BitDefender Total Security 2009

BitDefender Total Security 2009

The best Total Security 2009
by Neil J. Rubenking
source : www.pcmag.com

with lots of settings to tweak and plenty of information exposed. However, last year's suite took a strong turn toward the mainstream, with a simple big-button user interface reminiscent of Norton 360. BitDefender's UI designers have accomplished another extreme makeover in the $79.95 (direct) BitDefender Internet Security 2009, striving to attract average users. But geeks needn't worry—all the gory details are still accessible for those who can understand them. And this version adds a host of new features to the suite's already rich collection.

Your purchase gets you three licenses, with 2GB of online backup shared among the three. If you don't want the backup and tune-up features, you can save a little money by getting BitDefender Internet Security 2009 at $49.95 for three licenses instead. The company's pricing is more flexible than most—you can buy 1, 3, 5, or 10 licenses for 1, 2, or 3 years. Naturally, the yearly per-user price goes down with more licenses or more years.

New Interface

The suite's new look features a sparse main "dashboard" that shows overall status. If there are any issues affecting security, the dashboard offers not one but two buttons to fix all issues. Clicking either brings up a list of items to fix and lets you do so individually or all at once, which is much the same as what you'll encounter with Norton Internet Security 2008 and Kaspersky Internet Security 2009. A list of tasks lets you check for updates or run a full or deep scan.

As you select the program's other four main tabs, the task list at right changes appropriately. The Security tab encompasses all of the essential security features subdivided into four areas: local security, online security, parental control, and vulnerability scan. From the Tune-up tab, you can run a wide variety of tools to clean up unnecessary files and tune system performance. The File Manager tab offers access to the file vault (encrypted storage) and to local and online backup. And the Network tab lets you remotely monitor and configure other installations of the product across your home or small-office network.

Unlike any other suite I've seen, BitDefender puts you in charge of which system elements are considered critical. Each item in the Security tab includes a check box that determines whether or not the item is monitored. If the box is checked, then the status bar will turn red any time the corresponding feature is disabled or not working properly.

As you move the mouse around the main window, a help panel at the bottom offers information about whatever control you're pointing at—a nice touch. But all of the interface's controls act like links rather than buttons, which I don't like. Some of the actions launched by these controls are slow to appear, and without the visual "press" of a button, I was often left wondering whether the suite had actually recognized that I clicked something. This problem was especially pronounced in my virtual-machine test systems but was still noticeable on a physical test system.—Next: Extensive Virus Protection