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Bitdefender Vs. Malwarebytes (2023 Comparison) – Forbes Advisor

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To give you a better idea of how Bitdefender and Malwarebytes stack up, here is a head-to-head comparison of their most important features.

Impact on System Performance

Bitdefender is known for its minimal system impact, even when running full scans, making it a good choice for businesses that require uninterrupted workflow. Its various modes, such as Game, Movie and Work, know when to halt pop-ups, adjust visual settings and pause unimportant background activities to allow you to enjoy your device to the max.

Malwarebytes also prioritizes system impact, particularly excelling in quick scan times. The software is optimized for efficient scanning of active threats, minimizing CPU usage and allowing other operations to proceed without noticeable slowdowns. But still, Bitdefender’s nuanced control through specialized modes offers better system performance than Malwarebytes.

Password Management

Bitdefender offers a built-in password manager as part of its comprehensive security suite. This feature helps users securely store and manage their passwords, making it easier to maintain strong, unique passwords for different online services. The password manager is integrated into the overall Bitdefender dashboard, providing a unified experience.

Malwarebytes, on the other hand, is primarily focused on anti-malware protection and doesn’t traditionally include a built-in password manager in its standard packages.

Anti-Spam Protection

Bitdefender offers built-in anti-spam features, particularly in its Internet Security, Total Security and Family Pack packages. These features are designed to filter out unwanted emails, reducing the likelihood of phishing scams and spam reaching your inbox. This is especially useful for businesses where email is a critical communication tool.

Malwarebytes, traditionally focused on malware and ransomware protection, does not offer built-in anti-spam features in its standard packages. Its primary focus remains on detecting and removing various types of malware rather than providing a comprehensive set of security features such as anti-spam.

If your business requires built-in anti-spam features as part of its cybersecurity strategy,…

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Ransomware Attacks Hit Historic High – Forbes Advisor

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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.

Ransomware insurance claims from small businesses hit a record high in the first half of 2023, according to Coalition, a company that sells cyber insurance and provides risk management to businesses. Insurance claims between January 1 and June 30, 2023, for ransomware attacks increased by 27% compared to the second half of 2022.

Ransomware is a form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device and render its systems and files unusable. Cybercriminals then demand a ransom in exchange for decryption. Cybercriminals also often threaten to release sensitive data in exchange for ransom. When both tactics are applied, it’s known as “double extortion.”

The average ransom demand was $1.62 million in the first half of 2023, a 47% increase from the previous six months and a 74% increase over the past year, according to the report. Overall business claims made to Coalition increased by 12% in the first half of 2023 compared to the second half of 2022. Ransomware attacks accounted for 19% of all claims reported in the first half of 2023.

Funds transfer fraud increased by 15% in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous six months. Funds transfer fraud is a cyberattack where a hacker redirects funds from your account before or during a money transfer to their account. The average funds transfer fraud loss was more than $297,000.

Other key findings from Coalition’s report include:

  • Businesses using Microsoft Office 365 for email were more than twice as likely to have a cyber insurance claim compared to businesses using Google Workspace for email.
  • Businesses using Microsoft Exchange for email were nearly three times more likely to have a cyber insurance claim compared to businesses using Google Workspace for email.
  • Businesses using Google Workspace for email had a 25% risk reduction for funds transfer fraud claims and business email compromise claims.
  • Businesses using Google Workspace for email had a 10% risk reduction for ransomware claims.

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Features, Pricing And More – Forbes Advisor

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Short for “Anti-Virus Guard,” AVG is one of the oldest names in the antivirus industry, first launching in 1992 before making its way to the U.S. in 1998. It’s most famous for its free antivirus software, which is used to help protect computers from malware.

AVG Internet Security is a paid-for expansion of its free antivirus program, offering expanded protections when browsing the internet, such as Web Guard, which checks downloadable files for hidden malware before you download them. It can protect up to 10 devices with the right subscription plan. AVG routinely ranks highly in Forbes Advisor’s Best Antivirus rankings.

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Pros

AVG Internet Security boasts excellent scores in independent malware protection testing from websites such as AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives. In fact, it, along with Avast, earned top marks in AV-Comparatives’ March 2023 testing, with an online protection rate of 99.97%.

On top of its malware protection capabilities, AVG Internet Security offers good customization options for users looking to better tailor their antivirus to their specific needs, with six different types of scans ranging from the usual file system scan to more advanced options such as removable device scanning and a performance scan that can help find junk files and other things impacting your device’s performance.

Finally, while AVG Internet Security is a consumer antivirus, AVG offers a solid lineup of business-focused cybersecurity solutions for interested clients, including SharePoint protection that can analyze anything downloaded or uploaded from users’ servers and a cloud management console that lets companies manage device health for multiple devices in their organization at once.

Cons

AVG Internet Security is not without its flaws, however. Its initial price is already high compared to most competitors we have reviewed, but if you want a more feature-complete package, add-ons such as BreachGuard for identity protection and the performance-enhancing PC Cleanup Tool just pile onto this already-steep cost. BreachGuard by itself costs nearly as much as AVG Internet Security’s base price.

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‘TunnelCrack’ Vulnerabilities Identified; Updating VPN Should Address Security Issue – Forbes Advisor

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Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.

A virtual private network can provide peace of mind by encrypting your activity on the internet and hiding your identity while you browse, which allows you to visit foreign websites and provides a more secure way to transmit private information.

But a new study has uncovered weaknesses that could allow your phone or computer to be tricked into leaking your online data input, known as “traffic,” before the traffic reaches the protected VPN tunnel.

In a paper presented at the USENIX Security Symposium on August 11, researchers from New York University, KU Leuven University in Belgium and NYU Abu Dhabi dubbed the VPN problem “TunnelCrack.”

And no matter what type of device you use, or what your VPN is, you could be at risk.

What Were the Findings?

“Our tests indicate that every VPN product is vulnerable on at least one device,” the researchers wrote. “We found that VPNs for iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and macOS are extremely likely to be vulnerable, that a majority of VPNs on Windows and Linux are vulnerable, and that Android is the most secure with roughly one-quarter of VPN apps being vulnerable.”

The differences appear to have to do with the way the various operating systems are designed.

The testers confirmed their findings by running 248 experiments involving 67 VPN providers on Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux and Android.

Study co-author Mathy Vanhoef, a professor at KU Leuven, says researchers were able to run their tests without putting the public at risk. “We…used our own phones and own laptops, installed a lot of VPN apps you can find and then tested it,” he says, “and could basically attack ourselves in a lot of cases.”

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Protect your Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux devices, as well as gaming consoles, smart TVs, and routers with CyberGhost VPN.


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How Does TunnelCrack Work?

Two types of vulnerabilities were discovered: LocalNet attacks and ServerIP attacks.

LocalNet attacks involve traffic sent to and from…

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