BitDefender Total Security 2010

BitDefender has a solid virus- and malware-catching engine that’s been keeping computers safe for a while. Could its excellent performance in recent third-party tests raise the profile of BitDefender above its competitors in the world of security suites?

Features  
You’d expect a package called Total Security to cover everything you need and this suite doesn’t disappoint. It features the usual raft of anti-virus, anti-malware, firewall and anti-spam. It also bundles privacy and parental control options, along with simple cleaning and tune-up tools. One new feature in this version is Active Virus Control, which compares processes running on your computer to other versions of the software that are known to be safe, thus ensuring that these processes are functioning normally.

Performance  
We’ve mentioned already that the software has done well in testing, with excellent results from AV-Test.org (www.avtest.org) and good results from Virus Bulletin (www.virusbtn.com). The speed of the program has been improved too, and is noticeably faster than the previous version.

Ease of use          
Perhaps more than any other security-suite vendor, BitDefender has gone out of its way to offer a tiered system of user levels providing different things to different users. If you’re a novice, you get big buttons that basically tell you whether you’re safe or not, and offer quick-launch options for scanning, updating and parental control. More advanced users can switch to intermediate level and get further options and configurations. For the full set of tools (but still organised in a simple-to-use single-window system), you can try expert mode. The bonus here is that if you’re helping a novice, you could flip to expert mode, tweak a few options, then head back into beginner mode to leave your learner with an easier interface.

Value for money
It’s a fairly standard price, not dissimilar to its rivals. For the level of protection BitDefender has offered its users in recent months, it’s good value for money, though some of the peripheral features such as the parental control aren’t as sophisticated as on software specifically designed for the job.