Over the years, I’ve used many different Security solutions on my PC and none of them have been just right for me. I’ve used Norton, McAfee, eScan, Kaspersky, Avast and OneCare Live; Yet, I’ve always been dissatisfied with something with each one of those products. Now, I’m with Bit Defender and I’ve finally found the Security solution that meets my needs and keeps me satisfied...

Bit Defender Total Security 2008 is a complete security suite combined with PC tune-up and back-up features. Bit Defender Total Security 2008 includes: Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Phishing, Anti-Spam, Firewall, Parental Controls, PC Tune-Up programs, PC Back-Up programs, and Gamer Mode. Bit Defender Total Security 2008 was very easy to install, requiring only a few clicks of the mouse to accept the license agreement and the location to which it should be installed.

The Interface of Bit Defender Total Security 2008

The main interface of Bit Defender Total Security 2008 is its Security Center. The Security Center is broken up into two different fields. On the top-half is Status and on the bottom-half is Quick Tasks. On the status top-half, you will see, from left to right, the word Status and a short message stating if any or no issues are affecting your system. If issues are affecting your system, a button displaying Fix All Issues will appear. Next, there are four different squares: Security, Parental Control, Tune-Up, and Back-Up.
When everything is running and working as it should be, a green sphere with a check mark inside of it will be displayed. If a minor issue happens, the green sphere with the check mark will turn into a yellow sphere with an exclamation point in it. If something really bad happens, the yellow sphere with an exclamation point will turn into a red sphere with an exclamation point. Also, another possibility is a grey sphere with an X in it; this means a category has not been configured yet, for example, such as Parental Controls.

Clicking on any of the four squares will take you to a list of issues that are currently affecting that specific category. The lists are divided into four sections: Monitor, Item description, current status, and action. Under the Monitor section, are check boxes which allow you to tell Bit Defender what it should monitor or what it should not monitor. For example, say you don’t need parental controls on your computer; well, just simply uncheck the box and it will disable. If you change your mind at a later time, you can always simply recheck the box. The Item Description explains the item in detail. The current status lets you know if the item is enabled or disabled and if any issues exist with that item. Finally action, will either display an OK or Fix (in red text) allowing you to fix that specific issue.

On the bottom-half of the Security Center, you’ll find the Quick Tasks which are divided into 3 tabs: Security, Back-Up, and Tune-up. Under the Security tab you’ll find: Update Now, Scan My Documents, Deep System Scan and Full System Scan. Under the Back-Up tab you’ll find: Start Back-Up Wizard, Back-Up Settings, and Start Restore Wizard. Under the Tune-Up Tab you’ll find: Defrag Disks, Find Duplicate Files, Clean Internet Files, Shred Files, Clean Registry and Recover Registry. Under Quick Tasks, in the lower right-hand corner you’ll find: Settings and History and above the Status field you’ll find going across: Buy, My Account, Register, Help, and Support buttons.

The Settings button (In the lower right-hand corner of the Security Center) allows you to fine tune each and everything aspect of Bit Defender Total Security 2008 to your heart’s desire!

The Security/Programs of Bit Defender Total Security 2008

Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware

In my opinion the Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware engine of Bit Defender is fantastic. The engine is very effective at spotting trouble before it happens. This is thanks to its heuristic analysis called “B-HAVE”, which allows it to recognize new viruses. To be honest, I don’t fully understand how it does this, but it does it regardless! The Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware can be setup to be Aggressive, Permissive, or custom-based.

Firewall

The Firewall included in Bit Defender Total Security 2008 is very advanced, yet simple to operate. The Firewall is two-way based (Inbound and Outbound connections) with options to control specific programs and ports. The Firewall features three different Levels: Ask (Allowing you to choose what to allow and block), Allow Recommended (Bit Defender Automatically allows/blocks traffic based upon your rules and a preset white list constantly updated by the Bit Defender team), and Gamer mode (which allows/blocks traffic based upon your rules and it will allow any traffic related to gaming).

Anti-Phishing and Anti-Spam

The Anti-Phishing features filter accessed web pages to check for fraud attempts and through the Anti-Spam by blocking spam e-mails. The Anti-Spam included in Bit Defender Total Security 2008 is very good at blocking spam e-mails. Yes, I do use Gmail, but I still sometimes get spam even with the excellent Gmail filter. Thanks to Bit Defender Total Security 2008’s Anti-Spam, I no longer get the occasional Male enhancement e-mails that slip through Gmail’s filter!

Parental Controls

Bit Defender Total Security 2008 includes a vast set of Parental Controls that allow control over applications, web-access, key words, and even a time scheduler that allows access to items only during certain times of day. You can even set a filter based upon Child, Teenager, or even Adult! How cool is that?

PC Tune-Up Programs

Bit Defender Total Security 2008 includes a Disk Defragmenter, Internet File Cleaner, Registry Cleaner, and a File Shredder. The Disk Defragmenter does a very good job and works a lot faster and more efficiently than the one included with Windows XP, but I’m still sticking with Executive Software Diskeeper Pro 9.0 as my Disk Defragmenter.

PC Back-Up Programs

The Back-Up Features of Bit Defender Total Security 2008 allow you to back-up anything on your hard-drive(s) or removable media, like a flash-drive. You can select specific files or even a whole drive if you choose! Then just select where you want to put the back-up. You can even set it to backup data automatically based on a time period such as everyday, every other day, etc. If disaster ever strikes, such as a hard-drive crash; you’ll want to be prepared just in case. With these tools you’re all set.

Advantages and Overall Opinion of Bit Defender Total Security 2008

I’m really impressed with the Bit Defender Total Security 2008 suite; It includes hourly updates that happen automatically, an excellent support team available 24/7 by phone or e-mail for no extra charge, and it’s so light on system resources, you’ll simply be amazed. It really does include everything you need to protect and maintain your PC. I highly recommend giving the 30-Day Trial a spin. After trying this excellent suite, I think you’ll agree that Bit Defender Total Security 2008 is the best around!

Special Thanks to nc10 for adding this to the Epinions database!

Recommended: Yes