Looking to switch from Kaspersky

I'm looking to switch from being a long time user of Kaspersky to Bitdefender.

I'm a bit confused as to whether Bitdefender has a built in configurable firewall for windows 10/11 machines. Can someone let me know if this is true and if this depends on the version of the product?

Can it protect against Network attacks such as DOS?

Is there support for AMSI (Windows Antimalware Scan Interface)?

Also how is the performance for scanning files, e-mails and web protection from malware?

Thanks

Jim

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Accepted answers

Flexx

Additionally, narrowing down to malware detection, below is the image attachment which shows all vendors that use bitdefender as their 3rd party engine with their own in built engine and some of the vendors only rely on bitdefender signature based database for detection of malware and do not have their own in built engine.

Consumer Products:

Business/Enterprise Products:

Regards

jamesW

Thanks for you guidance

All comments

Alexandru_BD

Hello @jamesW and welcome to Bitdefender and the Community!

Yes, Bitdefender does include a configurable Firewall (except for the Antivirus Plus product) and you can find out more details by clicking on the article below:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2082/

So, starting with Internet Security, this security module is built in.

However, it does not integrate with AMSI, it completely replaces windows defender.

Regarding DOS, the antivirus only protects the computer on which it is installed, a DOS is usually directed against a server/website/platform on which a Bitdefender Home User solution cannot be installed.

Should you wish to cover a larger number of devices and require server protection as well, a business solution would be more suited and you can check our Enterprise Cybersecurity portfolio here:

https://www.bitdefender.com/business/

The Bitdefender Home User solutions can protect up to 20 devices with a single subscription (Small Office Security pack). However, you can also purchase and activate multiple subscriptions in the same Central account, with the scope to protect more devices.

It all comes down to the usage requirements, the number of devices that require coverage and if you need server protection as well. Our portfolio is very diversified and offers complete protection for the main operating systems, Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, so it's important to know what operating systems you wish to protect, if it's just a single one or if there are multiple involved, as some of our solutions are designed for a specific operating system, while the multi-devices suites can cover all of the above systems.

In regards to performance, Bitdefender is a cybersecurity leader delivering best-in-class threat prevention, detection, and response solutions worldwide. The latest tests and reviews reconfirmed Bitdefender as the #1 security technology and you can check the industry recognition it gets by clicking on this link:

https://www.bitdefender.com/business/awards.html

For the past decade, Bitdefender has undoubtedly been one of the best security solution providers in the world – we’re not just beating our own drum and we often let independent reviewers, specialty magazines and customers advocate for that. We provide the best overall protection in the world and proof to that are countless awards received from independent testing organizations and specialized IT websites. Bitdefender also has received more “Product of the Year Awards” than any other security vendor in independent tests in the last decade (2009-2019). Our detection technologies are not only used by millions of consumer and enterprise users, it’s also being licensed to about 30 percent of our competitors in the anti-virus space.

I hope the information is useful and should you require any further advice to help you decide which solution is best suited for your needs, please don't hesitate to comment below, and we'll do our best to provide guidance.

Regards,

Alex

jamesW

Alex

Thanks for your prompt and detailed explanation.

IF I want to protect upto 10 devices (PCs as well as iPhones), I should subscribe to the Bitdefender Family Pack for AV, Firewall, VPN and Network protection?

Is this the version you recommend - (Don't need the ID protection etc.) - I don''t need server level protection?

Also in Kaspersky you can set up Trusted addresses (email IDs and web addresses) is there something similar in BD?

Jim

Alexandru_BD

You're most welcome @jamesW

That narrows it down to two products, in my opinion. You could either go for Family Pack, if you plan to add more devices in the near future, as this suite can protect up to 15, or you can purchase Premium Security, which also includes unlimited VPN and a standalone Password Manager, should these be useful to you. But keep in mind that this package comes with a single variation of 10 devices and 1 year validity only, that can be extended, of course. On the other hand, Family Pack can be purchased for 1, 2 or 3 years of protection from start, but it includes the basic VPN limited to 200mb daily traffic per device and doesn't include a Password Manager. Both products offer complete protection for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Regardless of your choice, kindly be advised that you will be enrolled in a subscription (automatic renewal) and this can be canceled at any given time.

Price-wise, Premium Security is currently offered with a 63% discount for the first year of subscription, while Family Pack displays a 58% percent discount at the moment, with three validity options to choose from. Click here for Premium Security and here for Family Pack.

I think Premium Security is good value for money, but at the end of the day, it really depends which product is best suited for your needs.

Using the Account Privacy feature from Bitdefender Mobile Security for iOS (included in the above packages) you can also check if your e-mail accounts have been involved in any data breaches:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2723/

Regarding trusted email addresses, if you are using a supported mail client – Outlook or Thunderbird – you can easily add the senders of the spam messages to the Spammers list. This way you will stop all emails from that person or organization. You can also use this feature to add and manage email addresses from friends or trusted domains:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2158/

I hope the information is useful.

Best regards and welcome to Bitdefender!

Flexx

Consumer Products:

Business/Enterprise Products:

Regards

Alexandru_BD

Nice one @Flexx 👍️

jamesW

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/323506#Comment_323506

Thanks - this is very helpful

jamesW

Guys

I have installed Total Security on a test PC. I have a question for both of you.

I use a mail program called "The Bat!" which is like Eudora. Will Bitdefender scan the emails (using POP3 and IMAP for some accounts) for viruses ? I see a mention of Outlook but just wanted to make sure that email attachments do get scanned.

Thanks

Alexandru_BD

Hi @jamesW,

POP 3 are scanned automatically upon arrival. But not IMAP, this is scanned only on access. That is, when you try to access resources from those IMAP emails, they will be scanned.

Regards

jamesW

Thanks - I just wanted to make sure.

What about authenticity of domain certificates? Does Bitdefender check if there is an invalid name on the certificate, and allow you to exclude the domain if required?

I'm also a little confused about the Vulnerability scan - It found 3 windows updates that it said were critical, but just prior to that I did a check for Windows Updates, and it said nothing needed to be updated. The strangest part was BD had one update that was 57 GIGA bytes!

Alexandru_BD

Yes, Bitdefender's Encrypted web scan feature checks the safety of encrypted web pages. It triggers a warning for pages that use certificates issued by untrusted certificate authorities, or even stolen certificates from legitimate sources. This feature is part of the Online Threat Prevention security module.

A “Suspicious connection blocked” notification is triggered by Bitdefender’s Online Threat Prevention module whenever there is an attempt to access an HTTPS domain that has security certificate issues. Unlike HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), HTTPS (safer HTTP Secure standard, HTTPS) is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS), securing communications between your computer and the websites you visit.

HTTPS is indicated by the small lock symbol that appears in front of the address line whenever you visit a website. The padlock usually means the site has a valid HTTPS certificate, the site domain is verified to match the name on the certificate, and the connection to the website is encrypted. In other words, the information exchanged between you and that domain is not in clear text, but encrypted. Unsafe domains are external links to websites that do not have a security certificate issued by a trusted certificate authority, have an unmatching or expired security certificate, and could contain phishing, malware, or unwanted software.

Vulnerability scan checks your device for vulnerabilities to make sure that all installed apps, along with the Operating System, are updated and properly functioning. You can find more information about this feature by accessing the below article:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2176/

Concerning the 3 Windows updates, I can't tell for sure what happened there. Especially because there is a contradiction, apparently, or something else.. the Support engineers might clarify this, but they'll need to have a closer look at the device for an accurate diagnosis.

Regards

jamesW

Alex

My current Kaspersky gives me a "Cannot guarantee authenticity of the domain" warning message for some emails and allows me to disconnect or Continue. I can also add the domain to my trusted addresses so that the next time I receive email from that address it does not trigger a warning.

I did not see a section to add trusted ids in BD. Please confirm

Thanks

Alexandru_BD

Hello @jamesW,

I think you can use the Antispam feature for this, to some extent. If you are using a supported mail client – Outlook or Thunderbird, you can add the senders of the spam messages to the Spammers list. This way you will stop all emails from that person or organization. You can also add all the email addresses from a specific domain, but make sure not to add domains of legitimate web-based email services (such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) to the Spammers list. Otherwise, the email messages received from any registered user of such a service will be detected as spam. If, for example, you add yahoo.com to the Spammers list, all email messages coming from yahoo.com addresses will be moved to spam. Trusted email addresses / domains can also be whitelisted by using the "Manage Friends" option.

You can find more information about this feature by clicking on the link below:

https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2158/

I hope the information is useful.

Regards

jamesW

Thanks for you guidance