Best Reviews for 2017 Antivirus Internet Security Software

Bitdefender Full Security 2017 is a comprehensive security parcel for Windows, Mac Os and Android, all managed from a central web portal. Its core technology regularly scores meridian marks in contained tests, and it now offers features that volition protect users from new and emerging threats, such as ransomware. See also: All-time antivirus and complimentary security software

Bitdefender Full Security 2017 review: Toll

Total Security is the flagship product in the Bitdefender range, and offers 5-device protection for £59.99 (£69.99 for 10 devices). Unlike comparable suites from other vendors, this includes Android and Mac OS cover.

If y'all don't need such comprehensive coverage, there'southward also Bitdefender Avant-garde Protection for three devices (£49.99). This offers most of Total Security'due south features except anti-theft protection, and is simply available on Windows. In that location's also Basic Protection for £39.99 (three devices), which also lacks the file shredder and parental controls.

This all compares very favourably to other products. Avast Internet Security weighs in at £139.99/year for ten Windows PCs (Android or Mac OS protection sold separately). Kaspersky Total Security 2017 is currently £63.99/year for 10 PCs (over again, Windows only).

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Bitdefender Total Security 2017 review: Features

Then, what do you get for your money? Firstly, installation is fast and simple. The whole process, including a signature update and system browse, took around 20 minutes on a 5-year-old dual-cadre laptop currently coming to terms with Windows 10. On Android, you lot simply install the app from Google Play and sign into your Bitdefender business relationship to actuate its defences.

For a production with so many features, the interface on both Windows and Android is clean and sleek. The categories you'll use most (Protection, Privacy and Tools) are all well organised. Clicking a category displays its individual modules and tools.

Most users can leave the default AutoPilot protection fashion engaged. Website, file, and application protection are all enabled, as is the firewall. This mode as well ensures that yous're non bothered by intrusive security alerts. These defaults should have care of most things, but to make best utilize of all the facilities offered, perusing the online transmission is highly recommended.

For instance, deep downwards in the settings yous tin choose from one of several pre-canned security profiles, designed to beefiness up protection or finish Bitdefender bothering you lot depending on what y'all're doing. Modes include gaming, movies, and public Wi-Fi. You can fifty-fifty have Bitdefender decide which mode to use past detecting your electric current activities.

Credential and credit card management is amply catered for by creating an encrypted wallet, which can exist automatically shared among your other devices. Alternatively, each device tin have its own. Each wallet has a main countersign, which is asked for when you log in. Once entered, form filling and log-ins are handled automatically. For extra safety while performing financial transactions, there'south also the Safepay browser, which is offered whenever Bitdefender detects you're on a cyberbanking site. This is for when you need a secure connection over which to send sensitive data, and a secure browser running in a condom, isolated environment from which to transport it.

Bitdefender contains many other useful features. The vulnerability scanner, for example, identifies missing Windows updates, weak passwords, and bug with Wi-Fi security. The latter is always a worry, and the scanner can bring peace of listen.

Bitdefender'due south web protection module places light-green tick symbols next to links in search results to bespeak that they're safe. Usefully, these also announced next to links on Facebook to show they're safety to click.

At that place's also the power to set up a secure file vault, containing all the stuff you don't want anyone to see.

The Bitdefender Android app offers all the usual features you'd find in similar products, such as a malware scanner, privacy advisor, anti-theft features, and web browsing security. The privacy advisor will warn you if it thinks an app is putting you at risk with its permissions, and gives yous the power to uninstall it.

The Android app contains some useful actress touches. You tin can automatically capture a snapshot of a thief failing to open your telephone with the wrong Pivot, for example. You can besides nominate a 2nd phone from which to send a wipe command to your device. Also included is the ability to assign a Pivot to any app as an extra layer of protection and privacy. Bitdefender even suggests which apps should accept this measure applied.

Bitdefender Total Security 2017 review: Performance

Overseeing everything is the Bitdefender Central Activity Dashboard. This is a web portal with a clean layout that you can access from anywhere. It gives a simple view of all your devices, alerts, and subscriptions. You tin can also locate devices, send alerts to locate lost or stolen ones, and lock or wipe them. Alerts tin can make the device play an amusingly loud Klaxon as well as displaying a bulletin. If you enable parental controls on a device, the Dashboard also lets y'all track your kid's online action, visited places, interests and social behaviour.

It'south non all plain sailing, however. Running the OneClick Optimizer to speed up a Windows arrangement deleted browser cookies forth the way, which had the effect of logging out of all websites. Non really what we wanted.

Ransomware is arguably the biggest threat facing online life today. Bitdefender has a dedicated ransomware module, but surprisingly this is inactive by default.

One time enabled, the ransomware module automatically protects files in your Documents and Pictures folders, and any other files and folders you care to add. Attempting to edit a protected file results in a pop up asking if it'due south OK for the awarding to do so. Like-minded adds the awarding to a whitelist. All other software (including ransomware) believes the protected files and folders to be read but.

On Windows, Bitdefender installs a bootable rescue sectionalisation so you tin scan your computer without Windows (and whatsoever malware) running. In testing, however, it couldn't contact its update server via Wi-Fi prior to a scan, and needed a wired connectedness. That'due south one black marking. The other is that once underway the scanner estimates the time remaining, which would be smashing if it didn't trip the light fantastic toe around the ii-minute mark for hours.

Bitdefender is very proud of the merits that it doesn't boring the system, and this is true, especially on Android. There's nada worse than missing a call because an overzealous antivirus product insisted on laboriously testing the telephone app before allowing it to run. Opening a new app for the first time might take a couple of seconds longer than usual, still.

Like all antivirus products, there are options for on-demand scanning, and you tin can too browse individual files and folders by right clicking them. The overall scanning speed is good. Nosotros scanned 50GB of information contained within about 31,000 files. This took simply over 33 minutes. A second scan to test the product'south file fingerprinting abilities took just 9 minutes.

An inbuilt shredder securely overwrites files with random characters earlier deleting them, thereby rendering recovery utilities useless. You tin drag and driblet files into the shredder, or right click a file and select it. The shredder is very tedious for majority data, though, taking over iii hours to shred the same 50GB of data used in the browse speed test.

These criticisms really are just quibbles more than anything. They do fiddling to detract from an otherwise impressive production. The 10-device, multi-platform licence is very generous for the price. You will, however, need to delve into the online transmission to become the well-nigh from some features.

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