Security Research Team
Security Research Team
Join our latest Q&A session with Bitdefender’s Director of Innovation – Razvan Costache
📣 We’re excited to invite you to an exclusive Community Q&A session featuring a very special guest!
Razvan Costache is the Director of Innovation for the Consumer Division. Over the past 13 years at Bitdefender, he has focused on product management and digital transformation, leading the development of software solutions that address evolving cybersecurity threat landscape. His current work emphasizes the use of AI to combat online scams and emerging threats, ensuring that Bitdefender stays at the forefront of consumer protection.
What can you ask him?
This is your chance to ask anything about:
✅ The latest security challenges and trends
✅ How AI is shaping the future of cybersecurity
✅ Fighting scams with AI—what’s happening behind the scenes
✅ Roadmap insights on products designed to protect you from scams & cyber threats
✅ Deepfakes and manipulated media
💡 Have a burning question about cybersecurity, or how AI technology is used to fight cybercrime? Drop your questions in the comments below and join the conversation!
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
Comments
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Good Day to you Mr. Razvan and everyone, I do have some questions regarding the AI technologies that is from me as well as questions that I have come across from my clients using Bitdefender Gravityzone as well as for normal users using home products as per below:
- Upon using Bitdefender Scam Copilot, I have noticed the quick response upon scam links and also malicious website getting blocked. Is there any anyway that Scam Copilot and Gravityzone will be able to detect malicious or trojanized document or apps for example very recently we have seen hackers using trojanized PDF to bypass EDR sensors. How will AI deployment in the Bitdefender environment of both home and business users defend against sophisticated attacks like this?
- With the deployment of AI in both Home Products and Gravityzone, how will AI help users to fight scams especially when it comes to finance fraud?
- With the growth of AI at a rapid scale, how and what kind of features can we users expect from Bitdefender this year?
- I have previously used another AV services previously, and they had a feature where they have a tab where the AV can also monitor the incoming phone calls similar to what we have today like truecaller etc. Will Bitdefender be leveraging AI and introduce this to both Gravityzone and Home user’s mobile agents in the coming future?
- How will Bitdefender leverage AI to combat Deepfakes and how will users be able to get notified when we come across one?
- We have seen scamio being deployed on messenger, whatsapp and discord. Is there by any chance that users using discord is being able to connect scamio into a discord server they are hosting with a large number of people where most of the times, the incidents of forwarding messages/images etc are at times malicious, is it possible for scamio to respond to the link and remove it given the necessary permissions in the future? Is there any roadmap for this feature?
- How will Bitdefender face the upcoming challenges where AI attacks towards users getting more frequent now adays and how can the community and users help? Will there be an option on scam copilot for users not in the community to report an incident with the file/link etc to cross check with the Official Bitdefender support team?
- Are we able to get a glimpse of what will be coming in 2025 for us users for Bitdefender with AI technology?
- With the implementation of AI, besides getting a router built with the Bitdefender, as I have been using Netgear products but upon activation I came across issues where I also want to defend my home as I have a smart home running IOT products, can we expect an option for us to have a service in the Bitdefender Agent to monitor all IOT products in a home/office as we know that IOT products don’t get security updates regularly.
- How will Bitdefender products both Home and Gravityzone change the way users are today when leveraging with AI technology and what would you Mr. Razvan advise us Bitdefender users of both Home and Business upon leveraging onto this technology as well when deploying it to our families/friends/clients etc?
This is all I have for now from myself as well as from my clients that have given me their questions. We look forward to your answers as well as your advice Mr. Razvan.
Thank You
Best Regards,
Flanksy✌️
The guardians of the digital realm
Bitdefender Premium Security, Digital Identity Protection user
Bitdefender Gravityzone user
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@Flanksy
Thanks for the great questions! First of all, I am only going to cover Consumer solutions in my answers, but I hope you get some meaningful information nonetheless.
Scam Copilot is part of a larger mix of technologies, so infected files are also scanned even if they are not part of a scam attack chain. We are continuously increasing the use of AI to make sure we learn faster than the hackers develop new techniques. When it comes to finance fraud AI is helping us better correlate events like seeing when a screen-sharing app is being used while banking (a feature already available for Windows and being prepared for other platforms this year). In time, multiple events will be correlated with the help of AI to make sure we spot a new ongoing scam even before it reaches its scope and the user loses money.
Regarding voice-enabled scams, this is one of the main directions we are focusing on this year, stay tuned for some pretty amazing updates to our portfolio on this front. AI advancements have indeed allowed us to tackle these particularly prolific types of scams finally and our research teams had very good results in testing.
Scamio for discord servers is something we looked into, but at this moment I cannot provide an estimate as this is a more complex deployment and Scamio is designed for 1to1 use, not 1tomany. Do you see a growing need for this kind of solutions?
If you just want to check or submit a malicious link, you can use our new free tool Link Checker, everything submitted there get's analyzed, even if it's a link we haven't seen before, it is the fastest way to submit it to us. https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/consumer/link-checkerThis year we are preparing multiple updates including new features enabled by AI, improved UX, and new free tools. It's still early to disclose a timeline, but rest assured, the roadmap is full :)
Regarding my personal advice on using AI and the dangers of AI, always stay informed, we cover the latest threats and scam campaigns through our blog, and we are adding educational flows to Scam Copilot. Always practice critical thinking before giving out your personal data. YOU are the first line of defense. Make sure your friends or family use proper endpoint security and if they're not, at least share with them tools like Scamio that they can use for free.
Stay safe!💪3 -
Hi @Razvan C,
Thank You for the insights as well as the answers to my questions. Yes, I can say that most of the questions have been answered and also appreciate the explanation on both scam copilot as well as scamio. I also look forward to what Bitdefender has in store for all of us this year.
Based on the question that you have asked I believe regarding scamio, as someone who uses discord, I would say yes in my opinion, I do see a growing need for this is because, I have come across one to many servers where even official servers, sometimes some users aren't aware of the importance of 2FA which result a takeover of their accounts and by that the attacker then leverages to it and then deploys a "so called gift link" and before those who have AV installed like me gets a flag from scam copilot, I can say that a majority has already clicked onto the phishing link and damage have been done before I or those who have AV installed decides to give a red flag to the admins or those who can even respond to deleting the link in time. This is what I can say on my experience so far when giving the feedback for 1 to many for scamio. I'd be great where it can remove the links realtime if deemed malicious as well.
Thank You for the warm advice as well and yes, currently my family is using the Bitdefender Premium Security and I can say that they are engaging and most of the time cross checking details with Scam Copilot, can say they enjoy and love it 😉
Best Regards,
Flanksy✌️
The guardians of the digital realm
Bitdefender Premium Security, Digital Identity Protection user
Bitdefender Gravityzone user
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@Razvan C
Peace be with you. I have been consistently impressed by the strength of Bitdefender's protection. I look forward to your statement with great anticipation.
'' This year we are preparing multiple updates including new features enabled by AI, improved UX, and new free tools. It's still early to disclose a timeline, but rest assured, the roadmap is full :) ''
I be waiting for the new line of defense & THE FREE TOOLS🤗2 -
Good afternoon, Mr. Razvan and everyone.
I do have some questions.
Quantum computing has the potential to break contemporary encryption. So, what are your thoughts on Quantum Computing threats?
Next, more and more ransomware groups are turning into service providers, providing affiliates with easy-to-use toolkits for a cut of the profits. My questions is: What can you say about the Ransomware-as-a-Service threats in the future?
Thanks for your answers.
Best regards.
Gjoksi
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I hope you're doing well! I’ve been reading about quantum computing online and wanted to get your thoughts on a few things.
Right now, there’s intense competition between companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc in the race to develop quantum computing. When you look at Google’s Willow ( ), Microsoft’s Majorana 1 ( ), Amazon’s Ocelot ( ), etc. How do you see this battle playing out?
The big question is: do we even need quantum computing? From what we, as the general public, understand, it’s supposed to solve incredibly complex problems in seconds and handle millions of calculations at once. But what are these companies really trying to prove? And more importantly, where does this leave the average user?
Honestly, I don’t see quantum computing being useful for everyday people. Sure, it might be a game-changer for organizations like NASA or research labs, but for regular users, it doesn’t seem to have any real impact. So why is there so much hype and competition? Technology usually gains recognition when it provides direct benefits to people.
Compare this to AI-powered tools like Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Meta AI, ChatGPT, Grok and DeeSeek—these are innovations that people actually use and find valuable. AI and machine learning have already made life easier, helping individuals and businesses alike, even in cybersecurity.
Quantum computing, on the other hand, doesn’t seem like something that will benefit software companies or everyday users anytime soon. If you ask people about AI, I’d bet 70–80% would know what it is. But if you mention quantum computing, more than 90% probably wouldn’t have a clue—it might even sound like some kind of sci-fi concept.
At the end of the day, it feels like big tech companies—Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and the rest—are mainly focused on outdoing each other, trying to prove that their quantum computing technology is superior. And honestly, this competition isn’t going to end anytime soon.
What do you think about all this?
Regards
Life happens, Coffee helps!
Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!
Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)
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People are being tricked by very convincing fake video calls, leading to massive fraud. These calls use pre-made video clips that are hard to distinguish from real conversations. Indian cyber experts ( Cyber Security Expert Amit Dubey ) have caught some of the perpetrators. These types of calls, along with cloned voices, are a major public safety concern. Security systems need to find ways to stop them.
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@Gjoksi
Great questions!- I personally believe that quantum threats are still a distant concern at this moment, but the speed of innovation is accelerating rapidly in this field. It's like a double-edged sword; on one hand, quantum technology promises huge leaps forward in computing power; on the other hand, it poses a serious risk to current encryption standards. I think quantum-resistant encryption through continuous collaboration within the cybersecurity industry is an achievable goal.
- Ransomware-as-a-Service definitely changes the cybersecurity landscape, making sophisticated attacks accessible even to non-technical cybercriminals. With the barriers to entry becoming lower, we’re likely to see more creative—and unfortunately, more frequent—attacks in the future. We are constantly adapting our engines, and our teams are assisting International Law Enforcement organizations wherever to help bring down threat actors.
1 - I personally believe that quantum threats are still a distant concern at this moment, but the speed of innovation is accelerating rapidly in this field. It's like a double-edged sword; on one hand, quantum technology promises huge leaps forward in computing power; on the other hand, it poses a serious risk to current encryption standards. I think quantum-resistant encryption through continuous collaboration within the cybersecurity industry is an achievable goal.
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@Flexx As I was saying in my answer to @Gjoksi probably not for the average consumer. But overall, quantum computing will have a massive impact on our lives through the technological breakthroughs it will bring in the long term. Why do we have a race on quantum computing advancements? Keep in mind that it is also a national security issue and a priority for the global powers at play.
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Thanks for sharing your insights, @Razvan C! Quantum computing is definitely a fascinating and critical area of advancement.
@Razvan C, just to add—maintaining a spam/scam log database in a developing product might not be easy. How about Bitdefender partnering with one of the largest spam/scam blocker company, Truecaller ( ), whether for calls or SMS? Their database keeps growing, and in 2024 alone, they identified 3.2 trillion unknown calls and helped block 56 billion spam calls. In India, around 80-90% of people use Truecaller, and while adoption may vary in other countries, it's still one of the world's top spam detection companies. A partnership could be a game-changer!
Regards
Life happens, Coffee helps!
Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!
Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)
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it's not regarding the subject but it's crucial to address here.
Bitdefender total security can be v easily uninstalled ( even password protected ) by accessing the safe mod, plz add password protection for such kind of uninstallation ( as avast does ) it's an extremely necessary step for bitdefender's self defense against unauthorized uninstallation as an average user do know about locking safe mod in the bios settings.
Adding this ll complete the line of defense.1 -
CASE 1:
I have a question for you, @Rock.87. What if someone really needs to uninstall a Bitdefender product but has forgotten the authorization password? What are your thoughts on that?
Should Bitdefender synchronize the authorization password with Bitdefender Central? In my opinion, that would be a lot of extra work for Bitdefender developers, wouldn’t make much sense, and would ultimately be a waste of resources and time.
You mentioned Avast, but I guess you didn’t go through their support articles. If you search there, you’ll easily find that the standalone Avast Uninstallation Utility can bypass the password restriction and uninstall the Avast product. This proves that even if a feature like password-protected uninstallation is implemented, developers must also consider potential side effects. Below is the link to the support article, followed by the image.
CASE 2:
In Safe Mode, Windows runs with only essential drivers and services, which means most third-party security protections (including Bitdefender’s self-defense mechanisms) are disabled. This makes it possible to:
- Manually delete Bitdefender files and folders from the installation directory.
- Remove Bitdefender registry entries using the Registry Editor.
- Use third-party uninstallers to force remove Bitdefender.
Since Bitdefender relies on active system processes to protect itself, it can't enforce uninstall restrictions in Safe Mode. However, Bitdefender may still leave behind some locked files that require extra steps (like using the Uninstall Tool or modifying permissions), but a determined user can completely remove it.
So while Bitdefender does have self-protection mechanisms in normal mode, Safe Mode bypasses those protections, making uninstallation much easier.
@camarie, what is your take on this?
Regards
Life happens, Coffee helps!
Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!
Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)
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Hi There !
You said :'' I have a question for you, @Rock.87. What if someone really needs to uninstall a Bitdefender product but has forgotten the authorization password? What are your thoughts on that? ''
It's better to make a clean reinstall of the windows instead of becoming breached , leaving the car unlocked with a fear of key lost is not a wise idea.2ndlly mate i had been using Avast b4 & i tried to uninstall it in the safe mod but it never let me do so without a password, Avast named that option as Self defense. I don't know what is happening there now a days.
If password can be broken that easily ( safe mod ) it's better to remove this feature cuz it can not lock the device when you are away , so no use.If avast can defend itself in a safe mode why can't we? Bit defender is near to be the best a.v. protection , and best needs hell of efforts obviously.
About Avast's uninstall tool:
Not everyone knows about that tool, if avast or any a.v. ve uninstall password protection , then they ve it as the 1st line off defense , if uninstall tool is breaching the security then they should fix it, password should not be broken & reinstallation of the windows should be the only option.
Anyhow if bitdefender adds this feature along with protection against the bit's uninstall tool , it ll be the great line off defense against uninstallation and ll provide great security to a common user.
Best Regards0 -
It's better to make a clean reinstall of the windows instead of becoming breached , leaving the car unlocked with a fear of key lost is not a wise idea.
I see your point, but the reality is that most antimalware solutions focus on balancing security with user convenience. While forcing a Windows reinstall for lost passwords could enhance security, it would also make the software impractical for many users.
Even among top-tier antimalware solutions, very few implement strict uninstallation protection, and those that do (like Avast and possibly AVG) still have workarounds. If uninstalling an antimalware requires extreme measures like reinstalling Windows, many users would simply opt for a less restrictive product.
Instead of making uninstallation nearly impossible, a better approach would be strengthening self-defense mechanisms, preventing unauthorized tampering while still allowing users a secure recovery option in case they forget their password.
If avast can defend itself in a safe mode why can't we? Bit defender is near to be the best a.v. protection , and best needs hell of efforts obviously.
I get what you're saying, but you need to understand that even though Avast has self-defense for uninstallation in Safe Mode, Microsoft ultimately has the upper hand. The reason is simple—Windows controls what runs in Safe Mode, and it only allows the essential drivers required for the system to function.
Now, let's assume Bitdefender also integrates password protection for uninstallation in Safe Mode. Even then, Microsoft’s restrictions would still apply. Most software, including antimalware programs, require specific drivers and services to function properly. Since Safe Mode disables most of these, the Bitdefender uninstaller might not even launch properly.
There’s an even easier way to bypass uninstallation protection—just manually delete the Bitdefender installation files and folders in Safe Mode. Once you restart your system in normal mode, Bitdefender will effectively be gone.
Additionally, not all users are tech-savvy. Bitdefender has to cater to a wide range of users, including those who may forget their passwords. Are you suggesting that even those users should be forced to reinstall Windows from scratch just because they lost their password? That’s an extreme approach.
Yes, adding password protection for uninstallation could enhance security, but it also comes with downsides. If it becomes too restrictive, many users might abandon Bitdefender for other antimalware solutions that don’t impose such strict requirements. Security is important, but so is user experience and business viability. A balance must be maintained.
In short, while adding a password for Safe Mode uninstallation sounds good in theory, in practice, it wouldn’t make much of a difference due to Windows’ restrictions, and it could be an inconvenience for non-tech-savvy users.
So @Rock.87, just a friendly reminder—I know you prioritize security first, but you’re also impacting Bitdefender’s user experience. This could, in turn, affect Bitdefender’s business. As a side note, if there’s no business, there’s no product, and if there’s no product, there’s no security. One needs to find a balance.
Maybe @camarie can provide more information here.
Regards
Life happens, Coffee helps!
Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!
Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)
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You pretty much summed up. Yes, (almost) everything can be done, even a native application à la chkdsk that would go to great lengths to do bells and whistles for such extreme cases. But it will quickly reach a point of 95% of the code would be dedicated to "can I run?" instead of offering a real value. And yes, Safe Mode is the Microsoft playground - everything else, except minimal Windows components themselves, are prone to fail. Or to attempt to install drivers while running in Safe Mode (this might work for certain drivers, but probably not the really interesting ones). And as soon as someone else has access to Administrator password and can launch Safe Mode to act maliciously, it can do pretty much everything (uninstall, modify drivers and services' registry keys to set them on Disabled etc).
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We're all for partnerships, but when it comes to safeguarding our users our data is the best data, so we're very careful with what databases we use and from whom. It's not easy to develop a product, but it must be done for sensitive usecases like spam calls and phone number filtering.
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Thank you for the update, @Razvan C. But how will Bitdefender maintain a database from scratch when this Bitdefender product will be newly launched? Bitdefender needs at least a base database before it can update the database from their end as well.
Regards
Life happens, Coffee helps!
Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!
Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)
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@Flexx I don't think Razvan can elaborate on this one, as the question is purely hypothetical and there isn't an actual partnership to discuss here, it's more of a "what if". 🙂
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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📣 Thank you all for your thoughtful questions and active participation in this Q&A session! We appreciate your time and contributions. 🙏
This thread is now closed, but we look forward to our next sessions, so stay tuned. 😉
Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user
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