VPN and web protection (Bitdefender antivirus) running simultaneously on Windows

Hello @QAGuy and welcome to the Community!

I'll take these one at a time and do my best to provide clear answers.

The antivirus and the VPN can work together on Windows and they serve different purposes. The antivirus will protect against malware and threats and the VPN will be your invisibility cloak online. There are many VPN benefits with a wide range of applicability:

a.  First and foremost, there’s the privacy aspect – what you do online is for your eyes only.

b.  Then, your traffic cannot be used against you. At the lesser end of the specter this means that you are harder to track and profile online, therefore your data/profile will be less appealing to companies trying to target you with their ads. At the opposite end of the specter the VPN shields you from targeted DDoS attacks.

c.  There’s also a good chance you’ll find better prices to travel or accommodation. While you can’t expect to save hundreds of dollars on your flight, if you’re a frequent traveler and save 10/20 $ each flight you’ll cover the cost of your VPN in 2 trips.

d.  It’s well known that most sports or movie streaming platforms have different content libraries depending on where you live. If you need to travel abroad and still be able to access your favorite shows, then you definitely need a VPN.

e.  Some websites may offer their content only in certain regions, therefore you’ll need a VPN to simulate those locations.

In regard to the iOS devices, please see my answers below:

1. This is the current behavior for iOS where VPN and Web Protection can’t run simultaneously. However, this behavior is not a dysfunction. Web Protection and VPN are two features designed for separate purposes: the first keeps you safe while browsing while the latter aims to provide internet anonymity.
2. If you are browsing websites known to be genuine and safe, it's not mandatory to use Web protection and you can use VPN instead should you wish to browse anonymously.
3. Web Protection uses a built-in VPN to filter all Internet traffic by scanning the connections for malicious and fraudulent content intent. It also adds an encryption layer to prevent your data from being mishandled. It’s not just your browsing activity that gets protected. Any app on your iPhone or iPad that sends information over the Internet is prevented from misusing it. Unsafe connections are automatically blocked, and you are notified each time such an event occurs. Since Web Protection cannot be used at the same time with Bitdefender VPN, it also can't run simultaneously with other VPNs. This is also an iOS limitation, as you will notice that whenever Web Protection is enabled, the VPN symbol will appear on your device. So, it's basically using the VPN profile and two VPN profiles cannot run at the same time on iOS, if that makes sense.
4. On Windows it is possible to install Total Security (or any other solution) + VPN which run simultaneously. If you plan to purchase a Windows tablet just make sure it doesn't have an ARM processor, as Bitdefender is not compatible with that.

I would also recommend the Anti-tracker. The Bitdefender Anti-tracker extension is designed to increase your online privacy and reduce the time needed for websites to load, by hiding your activity from trackers. You can find out more information by clicking on the article below:

I hope the information is helpful.

Regards,

Alex

Hello @Funkwillow,

Web Protection filters all Internet traffic by scanning the connections for malicious and fraudulent content intent. It offers real-time protection against all known online threats. Should you require adblock/anti-tracking capabilities, I would recommend the Bitdefender Anti-Tracker extension:

The VPN allows you to connect to the Internet by means of an encrypted and secure tunnel to keep your personal data private and hide your IP address. It may also help display content that is normally restricted in specific areas.

Switching from VPN to Web Protection means you will no longer use an encrypted connection that may also unlock geo-restricted content. The best practice when using the two features is to enable them according to your needs. If you wish to stay anonymous on the web and access content that might otherwise be restricted in your area, you can use the VPN. If you are navigating on some websites for the first time and you are unsure if they are secure enough, it's best to turn on Web Protection for peace of mind.

Regards