Do You Need It?
Given that Windows 8 has built-in antivirus protection that's turned on by default, do you actually need a third party antivirus? Catalin Cosoi, Chief Security Researcher at Bitdefender, certainly thinks so. "I don't know how many security researchers they have at Microsoft," said Cosoi, "but I don't think it's nearly as many as we have at Bitdefender." He noted that the built-in antivirus relies on signatures for known threats, so a zero-day threat will slip through.
Given that Windows 8 has built-in antivirus protection that's turned on by default, do you actually need a third party antivirus? Catalin Cosoi, Chief Security Researcher at Bitdefender, certainly thinks so. "I don't know how many security researchers they have at Microsoft," said Cosoi, "but I don't think it's nearly as many as we have at Bitdefender." He noted that the built-in antivirus relies on signatures for known threats, so a zero-day threat will slip through.
"Internet Explorer 10 is very good at blocking the bad websites," added Cosoi, "but Windows 8 offers no similar protection for Firefox or Chrome." He concluded that Windows 8 is definitely safer than previous versions, but users still need to add third-party security.
The Windows 8 product offers the same array of protective features found in Bitdefender Internet Security 2013 and adds a number of features specific to Windows 8. It uses Microsoft's ELAM (Early Launch Anti-Malware) technology to start protection early in the boot process, before any malware can launch. A built-in scanner specifically analyzes your Windows 8 apps and warns if any have been compromised. And its "scan boost" technology speeds scanning using whitelisting and cloud scanning, among other techniques.
Bitdefender InsightBitdefender Insight, a Modern UI app, will be available for free from the Windows 8 store as soon as Microsoft approves it. Running standalone, all it does is keep you posted with news and alerts from Bitdefender. However, once you install the actual security suite it serves as the user interface when you're not in desktop mode.
When linked with the suite, Bitdefender Insight continues to present news and alerts but also tracks your overall security status. You can use it to start a scan, check for updates, or launch Bitdefender's SafePay secure browser, all while staying in the Modern UI.
Bitdefender Security for Windows 8 is available directly from the company's website. A one-year license costs $59.95. You can also get three licenses for $74.95, or five for $119.95. As noted, the Bitdefender Insight Modern UI app will be a free download from the Windows 8 store.
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