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Anti-virus software suite that comprehensively protects a computer

Anti-virus software suite that comprehensively protects a computer

Vote: (236 votes)

Program license: Paid

Developer: BitDefender

Version: 2016

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(236 votes)

Paid

Developer

Version

BitDefender

2016

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Easy installation
  • User friendly
  • Turnkey installation for novices
  • Frequent database updates
  • Surfing protection
  • Active malware detection
  • Proactive behavioral screening
  • Automatic protection
  • Runs fast in the background
  • Few false positives
  • Economically priced
  • Easy instructions
  • Excellent customer support

Cons

  • Not freeware
  • Can cause the computer to run more slowly

Since its introduction in 2001, BitDefender has collected a continual stream of praise and awards as both one of the most successful and one of the most economical anti-malware programs available in the marketplace. The increasingly rapid spread of malevolent software makes dodging the installation of some sort of high-quality security software correspondingly difficult. According to a 2009 Lexis-Nexus study, online credit card fraud alone costs US businesses at least $190 billion per year. Making trouble has always been easier than solving problems. Today, known threats number in the millions, and as many as 30,000 new attacks and exploits are added every day in roughly the following mix:

  • Phishing - 52%
  • Malware spreading – 31%
  • Miscellaneous exploits - 7%
  • Tracking programs - 6%
  • Hijacking, fraud, and other - 4%

Minimally adequate free software like Avast! or AVG updates frequently but provides limited protection in several key categories, such as testing webpages and downloaded files with active virus protection. While free protection mainly checks for the presence of malware that is already on your computer, better security software protects you both before you are infected and after. In other words, BitDefender sells peace of mind.

Top-tier, anti-malware programs constantly test file operations against their database of known threats. BitDefender’s active virus protection system continually checks the status of key processes to ferret out any familiar malware behavior. That matters because hackers use a variety of clever concealment methods to avoid detection. As threats become more sophisticated, so do the top anti-malware providers.

In addition, BitDefender's anti-spam neural net, NeuNet, proactively screens out unwanted spam by testing against known patterns.

Since older anti-malware programs used so many computer resources to test for security threats that they noticeably slow down the system, BitDefender began distributing a new version in 2006 that contains an ultra-sophisticated behavioral analyzer called B-Have, which automatically checks for malware and any other suspicious behavior that leaves a trail when tested against their virtual test bed. BitDefender automatically stops, quarantines, or deletes malware files.

In the prestigious AV-comparatives.org twice-yearly dynamic real-world protection test for the last half of 2013, BitDefender stopped more than 99.7% of all malware including those attacks that depend on the user. That is, BitDefender does not just stop stealthy threats that are automatically downloaded, but it also blocks most social engineering schemes meant to trick you into helping the fraudsters rip you off.

Of particular importance to those users exposed to unwanted privacy intrusions, BitDefender automatically checks for a new class of spyware programs referred to as Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs). PUPs commonly track your online activities and sometimes even log your keystrokes. They then report your personal data to marketers, advertisers, and other uninvited guests.

Pros

  • Easy installation
  • User friendly
  • Turnkey installation for novices
  • Frequent database updates
  • Surfing protection
  • Active malware detection
  • Proactive behavioral screening
  • Automatic protection
  • Runs fast in the background
  • Few false positives
  • Economically priced
  • Easy instructions
  • Excellent customer support

Cons

  • Not freeware
  • Can cause the computer to run more slowly