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At a glanceExpert`s Rating ProsTop-notch antivirus protectionMore granular control over settings, including scan depthStreamlined, easy to navigate interfaceConsSlower PCs may see a performance impact during long full scansNo included VPN and password managerA couple of features are buggyOur VerdictAvast Premium Security expands the protection of the company’s already excellent free antivirus software by leaning harder into safeguarding your PC. That can be a boon for those who don’t need (or want) their security suite to focus on identity and privacy threats—especially if you’re up for choosing VPN and password manager services yourself. However, a couple of buggy features keep this suite from standing out among its rivals. Best Prices Today: Avast Premium Security Retailer Price Avast $99.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Avast is well-known for its free antivirus software—and with how highly rated it is, upgrading to a paid suite may seem a needless expense. After all, the internet is full of advice proclaiming that Windows’ built-in defenses are enough. Those commenters aren’t wrong per se, but a software suite like Avast Premium Security packs extra protections against online threats not found in Windows Defender. A couple aren’t even in most competing paid antivirus software. Just as important, this particular Avast suite sports an elegant, easy-to-navigate interface that streamlines the management of different features and tools. It even minimally upsells other Avast services (which shouldn’t be a positive, but this is the world we’re living in). However, this security suite lacks comprehensive coverage. No VPN or password manager is included. But as you’ll see, its performance can carry the day if it fits your style. For some folks, it will—so long as they can ignore a couple of buggy features. Further reading: The best antivirus software for Windows PCs What does Avast Premium Security include? Avast Premium Security builds on the company’s excellent free antivirus and firewall, which already provides broad protection against online threats. Malware, ransomware, network intrusions, compromised applications, shady websites and downloads—that’s just start of what gets blocked. This security suite also shields against webcam takeovers; malicious redirects for websites you visit (aka DNS hijacking); attacks through Windows’ remote desktop protocol; and unauthorized access to files with sensitive data (e.g., social security numbers). You can run programs and browse online within isolated environments, too, which keeps other apps on your computer from snooping. Avast Premium Security expands widely on the free version’s features. Avast Premium Security expands widely on the free version’s features.PCWorld Avast Premium Security expands widely on the free version’s features.PCWorld PCWorld Additionally, Premium Security includes a utility that lets you securely delete files from hard-disk drives. Avast Premium Security does not include VPN access—that requires a separate subscription or a different Avast suite. It also lacks a password manager and parental controls. You’ll have to look elsewhere for those services, as Avast doesn’t offer them at all. How much does Avast Premium Security cost? If purchased from Avast, you’ll pay a discounted price for the first year, then the standard rate thereafter. Interestingly, Premium Security costs more for its first year than another similar plan from Avast. Subscriptions bought through Avast come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and are automatically enrolled in autorenewal. Single-device plan (1 PC) $51 for the first year $78 per year thereafter 10-device plan (Multiple devices) $70 for the first year $100 per year thereafter Avast Premium Security includes Family Sharing, which lets you invite other users with separate accounts to share in your device limit. You can install Premium Security on PC, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. For bigger savings on a multi-device Avast Premium Security plan, you can buy a license through Newegg. You’ll actually end up paying less than Avast One using this same method. Key features of Avast Premium Security Installation and user interface To get started, you’ll download Avast Premium Security from your online account dashboard, then install. At the end of the process, you’ll be prompted to start a scan of your PC. Only afterward will you get access to the app. When opening the app, you’ll always first see the Avast Premium Security status screen. When opening the app, you’ll always first see the Avast Premium Security status screen.PCWorld When opening the app, you’ll always first see the Avast Premium Security status screen.PCWorld PCWorld The interface for Avast Premium Security is clear and easy to understand, though some people may not like its dark theme. The navigation bar on the left of the screen is where you’ll dive into features, which are grouped by category and represented by large buttons in a simple grid layout. Everything is clearly labeled, with bright green used as a highlight color, and features often have descriptions explaining their purpose. When you first open the app, you’re dropped into the Status screen, which shows your PC’s protection status and a big green button that starts a Smart Scan when pressed. You’ll find other scans under Protection, and you can tailor the sensitivity and depth of the default scans—Full Virus Scan, Targeted Scan, and Boot-Time Scan—as well as custom scans to a surprising degree. (Popular rivals like McAfee and Norton have far more stripped-down settings.)  The Protection screen has the most features within the app. The Protection screen has the most features within the app.PCWorld The Protection screen has the most features within the app.PCWorld PCWorld More so than other apps, Premium Security’s feature groupings make logical sense. Each feature is explained well, too. And impressively, Avast sequesters its upsells for its other apps and services in a single More apps section. If you want to add on services like the company’s SecureLine VPN or AntiTrack software, you can find them fast—or ignore them just as easily. Menu options are neatly packaged as well. You can hop into them at anytime from the upper right corner of the screen. It’s quick work to tweak what you need—no need to click around within the software to find everything. Avast still lets you cut over to these settings from within specific features, too, so this centralized approach never feels restrictive. Just tidy. Virus, malware, and threat protection Real-time protection Avast constantly monitors your PC for real-time threats, both local and online. On your system, the app watches for unusual behavior from apps, scans files you add or open, screens downloaded email for malicious attachments, and limits access to your webcam. It also controls access to folders targeted by ransomware. (A bad app can’t encrypt the files if it can’t get at them.) You can customize which folders are protected. Meanwhile, on the web, Premium Security scans sites for malware and for attempts to redirect you to fake websites. It also keeps an eye on the traffic passed to and from your PC, restricts access to your browser(s)’ saved passwords, and blocks any remote connection requests from unknown sources. Avast Premium Security’s Hack Alerts monitors the web for any data breaches or leaks that contain your email address. Avast Premium Security’s Hack Alerts monitors the web for any data breaches or leaks that contain your email address. PCWorld Avast Premium Security’s Hack Alerts monitors the web for any data breaches or leaks that contain your email address. PCWorld PCWorld Avast Premium Security also tracks your email address (the one associated with your Avast account) on the web. If it appears in a data breach, you’ll get notified. Scheduled and manual scans Strangely, Avast Premium Security does not automatically set up scheduled scans during installation—a useful way to maintain the security of your PC with little effort. To establish a schedule, you must first create a custom scan. You can choose to run it just one time, daily, weekly, or monthly while also selecting its depth (Full Virus Scan, Targeted Scan, or Quick Scan). Full Virus Scan gives your system a thorough pass; Targeted Scan looks at specific files or folders; and Quick Scan checks over critical and commonly targeted parts of your PC. Custom scans can also be further tailored beyond these presets. Admittedly, Avast buries scan options a little—but they’re easy enough to find. Admittedly, Avast buries scan options a little—but they’re easy enough to find.PCWorld Admittedly, Avast buries scan options a little—but they’re easy enough to find.PCWorld PCWorld For manually run scans, you can choose from Smart Scan (which behaves similarly to Quick Scan), Full Virus Scan, Targeted Scan, Boot-Time Scan (which hunts for threats before Windows starts), and any of the custom scans you create. You can adjust these scans to be more or less sensitive, as well as where they dig around on your PC and how thoroughly. Quarantine behavior can also be modified. Firewall Avast Premium Security’s firewall completely replaces Windows’ built in defenses—and boosts the control you get over the traffic passed to and from your PC. Most people will do best with the default settings, which allows known apps to access the internet and requires others to get explicit approval. But you can also crank up those limitations (or down, though that’s not advisable). Generally, Avast’s firewall remains lowkey and unobtrusive, though if a possibly compromised or malicious program tries to connect to the web, a notification will appear. Its biggest advantage is how clearly it shows you which apps and services are currently online, as well as which ones have requested internet access. Ransomware Shield Folders often targeted by ransomware get an extra layer of protection in Avast Premium Security, which bars untrusted apps from making changes (or even outright deletions) to files in those locations. Even if such malware slips through, it won’t be able to cause trouble. Avast’s Ransomware Shield guards access to folders often targeted by ransomware. Avast’s Ransomware Shield guards access to folders often targeted by ransomware. PCWorld Avast’s Ransomware Shield guards access to folders often targeted by ransomware. PCWorld PCWorld When first installed, Premium Security keeps watch over the Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Videos, and Music folders in Windows, and only specific types of files. You can expand those parameters to include more folders and file extensions (or just all files). You can also switch between the default Smart Mode, which gives commonly known apps automatic access, and Strict Mode, which only lets specifically approved apps change or delete protected files. However, even with this additional safeguard, your best defense against ransomware is a current, offline copy of your files—like an external drive you only connect when performing the backup. (You can read more about the best way to back up your PC in our guide; don’t forget to follow the 3-2-1 strategy!) Additional features Bank Mode One of Avast Premium Security’s unique features is Bank Mode, which lets you use Chrome, Edge, or Firefox in a virtualized environment. (Other Avast suites, like Avast One, don’t have it.) Your web browsing is thus isolated from the rest of your computer, so that the other apps on your PC can’t spy on your activity.  If you’re familiar with Bitdefender’s Safepay mode, Bank Mode will sound similar, but it has a couple of key differences. It behaves like a desktop environment—you can use Chrome, Edge, and Firefox simultaneously within it, if all those apps are already installed on your computer. (Bitdefender Safepay uses its own browser.) You can also pin shortcuts for each app to a taskbar, just like in Windows. You also don’t get any prompts from Avast to use Bank Mode when visiting a bank website in the normal way. You have to remember to launch it yourself. Bank Mode lets you run Chrome, Edge, and Firefox in an isolated environment, so that other apps can’t see your activity.When it’s running, you can switch between it and the normal desktop (seen here). Bank Mode lets you run Chrome, Edge, and Firefox in an isolated environment, so that other apps can’t see your activity.When it’s running, you can switch between it and the normal desktop (seen here). PCWorld Bank Mode lets you run Chrome, Edge, and Firefox in an isolated environment, so that other apps can’t see your activity.When it’s running, you can switch between it and the normal desktop (seen here). PCWorld PCWorld Navigating to websites in Bank Mode feels the same as in Windows. Even on a slower, old laptop, browsing felt snappy. You can also change settings and even install extensions on the browser. Browser extensions From within the Avast Premium Security app, you can install the Avast Online Security & Privacy extension. It adds visual badges to search results in Google and Bing, letting you know which sites are safe. They’re a little subtle, though—I found them easy to miss at first. The extension also provides anti-tracking, blocks a handful of ad networks, and automatically requests only necessary cookies from sites. The last feature is genuinely exciting—you get far fewer pop-ups asking you to tell the site your preferences. Data Shredder This utility securely wipes files, folders, or entire drives by overwriting them with other data. You can choose between three different algorithms (Gutmann, Department of Defense 5250.22-M, and random) as well as a generous maximum of 100 passes. Selecting a file or folder can feel clunky—it’s done through a file tree, and you have to check either folders or individual files to select them for reaping. Used on a hard-drive disk (HDD), Data Shredder can be a useful tool. But you shouldn’t use it on a solid-state drive, which most modern laptops and desktop PCs have. Not only is this method of secure deletion not as effective, but it can shorten the length of your SSD. (This method is more advisable.) Sandbox This feature lets you run apps in an isolated environment—a way to keep the rest of your system safe if you don’t entirely trust the program in question. Its purpose is opposite that of Bank Mode, which instead isolates your browsers so nothing can peek in. Sandbox isolates an app so it can’t peek out—nor interact widely with your system as a whole. The Sandbox feature lets you isolate apps that you don’t trust to potentially interact with the rest of your PC. The Sandbox feature lets you isolate apps that you don’t trust to potentially interact with the rest of your PC. PCWorld The Sandbox feature lets you isolate apps that you don’t trust to potentially interact with the rest of your PC. PCWorld PCWorld When I first tried the feature, Sandbox seemed a little buggy. Trying to start it from within the Avast app didn’t work immediately. Instead, I had to use the alternative method of right-clicking on a program (or shortcut to a program) to start it up; afterward, I could start from within Premium Security. Sandboxed apps aren’t marked in Windows, either. I would have preferred to see a badge or other visual indicator on the taskbar icon, but you can only see which processes are sandboxed within Avast. Sensitive Data Shield If you have files on your PC with sensitive information (like your paycheck info, passwords, banking details, or social security number), you can use Sensitive Data Shield to find them. Once discovered, other programs on your PC will then have restricted access to those documents, in order to keep malicious apps from discovering and extracting that data. You can manually add files to the list of protected docs, as well as block or allow specific apps. Sensitive Data Shield lets you find documents with highly personal information and restrict access to those files. Sensitive Data Shield lets you find documents with highly personal information and restrict access to those files. PCWorld Sensitive Data Shield lets you find documents with highly personal information and restrict access to those files. PCWorld PCWorld This feature’s scanner is limited, though—it only looks for .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, and .xlsx files. It’s not accurate, either. It missed my sample Excel file containing passwords, and a few sample freelance invoices containing tax info. And while you can manually add files to the protected list, it’s impractical to go this route if you have many files. Avast could (and should) improve this feature by letting you at least add whole folders to the list. (Side note: Please don’t store your passwords in documents on your PC. Not all password managers are cloud-based—you can still keep everything local while strengthening your security.) Customer support Avast offers a support website and help forums for Premium Security, but you can also reach a customer representative by phone, email, or chat. You’ll want to use the phone number listed within Avast’s Contact Us page, though, and not the one listed in the app. The latter is for the company’s Premium Tech support, which is a separate paid service. Updates and maintenance By default, updates for Avast Premium Security’s virus definitions and the app itself happen automatically in the background. These settings can be changed so you’re only notified when an update is available, or go fully manual for updates (which is not advised). You can also manually check for updates by going to Menu > Settings > General > Update. Performance In tests conducted by leading security organizations, Avast generally performed well. In AV-Test’s malware and zero-day attack evaluation for March and April 2024 (the most current results released), Avast detected 100 percent of the threats. It blocked 316 samples for the zero-day attacks, and 19,228 samples for recently discovered and widespread malware. AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024. AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024. PCWorld AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024. PCWorld PCWorld It posted similar high marks in AV-Comparatives’ real-world protection test for February through May 2024, blocking 100 percent of the 498 test cases with 5.5 false positives. In AV-Comparatives’ March 2024 malware protection test, Avast was still strong, though with a minimally lower offline detection rate than the top performers. It had a 95.6 percent offline detection rate, 98.8 percent online detection rate, and 99.95 percent online protection rate, with 10 false positives. AV-Comparatives considers this to be a low number of false alarms for this round of testing. Finally, in AV-Comparatives’ November 2023 Advanced Threat Protection Test, Avast detected 11 of the 15 threats—showing that it’s still strengthening its ability to catch more sophisticated, targeted threats like malicious scripts and fileless attacks. AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024. AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024. PCWorld AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024. PCWorld PCWorld In my hardware performance tests, Avast had minimal impact on system resources when left idle in the background—at least, not during most typical tasks. In PCMark 10’s Extended benchmark, which simulates web browsing, video chatting, gaming, and image and document editing in free, open-source apps, the scores didn’t budge. Avast also didn’t have a discernible effect on our Handbrake encoding test, which crunches a large, uncompressed video file into a smaller version. Even when Avast’s Full Virus Scan ran continuously in the background, the performance dip was around 10 percent for both benchmarks. However, Avast was startlingly aggressive in its scans when working in Microsoft Office on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents (as simulated by UL Procyon). When Avast was idle in the background, Procyon’s Office Productivity scores dropped by about 11 percent—and that tumbled down to 25 percent when Avast’s Full Virus Scan ran continuously. Also of note: Upon first running Procyon, Premium Security popped up with a multitude of notifications before clearing it for launch. (It got to a point where I had to clear the windows to prevent it from glitching out.) In short, if you’re on a less powerful PC and you’re doing heavy work in, say, Microsoft Excel, schedule your full system scans for off-hours. You may still see some effects on performance when in Office apps, but they won’t be as pronounced. Conclusion Avast Premium Security expands the protection of the company’s already excellent free antivirus software, but it definitely leans toward shielding your PC. For more safeguards against online threats, you’ll have to pay for separate services (or go with a rival app). Still, you won’t go too wrong choosing Premium Security, especially if you don’t mind finding your own VPN and password manager services to round out your online security—and don’t mind a couple of buggy features. Read...

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At a GlanceExpert`s Rating ProsSuperb antivirus and malware protectionStrong online threat protectionCustomizable dashboardConsVPN limited to 200MB per day, per deviceCan have notable performance impact on some PCsAnti-theft tools aren’t effectiveOur VerdictBitdefender Total Security packs superb antivirus defenses into an easy-to-use app, giving it a strong edge despite a couple of features falling flat. In particular, its safe payment environment is a unique protection for sensitive online accounts — something that makes up for this suite’s lack of an included password manager. When you pay for software, the last thing you want are limits. And yet, Bitdefender Total Security imposes a rather surprising one on users: VPN use, commonly a part of mid-range antivirus suites, is restricted to a 200MB per-day limit per device. It’s an odd ploy, given that rival services offer full, unrestricted VPN access, and sometimes a password manager subscription, too. But Bitdefender’s ace in the hole is its stellar protection, along with its easy-to-understand, yet still customizable interface. If you can forgive Total Security its occasional half-baked parts, it provides among the best defense against malware and online threats. Further reading: See our roundup of the best antivirus software for Windows PCs to learn about competing products. What does Bitdefender Total Security include? Bitdefender Total Security offers broad protection against online threats, starting with antivirus, firewall, and ransomware. It also safeguards against network, web, and email issues like brute force attacks, malicious links, and dangerous attachments, as well as screens your local inbox for spam if you use Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. It controls access to your webcam and microphone to prevent remote spying, too. Bitdefender Total Security is the company’s mid-tier antivirus plan. Bitdefender Total Security is the company’s mid-tier antivirus plan.PCWorld / Bitdefender Bitdefender Total Security is the company’s mid-tier antivirus plan.PCWorld / Bitdefender PCWorld / Bitdefender For additional security and privacy, Total Security includes a secure browser, access to its VPN service (albeit limited), tracker blocking, parental controls, and a scanner that checks for system vulnerabilities. It also has anti-theft software tools to recover, lock down, or wipe an associated device. Rounding out the suite are set of utilities: a system optimizer, file shredder for secure deletion, and usage profiles. You can install Bitdefender on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, though not all features are supported on all platforms. How much does Bitdefender Total Security cost? The price of Bitdefender Total Security varies depending on the number of devices covered — though not by much. You can choose between a five-device plan and 10-device plan, which all let you install the software on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. 5-device plan $70 for the first year $100 per year thereafter 10-device plan $73 for the first year $110 per year thereafter Bitdefender enrolls users into auto-renewal by default, though refunds are allowed up to 30 days after the automatic renewal date. The company also offers refunds within 30 days of the initial purchase of a subscription. To save more money on Bitdefender, you can purchase through our own PCWorld software store, which currently offers 5-device, one-year licenses for just $29.99. Retailers like Newegg, B&H, and Amazon offer sizable discounts as well. For example, a 10-device, one-year plan was just $50 on Newegg at the time of this article’s publishing. Key features of Bitdefender Total Security Installation and user interface Getting started with Bitdefender Total Security is simple and straightforward — the installation window even shows short explanations of different features as you wait. However, be careful when setting up your Bitdefender account, as you’re only asked to type in your password once. If you don’t use a password manager, that leaves you open to misremembering (or mistyping) it. The Bitdefender app has a clean, simple interface, with big tiles for each feature. A shield icon in the upper-left corner serves as a status indicator; it’ll turn red when something requires attention. Along the left side of the window is access to the dashboard, features sorted by category (Protection, Privacy, and Utilities), notifications, and settings. The app works in conjunction with the Bitdefender Central website portal, where you’ll handle device management (which includes remote commands you can send to associated devices, like malware scans) and parental controls. The Bitdefender dashboard. The Bitdefender dashboard.PCWorld The Bitdefender dashboard.PCWorld PCWorld In the dashboard, you’ll find six customizable shortcuts to different features, along with suggested action items at the top. The defaults are Quick Scan, System Scan, Vulnerability Scan, VPN, and Safepay, along with a blank tile. Under Protection, you get access to the antivirus scanner, vulnerability scanner (which checks for weaknesses in your apps and network), and settings for online and advanced threat protections, firewall, spam screening, and ransomware safeguards. From Privacy, you can start up the Safepay virtual environment or VPN, jump into parental controls (which are handled through the Bitdefender Central website), install the anti-tracker extension for supported browsers, and manage your webcam and microphone protection settings. You can also access Bitdefender’s password manager, but it’s a separate paid service and not included with the Total Security suite. Within Utilities, you’ll find a link to Bitdefender’s anti-theft tools (managed through the Bitdefender Central website), the optimizer scanner that hunts for temporary and other disposable files, activity profiles (which let you easily change Bitdefender’s behavior to align with how you’re using the computer — e.g., gaming vs. work), and a file shredder for securely deleting files from hard-disk drives (HDD). The Notification section within the Bitdefender app. The Notification section within the Bitdefender app.PCWorld The Notification section within the Bitdefender app.PCWorld PCWorld Notifications show a running log of Bitdefender’s findings as it monitors your system, organized by urgency level. These differ from the pop-up notifications Bitdefender shows within Windows, which appear at the bottom right of your screen and typically promote other Bitdefender services. One such alert even went as far as to warn me about a LinkedIn data leak from two years ago, in order to suggest signing up for Bitdefender’s Digital Identity Protection service. Fortunately, you can turn off “special offers” in the app settings.) Overall, Bitdefender errs on the side of ease-of-use, giving users a moderate number of settings for the app and per feature. The descriptions of features are also generalized and not very technical. Virus, malware, and threat protection Real-time protection Bitdefender stays on constant alert for potential threats to your PC. On the computer itself, it scans opened or added files, monitors apps for suspicious activity, and screens downloaded email for spam, sketchy links, and dangerous attachments. It specifically looks out for apps that try to encrypt your files, too — when not initiated by you, such behavior is likely ransomware trying to hold your data hostage. Meanwhile, whenever you’re browsing online, Bitdefender screens for malicious downloads, phishing and fraud attempts, encrypted websites with invalid or bogus certificates, and bad search results. It also blocks unauthorized incoming access to your PC, unauthorized use of your webcam and microphone, and online web trackers (when you install the company’s anti-tracking browser extension). You can additionally pair the program with the company’s free TrafficLight browser extension, which adds icons to search results marking them safe or risky. Scheduled and manual scans In an unusual move, Bitdefender does not automatically perform regular scans. To run a Quick Scan and/or System Scan at a scheduled time, you must edit those default scans — or instead create a custom scan. The process is not intuitive, either. You must open the edit screen and click the Next button before the option to Choose when to schedule this task appears.  You must first pass through an unrelated settings screen to reach scheduling options for a scan. You must first pass through an unrelated settings screen to reach scheduling options for a scan.PCWorld You must first pass through an unrelated settings screen to reach scheduling options for a scan.PCWorld PCWorld You can then choose between four intervals — daily, weekly, monthly, or at system startup. Daily lets you set a time; Monthly lets you set which day of the month and a time; and Weekly lets you choose a day of the week and a time. For manual scans, you can run Quick Scan, which focuses on critical files and processes; System Scan, which combs through your entire system; or a custom scan you’ve created. Quick Scan and System Scan can also be initiated through the Bitdefender Central website — though you won’t see signs of activity on the device. For this reason, I preferred starting my scans directly on the PC I was using. Running System Scan can be slow during its first run, as Bitdefender takes stock of everything on your PC, but it speeds up afterward. (By default, the app scans only new and changed files.) You can also right-click on individual folders and files, and then choose Bitdefender > Scan with Bitdefender to check them out. Most users will be best off with Bitdefender’s default antivirus settings, but you can tweak the thoroughness of scans. Most users will be best off with Bitdefender’s default antivirus settings, but you can tweak the thoroughness of scans. PCWorld Most users will be best off with Bitdefender’s default antivirus settings, but you can tweak the thoroughness of scans. PCWorld PCWorld Bitdefender allows you to adjust settings for scans — for example, you can choose to have the software always screen all files, even if they haven’t been changed since your last scan. You don’t get a ton of tweaks, but it’s more than competitors like McAfee and Norton (which go for an ultra-simplified vibe) offer. Vulnerability scanner In addition to scanning for viruses, malware, ransomware, and online threats, Bitdefender can check your PC’s app, system files, and network settings for exploitable weaknesses. (Attackers use these openings to compromise your device and/or data.) Found under Protection > Vulnerability, the tool hunts for weak Windows user passwords, critical Windows updates not yet installed, changes to Windows and network settings that could let malicious behavior slip past, outdated apps, Wi-Fi network and router settings that could be strengthened, and more.Like the antivirus scans, you can remotely initiate a vulnerability scan through the Bitdefender Central website. Bitdefender’s Vulnerability Scan hunts for weaknesses on your PC that malware and other threats could exploit. Bitdefender’s Vulnerability Scan hunts for weaknesses on your PC that malware and other threats could exploit. PCWorld Bitdefender’s Vulnerability Scan hunts for weaknesses on your PC that malware and other threats could exploit. PCWorld PCWorld Firewall Bitdefender takes over firewall duties completely for Windows — and though most people are best off leaving it alone with default settings, you can customize how stringent the rules are and whether those rules change based on the type of connection you’re on. Bitdefender sends users a notification whenever a potentially malicious app tries to access the internet. I didn’t notice any overzealousness on Bitdefender’s part while using my test PC, and the settings are nicely streamlined without being too simplified. Scam protection Bitdefender recently released a free service called Scamio, an AI-driven chatbot designed to help verify the legitimacy of email, text messages, instant messages, links, and QR codes. To get started, you must head to scamio.bitdefender.com (login required) or Meta’s Messenger app. Then you’ll upload a screenshot, copy/paste into the chat, or simply describe the situation to the bot. As a very basic second opinion, Scamio isn’t bad, though its analysis can take longer than expected. I liked that it can easily extract links from screenshot — a much safer method, since trying to copy/paste can lead to an accidental click. It also seems to err on the side of caution, dismissing my attempt at sweet nothings as a potential scam. Phew, PCWorld got the greenlight. Phew, PCWorld got the greenlight.PCWorld Phew, PCWorld got the greenlight.PCWorld PCWorld That said, if you want hands-off help for text messages, you should also install Bitdefender on your mobile phone. So long as you’re comfortable with the permissions it requests (which go pretty deep), it will automatically screen your chat messages and notifications for potential scams. VPN Bitdefender Total Security includes access to its VPN for multiple devices, but there’s one huge catch — each piece of gear is allotted a paltry 200MB of bandwidth per day. (You can burn through that by browsing just a few websites.) You’re only allowed to connect to the nearest server, too. Bitdefender Total Security includes VPN access, but you get an extremely low amount of allowed traffic. Bitdefender Total Security includes VPN access, but you get an extremely low amount of allowed traffic. PCWorld Bitdefender Total Security includes VPN access, but you get an extremely low amount of allowed traffic. PCWorld PCWorld In Bitdefender’s favor is a sleek, easily navigated interface — I particularly like how important information and stats are laid out clearly. But with free, reputable VPN services offering much more bandwidth and letting you choose a location when connecting, paying for Bitdefender Premium VPN to get unlimited bandwidth and access to servers in all 55 supported countries just doesn’t feel worth it. Not when the cost is $40 for the first year and $70 per year thereafter. Parental controls  Bitdefender Total Security includes parental controls, which are managed through the Bitdefender Central website. On PC, you can limit screen time, apps used, and websites visited. Android and iOS devices also allow guardians to see location and phone contacts. To begin on a PC, you’ll first install Bitdefender on it. For mobile devices, you’ll need to install the dedicated Bitdefender Parental Control app. Then on Bitdefender Central, you’ll create a profile for your child and assign the computer, phone, or tablet to the profile. Bitdefender’s parental controls are simple but laid out clearly. Bitdefender’s parental controls are simple but laid out clearly.PCWorld Bitdefender’s parental controls are simple but laid out clearly.PCWorld PCWorld From there, you can add time limits and create schedules for blocked use, as well as manage which applications and websites can be accessed. For apps, you can only limit apps your child has already used. However, for websites, you can block or allow by categories, which are predetermined by Bitdefender. By default, children can visit sites within just 13 of the 43 presets, such as “search engines,” “webmail,” “computers and software,” and “travel.” News is forbidden, which put PCWorld.com on the ban list. (Guess we’re not enough about computers and software.) As your kid spends time on their device, you’ll see their usage statistics appear in the dashboard’s charts. The dashboard also shows location tracking, which works quite well — the phone used for testing appeared with close accuracy to the physical location. (The suggested addresses were not correct, however.) Phone contacts display here as well, and automatically update whenever a new contact is added. Additional features Anti-Theft Bitdefender Total Security’s anti-theft tools are fantastic in theory, letting you remotely locate, lock, or wipe your device. For a smartphone, you can also remotely trigger an alarm and/or send a push notification with a message to whomever has it. But in practice, I found this feature to fall flat. For example, my test laptop’s location wasn’t precisely accurate — not surprising, since it was based off of the IP address. Meanwhile, my smartphone’s whereabouts never showed up. Locking the devices also didn’t work particularly well, either. If the person holding your phone knows your PIN, you’re out of luck. The PIN you set via Bitdefender Central doesn’t override that. Bitdefender’s anti-theft tools don’t fully deliver on the promise. Bitdefender’s anti-theft tools don’t fully deliver on the promise. PCWorld Bitdefender’s anti-theft tools don’t fully deliver on the promise. PCWorld PCWorld The only part that worked as advertised was the remote alert sound, along with the push notification. That only helps with smartphones, though, and you’ll have to trust that you can annoy someone into doing the right thing. Browser extensions Bitdefender has two browser extensions worth calling out, though neither are locked to the Total Security suite. The Anti-Tracker extension is automatically installed along with the Bitdefender app, where you can also manage its installation if you install another browser on your PC later on. (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Internet Explorer are supported — though if you’re on an operating system that can still run Internet Explorer, it’s time to upgrade). It keeps trackers from collecting data on you, and lets you manage this type of information for websites you visit. Bitdefender TrafficLight checks websites for phishing attempts and malware, blocks potentially dangerous elements on websites, and adds visual cues to search results labeling them as safe or risky. Available as a Chrome and Firefox extension, this add-on isn’t necessary, but its search-result visual warnings can be helpful. Bitdefender’s Anti-Tracker extension automatically gets installed for browsers already on your PC. Bitdefender’s Anti-Tracker extension automatically gets installed for browsers already on your PC. Bitdefender’s Anti-Tracker extension automatically gets installed for browsers already on your PC. File Shredder Bitdefender’s secure delete feature lets you permanently remove files from your PC — provided they’re stored on a hard-disk drive (HDD). Total Security’s File Shredder feature uses the Department of Defense 5520.22-M three-pass method to “shred” your data, which works on HDDs but isn’t as effective on solid-state drives (SSDs). In fact, this way of deleting data can shorten the life of an SSD. With most laptops now using SSDs, this feature will only be useful if you have an external HDD you store sensitive documents on. But Bitdefender is equal to rival antivirus software in this regard. OneClick Optimizer This utility hunts for Windows files, registry items, and internet files it can nuke — all in the name of tuning up your PC. But while OneClick Optimizer can quickly wipe away seemingly unnecessary data, it shares little detail about what gets tossed. That’s a big problem for anything related to your registry — a place where even seasoned PC users tread cautiously. (And in general, you should always know what you’re deleting.) If OneClick Optimizer listed what it gets rid of, perhaps I would have ended up less wary of it. But it only names three categories (Software Locations, Shared DLLs, and Help files) and how many “issues” found in each. You don’t get nearly enough information about what Bitdefender wants to do in Windows’ registry. You don’t get nearly enough information about what Bitdefender wants to do in Windows’ registry. PCWorld You don’t get nearly enough information about what Bitdefender wants to do in Windows’ registry. PCWorld PCWorld Given how vague the tool is overall, I still recommend Windows’ built-in Disk Cleanup app and purging browsing data in the app itself. This method leaves the registry alone and lets you have much more control, while only being slightly more cumbersome. Safepay Safepay is a sandboxed browser — that is, a secure environment for accessing sensitive websites, kept separate from everything else running in Windows. Bitdefender promotes this feature as meant for bank websites, and if you navigate to a known banking site, you’ll see a pop-up asking if you want to load it in Safepay. Within this isolated desktop is a browser with a similar feel as Chrome, but far more bare-bones. You get no extensions and few settings. However, it offers a virtual keyboard, which is a bit cumbersome but useful for those concerned about keyloggers. You can use Safepay with most websites, though videos don’t play. Also, Bitdefender doesn’t react to all common financial or sensitive websites — for example, I didn’t see the pop up for irs.gov nor less common banks in the U.S. You’ll have to open Safepay and navigate there yourself. A suggestion to use Safepay appears when you visit some banking websites. A suggestion to use Safepay appears when you visit some banking websites.PCWorld A suggestion to use Safepay appears when you visit some banking websites.PCWorld PCWorld Customer support Should you ever need assistance with Bitdefender, the app contains a help page, which you can access by clicking the life-preserver icon in the upper top-right of the window. It offers direct links to Bitdefender’s support website (which includes video tutorials), community forums, and even a full user guide. You can also contact the company by email, chat, or phone. Updates and maintenance  You can change update frequency in general app settings. By default, updates run automatically in the background once per hour. You can stretch this frequency to once every 24 hours (with adjustments available in hourly increments). If for some reason you’re on a limited internet connect, you can turn off automatic updates, but your PC will be better protected if you leave it on. Bitdefender also allows you to run updates in the foreground, so that you see when they happen. However, it does not let users perform manual checks for updates. Performance Bitdefender takes top marks in independent tests performed by security research institutes. In AV-Test’s zero-day attack and malware tests for March and April 2024 (the most current results released by the organization), Bitdefender caught 100 percent of the 316 zero-day attack samples and 19,228 widespread and prevalent malware samples. Meanwhile in AV-Comparatives’ real-world protection test for February through May 2024, Bitdefender detected 99.6 percent of the 489 test cases, with two false positives. (A false positive is when the antivirus software blocks a legitimate download or website.) The samples were a combination of drive-by downloads, malicious web addresses, and URLs linking directly to malware. AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024. AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024. PCWorld AV-Comparatives’ real-world test results for February through May 2024. PCWorld PCWorld Similarly, Bitdefender ranked high in AV-Comparatives’ March 2024 malware protection test. Of the 16 antivirus programs tested, Bitdefender scored a 96.1 percent online detection rate, 99.92 percent online protection rate, and 96.1 offline detection rate, with four false positives. Even when you don’t have an active internet connection, you’re well-protected. Only two other antivirus programs had similarly high marks across the board. In AV-Comparatives’ November 2023 Advanced Threat Protection Test, Bitdefender detected 14 of the 15 threats, putting it in the lead ahead of the six other companies that participated in the evaluation. This test checks to see how well an antivirus suite handles more sophisticated, targeted threats like malicious scripts and fileless attacks. AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024. AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024. PCWorld AV-Comparatives’ malware test results for March 2024. PCWorld PCWorld When idle in the background, Bitdefender generally has a light impact on system performance. Its effect was minimal when our test laptop encoded a large video into a smaller 1080p30 file (our Handbrake benchmark), and during PCMark 10’s simulation of video conferencing, web browsing, and editing in open-source image and document programs. However, Bitdefender’s impact crept up when document editing in Microsoft Office apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with UL Procyon test scores falling by about 9.5 percent. When running a heavy scan, Bitdefender can notably affect performance on mid-range and budget PCs — even when set to “low” impact in its settings. Blasting a continuous full scan while running each benchmark dropped PCMark 10 scores by almost 20 percent and UL Procyon results by a sizable 35 percent. Handbrake encodes were less affected, with a 10 percent increase in time needed. However, while these performance decreases sound scary, they’re a reflection of the hardest strain on your PC. I forced Bitdefender to scan the files as if they’d never been checked before, in order to see how hard it would hit our test laptop. But by default, the app only scans new and changed files (as common among antivirus software these days), which reduces the effort needed to check over your PC. For many people, your experience likely will be closer to the idle performance (as outlined above), unless you often work with large batches of fresh or altered files. Is Bitdefender Total Security worth it? Bitdefender Total Security offers top-notch protection in an easy-to-use app. Its main weaknesses are the limitations of a couple of features, like VPN access and Anti-Theft tools, and the questionable usefulness of its OneClick Optimizer utility. But even though rivals like Norton give more bang for the buck, this antivirus software delivers on what matters most, which is keeping your PC (and other devices) safe. Just don’t pay for the 5-device license when you can get the 10-device one for only a few dollars more. Read...