BitDefender Antivirus Software Review

BitDefender Anti Virus Overview

Looking for anti-virus software that’s easy on the pocket, doesn’t take a rocket scientist to install and does the job? If yes, then BitDefender anti virus is for you.

It costs just $25 and download begins as soon as you complete the online transaction. To install, you can either accept the default settings which should be good enough for all or if you are the “hands on” type, there’s enough to tweak to keep every geek happy.

BitDefender not only checks your computer, it also checks all your emails for those nasty infections that come via the attachments.

BitDefender is fast. If a file that was checked earlier for viruses has not been altered or accessed, BitDefender does not recheck that file. This very simple but effective logic results in blazing speeds. Only accessed or changed files are scanned. Gone are the days when you had to wait for hours for your anti-virus software to complete its scanning. And as for updating, it does it automatically in the background. You don’t have to click any buttons or set anything (not unless you want to).

As for quality, BitDefender has been certified by ICSA and other organizations. So go ahead, get your copy of BitDefender and be safe.

Ease of Use:

BitDefender Antivirus can be installed on your computer in three easy steps: download, follow the prompts to install it, reboot the system and you are done! The process takes about half an hour and you need not keep track of it once you have finished with the installation. BitDefender goes about doing its job quietly and efficiently in the background. You can be assured of protection from all types of viruses, spyware, Trojans and malware.

The latest version of BitDefender has been modified to do away with its prior limitation of slow scanning speeds. The new version is capable of maintaining a log of the files accessed, so a clean file that has not been accessed since the previous scan will not be scanned again, thus saving time, leading to faster scan speeds.

At the default settings, BitDefender does its usual job of scanning the recently accessed files, boot-up files and email traffic. A well-designed interface allows you to set up security levels, whereas the icons in the main window allow you to launch the full scan or a custom scan according to your requirement. For the average computer user, the default settings of the software will suffice, since there is a basic protection level for instant messaging. However, protection from web related threats is not automatic as the software does not scan HTTP blocks by default. You have to manually enable that option to scan HTTP blocks to detect malicious codes or software.

Update Frequency:

Antivirus software needs constant updating in order to work effectively. BitDefender virus signatures are updated every hour, by default. You may set these to be updated at longer periods of time or you could manually update the features that you want to. However, you need not physically manage the antivirus system on your computer; BitDefender does it for you by automatically downloading and installing the updates.

Value for Money:

BitDefender Antivirus software provides an excellent value for your money. Priced at $24.95 for a single user yearly license, it is among the cheapest of antivirus software. In terms of computer resource usage, the software uses about 60MB or 0.03% of the 200GB of hard drive space. Another advantage is that it is easy on maintenance and you can have the best antivirus protection with very little effort expended on your part.

Support:

Under normal circumstances, you may not need to call for any help with regard to the working of BitDefender. However, in the rare case that you may need help, the manufacturer Softwin has put a support system in place where the service has been quite prompt and helpful in settling issues.  You can make use of the toll free telephone number or the live online chat. The website has an FAQ page that can answer general questions and you can also communicate through email to get specific questions answered.

Effectiveness:

BitDefender works in the background to detect suspicious looking codes that appear to be viruses but do not match any currently known virus signatures. It is therefore able to sound an alarm and protect your system from viruses that have yet to be reported. The software however, performs slower than other antivirus software, probably due to this feature.

BitDefender has been receiving high ratings in the rigorous tests conducted by various research laboratories and institutes. The tests found that the software effectively removed about 98% of the viruses and spyware. Its ability to detect viruses has been certified by ICSA and other organizations.

BitDefender protects the system from incoming spyware by removing the virus from the HTML streams even before it gets to your browser.

Privacy Protection is one of the useful features of BitDefender. You can input your credit card number and other personal information in the Advanced Setting Link. If any windows based application attempts to send this information over the Internet, BitDefender will stop it and ask for your express permission to do so. However, this is not a default feature and you have to enable this feature to make use of it.

For those interested in online games, a special “GameSafe” edition of the BitDefender Antivirus is also available. Many online gamers disable firewalls and other forms of virus protection to optimize performance. This is very often their undoing. However, with BitDefender’s gamer mode activated, online gamers are protected from virus attacks.

To conclude, BitDefender is the kind of protection and virus detection software that every computer should be equipped with. It has received the “TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award” for its consistently excellent performance, its ease of use and for providing good value for money in the antivirus software segment.