A Review of Personal Software: Bitdefender

The Story of My Safety Net

Bitdefender Total Security is as good as its name. It's one of several products that Bitdefender offers on its website. Total Security is cross-platform software.

Pick one of the multi-year subscriptions with a specific number of devices, or an unlimited number. And you can include phones — they're devices. Download from the website, install and the coverage begins.

On my Windows devices, Total Security isn't a light resource user, but the features outweigh the expenditure.

Features Explained

There are the expected standard features — Parental Advisor, Firewall and Antivirus. Much appreciated features include a Threat Defense to identify and block suspicious apps, a Safe Files to protect against ransomeware, as well as Video and Audio Protection for a webcam and microphone. A Notifications tab keeps you posted on updates or any app allowed access by the firewall. A My Account tab provides access to a personal account page on the Bitdefender website.

Instead of third party software, you can use a Password Manager, a VPN, and a File Shredder included with a subscription. A few utilities for a Windows device upkeep round out the choices. All the features have separate Settings with an on/off option.

The Dashboard hosts features that are a tap away including the File Shredder, scan, VPN, Safepay and a tab to add any other feature you want to have handy. A status bar reads either You Are Safe or You Are Not Safe. As long as your device is connected to the internet, updates are installed without interrupting workflow.

Your Support

Bitdefender offers user-friendly support with 24/7 Chat support. You find layers of help under the Support tab. Before you send an e-mail or a ticket, have a look through the user guide, articles and videos. If you're stumped on the meaning of a term, check out the glossary that's under a Support tab. On renewal, you receive e-mail that all is good to go.

A customer for several years, BitDefender remains software I recommend.