Bitdefender Internet Security

Main Window

Bitdefender Internet Security's main window resembles the one found in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. A menu with a status indicator at top hugs the left side, with recommendations from AutoPilot appearing in the middle. The rest of the window is taken by four programmable quick action buttons.

Protection Page

Bitdefender offers a wide array of protection features in this suite. The corresponding page in the basic antivirus replaces the Firewall and Antispam settings with an invitation to upgrade.

Privacy Page

In this suite, all Privacy features are enabled. File Encryption, Video & Audio Protection, and Parental Advisor aren’t available in the standalone antivirus.

Bitdefender Central

You manage your security installations online from the Bitdefender Central console.

Firewall Rules

In its default configuration, Bitdefender’s firewall configures access for known good programs and watches for network misbehavior by unknowns. You don’t have to worry about scary firewall popups.

Firewall Settings

The firewall has very few settings, which is great for most users. If you turn on alert mode, you’ll get a popup alert when the firewall detects a new program attempting network or internet access.

Antispam Settings

Fewer and fewer users need spam filtering, but if you’re one of the holdouts, Bitdefender can help. If you don’t speak Russian or any Asian languages, you may want to block messages written using those character sets.

Interests

The parental control system doesn’t refer to blocking content, but rather to interests. Even so, parents can block access to websites matching any of 43 categories.

Set Time Restriction

Parents can set one or more time restrictions and configure each to take effect on specific days.

Location

From Bitdefender Central, you can check the location of any of your child’s devices.

Android Parental Control

When Bitdefender stops your child from doing something, it explains what happened, with a cute picture. In this montage you can see that it blocked use of Facebook and blocked an inappropriate web page. The right-most image shows what happens when you’ve paused access.

Create File Vault

To protect your sensitive files, you can create one or more encrypted file vaults. When open, the vault acts like any other folder; when locked, it’s inaccessible.

File Shredder

After copying files to the encrypted vault, you should securely delete the originals using the File Shredder. This wipes them out permanently, beyond the possibility of forensic recovery.

Video and Audio Protection

To prevent malefactors from spying on your through the webcam or listening in on the microphone, Bitdefender allows only authorized programs to access these resources.

About Our Expert

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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