The Bitdefender Security Research Director will answer your questions!

Alexandru_BD · 2022-02-16T16:36:39+00:00

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Our Community was born with the purpose of bringing together Bitdefender users, enthusiasts and experts alike and to create an unique experience. The core values that stand by its foundation are inclusion, support, ideation, diversity and the voice of our members. When we said you could get in touch with our research team and also contribute to the development of your favorite cybersecurity solution, we meant it. We are pleased to announce the first major upcoming event, out of a series of many surprises to come. Our special guest for next week is one of the most iconic Defenders who helped shape the bulletproof Antivirus we have today.

Beloved Community members, I present you Alex "Jay" Balan!

I’m Alex “Jay” Balan, security research director @Bitdefender. I mainly drive vulnerability research (a few hardcore offensive teams that managed to find 0days in pretty much everything they got their hands on), was the founder of Bitdefender’s bug bounty program, one of the founders of our innovation & new product development unit a long time ago, was the product manager for Bitdefender’s UNIX based security solutions, was a speaker more than once at RSAC, DEFCON, DerbyCon and many others and, occasionally, I act as a spokesperson for journalists and media enquiries. AMA.

Join us on this thread on Tuesday, February 22 when Jay will answer YOUR QUESTIONS starting with 11:00am EET straight from the Bitdefender Headquarters in Bucharest.

Save the date and please ask your questions in real time in the comments below.

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Comments

wirywrestler

I hope this event will be recorded for viewing later as I'm not available for the live event. It's not mentioned, however, I imagine we are able to submit any questions we have prior to this?
Best

Alexandru_BD

Hi @wirywrestler,

It will be a live event that will take place on this thread and the answers will be kept here for the members to view anytime. We won't broadcast a video for this one, as usually the AMA concept unfolds in writing and we wanted to offer everyone the chance to participate and ask their questions. A video conference is time limited and would involve several timeouts along the way. We have taken into consideration the timezone as well, because we are in Bucharest and many of our members are based on different continents.

The best approach in our view is to be available for you the entire day on the 22nd of February on this thread, and answer the questions as they arrive. This way, anyone that wishes to ask a question to our Security Research Director, can do it at any point during the day. If you cannot attend on Tuesday, you may submit your questions in the comments anytime prior to the AMA and we'll make sure you get a response on Tuesday 🙂

Best wishes.

jay

Hello everyone!

I'm ready to take your questions. Hit me with your best shot ;)

kegpr

Hi, 2 questions:

What's with the unicorn? 🙄

Is it more difficult to protect ourselves in the digital world vs 10yrs ago?

thx,

keg

jay

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/306296#Comment_306296

Hey @kegpr

The unicorn takes part in all my calls, oversees everything I do while in the office and constantly agrees with me and has a positive attitude ;)
It's actually much easier to protect ourselves now vs 10 years ago. It's about tools. Cybersecurity solutions have made huge advances over the years as well as their adoption by everyone. Hacking the world was definitely much easier 10 years ago because, overall, the penetration of security solutions was not as strong as it is right now.

HTH

Flexx

How about introducing the linux version of product back for home user

jay

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/306299#Comment_306299

Hey @Flexx

I was part of the team that designed it and I gotta say I miss it as well. But as with all things, the overall strategy takes precedence and it was EOL'ed.

It will be my pleasure, however, to talk to the teams and say that users want it back and maybe something can be worked out.

No promises ;)

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/306300#Comment_306300

Yes because, we are having linux os getting hit by majority of malware now including ransomware, we do require linux av back.

Regards

Flexx

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/306300#Comment_306300

Because currently we only have linux av for business organisation and not for home users, please get this checked with your team, will love to have it back.

jay

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/306303#Comment_306303

I will

MrXis

Qual a melhor protecção para ramsonware?

jay

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/306312#Comment_306312

Not getting infected in the first place ;) Also I hear there's this security solution called Bitdefender that, according to independent tests, is the most effective at blocking ransomware.

Nunzio77

Hello,

this section is very interesting.

I am using the new Bitdefender Free and here are some improvements and bugs that can be solved:

I noticed that some malicious applications, not recognized by the antivirus definitions, were blocked by the behavior analysis but after the block they were not quarantined but left on the desktop. After the definitions were updated, they were recognized as malicious and quarantined. It would be wise, in my opinion, for malicious apps blocked by behavioral analysis, but not yet present in the AV definitions, to be quarantined anyway.

While it can be useful as feedback, I have noticed that threats that are blocked with behavioral analysis (not yet present in the signatures) if the malicious file is on the desktop are not removed (although Bitdefender reports that it has quarantined malware), while if it is same file eg located on a USB stick is removed.

I also noticed that when I start the PC during startup the status icon (B) is first red, then after a few seconds it turns gray, stays gray for a few seconds, then turns red with the autopilot symbol. So the bug that changes from red to gray and then red must be solved, it must not become gray.

If it helps, looking at the startup in the task manager, I noticed that it is Bitdefender Agent that changes from red to gray and then red again and the autopilot activates.

Another tip is to run USB drive scans in the background (without the scan screen) and only if it detects malware to warn you.

It would be nice to have free advanced options in Bitdefender and ransoware protection.

Now they are the basis for having a good free antivirus, so you can increase your user base which would help you both to fix any bugs and to enrich the signature list of various malware.

All of this would give you a solid paid solution to offer your customers.

Thanks!

Nunzio.

salum3x

https://community.bitdefender.com/en/discussion/comment/306312#Comment_306312

Usei vários antivirus, so tenho a dizer parabéns para equipe Bitdefender...O melhor em quase todos aspectos, apesar de algumas vezes ter problema de exclusão de ficheiros... As vezes é necessário fazer varias vezes para que ele deixe de escanar o ficheiro...

Mas o resto, é top.. Uso ha 2-3 anos... E instalo o mesmo para todos os meus clientes...

salum3x

Gostaria de um dia poder fazer parte dela !!!

Alexandru_BD

@salum3x Muchas gracias por sus amables palabras.

Saludos!