Buy BitDefender Total Security 2010 securely online at a bargain price $69.95We've been impressed in the past by BitDefender and Total Security 2009 was one of the best alternatives to more established names in this market. The new version promises a similarly comprehensive set of features and had us wondering exactly what else the company can do to improve on its past success.
Installation is quick and easy and setup involves registering an account, selecting a default settings profile for the software (choose between ‘typical', ‘parent', ‘gamer' or ‘custom'), the nature of your home setup and a level of expertise from novice to expert. This configures the software nicely for first-time use and it's easy to change these modes later if necessary.
We liked the interface of the previous version, which managed to collect a wide range of tools together in an approachable and manageable way. There has been an aesthetic refresh here to make things a bit more colourful and streamlined but thankfully the general layout remains the same, splitting tools into a general ‘dashboard' overview, security, tune-up, file-storage and network.
Another useful feature that has been retained is the software's ability to track and report potential system issues, varying from out of date virus definitions to backup and tune-up recommendations, Windows update alerts and registry clean-up. Monitored areas can be configured manually and flagged issues can be corrected using the ‘Fix all' method or individually, as required.
The clever way of structuring the interface and alerts in the ‘basic' and ‘novice' modes is necessary to keep track of the wide range of utilities provided with Total Security. Aside from essential firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-phishing, additional security includes anti-spam, parental control, home network monitoring and system vulnerability checks. There's also a range of tune-up tools that include a defragmenter, disc and registry clean-up and a duplicate file finder. Files can be encrypted or permanently wiped, and local backups are complemented by 2GB of online storage.
For a more detailed look at how these features work, check out last year's review of the software, since not much has changed, but suffice to say that this comprehensive collection is up there with the best on the market. The package is easy to configure and use, with additional features accessible in the ‘advanced' mode using a more conventional layout. The aforementioned profiles are a useful new way to switch between different software configurations without having to manually change settings, and they improve usability further.
Aside from tweaks to the interface there aren't any major additions to the software or tool-set this year, with the majority of improvements focused around refreshing security to cope with new threats, speedier scans and improved intrusion detection. Parental controls are also far more detailed and now allow you to track activities and set specific time intervals at which children can access the web.
In terms of performance, BitDefender seems to have retained the impressive statistics from recent versions and still has a low impact on system resources. Scans are notably faster thanks to a new optimised approach, which skips files that are known to be safe, and while independent certification is pending from bodies such as West Coast Labs and VBA, we would expect these to go through without a hitch if last year's performance was anything to go by.
We're not too concerned with the lack of major additions to Total Security 2010, as there's not a lot that can be added to a security suite that was already so feature-packed. It's refreshing to see that BitDefender hasn't jacked up the price to reflect its ability to compete with similarly feature-packed rivals such as Norton 360, and at £44.95 (covering three PCs for one year) for the Total Security suite this is good value for money.
Those who aren't interested in tune-up, backup and the file shredder will alternatively be able to access the rest of the tools on offer with the ‘Internet Security' alternative, which costs £29.95. Finally, users of the 2009 version will be able to upgrade for free for the remainder of their existing subscription period (if relevant), which, along with the free 30-day trial, is an excellent way to test out the new version for a little while before upgrading.
BitDefender - Total Security 2010 features - VerdictBitDefender sticks with a tried and trusted formula for its 2010 range and this is certainly no bad thing. The suite is as feature-packed as they come, is extremely approachable for new users and still offers the level of tweaking advanced users may prefer. Its system monitoring and notification tools work well, and low impact on performance and water-tight security offer plenty of peace of mind. The low price point rounds off this package and we'd still consider this to be one of the best alternatives to more expensive, more established suites such as Norton 360.
BitDefender - Total Security 2010 priceBuy BitDefender Total Security 2010 securely online at a bargain price $69.95
