BitDefender Internet Security 2013

Bottom Line

BitDefender Internet Security 2013 (*Est. $25 for 3 PCs) remains one of the best-reviewed Internet security suites, earning high marks for malware protection as well as its features to protect financial transactions. Its excellent protection includes keeping you safe from attacks from the Internet, social media, email, network-connected devices and USB devices, though the software is sometimes a little slow during cleanup. Beginners can use its default Autopilot mode, while more advanced users can highly customize the settings.

Ease of Use

Interface for all users. BitDefender Internet Security 2013 offers both a highly customizable installation process for experienced users, and an "autopilot" mode so novices don't have to worry about settings and options. Reviewers report that BitDefender Internet Security 2013's interface is straightforward and well laid out, so that beginner users can navigate it easily.

Experienced users can access advanced options and customizable settings. The software installs a widget on the desktop, rather than in your browser toolbar, to show your protection status and give shortcuts to some of the software's features, such as antivirus and firewall settings. Unlike most security software, BitDefender has three system status levels: green for secure, yellow for problems that need attention and red for immediate security risks.

Features

Mobile device protection. MyBitDefender is a useful feature that lets you manage all your BitDefender services, apps and mobile Android devices from a single web portal. Those who conduct financial business online will appreciate the Safepay feature, which uses sandboxing technology to provide a safe space in which to conduct your transactions by closing off the rest of your operating system.

In addition, there is a virtual keyboard that defeats keyloggers who try to capture passwords, credit card details and other sensitive information. In social media protection, the Safego tool scans the links on your Facebook wall. In addition to setting up blocks to the Internet, parental controls include the ability to keep watch on your children's Facebook profile and their use of online messaging and web access.

Performance

Accurate, but not the fastest. Running BitDefender Internet Security 2013 will only marginally slow down your computer system, adding just 3.5 seconds to the startup time in PCWorld's test. However, several reviewers remark that the software can take a long time to clean up an infected system, and that scanning for viruses isn't the quickest. Although it may be a little slow, BitDefender Internet Security 2013 performs among the top of its class in malware protection, earning the highest rating in PCWorld's real-world attack and system cleanup tests. In the strict and thorough test conditions at AV-Test labs, BitDefender earns excellent ratings with effective anti-phishing abilities and accurate anti-spam protection. At Expert Reviews, BitDefender Internet Security 2013 is the only Internet security software to have a perfect score in the false positives testing, meaning that it didn't stop any valid emails while filtering out the malicious ones.