The Web is a dangerous place. Modern e-threats are ever more insidious, hard to spot and tough to remove. In a time when staying connected is a must, a good security solution makes the difference between a slow day at the office and a security incident that can leave you with an inoperable PC. Fortunately, Bitdefender Antivirus comes to the rescue with their new Internet Security 2012 product, a complex antimalware utility that packs antivirus, antispam and antiphishing modules.
The new antivirus programs in the BitDefender 2012 family feature not only changes in looks and feel, but come with massive improvements in scanning and analysis technologies.
Download and Installation
The installer, branded with the new Bitdefender logo, starts the product deployment with a quick system scan to ensure the integrity of the system prior to installation. The installer proceeds with fetching the latest files and malware signatures from the Bitdefender website and will only prompt you to enter the license key or start the 30-day trial as soon as the installation has completed.
Under the hood
The new Bitdefender Internet Security has been rigged with a new scanning technology called Scan Dispatcher that allows the product not only to scan faster, but also to limit system resource usage during prolonged scans.
Active Virus Control has also been updated to add extra protection against unknown threats. AVC monitors programs running on the PC as they execute and notes malware-like actions. If enough of these actions are detected, the program which performed them is deemed harmful. AVC looks for possible signs of malicious behavior; although each operation triggered by the application is not malicious by itself, subsequent actions can impact on the system. Each suspicious action is then given a score. If the application scores a specific number of points, it is automatically terminated prior to harming the system.
Bitdefender Internet Security 2012 also features antispam, antiphishing, parental control and firewall modules for complete protection while surfing the web. The antispam module seamlessly integrates with major e-mail clients such as Outlook, Thunderbird and The Bat, but also scans all incoming messages delivered on POP3/IMAP ports.
The Antiphishing module checks every form that needs to be filled in against a phishing database and, at the same time, checks the reputation of online shops in order to prevent the user from purchasing goods / services from fake e-commerce portals.
If run on a family PC, the Parental Control module proves to be a trustworthy help in limiting children’s access to pornography or other inappropriate content, as well as limiting the hours kids are allowed to surf the web. Any deviation from the norm is logged to the Parental Control online account, which can be checked in real time by the tutor via smartphone.
Last, but not least, the Firewall module protects the user from network intrusions and may come in handy especially when the user is connected to the web from public places, such as malls, airports or coffee shops.
