Pros

• BitDefender Total Security includes all the best extra features like Parental controls, backup options and advanced data security tools
• The firewall is very easy to use and configure
• It adjusts its scanning technology according to memory and processing resources availability
• It includes a laptop mode and a gamer mode

Cons

• Search Advisor fails to detect and flag some dangerous websites

View side-by-side comparison of Premium Security Suites

BitDefender Total Security 2012 is a premium security suite that keeps your computer safe in all situations. Malware threats attack from many angles including websites, email, IM communications, removal storage devices and more. And BitDefender has the best internet security and PC Utility Tools at hand to prevent these threats harming your PC.

It does this through its effective heuristic and signature based scanning technologies that are some of the best amongst premium security suites. And from our review, we found only ZoneAlarm Extreme Security able to match its performance.

Some impressive tools in the 2012 version are online backup, parental controls, a superb firewall and Search Advisor.

Antivirus/Antispyware Protection

BitDefender Total Protection Security takes care of all virus and malware threats using its effective anti-virus and anti-spyware combination. It works in the background as you use your PC and stops these threats from infecting your PC.

The 2011 version has the ability to schedule scans or run them on demand, depending on your preferences. And it adjusts its scanning technology behaviour according to memory and resource availability. This means you can surf the internet and continue to use your PC without slowdown, because it scales down its activity and frees up resources for other applications.

Firewall Security

BitDefender has one of the best two-way firewalls we’ve seen amongst premium security suites. It is highly advanced and flexible and adjusts itself to suit your location. And it includes a Wi-Fi monitor that prevents intruders from gaining access to your Wi-Fi network.

It has a new intrusion detection feature which stops intruders infiltrating your PC and adjusting your registry entries and files. This can cause irreversible harm to your PC, and BitDefender throws in all its intrusion detection tools to prevent this. And the software warns you when attacks are attempted involving DLL code injection.

Internet Security

BitDefender Internet security is one of the best internet security software suites. It helps you do all your internet activities without worrying about hackers, virus infections and identity theft. It also blocks all phishing scams and ensures all communication on your PC is secured.

Smart Advisor Technology is a new feature which assigns each URL in the search engine results a green, yellow or red safety rating. It works with the major search engines Google, Yahoo and Bing and we found it to be generally reliable, but misses some high risk sites at times.

PC Utility Tools

BitDefender is packed with PC Utility Tools that help to protect your PC and keep it working at maximum efficiency. Some of the tools included in the 2012 version are:

• Duplicate Finder – which locates a number of unimportant double files and applications and removes them to free up more disc space. But you won’t have to worry about it deleting important files, as BitDefender ensures all important system files are kept.
• Integrated File Encryption Tool – it creates a safe place on your hard drive where you can store important personal or sensitive information and keep them secure
• Bootable CD – BitDefender is packaged on a bootable CD and this rescue disc can be used to start a crashed computer and restore it to a working state.

Ease of Use

The interface has improved from last year’s version and it includes a well presented layout and navigation. And it has an advanced setting that allows you to customize the scale of your protection. There’s little need to tweak the software though, as it’s easy to use and even the most advanced facilities are simple to use.

Summary

BitDefender Total security is a good premium security suite and it has some impressive features that help protect your PC as you surf the internet.