Security

Review: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2020 Stops Malware in Its Tracks

Boost remote cybersecurity with this feature-rich anti-virus software.

Carlos Soto is an award-winning reviewer and journalist with 20 years of experience covering technology and business within various sectors and industries.

Small businesses are a target-rich environment for cyberattacks. Threat actors understand that small organizations have fewer resources with which to defend themselves.

Personal information stored by small businesses can also act as a gateway for criminals looking to attack other sectors and larger businesses. Why attack a highly protected enterprise server directly if it’s easier to extrapolate credentials stored by a small business partner?

Exacerbating the danger for businesses is the ongoing pandemic, which seems to be amplifying the number of malware attacks attempted each day. These challenges highlight the need for solutions like Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2020.

Normally bundled with other solutions, such as Bitdefender Total Security 2020, it offers threat detection that thwarts malware attacks of all kinds. I tested Antivirus Plus 2020 by infecting laptops and iOS and Android devices with a host of viruses. I also visited several sites well known to be fake. At every step, Antivirus Plus 2020 was able to stop all infections and remediate each attempted breach.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2020 features multilayer ransomware protection to keep files safe. It easily eliminates known malware and monitors suspicious behavior, such as ransomware trying to gain a foothold.

With its Advanced Threat Defense module, Bitdefender also protects all important files from illicit encryption by ransomware at a level that includes mitigating attacks and recovering any damages in real time.

WATCH: Learn how to improve security for the remote workforce, from the experts.

Businesses Need a Smart Defense

Bitdefender also provides network-level threat protection using threat intelligence, identifying suspicious network-level activities. This new series of technologies also blocks sophisticated exploits, such as botnet-related URL attacks and brute force incursions.

Its advanced threat defense uses behavioral detection to closely monitor active applications. As soon as it detects anything suspicious, it stops that behavior and prevents any potential infection.

Small businesses may be an inviting target for threat actors, but Bitdefender’s anti-virus technology offers reliable protection against everything from basic attacks to the most advanced threats.

Bitdefender Antivirus Is Loaded with Features

Aside from a robust anti-virus platform, Bitdefender offers a host of other impressive features. Among the most notable is Safepay, which helps secure online banking and other transactions. By default, Bitdefender detects when users navigate to a banking site in any browser and prompts them to launch it in Safepay

But its use is not limited to banking; any website can be opened in Safepay if users choose to do so. The feature blocks unauthorized access to users’ desktops, guards against any attempt to take snapshots of the main screen and protects online passwords by safeguarding them in a built-in password manager. Safepay even comes with a virtual keyboard that thwarts a hacker’s ability to read keystrokes and operates independently from other browsers.

Finally, Safepay provides hotspot protection when computers are connected to unsecured Wi-Fi networks; for instance, at a coffee shop or hotel. Safepay also supports bookmarks, which lets users navigate safely among favorite banking and shopping sites.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus Security 2020 also adds a Windows firewall and a spam filter to keep users safe online or simply when checking their mail. The firewall continuously scans web connections and can even halt webcam hijacking.

Another great feature not often seen in an anti-virus platform is Safe Files, which prevents unauthorized changes to important documents and files. By simply adding folders to the program’s watch list, Bitdefender guards the files within against ransomware and other types of malware. The end user can then decide which applications are trusted enough to access the designated Safe Files area.

Finally, Bitdefender adds anti-phishing capability that includes protection from online scams.

For employees working from home and away from their IT departments, protection like that offered by Bitdefender can be invaluable, stopping not only common threats, such as viruses, but also many of the most advanced attacks used online today.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2020

OS:Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GHz
RAM: 2GB
AVAILABLE HD SPACE REQUIRED: 2.5GB