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Bitdefender

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BitDefender
Company typePrivate
IndustryComputer software
Founded2001
FounderFlorin and Mariuca Talpes
HeadquartersBucharest, Romania
Area served
Computer security
ProductsBitdefender Antivirus 2010, BitDefender Internet Security 2010, BitDefender Total Securtiy 2010.
ServicesSecurity
SubsidiariesUSA, UK, Spain, Germany
WebsiteBitDefender.com

BitDefender is an antivirus software suite developed by Romania-based software company SOFTWIN. It was launched in November 2001,[1] and is currently in its thirteenth version. The 2010 version was launched in August 2009, and it includes several protection and performance enhancements.

The BitDefender products feature antivirus and antispyware, personal firewall, privacy control, user control and backup for corporate and home users. PC Tuneup is available in the Total Security Suite.[2]

History

BitDefender replaced SOFTWIN's earlier AVX [3] (AntiVirus eXpert) product range. Between 1996 and 2001 AVX became a product available worldwide that offered intelligent updating without user intervention and integrated an internal browser which scanned and monitored all downloaded files. AVX hold the first behavior- based application blocking technology and it was the first antivirus product to include personal firewall features. With the sixth generation of AVX, the product became the first antivirus to include an application firewall as well as behavior- based blocking. The BitDefender group spun off from SOFTWIN in 2007.

BitDefender products

The BitDefender range includes antivirus products for home users, businesses, enterprise users and Internet service providers. Home editions support Microsoft Windows, Symbian OS, Windows Mobile and Mac OS X (Beta); business and enterprise editions support Microsoft Windows, Linux and FreeBSD. The current version of the Home/Home Office security suite includes antivirus, anti-spyware, firewall, e-mail spam filtering, backup, tune-up and parental control components.[4] A free basic online scan is offered via the BitDefender website. The Free version however does require free registration and is valid for 1 year after registration.

Bitdefender is designed to protect computers from viruses and spyware. Older versions of BitDefender are made available for free download when newer versions are released. The first version which was made freely available was version 6. As of May 2009, version 12 of BitDefender is freely available for download. Unlike the commercial version, the free version only offers an on-demand virus scanning and doesn't provide real time scanning, and may therefore be less suitable for machines with a continuous connection to the internet.[5]

File:Basic dashboard ts.png
Bitdefender Total Security 2009 - Basic view
File:BitDefender Total Security2010.png
Bitdefender Total Security 2010 - Intermediate mode


Home/Home Office Business ISP
BitDefender Total Security 2010[6] *Product Suites Security for Exchange
BitDefender Internet Security 2010[7] BitDefender Small Office Security Security for Mail Servers (Win SMTP, Linux, FreeBSD)
BitDefender Antivirus 2010 BitDefender Business Security
BitDefender Free Edition BitDefender SBS Security
BitDefender Mobile Security v2 BitDefender Corporate Security
BitDefender GameSafe *Workstation Security and Management
BitDefender Client and Security
BitDefender Antivirus Scanner for Unices
*File Server Security
BitDefender Security for File Servers
BitDefender Security for Samba
BitDefender Security for SharePoint
*Mail Server Security
BitDefender Security for Exchange
BitDefender Security for Mail Servers
*Gateway Security
BitDefender Security for ISA Servers

BitDefender Technologies

BitDefender Antispam NeuNet

BitDefender Antispam NeuNet[8], short for Neural Network is an antispam filter pre-trained by the BitDefender Antispam Lab on a series of spam messages, so that it learns to recognize new spam by perceiving its similarities with the messages it has already examined.

B-HAVE

In May 2005[9] BitDefender introduced a new technology, B-HAVE (patent pending), to reduce dependency on virus signatures through proactive detection of unknown threats. This technology is based on behavioral analysis in a virtualized environment.

To determine whether a program is malicious or not, this technology makes use of a virtual PC in which files are executed and analyzed. The virtual PC includes a set of virtual hardware devices, mimicking the configuration of a typical PC. B-HAVE checks for characteristics known to be associated with malware. A program may be deemed to be malicious if it attempts to modify certain files, read from or write to a sensitive area of the memory or create a file that is a product of a known virus. When attempting to use an un-trusted program, B-HAVE delays the launching until the program’s behavior and characteristics are analyzed and catalogued in the virtual environment. If no malicious actions are detected, B-HAVE starts the program normally; if a suspect conduct is present, B-HAVE automatically quarantines or deletes the application[10].


Active Virus Control

Incorporated in the 2010 product suites, BitDefender introduced another technology, Active Virus Control, in August 2009.[11]

Active Virus Control continuously monitors each program [12] (specific processes) running on the PC, as it executes, and it notes any malware-like actions. Each of these actions is scored and when a given threshold is reached, the process is reported as harmful. Unlike heuristic technologies that check executable files when they are accessed or first started, Active Virus Control monitors everything applications do as long as they are active. Because of this approach, Active Virus Control is considered a third layer of defense.

Independent tests

In reviews for BitDefender, the home version of the suite was given the PC Answers editor's choice award in a comparative review in May 2007.[13] As of June 2007, BitDefender had passed Virus Bulletin's VB100 independent tests 14 times out of 18 since first tested in 2002.[14] It also achieved an advanced certification from AV Comparatives for on-demand scanning,[15] and standard level certification for catching unknown viruses, though it was criticised for its slower scanning speed and higher instances of false positives.[16] The performance of BitDefender's heuristic antivirus technology was measured using the detection rate of new and unknown viruses in a test conducted by Anti Malware Test.[17] In another test conducted by AV Comparatives in August 2009[18] to determine the antivirus software with high detection rates and the lowest false positives rating, BitDefender received an Advanced+ Certification. The latest version, BitDefender 2010, received a "Recommended" award at IT Reviews.[19] In a test conducted by PCMag, BitDefender 2010 , "detected 97 percent of all the threats and completely blocked installation for most of them".[20] It is also the least expensive of the top three antivirus solutions, as ranked by PC World.[21]

Uninstallation

BitDefender can be uninstalled either by using the system tools, or by using a special uninstall tool.[22]

Auslogic

Auslogic sell a re-branded version of BitDefender 2010 under licence.[23]

Support

Although being criticized in May 2009[24] as being unresponsive, support is available 24/7 on telephone, e-mail, Livechat and a knowledge base[25].

Trojan.FakeAlert.5 problem

On March 20, 2010, computers running Bitdefender under 64 bit versions of Windows were affected by a malfunctioning update which classified every executable program as well as dll files as infected. These files were all marked as 'Trojan.FakeAlert.5' and were moved into quarantine. This action led to software and systems malfunctions that affected users around the world. [26]

BitDefender representatives announced the removal of the faulty update and a workaround for the users affected, [27]except for those using the 2008 version.[28]

References

  1. ^ "BitDefender Product History".
  2. ^ BitDefender Total Security 2010 User Guide
  3. ^ "Antivirus eXpert"
  4. ^ "PC Advisor Review - BitDefender 10.0".
  5. ^ "BitDefender Free Version". BitDefender. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  6. ^ http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351546,00.asp BitDefender Total Security 2010 review
  7. ^ http://www.tonybradley.com/2009/08/bitdefender-internet-security-2010/BitDefender Internet Security 2010 review
  8. ^ http://www.zdnet.com.au/whitepaper/0,2000063328,22430400p-16001275q,00.htm?omnRef=http://www.google.ro/search?hl=ro&q=&omnRef=1337 BitDefender Antispam NeuNet
  9. ^ Product History
  10. ^ B-HAVE – The Road To Success
  11. ^ BitDefender 2010 for Windows 7
  12. ^ Security for Everyone - Reviewing BitDefender Internet Security 2010
  13. ^ "Group Test: AV Software" (PDF). PC Answers magazine. Future Publishing. May 2007. pp. 118–125. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ "Virus Bulletin: VB100 Results - BitDefender (SOFTWIN)".
  15. ^ "Anti-Virus Comparative February 2007".
  16. ^ "BitDefender 10 review". PC World. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  17. ^ http://www.anti-malware-test.com/?q=node/39 Key results from the proactive antivirus protection test
  18. ^ http://www.av-comparatives.org/images/stories/test/ondret/avc_report23.pdf
  19. ^ http://www.itreviews.co.uk/software/s800.htm IT Reviews Award
  20. ^ PCMag BitDefender Total Security 2010
  21. ^ "Chart of top antivirus performers". PC World. 23 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  22. ^ How to uninstall BitDefender
  23. ^ BitDefender and Auslogics Partner
  24. ^ BitDefender support issues
  25. ^ http://www.bitdefender.com/help
  26. ^ "Bad BitDefender Update Clobbers Windows PCs".
  27. ^ "Trojan.FakeAlert.5 Update issue".
  28. ^ http://arstechnica.com/software/news/2010/03/bitdefender-update-breaks-64-bit-windows-pcs.ars
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