Does Anyone Else Here Have Bitdefender Antivirus? If So, Do You Use The VPN?

[High_Plains_Drifter]

I've had Bitdefender for years and years, I like it. It quietly runs in the background and I've never had a problem. It's very often #1 in reviews online too. But not long ago included with an update was a VPN. It's given me a pop up a time or two to use it but I haven't yet. I'm wondering if anyone else has Bitdefender and uses the VPN, or if not Bitdefender, does anyone here use a VPN at all?
jimnyc, how you bro, you're techie computer guy, do you use a VPN? What's your opinion of them?

[NightTrain]

We use a VPN to access remote networks out in Kodiak from home to keep an eye on things.


IMHO, the best protection you can get is WebRoot. I don't have any other protective clients on any of my machines like you used to have to have - WebRoot does it all. It's super lightweight and does a full scan in about 60 to 90 seconds.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

We use a VPN to access remote networks out in Kodiak from home to keep an eye on things.
I'm going to try the Bitdefender VPN. I do a lot of banking and buying stuff online so I think it's just a good idea.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

OK... I figured I'd experiment with the Bitdefender VPN on the shop computer and it seems to be working great.

I'll start using it on the house desktop and laptop too.

https://windowsreport.com/bitdefender-vpn-review/

[Russ]

I've had Bitdefender for years and years, I like it. It quietly runs in the background and I've never had a problem. It's very often #1 in reviews online too. But not long ago included with an update was a VPN. It's given me a pop up a time or two to use it but I haven't yet. I'm wondering if anyone else has Bitdefender and uses the VPN, or if not Bitdefender, does anyone here use a VPN at all?
@jimnyc (http://www.debatepolicy.com/member.php?u=1), how you bro, you're techie computer guy, do you use a VPN? What's your opinion of them?


So the intention is that your pc brings up a vpn tunnel with Bitdefender, and then all your connections to any other website look like they are coming from Bitdefender? So it functions as an anonymizer, and also as a proxy so that malware websites attack Bitdefender instead of your pc?

[High_Plains_Drifter]

So the intention is that your pc brings up a vpn tunnel with Bitdefender, and then all your connections to any other website look like they are coming from Bitdefender? So it functions as an anonymizer, and also as a proxy so that malware websites attack Bitdefender instead of your pc?
That's the way I understand it. Bitdefender takes your connection, encrypts it, and then sends it through a proxy. You can even pick where you want your location to appear, straight from your computer, so not even your IP can track your internet activity, or know what you've typed. I'm using it now here on the shop computer and don't see any difference in speed. I'm definitely going to install it on both my other computers as well. Got to be the ultimate thing to use for protection.

[aboutime]

Provided Free with my ISP, and updates almost daily as new threats appear.

Never had any problems. Top of the line protection. By the way. ENCRYPTION is the standard for all Virus protection. And it has been improved with the SECURE versions of HTML..."https://" instead of the old "http://". Banks and large corporations, like Insurance, and Even Medical facilities use it to protect their services.
They call it SSL Protection, or a Certificate.
http://info.ssl.com/article.aspx?id=10241
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral.
What is SSL? - SSL.com
Just a little helpful info to save you some bucks.

[jimnyc]

I've had Bitdefender for years and years, I like it. It quietly runs in the background and I've never had a problem. It's very often #1 in reviews online too. But not long ago included with an update was a VPN. It's given me a pop up a time or two to use it but I haven't yet. I'm wondering if anyone else has Bitdefender and uses the VPN, or if not Bitdefender, does anyone here use a VPN at all?
jimnyc, how you bro, you're techie computer guy, do you use a VPN? What's your opinion of them?

You know, I just really don't see the need. We used Citrix at one of my jobs and changing passwords every 60 seconds and all that jazz, but that's because I was logging into a law firm from home with 127 servers and a little data at my access as an admin logging in. :)

When you connect to your bank online, you "should" then be connected via secure access and 128 bit technology to make it extremely difficult for folks to hack.

So what else ya need the tunnel for? You certainly don't need it for simple surfing.

I look at it as a singular access point, that where if you have to connect to something so securely.... like when I help people remotely. I'll have my software on my end, and I'll have them install something, and when I connect it will be a vpn tunnel of sorts.

But I'm not sold on the various softwares out there that will allow you to always use them. It really is an anonymizer, IMO, and for folks that want to hide their tracks and IP addresses and what not. I suppose their are sometimes good reasons for that, but usually not.

[NightTrain]

Provided Free with my ISP, and updates almost daily as new threats appear.

Never had any problems. Top of the line protection. By the way. ENCRYPTION is the standard for all Virus protection. And it has been improved with the SECURE versions of HTML..."https://" instead of the old "http://". Banks and large corporations, like Insurance, and Even Medical facilities use it to protect their services.
They call it SSL Protection, or a Certificate.
http://info.ssl.com/article.aspx?id=10241
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral.
What is SSL? - SSL.com
Just a little helpful info to save you some bucks.


Yikes, AT... I would strongly urge you to get something other than McAfee. IMHO, McAfee & Norton / Symantec are the worst AV out there.

Just my $0.02, buddy... you won't go wrong with either BitDefender or WebRoot.

[jimnyc]

Yikes, AT... I would strongly urge you to get something other than McAfee. IMHO, McAfee & Norton / Symantec are the worst AV out there.

Just my $0.02, buddy... you won't go wrong with either BitDefender or WebRoot.

I can say this about McAfee - as someone who installed it on about 2,000 machines and worked on all of those machines for years while at the law firm...

BLOATED and truly will slow down your computer, whether it works great or not.

I now use Kaspersky and you can't even feel it. I also use a 'few' programs in addition to clean and help my computer run smooth.

Avg FREE is even a good version. These days, honestly, they are all pretty good. I just like those that leave the smallest footprint!

[aboutime]

Yikes, AT... I would strongly urge you to get something other than McAfee. IMHO, McAfee & Norton / Symantec are the worst AV out there.

Just my $0.02, buddy... you won't go wrong with either BitDefender or WebRoot.

But, being on a limited, rigid income, I believe most of you would never survive on. I have to accept the Free services provided by the ISP.
In case anyone is wondering what I am talking about. We aren't middle-class here. Truth is. We live (according to the govt) at the recognized poverty level, less than 35K a year.

Sure, I get my navy pension, with a 20% disability, and we both collect S.S. But, out of that, we have to pay our Medicare to S.S. And only have TRICARE, from the Military that pays whatever Medicare doesn't. Having access to the Internet is one of the only joys we have, since we are unable to travel, play golf, go fishing, or eat out all the time.
As for travel, we have two vehicles...a 2000 Ford, and a 1996 Honda Accord.
That's high on the hog for us, since we don't have any car payments.

Anyone want to trade?:laugh::laugh::laugh:

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Well, you only get 200MB of data daily for free, otherwise you have to PAY. I was under the impression it came with Bitdefender for free. I feel like a sap. NOTHING on the internet is FREE. I should KNOWN there'd be a catch, even though they do NOT tell you there's a cap or you PAY, $39.99 a year. I'll let them stew on the fact that I uninstalled it. They usually send you a "deal" a week or so later. Probably get the "unlimited data" for like $24.95 a year or something.

I uninstalled it.

[Drummond]

I recently tried purchasing the full (premium) version of Malwarebytes, having just used their trial version, which I was pleased with. The payment I attempted never reached them (I've no idea why). So ... I have been considering alternatives, and Bitdefender seemed the ideal one.

If my second attempt to pay for the premium Malwarebytes also fails, I'm going to go with Bitdefender.

Kaspersky looks good, and sells, apparently, at a cut price. HOWEVER ... the British Government was given advice, a warning, not to install Kaspersky on any of their computers.

See this:

https://news.sky.com/story/british-government-warned-over-kaspersky-russian-anti-virus-software-11152445


The Government has been warned by Britain's main cyber security agency not to use Russian anti-virus software.

Moscow-based security software maker Kaspersky Lab is the largest Russian software agency operating in the UK.

Director of the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Ciaran Martin, said Russia has the intent "to target UK central Government and the UK's critical national infrastructure".

In a letter to Whitehall chiefs, he said Russian software should be avoided in systems containing information concerning national security.

Calling Russia a "highly capable cyber threat actor", he said the country uses cyberspace for "espionage, disruption and influence operations".

[No doubt some passing Russian contributor (Balu ?) will come on here to complain about supposed anti-Russian propaganda ... ?]

By the way, on VPN's .. I see no good reason to use them, not if anti-virus & anti-malware software is up to its promised spec. Except for one, that is. If you wanted to use a foreign media outlet's services, VPN's should be a good way of gaining access. For example - if (however improbably !) someone in the US wanted to open an access account to the BBC's 'iPlayer' video service, it locks out all attempts if they seemingly originate from beyond the UK. With a VPN set up to use a UK-based server ... 'iPlayer', so I've read, can be fooled into thinking that's where you're from. Therefore, you get access.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

So... after doing a lot of reading, today I signed up for the ExpressVPN. Seems to be the best one. Keeps popping up as the best one, even better than Nord. Didn't read a lot of good about the Bitdefender VPN, but I'm sick and tired of my IP and Google and everyone else snooping on my every keystroke. So far, so good with ExpressVPN. Has great speed, lots of choices of where to connect, great encryption, 15 months with 3 months free and a 30 day money back guarantee.

https://www.expressvpn.com/
jimnyc

[KarlMarx]

I recently tried purchasing the full (premium) version of Malwarebytes, having just used their trial version, which I was pleased with. The payment I attempted never reached them (I've no idea why). So ... I have been considering alternatives, and Bitdefender seemed the ideal one.

If my second attempt to pay for the premium Malwarebytes also fails, I'm going to go with Bitdefender.

Kaspersky looks good, and sells, apparently, at a cut price. HOWEVER ... the British Government was given advice, a warning, not to install Kaspersky on any of their computers.

See this:

https://news.sky.com/story/british-government-warned-over-kaspersky-russian-anti-virus-software-11152445



[No doubt some passing Russian contributor (Balu ?) will come on here to complain about supposed anti-Russian propaganda ... ?]

By the way, on VPN's .. I see no good reason to use them, not if anti-virus & anti-malware software is up to its promised spec. Except for one, that is. If you wanted to use a foreign media outlet's services, VPN's should be a good way of gaining access. For example - if (however improbably !) someone in the US wanted to open an access account to the BBC's 'iPlayer' video service, it locks out all attempts if they seemingly originate from beyond the UK. With a VPN set up to use a UK-based server ... 'iPlayer', so I've read, can be fooled into thinking that's where you're from. Therefore, you get access.

I use Norton but also run a scan with MalwareBytes free version every time I finish using my laptop. It may be overkill but I would rather not be running with malware on my machine.

MalwareBytes has removed malware from previous laptops that Norton could not. However, you must run it as an admin user to do this.

I normally run as a standard user, meaning I can’t install software. I have an admin user account in my laptop when I want to install. The reason for this set up is to thwart viruses, since they seem to exploit the fact that many people normally run as admin users

For those who use their computers to browse and do emails and little else, consider a Chromebook. The are fairly cheap and are very secure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[High_Plains_Drifter]

I recently tried purchasing the full (premium) version of Malwarebytes, having just used their trial version, which I was pleased with. The payment I attempted never reached them (I've no idea why). So ... I have been considering alternatives, and Bitdefender seemed the ideal one.

If my second attempt to pay for the premium Malwarebytes also fails, I'm going to go with Bitdefender.

Kaspersky looks good, and sells, apparently, at a cut price. HOWEVER ... the British Government was given advice, a warning, not to install Kaspersky on any of their computers.

See this:

https://news.sky.com/story/british-government-warned-over-kaspersky-russian-anti-virus-software-11152445



[No doubt some passing Russian contributor (Balu ?) will come on here to complain about supposed anti-Russian propaganda ... ?]

By the way, on VPN's .. I see no good reason to use them, not if anti-virus & anti-malware software is up to its promised spec. Except for one, that is. If you wanted to use a foreign media outlet's services, VPN's should be a good way of gaining access. For example - if (however improbably !) someone in the US wanted to open an access account to the BBC's 'iPlayer' video service, it locks out all attempts if they seemingly originate from beyond the UK. With a VPN set up to use a UK-based server ... 'iPlayer', so I've read, can be fooled into thinking that's where you're from. Therefore, you get access.
I have the Malware Bytes free version, and have CCleaner the free version also. Great stuff.

I'm really loving this Express VPN. I don't even know it's there, but I know that now ALL my internet activity is HIDDEN, not even my IP can see it.