BitDefender 8 Widens Security Net With Antispam

BitDefender has always offered significant antivirus protection, as well as an effective firewall. With the antispam component now included, BitDefender 8 Professional Plus provides a more complete solution including Internet applications control and content, script and cookie controls. The new Professional Plus software can protect computers from viruses, hackers, spyware and other threats.

BitDefender 8 Professional Plus costs $44.95 per system, but resellers are entitled to volume discounts that can lower the cost to less than $30 per system. BitDefender Standard Edition without the firewall or antispam functionality costs $29.95.

Known viruses are fairly easy to detect, but problems can arise from undocumented threats. BitDefender's antivirus software uses robust scan engines to study the normal behavior of applications. The software can identify behavior that's out of the ordinary, thus effectively detecting undocumented viruses, Trojans and worms.

BitDefender also allows for immediate document recovery by scanning and disinfecting files as soon as they are accessed, so that infected files can be recovered instead of simply being deleted. Infected and/or suspicious files can be quarantined in a designated "safe" area before being disinfected or deleted. Quarantined content can also be sent to BitDefender Labs for in-depth analysis. BitDefender runs on the POP3 protocol level to provide full e-mail protection without special configuration.

BitDefender's firewall module monitors Internet traffic, controls cookies, and blocks malicious scripts and modem-dialing programs. The Internet traffic control feature specifies which outgoing connections to permit or deny, and also defines rules regarding protocols, ports, applications and remote addresses. BitDefender alerts users when an application tries to access the Internet, and can indicate whether or not the application is trustworthy. User can customize settings to determine which applications have permission to access the Internet.

Malicious modem-dialing applications can cost users a lot of money, time and frustration. BitDefender's configurable dial control function prevents malicious applications from dialing out.

Spyware is another particularly irritating problem, and BitDefender's active registry monitor prevents spyware from altering the Windows registry. The software intercepts all attempts to change registry keys, and allows the user to decide which changes are acceptable.

BitDefender's antispam functions integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook and are accessible from the Outlook toolbar. A Bayesian filter lets users classify messages as spam with a single click, and the software learns to recognize spam quickly. A heuristic filter checks all message components for spam terminology. A URL filter blocks messages that contain illegitimate links from reaching the inbox, while a character-set filter blocks any e-mail containing unreadable characters. The antispam function works with all e-mail clients.

BitDefender's single-tier channel program offers a 30 percent margin to all resellers, and margins can increase depending on a partner's sales volume. Live technical support is available at no cost to end users, customers and resellers from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST. Although the company recently experienced a reorganization, BitDefender plans to continue its channel program and add better support for integrators and resellers.

CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
>BitDefender Professional Plus version 8
COMPANY: BitDefender LLC
Boca Raton, Fla.
561-620-8815
www.bitdefender.us
DISTRIBUTORS: ASI, D&H, Ingram, Synnex, Tech Data
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Note: Recommended status is earned with a score of eight stars out of 10