis, which shows you how an attack was triggered and what Bitdefender did to block it. It looks rather technical, though, and doesn’t offer clear advice to the user to tell them whether they could have done anything differently (such as not clicking on links in email) to avoid the malware in the first place.

Privacy

As well as the webcam and microphone monitoring already mentioned, bitdefender total security 2020 review, Anti-Tracker blocks data collection from websites. It’s ‘enabled’ by default but this misleading because that default is to only apply this office for students 365 to Internet Explorer. Who still uses Internet Explorer?

You have to click on the settings to enable it in Chrome and install it on Firefox.

As mentioned, the VPN service – powered by Hotspot Shield – is also part of Total Protection. But what you get is a cut down version of Bitdefender Premium VPN.

There’s a daily data bitdefender total security 2020 review of 200MB per device per bitdefender total security 2020 review and you can’t choose which server to connect to: selection is automatic.

Bitdefender Premium Security is what you need if you want unlimited VPN data and the bitdefender total security 2020 review to pick from the 30 or so countries. This suite also gives you Premium technical support.

A bundled password manager allows you to set up multiple wallets, each protected by its own master password. Simply enter this master password to have logins entered automatically for websites and services. It’s relatively basic, though, and doesn’t offer two-factor authentication. Nor will it tell you if any of your passwords are weak or have been included in data breaches. Plus, using a password manager bundled with a security suite means you lose access if you stop your subscription. Instead, we recommend using a dedicated service – some of the best password managers are free, too. 

The parental control features work on children’s devices that are already protected by Bitdefender. The older Premium parental controls are no more: what you’re left with are basic screen time limits, bitdefender total security 2020 review, plus the ability to block apps and filter web content by category.

Filtering works fairly well, but there’s no way for a child to request access to a Soda PDF Home 12.0.86.2145 Crack + License Key 2021 Free website that they think they should be allowed to use. If your child has an iPhone, Bitdefender can’t tell you what they’re using the device for, so you’re better off (if you also have an iPhone or iPad) using Apple’s built-in Screen Time controls.

The location aspect of Bitdefender’s parental controls lets you set up geo-fenced locations so you can get alerts when your child arrives at or leaves a specific place.

Android and iOS protection

As usual with security apps, the Android version has a lot more features than the iPhone one.

Several useful features are included on Android. For example, Account Privacy allows you to enter an email address and have Bitdefender test it to see if the credentials have been harvested or otherwise leaked online. You must have access to the address as it sends a verification code to it.

Web Protection is on by default and protects you from dangerous web pages and supports a lot of browsers. New is a scam alert which warns you of any dangerous links found in messages – not just SMS but also WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and others.

Anti-Theft has all the usual features (remote locate, lock, wipe, and play a noise), and also allows you to automatically take a picture when someone fails to unlock the device three times in a row. This is all controlled from Bitdefender Central.

App Lock is another handy feature that stops anyone from using apps you choose by requesting a PIN before the app will launch.

You still have that same limit of 200MB of free data per day via the VPN.

Of course, there’s also a proper antivirus component which will protect Android devices from a similar variety of threats to the Windows version.

On an iPhone you don’t get that, but you do get anti-theft features, the VPN and basic web protection which works based on a website’s main address, not specific pages.

The only new feature is an audit which warns you if security features such as Face ID are disabled, and if there is an operating system update available.

Price & Availability

Bitdefender Total Security has an RRP of £69.99/$US$89.99, but there’s a bitdefender total security 2020 review discount which brings it down to half those prices.

This gives you five licences, but you can also pay £5/$5 extra for 10 if you have more than five devices.

You can see how alternatives, including McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 Deluxe compare in our roundup of the best antivirus software.

Verdict

Bitdefender’s track record for malware protection is absolutely excellent, so is easy to recommend on that basis. However, Total Security is starting to look a little like a misnomer, especially when compared to the mega-suites offered by certain rivals.

The restricted VPN and the lack of ID protection are two key reasons for this: they can both be ‘fixed’ by paying more, but the fact is, you don’t get them as standard.

If these don’t bother you and you don’t tend to shop around for a new antivirus deal each year, then Total Security’s on-going yearly price is still competitive: others charge more for subsequent years.

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