Bitdefender Internet Security: When you buy a new device and connect it to the internet, you need to make some security decisions. An unprotected online device will only last a few minutes before being compromised.
Fortunately, in the case of a PC, Microsoft now includes protection built into Windows, but there is more than out-of-the-box security.
New computers often come with some kind of security package pre-installed, as part of a trial period agreement. After the 30-180 days are up, you will be asked to start paying it. Before opting for this security pack, it is a great idea to consider the best option that meets your needs.
Last week I took a look at internet security software, a security suite from Bitdefender which offers a long list of features to protect your devices and data.
Bitdefender Internet Security Review
Design: Smart design is a simple design
When it comes to software design, it starts with the installation process. Since people installing this software will have a wide variety of skill levels, it should be simple, and luckily it is.
During the software installation process, you will be prompted to remove any competing security software as they do not work well together. Bitdefender will then prompt you to perform an initial assessment of your device. This ensures that you have no current threats on your system.
From there, you can dive into settings and configure more options, or you can just start using your device and know it’s protected from online threats.
If you start Bitdefender Internet Security From the start menu, the interface is really intuitive, starting with the Control Panel. This allows quick access to various product features, such as Quick scan, System analysis, Vulnerability analysis, vpn, SafePay and wallets.
On the left side of the app, you’ll find other security-related features categorized under Protection, Privacy, and Utilities.
I personally found real value in the Notifications area. You will see toasted notifications appear in the lower right corner of the screen when Bitdefender contains information that you should pay attention to. If you see one and it disappears before you can read it, you can just open the app and tap Notifications.
For example, when you connect a USB key to the computer, a notification appears explaining that the contents of the key will be immediately scanned in the background.
How does Bitdefender Internet Security Work?
The software is smart in its operation, monitors system demands while scanning, and can dynamically adapt based on your actions. While I was active, opening and closing apps, CPU usage hovered around 15%, but after leaving it for a few minutes, it increased to around 60% CPU usage.
When I started using the laptop again, the CPU requirements dropped again, ensuring that my user experience remained fast and responsive.
Too often we see antivirus products consuming the most CPU cycles, leaving regular tasks like starting Chrome and browsing the web a frustrating mess. It’s great to see that Bitdefender understand that user experience is important and that analyzing your system should not take precedence over the usability of your system.
As for the performance of the security side of the software, it’s a really tough challenge as a reviewer. I will not intentionally drop viruses on my system to test its ability to catch viruses, Trojans, worms or worse, malware or cryptolockers. When it comes to the performance of Bitdefender’s ability to keep your machine secure, the tool is only as good as its data source.t
The software receives automatic updates as soon as its list of vulnerabilities is updated, and you will get the latest definitions to protect against them.
Bitdefender Internet Security Features
The list of features offered in Bitdefender is impressive, and it has a wide scope to meet your security needs. Gone are the days when a security product was simply an antivirus product, reflecting the growing list of threats we face to protect our data.
The list of services included in Bitdefender Internet Security is listed below.
protection
- Real-time data protection
- Network Threat Prevention
- Advanced Threat Protection
- Multi-Layered Ransomware Protection
- vulnerability assessment
- Prevention of web attacks
- Anti-Phishing
- Anti-fraud
- anti-spam
- rescue environment
Performance
- Automatic pilot
- Bitdefender Photon
- Global Protection Network
- Game, Movie, and Work Profiles
- battery
Private life
- vpn
- antho tracker
- microphone monitor
- webcam protection
- secure online banking
- Parental control
- privacy firewall
- Wi-Fi Security Advisor
- Protection of social networks
- password manager
- file shredder
How to buy Bitdefender Internet Security?
It is now available directly on the site Bitdefender. The pricing model is structured per device, with a choice of 1, 3, 5, or 10 devices, and can run on Windows 7 with SP1, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10.
In terms of pricing, Internet Security starts at AU$69.99 per year, and the first year is discounted, costing just AU$34.99 to start. You can save money if you extend the purchase from 1 year to 2 or even 3 years. With 1 device, over 3 years, you’ll pay $115.49, a savings of A$50 when you buy it one year at a time.
If you have a lot of Windows devices in your home, for example, a home desktop, a few laptops for mom and dad, and a few for kids, you might want to consider the 10 license pack. It costs AU$114.99 per year or AU$254.99 if you buy it for 3 years.
For these prices, this represents great value for the long list of features offered by Bitdefender Internet Security.
Final Thoughts
Security software, like an operating system, that most people don’t think about, but given what seems to be an ever-increasing number of threats to our data and privacy, it’s probably time we let’s all start to think more. Taking action means you have to make a decision about a product to help secure your devices, and what Bitdefender has to offer here is a truly compelling offering.
Although you want the first year price to be just the price for each year, it shows the company’s confidence in their product, in hopes that you will find enough value in the first year to pay for the 2 years, 3 and beyond.
If you’re still on the fence, you can always try the 30-day free trial to see if you like it, before committing to purchase.
All things considered, my final takeaway from using Bitdefender is that it offers really solid protection, regularly topping the performance charts while offering a compelling list of features at a decent price.
What I like the most is the simplicity of what they have delivered in the interface, as well as respecting the performance available on a machine, to ensure that your computer does not stop when an analysis is in progress.
If you are looking for security software that goes beyond simple antivirus protection, definitely check out Bitdefender.
