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PCMag UK

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014)

Neil J. Rubenking
 & Neil J. Rubenking Principal Writer, Security

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS
Editors' Choice winner Bitdefender Antivirus Plus earns top scores in lab tests and our own tests, and also packs in a wealth of useful bonus features. - Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014)
4.5 Outstanding

The Bottom Line

Core antivirus protection in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014) gets good scores in my tests and great scores from the independent labs. The "Plus" in the name refers to an impressive collection of effective, relevant, security tools. It's a great choice.
Best Deal£19.99

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Pros & Cons

    • Very good scores in PCMag's antivirus tests.
    • Great scores in independent lab tests.
    • Excellent phishing protection.
    • Prevents transmission of private data.
    • ID theft monitoring.
    • New Wallet manages passwords, private data.
    • Safepay hardened browser protects financial transactions.
    • Scans Facebook profile, scans system for vulnerabilities.
    • New Security Report summarizes each week's events.
    • Some difficulty installing on malware-infested systems.
    • Wallet password management limited.
    • Wallet can't fill Web forms.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014) Specs

OS Compatibility: Windows 7
OS Compatibility: Windows 8
OS Compatibility: Windows Vista
OS Compatibility: Windows XP
Tech Support: 24/7 email
Tech Support: and phone support. Remote sessions as necessary.
Tech Support: live chat
Type: Business
Type: Personal
Type: Professional
All Specs

Any antivirus product must be able to eliminate infestations of viruses or other malware, and fend off any further attacks. That's the core functionality. Some add a ton of additional features. And a very few, among them Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2016 ($39.95 per year; $59.95 for three licenses), manage to cram in those extra features and still do a fantastic job of antivirus protection.

Long-time Bitdefender fans will notice some small changes in the main window's appearance. Nothing big, mostly just moving things around. One addition is a large panel with your email address and the label Go to Bitdefender Central. That email address is important. Once you've activated the product on one system, other installations using the same email address are activated automatically. And if you upgrade to one of Bitdefender's suite products, all of your installations upgrade automatically.

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Final Thoughts

Editors' Choice winner Bitdefender Antivirus Plus earns top scores in lab tests and our own tests, and also packs in a wealth of useful bonus features. - Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014)

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014)

4.5 Outstanding

Core antivirus protection in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (2014) gets good scores in my tests and great scores from the independent labs. The "Plus" in the name refers to an impressive collection of effective, relevant, security tools. It's a great choice.

Get It Now
Best Deal£19.99

Buy It Now

£19.99

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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