Bitdefender’s Total Security 2014 now faster, adds password manager

Bitdefender has released its 2014 products, including new versions of Antivirus Plus, Internet Security and Total Security.

All editions now include Bitdefender’s new Photon technology, which it’s claimed "tailor-fits to each user’s computer for fast scanning, a quicker boot time, smooth interaction with apps and the same award-winning detection rate".

The new Wallet, a capable password manager which manages both your website and application logons, is also available in every package.

And a weekly Security Report sums up what’s happened in the past seven days, highlights anything you need to do, tells you about unused modules, and more.

Bitdefender Internet Security and Total Security owners shouldn’t feel left out, though, as they’ll see some worthwhile improvements. In particular, the spam filter is now fully cloud-based, cutting system impact and improving detection rates. Parental controls are significantly enhanced (you get full HTTPS as well as HTTP coverage, for instance), and the Safepay online banking environment stores your logons even more securely via the new Wallet.

On balance, adding a password manager seems like a smart move to us, and there are some worthwhile changes elsewhere. Overall, though, this doesn’t look like a major update.

When suites are as well regarded as these, though (independent labs regularly place Bitdefender ahead of the security pack) there’s no great need for any radical change. And so if you’re looking for new security software, this is still a product range which absolutely has to be on your shortlist. Trials of Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2014, Internet Security 2014 and Total Security 2014 are available now.