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Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac Review: 2018 Update 0 Views 0 by admin The last version of Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac was included in our roundup of antivirus apps earlier this year and, although we thought it contained some neat features, we were a little disappointed by our test results. Feb 18, 2017 BitDefender Antivirus Plus 2018 is also compatible with Mac and Android. If you own a Mac, the operating system should be at least OS X Mavericks ( version 10.9.5). Other compatible Mac operating systems are OS X Yosemite (at least 10.10), OS X El Capitan (at least 10.11) and the latest MacOS Sierra (version 10.12). Here, we're putting Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac through its paces to bring you a full review of the software. You'll find more Mac security reviews in our round-up of the best antivirus for Mac.
- Bitdefender antivirus 2018 central In order to install you need to setup a Bitdefender Central account and provide the actual serial number to download the software. The Bitdefender Central account will be your place to manage your subscription(s).
- Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac (v6.1) review: Poor performance during real-world use Bitdefender may have sterling marks from security labs, but version 6.1 isn't nearly so effective during real.
- BitDefender Antivirus Plus 2018 is also compatible with Mac and Android. If you own a Mac, the operating system should be at least OS X Mavericks ( version 10.9.5). Other compatible Mac operating systems are OS X Yosemite (at least 10.10), OS X El Capitan (at least 10.11) and the latest MacOS Sierra (version 10.12).
- Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac 2018 performs absolute protection for Mac and is specially designed for the specific users. As one of the Bitdefender antivirus packs, this antivirus for Mac gives premium protection with Multi-Layer Ransomware Protection, zero negative system impact and Autopilot for continuous protection.
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Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
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If you looked at the lab ratings for Bitdefender Antivirus, it would be easy to assume that this software package nails its focus on malware protection. It received the highest possible detection scores from AV-TEST and AV Comparatives: 100 percent percent from AV-TEST for macOS PUA detection, and above 99 percent for identifying Windows malware.
But those scores don’t tell the whole story. When I tested browser-based delivery of malware, Bitdefender did indeed detect and block whatever I threw at it. However, when testing against downloading and decompressing macOS malware, it fared much worse.
Note: This review is part of our best antivirus roundup. Go there for details about competing products and how we tested them.
Bitdefender didn’t stop me when I downloaded macOS malware from the Objective See archive, decompressed it, and tried to launch it. (It was macOS that blocked the launch, because the samples were all either unsigned or used revoked certificates.) Bitdefender also didn’t catch it during an automatic scan. I had to run a Custom Scan in that specific folder for it to detect the malware. Even then, the file remained in place, but was no longer launchable. I tried this with other pieces of malware, and the same happened, except the file was deleted. There seemed to be no clear reason for why a file might be disabled instead of deleted, or visa versa.
Best Antivirus 2018 For Mac
This experience indicates that Bitdefender can’t be relied upon for real-time protection. Competing products detected malware as soon as they were decompressed or, in the worst case, when I tried to open or launch them.
Beyond its problems with scanning, the app’s minimalist interface makes it hard to find more information. The quarantined file area is found under Preferences, as are logs. Files held in quarantine show just a malware ID and file path, as well as Restore and Delete buttons. You get nothing to click for more information, no repair option, and no other detail.
The native web browser isn’t installed automatically. Instead, you have to click a link on the app, click a link on a web page, and install it. Bitdefender offers cloud support for certain remote access operations, but it’s a relatively small set compared to what you can do in the app.
I also tested the included parental controls in passing. The web filtering worked so well, it couldn’t be turned off. After using the cloud-based interface to configure a profile and enable it on the test Mac, I then disabled it—and despite reboots and other attempts, and contacting the company’s representative, was unable to disable. Before attempting an uninstall and reinstall, I tried re-enabling parental controls again on the Mac with a new child’s profile and then disabling it again. That process did the trick.
The bottom line
Avira Free Antivirus 2018 For Mac
Bitdefender may have sterling marks from security labs, but we can’t recommend it due to ineffective real-time detection, lack of active ransomware monitoring, problematic parental control configuration, and a high price relative to competitors.
Version tested: 6.1
Best Antivirus Software 2018
Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac
Learn moreBitdefender may have sterling marks from security labs, but we can’t recommend it due to ineffective real-time detection, lack of active ransomware monitoring, problematic parental control configuration, and a high price relative to competitors.
Cons
- No active ransomware monitoring
- Allowed the download and launch of macOS malware
- Couldn’t initially disable parental control mode after enabling
- Doesn’t automatically install browser extension