Bitdefender Business Security - 14 users

Bitdefender File Vault and select Create File Vault. Privacy protection 65Bitdefender Internet Security A new window appears. Proceed as follows: 1. Click Browse, select the location of the vault and save the vault file under the desired name. 2. Choose a drive letter from the menu. When you open the vault, a virtual disk drive labeled with the selected letter appears inMy Computer. 3. Type the vault password in the Password and Confirm fields. 4. If you want to change the default size (100 MB) of the vault, use the up and down arrow keys from the Vault size (MB) spin box. 5. Click the Create. Note When you open the vault, a virtual disk drive appears inMy Computer. The drive is labeled with the drive letter assigned to the vault. ● Add the files or folders you want to keep safe to the vault. To add a file to a vault, you must first open the vault. 1. Browse to the .bvd vault file. 2. Right-click the vault file, point to Bitdefender File Vault and selectOpen. 3. In the window that appears enter the password, select a drive letter to assign to the vault and click OK. You can now perform operations on the drive that corresponds to the desired file vault usingWindows Explorer, just as youwould with a regular drive. To add a file to an open vault, you can also right-click the file, point to Bitdefender File Vault and select Add to file vault. ● Keep the vault locked at all times. Only open vaults when you need to access them or manage their content. To lock a vault, right-click the corresponding virtual disk drive from My Computer, point to Bitdefender File Vault and select Lock. ● Make sure not to delete the .bvd vault file. Deleting the file also deletes the vault contents. Formore information about operatingwith file vaults, refer to “File encryption” (p. 134). Privacy protection 66Bitdefender Internet Security 12.3. How do I remove a file permanently with Bitdefender? If you want to remove a file permanently from your system, you need to delete the data physically from your hard disk. The Bitdefender File Shredder will help you to quickly shred files or folders from your computer using theWindows contextual menu by following these steps: 1. Right-click the file or folder you want to permanently delete, point to Bitdefender and select File Shredder. 2. ClickDELETEPERMANENTLY, and then confirm that youwish to continue with the process. Wait for Bitdefender to finish shredding the files. 3. The results are displayed. Click FINISH to exit the wizard. 12.4. Howdo I protectmywebcam frombeinghacked? You can set your Bitdefender product to allow or deny the access of installed apps to your webcam by following these steps: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In theWEBCAM PROTECTION pane, clickWebcam access. The list with the apps that have requested access to your camera is displayed. 3. Point to the app you want to allow or ban the access, and then click the corresponding switch. To view what the other Bitdefender users have chosen to do with the selected app, click the icon. You will be notified each time one of the listed apps is blocked by the Bitdefender users. To manually add apps to this list, click the Add a new application to list link. 12.5. Howcan Imanually restore encrypted fileswhen the restoration process fails? In case encrypted files cannot be automatically restored, you can manually restore them by following these steps: Privacy protection 67Bitdefender Internet Security 1. Click Notifications on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the All tab, select the notification regarding the latest ransomware behavior detected, and then click Encrypted Files. 3. The list with the encrypted files is displayed. Click RECOVER FILES to continue. 4. In case the entire or a part of the restoring process fails, you have to choose the location where the decrypted files should be saved. Click RESTORE LOCATION, and then choose a location on your PC. 5. A confirmation window appears. Click FINISH to end the restoring process. Fileswith the following extensions canbe restored in case they get encrypted: .3g2; .3gp; .7z; .ai; .aif; .arj; .asp; .aspx; .avi; .bat; .bin; .bmp; .c; .cda; .cgi; .class; .com; .cpp; .cs; .css; .csv; .dat; .db; .dbf; .deb;.doc; .docx; .gif; .gz; .h264; .h; .flv; .htm; .html;.ico; .jar; .java; .jpeg; .jpg;.js; .jsp; .key; .m4v; .mdb; .mid; .midi; .mkv; .mp3; .mp4; .mov; .mpg; .mpeg; .ods; .odp;.odt; .ogg; .pdf; .pkg; .php; .pl; .png; .pps; .ppt; .pptx; .ps; .psd; .py; .rar; .rm; .rtf; .sav; .sql; .sh; .svg; .swift; .swf; .tar; .tex; .tif; .tiff; .txt; .xlr; .xls; .xlsx; .xml; .wmv; .vb; .vob; .wav; .wks; .wma; .wpl; .wps; .wpd; .wsf; .z; .zip; Privacy protection 68Bitdefender Internet Security 13. USEFUL INFORMATION 13.1. How do I test my security solution? To make sure that your Bitdefender product is properly running, we recommend you using the Eicar test. The Eicar test allows you to check your security solution using a safe file developed for this purpose. To test your security solution: 1. Download the test from the official webpage of the EICAR organization http://www.eicar.org/. 2. Click the Anti-Malware Testfile tab. 3. Click Download on the left-side menu. 4. From Download area using the standard protocol http click the eicar.com test file. 5. You will be informed that the page you are trying to access contains the EICAR-Test-File (not a threat). If you click I understand the risks, take me there anyway, the download of the test will begin and a Bitdefender pop-upwill inform you that a threat was detected. ClickMore details to find out more information about this action. If you do not receive any Bitdefender alert, we recommend you to contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 13.2. How do I remove Bitdefender? If you want to remove your Bitdefender Internet Security: ● InWindows 7: 1. ClickStart, go toControl Panel and double-clickPrograms and Features. 2. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 3. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. 4. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: Useful Information 69Bitdefender Internet Security 1. From theWindows Start screen, locate Control Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. 2. Click Uninstall a program or Programs and Features. 3. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 4. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. 5. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 10: 1. Click Start, then click Settings. 2. Click the System icon in the Settings area, then select Installed apps. 3. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 4. Click Uninstall again to confirm your choice. 5. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. 6. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. Note This reinstall procedure will permanently delete the customized settings. 13.3. How do I remove Bitdefender VPN? The procedure of removing Bitdefender VPN is similar to the one you use to remove other programs from your computer: ● InWindows 7: 1. ClickStart, go toControl Panel and double-clickPrograms and Features. 2. Find Bitdefender VPN and select Uninstall. Wait for the uninstall process to complete. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: 1. From theWindows Start screen, locate Control Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. 2. Click Uninstall a program or Programs and Features. 3. Find Bitdefender VPN and select Uninstall. Useful Information 70Bitdefender Internet Security Wait for the uninstall process to complete. ● InWindows 10: 1. Click Start, then click Settings. 2. Click the System icon in the Settings area, then select Installed apps. 3. Find Bitdefender VPN and select Uninstall. 4. Click Uninstall again to confirm your choice. Wait for the uninstall process to complete. 13.4. How do I remove the Bitdefender Anti-tracker extension? Depending on the web browser you are using, follow these steps to uninstall the Bitdefender Anti-tracker extension: ● Microsoft Edge 1. Select next to the search bar, and then select Extension. A list with the installed extensions appears. 2. Click Bitdefender Anti-tracker. 3. Click Uninstall, and then confirm your choice. ● Internet Explorer 1. Click next to the search bar, and then select Manage add-ons. A list with the installed extensions appears. 2. Click Bitdefender Anti-tracker. 3. Click Disable at the bottom right. ● Google Chrome 1. Click next to the search bar. 2. SelectMore Tools, and then Extensions. A list with the installed extensions appears. 3. Click Remove in the Bitdefender Anti-tracker card. 4. Click Remove in the popup that appears. Useful Information 71Bitdefender Internet Security ● Mozilla Firefox 1. Click next to the search bar. 2. Select Add-ons, and then Extensions. A list with the installed extensions appears. 3. Click Remove in the Bitdefender Anti-tracker card. 13.5. How do I automatically shut down the computer after the scan is over? Bitdefender offers multiple scan tasks that you can use to make sure your system is not infected with threats. Scanning the entire computer may take longer time to complete depending on your system''s hardware and software configuration. For this reason, Bitdefender allows you to configure your product to shut down your system as soon as the scan is over. Consider this example: you have finished your work at the computer and you want to go to sleep. You would like to have your entire system checked for threats by Bitdefender. To shut down the computer when Quick Scan or System scan is over: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, clickManage Scans. 3. Click next to Quick Scan or System Scan. 4. From thePost scan actions list, selectShutdownComputer, and then click NEXT. 5. Enable Schedule scan task, and then choose when the task should start. If you choose Daily, Monthly, or Weekly, drag the slider along the scale to set the desired period of time when the scheduled scan should start. To shut down the computer when a custom scan is over: 1. Click next to the custom scan you created. 2. In the Scan task window, click NEXT. 3. From the Post scan actions list, select Shutdown Computer. Useful Information 72Bitdefender Internet Security 4. Click NEXT, and then click SAVE. If no threats are found, the computer will shut down. If there remain unresolved threats, youwill be prompted to choose the actions to be taken on them. For more information, refer to “Antivirus Scan Wizard” (p. 89). 13.6. How do I configure Bitdefender to use a proxy internet connection? If your computer connects to the internet through a proxy server, you must configure Bitdefender with the proxy settings. Normally, Bitdefender automatically detects and imports the proxy settings from your system. Important Home internet connections do not normally use a proxy server. As a rule of thumb, check and configure the proxy connection settings of your Bitdefender program when updates are not working. If Bitdefender can update, then it is properly configured to connect to the internet. To manage the proxy settings: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Advanced tab. 3. Turn on Proxy server. 4. Click Proxy change. 5. There are two options to set the proxy settings: ● Import proxy settings fromdefault browser - proxy settings of the current user, extracted from the default browser. If the proxy server requires a username and a password, youmust specify them in the corresponding fields. Note Bitdefender can import proxy settings from the most popular browsers, including the latest versions ofMicrosoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. ● Custom proxy settings - proxy settings that you can configure yourself. The following settings must be specified: Useful Information 73Bitdefender Internet Security ● Address - type in the IP of the proxy server. ● Port - type in the port Bitdefender uses to connect to the proxy server. ● Username - type in a user name recognized by the proxy. ● Password - type in the valid password of the previously specified user. 6. Click OK to save the changes and close the window. Bitdefender will use the available proxy settings until it manages to connect to the internet. 13.7. Am I using a 32 bit or a 64 bit version of Windows? To find out if you have a 32 bit or a 64 bit operating system: ● InWindows 7: 1. Click Start. 2. Locate Computer on the Startmenu. 3. Right-click Computer and select Properties. 4. Look under System to check the information about your system. ● InWindows 8: 1. From theWindowsStart screen, locateComputer (for example, you can start typing "Computer" directly in the Start screen) and then right-click its icon. InWindows 8.1, locate This PC. 2. Select Properties in the bottom menu. 3. Look in the System area to see your system type. ● InWindows 10: 1. Type "System" in the search box from the taskbar and click its icon. 2. Look in the System area to find information about your system type. Useful Information 74Bitdefender Internet Security 13.8. How do I display hidden objects in Windows? These steps are useful in those cases where you are dealing with a threat situation and you need to find and remove the infected files, which could be hidden. Follow these steps to display hidden objects in Windows: 1. Click Start, go to Control Panel. In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1: From the Windows Start screen, locate Control Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. 2. Select Folder Options. 3. Go to View tab. 4. Select Show hidden files and folders. 5. Clear Hide extensions for known file types. 6. Clear Hide protected operating system files. 7. Click Apply, then click OK. InWindows 10: 1. Type "Show hidden files and folders" in the search box from the taskbar and click its icon. 2. Select Show hidden files, folders, and drives. 3. Clear Hide extensions for known file types. 4. Clear Hide protected operating system files. 5. Click Apply, then click OK. 13.9. How do I remove other security solutions? The main reason for using a security solution is to provide protection and safety for your data. Butwhat happenswhen youhavemore than one security product on the same system? When you use more than one security solution on the same computer, the system becomes unstable. The Bitdefender Internet Security installer automatically detects other security programs and offers you the option to uninstall them. Useful Information 75Bitdefender Internet Security If you did not remove the other security solutions during the initial installation: ● InWindows 7: 1. ClickStart, go toControl Panel and double-clickPrograms and Features. 2. Wait a few moments until the installed software list is displayed. 3. Find the name of the program youwant to remove and selectUninstall. 4. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: 1. From theWindows Start screen, locate Control Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. 2. Click Uninstall a program or Programs and Features. 3. Wait a few moments until the installed software list is displayed. 4. Find the name of the program youwant to remove and selectUninstall. 5. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 10: 1. Click Start, then click Settings. 2. Click the System icon in the Settings area, then select Installed apps. 3. Find the name of the program youwant to remove and selectUninstall. 4. Click Uninstall again to confirm your choice. 5. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. If you fail to remove the other security solution from your system, get the uninstall tool from the vendor website or contact them directly to provide you with the uninstall guidelines. 13.10. How do I restart in Safe Mode? Safe mode is a diagnostic operating mode, used mainly to troubleshoot problems affecting normal operation ofWindows. Such problems range from conflicting drivers to threats preventing Windows from starting normally. In Safe Mode only a few apps work and Windows loads just the basic drivers and a minimum of operating system components. This is why most threats Useful Information 76Bitdefender Internet Security are inactive when using Windows in Safe Mode and they can be easily removed. To start Windows in Safe Mode: ● InWindows 7: 1. Restart the computer. 2. Press the F8 key several times before Windows starts to access the boot menu. 3. Select Safe Mode in the boot menu or Safe Mode with Networking if you want to have internet access. 4. Press Enter and wait while Windows loads in Safe Mode. 5. This process ends with a confirmation message. Click OK to acknowledge. 6. To start Windows normally, simply reboot the system. ● InWindows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10: 1. Launch System Configuration in Windows by simultaneously pressing theWindows + R keys on your keyboard. 2. Writemsconfig in the Open dialog box, then click OK. 3. Select the Boot tab. 4. In the Boot options area, select the Safe boot check box. 5. Click Network, and then OK. 6. Click OK in the System Configuration window which informs you that the system needs to be restarted to be able to make the changes you set. Your system is restarting in Safe Mode with Networking. To reboot in normal mode, switch back the settings by launching again the SystemOperation and clearing the Safe boot check box. ClickOK, and then Restart. Wait for the new settings to be applied. Useful Information 77Bitdefender Internet Security MANAGING YOUR SECURITY 78Bitdefender Internet Security 14. ANTIVIRUS PROTECTION Bitdefender protects your computer from all kinds of threats (malware, Trojans, spyware, rootkits and so on). The protection Bitdefender offers is divided into two categories: ● On-access scanning - prevents new threats from entering your system. Bitdefender will, for example, scan a word document for known threats when you open it, and an email message when you receive one. On-access scanning ensures real-time protection against threats, being an essential component of any computer security program. Important To prevent threats from infecting your computer keep on-access scanning enabled. ● On-demand scanning - allows detecting and removing the threat that already resides in the system. This is the classic scan initiated by the user - you choose what drive, folder or file Bitdefender should scan, and Bitdefender scans it - on-demand. Bitdefender automatically scans any removable media that is connected to the computer to make sure it can be safely accessed. For more information, refer to “Automatic scan of removable media” (p. 92). Advanced users can configure scan exceptions if they do not want specific files or file types to be scanned. For more information, refer to “Configuring scan exceptions” (p. 94). When it detects a threat, Bitdefender will automatically attempt to remove the malicious code from the infected file and reconstruct the original file. This operation is referred to as disinfection. Files that cannot be disinfected aremoved to quarantine to contain the infection. Formore information, refer to “Managing quarantined files” (p. 97). If your computer has been infected with threats, refer to “Removing threats from your system” (p. 204). To help you clean your computer of threats that cannot be removed fromwithin the Windows operating system, Bitdefender provides you with“Bitdefender Rescue Mode (Rescue Environment in Windows 10)” (p. 204). This is a trusted environment, especially designed for threat removal, which enables you to boot your computer independent ofWindows. Antivirus protection 79Bitdefender Internet Security When the computer runs in RescueMode (Rescue Environment in Windows 10), Windows threats are inactive, making it easy to remove them. 14.1. On-access scanning (real-time protection) Bitdefender provides real-time protection against a wide range of threats by scanning all accessed files and email messages. 14.1.1. Turning on or off real-time protection To turn on or off real-time protection against threats: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. 3. In the Shield window, turn on or off Bitdefender Shield. 4. If you want to disable real-time protection, a warning window appears. You must confirm your choice by selecting from the menu how long you want the real-time protection to be disabled. You can disable real-time protection for 5, 15 or 30 minutes, for an hour, permanently or until a system restart. The real-time protection will automatically turn on when the selected time will expire. Warning This is a critical security issue. We recommend you to disable real-time protection for as little time as possible. If real-time protection is disabled, you will not be protected against threats. 14.1.2. Configuring the real-time protection advanced settings Advanced users might want to take advantage of the scan settings Bitdefender offers. You can configure the real-time protection settings in detail by creating a custom protection level. To configure the real-time protection advanced settings: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. 3. In the Shieldwindow, click the Show advanced settings accordion menu. Antivirus protection 80Bitdefender Internet Security A paned window is displayed. 4. Scroll down on the window to configure the scan settings as needed. Information on the scan options You may find this information useful: ● Scan only applications. You can set Bitdefender to scan only accessed apps. ● Scan potentially unwanted applications. Select this option to scan for unwanted applications. A potentially unwanted application (PUA) or potentially unwanted program (PUP) is a software that usually comes bundledwith freeware software andwill display pop-ups or install a toolbar in the default browser. Some of them will change the homepage or the search engine, otherswill run several processes in the background slowing down thePCorwill display numerous ads. These programscanbe installed without your consent (also called adware) or will be included by default in the express installation kit (ad-supported). ● Scan network shares. To safely access a remote network from your computer, we recommend you to keep the Scan network shares option enabled. ● Scan archives. Scanning inside archives is a slow and resource-intensive process, which is therefore not recommended for real-time protection. Archives containing infected files are not an immediate threat to the security of your system. The threat can affect your system only if the infected file is extracted from the archive and executed without having real-time protection enabled. If you decide on using this option, turn it on, and then drag the slider along the scale to exclude from scanning archives that are longer than a given value in MB (Megabytes). ● Scan emails. To prevent threats frombeing downloaded to your computer, Bitdefender automatically scans incoming and outgoing emails. Though not recommended, you can disable email threat scan to increase system performance. If you disable the corresponding scan options, the emails and files received will not be scanned, thus allowing infected files to be saved to your computer. This is not amajor threat because real-time protection will block the threat when the infected files are accessed (opened, moved, copied or executed). Antivirus protection 81Bitdefender Internet Security ● Scan boot sectors. You can set Bitdefender to scan the boot sectors of your hard disk. This sector of the hard disk contains the necessary computer code to start the boot process. When a threat infects the boot sector, the drive may become inaccessible and you may not be able to start your system and access your data. ● Scan only new and modified files. By scanning only new and modified files, you may greatly improve overall system responsiveness with a minimum trade-off in security. ● Scan keyloggers. Select this option to scan your system for keylogger apps. Keyloggers recordwhat you type on your keyboard and send reports over the internet to a malicious person (hacker). The hacker can find out sensitive information from the stolen data, such as bank account numbers and passwords, and use it to gain personal benefits. ● Scan at system boot. Select the Early boot scan option to scan your systemat startup as soon as all its critical services are loaded. Themission of this feature is to improve threat detection at system startup and the boot time of your system. Actions taken on detected threats You can configure the actions taken by the real-time protection by following these steps: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. 3. In the Shieldwindow, click the Show advanced settings accordion menu. A paned window is displayed. 4. Scroll down on the window until you see the Threat actions option. 5. Configure the scan settings as needed. The following actions can be taken by the real-time protection in Bitdefender: Take proper actions Bitdefender will take the recommended actions depending on the type of detected file: ● Infected files. Files detected as infected match a piece of threat information found in the Bitdefender Threat Information Database. Bitdefender will automatically attempt to remove the malicious code Antivirus protection 82Bitdefender Internet Security from the infected file and reconstruct the original file. This operation is referred to as disinfection. Files that cannot be disinfected are moved to quarantine to contain the infection. Quarantined files cannot be executed or opened; therefore, the risk of getting infected disappears. Formore information, refer to “Managing quarantined files” (p. 97). Important For particular types of threats, disinfection is not possible because the detected file is entirely malicious. In such cases, the infected file is deleted from the disk. ● Suspicious files. Files are detected as suspicious by the heuristic analysis. Suspicious files cannot be disinfected, because no disinfection routine is available. They will be moved to quarantine to prevent a potential infection. By default, quarantined files are automatically sent to Bitdefender Labs to be analyzed by the Bitdefender threat researchers. If a threat presence is confirmed, a threat information update is released to allow removing the threat. ● Archives containing infected files. ● Archives that contain only infected files are deleted automatically. ● If an archive contains both infected and clean files, Bitdefender will attempt to delete the infected files provided it can reconstruct the archivewith the clean files. If archive reconstruction is not possible, youwill be informed that no action can be taken so as to avoid losing clean files. Move to quarantine Moves detected files to quarantine. Quarantined files cannot be executed or opened; therefore, the risk of getting infected disappears. For more information, refer to “Managing quarantined files” (p. 97). Deny access In case an infected file is detected, the access to this will be denied. Antivirus protection 83Bitdefender Internet Security 14.1.3. Restoring the default settings The default real-time protection settings ensure good protection against threats, with minor impact on system performance. To restore the default real-time protection settings: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. 3. In the Shieldwindow, click the Show advanced settings accordion menu. A paned window is displayed. 4. Scroll down on thewindowuntil your see theReset settings option. Select this option to reset the antivirus settings to default. 14.2. On-demand scanning Themain objective for Bitdefender is to keep your computer clean of threats. This is done by keeping new threats out of your computer and by scanning your emailmessages and any new files downloadedor copied to your system. There is a risk that a threat is already lodged in your system, before you even install Bitdefender. This is why it''s a very good idea to scan your computer for resident threats after you''ve installed Bitdefender. And it''s definitely a good idea to frequently scan your computer for threats. On-demandscanning is basedonscan tasks. Scan tasks specify the scanning options and the objects to be scanned. You can scan the computerwhenever you want by running the default tasks or your own scan tasks (user-defined tasks). If youwant to scan specific locations on your computer or to configure the scan options, configure and run a custom scan. 14.2.1. Scanning a file or folder for threats You should scan files and folders whenever you suspect they might be infected. Right-click the file or folder you want to be scanned, point to Bitdefender and select Scan with Bitdefender. The Antivirus Scan wizard will appear and guide you through the scanning process. At the end of the scan, youwill be prompted to choose the actions to be taken on the detected files, if any. Antivirus protection 84Bitdefender Internet Security 14.2.2. Running a Quick Scan Quick Scan uses in-the-cloud scanning to detect threats running in your system. Running a Quick Scan usually takes less than a minute and uses a fraction of the system resources needed by a regular antivirus scan. To run a Quick Scan: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Quick Scan. 3. Follow the Antivirus Scan wizard to complete the scan. Bitdefender will automatically take the recommended actions on detected files. If there remain unresolved threats, you will be prompted to choose the actions to be taken on them. 14.2.3. Running a System Scan The System Scan task scans the entire computer for all types of threats endangering its security, such as malware, spyware, adware, rootkits and others. Note Because System Scan performs a thorough scan of the entire system, the scan may take a while. Therefore, it is recommended to run this task when you are not using your computer. Before running a System Scan, the following are recommended: ● Make sure Bitdefender is up-to-date with its threat information database. Scanning your computer using an outdated threat information database may prevent Bitdefender from detecting new threats found since the last update. For more information, refer to “Keeping Bitdefender up-to-date” (p. 37). ● Shut down all open programs. If you want to scan specific locations on your computer or to configure the scanning options, configure and run a custom scan. For more information, refer to “Configuring a custom scan” (p. 86). To run a System Scan: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click System Scan. Antivirus protection 85Bitdefender Internet Security 3. The first time you run a System Scan, you are introduced into the feature. Click OK, GOT IT to continue. 4. Follow the Antivirus Scan wizard to complete the scan. Bitdefender will automatically take the recommended actions on detected files. If there remain unresolved threats, you will be prompted to choose the actions to be taken on them. 14.2.4. Configuring a custom scan In the Manage Scans window, you can set up Bitdefender to run scans whenever you consider that your computer needs a check for potential threats. You can choose to schedule a System Scan or a Quick Scan, or you can create a custom scan at your convenience. When you access the window, the following icons are available: The scheduled scan task is turned off. The scheduled scan task is turned on. The configuration in detail can be done from here. Delete the selected scan. This option is only available for new custom scans. To configure a new custom scan in detail: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, clickManage Scans. 3. Click Create a new scan task. 4. In the Task Name field, type a name for the scan, then select the locations you would like to be scanned, and then click NEXT. 5. Configure these general options: ● Scan only applications. You can set Bitdefender to scan only accessed apps. ● Scan task priority. You can choose the impact a scan process should have on your system performance. ● Auto - The priority of the scan process will depend on the system activity. Tomake sure that the scan processwill not affect the system activity, Bitdefender will decide whether the scan process should be run with high or low priority. Antivirus protection 86Bitdefender Internet Security ● High - The priority of the scan process will be high. By choosing this option, you will allow other programs to run slower and decrease the time needed for the scan process to finish. ● Low - The priority of the scan process will be low. By choosing this option, you will allow other programs to run faster and increase the time needed for the scan process to finish. ● Post scan actions. Choosewhat action should take Bitdefender in case no threats are found: ● Show Summary window ● Shutdown Computer ● Close Scan window 6. If you want to configure the scanning options in detail, click Show advanced options. You can find information about the listed scans at the end of this section. Click NEXT. 7. Enable Schedule scan task, and then choose when the custom scan you created should start. ● At system startup ● Daily ● Monthly ● Weekly If you choose Daily, Monthly, or Weekly, drag the slider along the scale to set the desired period of time when the scheduled scan should start. 8. Click SAVE to save the settings and close the configuration window. Depending on the locations to be scanned, the scan may take a while. If threats will be found during the scanning process, you will be prompted to choose the actions to be taken on the detected files. Information on the scan options You may find this information useful: ● If you are not familiar with some of the terms, check them in the glossary. You can also find useful information by searching the internet. Antivirus protection 87Bitdefender Internet Security ● Scan potentially unwanted applications. Select this option to scan for unwanted applications. A potentially unwanted application (PUA) or potentially unwanted program (PUP) is a software that usually comes bundledwith freeware software andwill display pop-ups or install a toolbar in the default browser. Some of them will change the homepage or the search engine, otherswill run several processes in the background slowing down thePCorwill display numerous ads. These programscanbe installed without your consent (also called adware) or will be included by default in the express installation kit (ad-supported). ● Scan archives. Archives containing infected files are not an immediate threat to the security of your system. The threat can affect your system only if the infected file is extracted from the archive and executed without having real-time protection enabled. However, it is recommended to use this option to detect and remove any potential threat, even if it is not an immediate threat. Drag the slider along the scale to exclude from scanning archives that are longer than a given value in MB (Megabytes). Note Scanning archived files increases the overall scanning time and requires more system resources. ● Scan only new and modified files. By scanning only new and modified files, you may greatly improve overall system responsiveness with a minimum trade-off in security. ● Scan boot sectors. You can set Bitdefender to scan the boot sectors of your hard disk. This sector of the hard disk contains the necessary computer code to start the boot process. When a threat infects the boot sector, the drive may become inaccessible and you may not be able to start your system and access your data. ● Scan memory. Select this option to scan programs running in your system''s memory. ● Scan registry. Select this option to scan registry keys. Windows Registry is a database that stores configuration settings and options for the Windows operating system components, as well as for installed apps. ● Scan cookies. Select this option to scan the cookies stored by browsers on your computer. Antivirus protection 88Bitdefender Internet Security ● Scan keyloggers. Select this option to scan your system for keylogger apps. Keyloggers recordwhat you type on your keyboard and send reports over the internet to a malicious person (hacker). The hacker can find out sensitive information from the stolen data, such as bank account numbers and passwords, and use it to gain personal benefits. 14.2.5. Antivirus Scan Wizard Whenever you initiate an on-demand scan (for example, right-click a folder, point to Bitdefender and select Scan with Bitdefender), the Bitdefender AntivirusScanwizardwill appear. Follow thewizard to complete the scanning process. Note If the scanwizard does not appear, the scanmay be configured to run silently, in the background. Look for the scan progress icon in the system tray. You can click this icon to open the scan window and to see the scan progress. Step 1 - Perform scan Bitdefender will start scanning the selected objects. You can see real-time information about the scan status and statistics (including the elapsed time, an estimation of the remaining time and the number of detected threats). Wait for Bitdefender to finish scanning. The scanning process may take a while, depending on the complexity of the scan. Stopping or pausing the scan. You can stop scanning anytime you want by clicking STOP. You will go directly to the last step of the wizard. To temporarily stop the scanning process, just click PAUSE. You will have to click RESUME to resume scanning. Password-protected archives. When a password-protected archive is detected, depending on the scan settings, you may be prompted to provide the password. Password-protected archives cannot be scanned unless you provide the password. The following options are available: ● Password. If you want Bitdefender to scan the archive, select this option and type the password. If you do not know the password, choose one of the other options. ● Don''t ask for a password and skip this object from scan. Select this option to skip scanning this archive. Antivirus protection 89Bitdefender Internet Security ● Skip all password-protected items without scanning them. Select this option if you do not want to be bothered about password-protected archives. Bitdefender will not be able to scan them, but a record will be kept in the scan log. Choose the desired option and click OK to continue scanning. Step 2 - Choose actions At the end of the scan, you will be prompted to choose the actions to be taken on the detected files, if any. Note When you run a quick scan or a system scan, Bitdefender will automatically take the recommended actions on detected files during the scan. If there remain unresolved threats, you will be prompted to choose the actions to be taken on them. The infected objects are displayed in groups, based on the threats they are infected with. Click the link corresponding to a threat to find out more information about the infected objects. You can choose an overall action to be taken for all issues or you can select separate actions for each group of issues. One or several of the following options can appear on the menu: Take proper actions Bitdefender will take the recommended actions depending on the type of detected file: ● Infected files. Files detected as infected match a piece of threat information found in the Bitdefender Threat Information Database. Bitdefender will automatically attempt to remove the malicious code from the infected file and reconstruct the original file. This operation is referred to as disinfection. Files that cannot be disinfected are moved to quarantine to contain the infection. Quarantined files cannot be executed or opened; therefore, the risk of getting infected disappears. Formore information, refer to “Managing quarantined files” (p. 97). Antivirus protection 90Bitdefender Internet Security Important For particular types of threats, disinfection is not possible because the detected file is entirely malicious. In such cases, the infected file is deleted from the disk. ● Suspicious files. Files are detected as suspicious by the heuristic analysis. Suspicious files cannot be disinfected, because no disinfection routine is available. They will be moved to quarantine to prevent a potential infection. By default, quarantined files are automatically sent to Bitdefender Labs to be analyzed by the Bitdefender threat researchers. If a threat presence is confirmed, an information update is released to allow removing the threat. ● Archives containing infected files. ● Archives that contain only infected files are deleted automatically. ● If an archive contains both infected and clean files, Bitdefender will attempt to delete the infected files provided it can reconstruct the archivewith the clean files. If archive reconstruction is not possible, youwill be informed that no action can be taken so as to avoid losing clean files. Delete Removes detected files from the disk. If infected files are stored in an archive together with clean files, Bitdefender will attempt to delete the infected files and reconstruct the archivewith the clean files. If archive reconstruction is not possible, you will be informed that no action can be taken so as to avoid losing clean files. Take no action No actionwill be taken on the detected files. After the scan is completed, you can open the scan log to view information on these files. Click Continue to apply the specified actions. Step 3 - Summary When Bitdefender finishes fixing the issues, the scan results will appear in a new window. If you want comprehensive information on the scanning process, click SHOW LOG to view the scan log. Antivirus protection 91Bitdefender Internet Security Important In most cases Bitdefender successfully disinfects the infected files it detects or it isolates the infection. However, there are issues that cannot be solved automatically. If required, restart your system to complete the cleaning process. For more information and instructions on how to remove a threat manually, refer to “Removing threats from your system” (p. 204). 14.2.6. Checking scan logs Each time a scan is performed, a scan log is created andBitdefender records the detected issues in the Antivirus window. The scan log contains detailed information about the logged scanning process, such as scanning options, the scanning target, the threats found and the actions taken on these threats. You can open the scan log directly from the scan wizard, once the scan is completed, by clicking SHOW LOG. To check a scan log or any detected infection at a later time: 1. Click Notifications on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the All tab, select the notification regarding the latest scan. This iswhere you can find all threat scan events, including threats detected by on-access scanning, user-initiated scans and status changes for automatic scans. 3. In the notifications list, you can check what scans have been performed recently. Click a notification to view details about it. 4. To open the scan log, click View log. 14.3. Automatic scan of removable media Bitdefender automatically detects when you connect a removable storage device to your computer and scans it in the background when the Autoscan option is enabled. This is recommended to prevent threats from infecting your computer. Detected devices fall into one of these categories: ● CDs/DVDs ● Flash drives, such as flash pens and external hard-drives ● mapped (remote) network drives Antivirus protection 92Bitdefender Internet Security You can configure automatic scan separately for each category of storage devices. Automatic scan of mapped network drives is off by default. 14.3.1. How does it work? When it detects a removable storage device, Bitdefender starts scanning it for threats (provided automatic scan is enabled for that type of device). You will be notified through a pop-upwindow that a newdevice has been detected and it is being scanned. A Bitdefender scan icon will appear in the system tray. You can click this icon to open the scan window and to see the scan progress. When the scan is completed, the scan results window is displayed to inform you if you can safely access files on the removable media. Inmost cases, Bitdefender automatically removesdetected threats or isolates infected files into quarantine. If there are unresolved threats after the scan, you will be prompted to choose the actions to be taken on them. Note Take into account that no action can be taken on infected or suspicious files detected on CDs/DVDs. Similarly, no action can be taken on infected or suspicious files detected on mapped network drives if you do not have the appropriate privileges. This information may be useful to you: ● Be carefulwhen using a threat-infectedCD/DVD, because the threat cannot be removed from the disc (the media is read-only). Make sure real-time protection is turned on to prevent threats from spreading to your system. It is best practice to copy any valuable data from the disc to your system, and then dispose of the disc. ● In somecases, Bitdefendermay not be able to remove threats fromspecific files due to legal or technical constraints. Such an example are files archived using a proprietary technology (this is because the archive cannot be recreated correctly). To find out how to deal with threats, refer to “Removing threats from your system” (p. 204). 14.3.2. Managing removable media scan To manage automatic scan of removable media: Antivirus protection 93Bitdefender Internet Security 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Drives and devices tab. The scanning options are pre-configured for the best detection results. If infected files are detected, Bitdefender will try to disinfect them (remove the malicious code) or to move them to quarantine. If both actions fail, the Antivirus Scan wizard will allow you to specify other actions to be taken on infected files. The scanning options are standard and you cannot change them. For best protection, it is recommended to let selected the Autoscan option for all types of removable storage devices. 14.4. Scan hosts file The hosts file comes by default with your operating system installation and is used to map hostnames to IP addresses each time you access a new webpage, connect to a FTP or to other internet servers. It is a plain text file and malicious programs may modify it. Advanced users know how to use it to block annoying ads, banners, third-party cookies, or hijackers. To configure scan hosts file: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Advanced tab. 3. Turn on or off Scan hosts file. 14.5. Configuring scan exceptions Bitdefender allows excepting specific files, folders or file extensions from scanning. This feature is intended to avoid interference with your work and it can also help improve system performance. Exceptions are to be used by users having advanced computer knowledge or, otherwise, following the recommendations of a Bitdefender representative. You can configure exceptions to apply to on-access or on-demand scanning only, or to both. The objects excepted from on-access scanning will not be scanned, no matter if they are accessed by you or by an app. Antivirus protection 94Bitdefender Internet Security Note Exceptions will NOT apply for contextual scanning. Contextual scanning is a type of on-demand scanning: you right-click the file or folder youwant to scan and select Scan with Bitdefender. 14.5.1. Excepting files and folders from scanning To except specific files and folders from scanning: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Exceptions tab. 4. Click the List of files and folders excepted from scanning accordionmenu. In thewindow that appears, you canmanage the files and folders excepted from scanning. 5. Add exceptions by following these steps: a. Click Add. b. Click BROWSE, select the file or folder that you want to be excepted from scanning, and then click ADD. Alternatively, you can type (or copy and paste) the path to the file or folder in the edit field. c. By default, the selected file or folder is excepted from both on-access and on-demand scanning. To change when to apply the exception, select one of the other options. d. Click Add. 14.5.2. Excepting file extensions from scanning When you except a file extension from scanning, Bitdefender will no longer scan files with that extension, regardless of their location on your computer. The exception also applies to files on removable media, such as CDs, DVDs, USB storage devices or network drives. Important Use caution when excepting extensions from scanning because such exceptions can make your computer vulnerable to threats. To except file extensions from scanning: Antivirus protection 95Bitdefender Internet Security 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Exceptions tab. 4. Click the List of extensions excepted from scanning accordion menu. In the window that appears, you can manage the file extensions excepted from scanning. 5. Add exceptions by following these steps: a. Click Add. b. Type the extensions that you want to be excepted from scanning, separating them with semicolons (;). Here is an example: txt;avi;jpg c. By default, all files with the specified extensions are excepted from both on-access and on-demand scanning. To change when to apply the exception, select one of the other options. d. Click ADD. 14.5.3. Managing scan exceptions If the configured scan exceptions are no longer needed, it is recommended that you delete them or disable scan exceptions. To manage scan exceptions: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Exceptions tab. 4. Use the options in the List of files and folders excepted from scanning accordion menu to manage scan exceptions. 5. To remove or edit scan exceptions, click one of the available links. Proceed as follows: ● To remove an entry from the list, select it and click Remove. ● To edit an entry from the table, double-click it (or select it and click Edit). A newwindowappearswhere you can change the extension or the path to be excepted and the type of scanning you want them to be excepted from, as needed. Make the necessary changes, then clickMODIFY. Antivirus protection 96Bitdefender Internet Security 14.6. Managing quarantined files Bitdefender isolates the threat-infected files it cannot disinfect and the suspicious files in a secure area named quarantine. When a threat is in quarantine it cannot do any harm because it cannot be executed or read. By default, quarantined files are automatically sent to Bitdefender Labs to be analyzed by the Bitdefender threat researchers. If a threat presence is confirmed, an information update is released to allow removing the threat. In addition, Bitdefender scans the quarantined files each time the threat information database is updated. Cleaned files are automatically moved back to their original location. To check and manage quarantined files: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Quarantine. Here you can view the name of the quarantined files, their original location and the name of the detected threats. 3. Quarantined files are managed automatically by Bitdefender according to the default quarantine settings. Though not recommended, you can adjust the quarantine settings according to your preferences by clicking View Settings. Click the switches to turn on or off: Rescan quarantine after threat information update Keep this option turned on to automatically scan quarantined files after each threat information database is updated. Cleaned files are automatically moved back to their original location. Delete content older than 30 days Quarantined files older than 30 days are automatically deleted. Create exceptions for restored files The files you restore from quarantine aremoved back to their original location without being repaired and automatically excepted from future scans. 4. To delete a quarantined file, select it and click the DELETE button. If you want to restore a quarantined file to its original location, select it and click RESTORE. Antivirus protection 97Bitdefender Internet Security 15. ADVANCED THREAT DEFENSE Bitdefender Advanced Threat Defense is an innovative proactive detection technology which uses advanced heuristic methods to detect ransomware and other new potential threats in real time. Advanced Threat Defense continuously monitors the apps running on the computer, looking for threat-like actions. Each of these actions is scored and an overall score is computed for each process. As a safety measure you will be notified each time threats and potentially malicious processes are detected and blocked. 15.1. Turning on or off Advanced Threat Defense To turn on or off Advanced Threat Defense: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ADVANCED THREAT DEFENSE pane, turn on or off the switch. Note To keep your system protected from ransomware and other threats, we recommend you to disable Advanced Threat Defense for as little time as possible. 15.2. Checking detected malicious attacks Whenever threats or potentiallymaliciousprocessesare detected, Bitdefender will block them to prevent your computer frombeing infected by ransomware or other malware. You can check at any time the list of detected malicious attacks by following these steps: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ADVANCED THREAT DEFENSE pane, click Threat Defense. 3. The first time you access Ransomware Protection, you are introduced into the feature. Click OK, GOT IT to continue. The attacks detected in the latest 90 days are displayed. To find details about the type of a detected ransomware, the path of the malicious process, or if the disinfection has been successful, simply click it. Advanced Threat Defense 98Bitdefender Internet Security 15.3. Adding processes to exceptions You can configure exception rules for trusted apps so that Advanced Threat Defense does not block them if they perform threat-like actions. To start adding processes to the Advanced Threat Defense exceptions list: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ADVANCED THREAT DEFENSE pane, click Settings. 3. In the Exceptions area, click Add applications to exceptions. 4. Find and select the app you want to be excepted, and then click OK. To remove an entry from the list, click the Remove option next to it. 15.4. Exploits detection Away used by hackers to breach systems, is to take advantage of particular bugs or vulnerabilities present in computer software (apps or plugins) and hardware. To make sure that your computer stays away from such attacks, that normally spread very fast, Bitdefender uses the newest anti-exploit technologies. Turning on or off exploit detection To turn on or off the exploit detection: ● Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. ● In the ADVANCED THREAT DEFENSE pane, click Settings. ● Click the corresponding turn on or off switch. Note The Exploit detection option is enabled by default. Advanced Threat Defense 99Bitdefender Internet Security 16. ONLINE THREAT PREVENTION Bitdefender Online Threat Prevention ensures a safe browsing experience by alerting you about potential malicious webpages. Bitdefender provides real-time online threat prevention for: ● Internet Explorer ● Microsoft Edge ● Mozilla Firefox ● Google Chrome ● Safari ● Bitdefender Safepay™ ● Opera To configure Online Threat Prevention settings: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ONLINE THREAT PREVENTION pane, click Settings. In theWeb Protection window, click the switches to turn on or off: ● Web attack prevention blocks threats coming from the internet, including drive-by downloads. ● Search Advisor, a component that rates the results of your search engine queries and the links posted on social networking websites by placing an icon next to every result: You should not visit this webpage. This webpage may contain dangerous content. Exercise caution if you decide to visit it. This is a safe page to visit. Search Advisor rates the search results from the following web search engines: ● Google ● Yahoo! ● Bing ● Baidu Search Advisor rates the links posted on the following online social networking services: Online Threat Prevention 100Bitdefender Internet Security ● Facebook ● Twitter ● Encrypted web scan. More sophisticated attacks might use secure web traffic to mislead their victims. Therefore, we recommended you to keep enabled the Encrypted web scan option. ● Protection against fraud. ● Phishing protection. In the Network threat prevention window, you have the Network threat prevention option. To keep your computer away from attacks made by complex malware (such as ransomware) through the exploitation of vulnerabilities, keep this option enabled. You can create a list of websites, domains, and IP addresses that will not be scanned by the Bitdefender anti-threat, antiphishing, and antifraud engines. The list should contain only websites, domains, and IP addresses that you fully trust. To configure and manage websites, domains, and IP addresses using the Online Threat Prevention feature provided by Bitdefender: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ONLINE THREAT PREVENTION pane, click Exceptions. 3. Type in the corresponding field the name of the website, the name of the domain, or the IP address you want to add to exceptions, and then click ADD. To remove an entry from the list, select it and then click Remove. Click SAVE to save the changes and close the window. 16.1. Bitdefender alerts in the browser Whenever you try to visit a website classified as unsafe, the website is blocked and a warning page is displayed in your browser. The page contains information such as the website URL and the detected threat. You have to decide what to do next. The following options are available: Online Threat Prevention 101Bitdefender Internet Security ● Navigate away from the website by clicking TAKE ME BACK TO SAFETY. ● Proceed to the website, despite the warning, by clicking I understand the risks, take me there anyway. ● If you are sure that the detected website is safe, click SUBMIT to add it to exceptions. We recommend you to add only websites that you fully trust. Online Threat Prevention 102Bitdefender Internet Security 17. ANTISPAM Spam is a term used to describe unsolicited email. Spam is a growing problem, both for individuals and for organizations. It''s not pretty, you wouldn''t want your kids to see it, it can get you fired (for wasting too much time or from receiving porn in your office mail) and you can''t stop people from sending it. The next best thing to that is, obviously, to stop receiving it. Unfortunately, Spam comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and there''s a lot of it. Bitdefender Antispam employs remarkable technological innovations and industry standard antispam filters to weed out spam before it reaches the user''s Inbox. For more information, refer to “Antispam insights” (p. 104). The Bitdefender Antispam protection is available only for email clients configured to receive email messages via the POP3 protocol. POP3 is one of the most widely used protocols for downloading email messages from a mail server. Note Bitdefender does not provide antispamprotection for email accounts that you access through a web-based email service. The spam messages detected by Bitdefender are marked with the [spam] prefix in the subject line. Bitdefender automatically moves spammessages to a specific folder, as follows: ● InMicrosoft Outlook, spammessages aremoved to aSpam folder, located in the Deleted Items folder. The Spam folder is created when an email is labeled as spam. ● In Mozilla Thunderbird, spam messages are moved to a Spam folder, located in the Trash folder. The Spam folder is created when an email is labeled as spam. If you use other mail clients, you must create a rule to move the email messages marked as [spam] by Bitdefender to a custom quarantine folder. If theDetete itemsor Trash folders are deleted, the Spam folderwill be deleted too. However, a new Spam folder will be created as soon as an email is labeled as spam. Antispam 103Bitdefender Internet Security 17.1. Antispam insights 17.1.1. Antispam filters The Bitdefender Antispam Engine incorporates cloud protection and other several different filters that ensure your Inbox to be SPAM-free, like Friends list, Spammers list and Charset filter. Friends list / Spammers list Most people communicate regularly to a group of people or even receive messages from companies or organizations in the same domain. By using friends or spammers list, you can easily classify which people you want to receive email from (friends) nomatter what the message contains, or which people you never want to hear from again (spammers). Note We recommend that you add your friends'' names and email addresses to the Friends list. Bitdefender does not block messages from those on the list; therefore, adding friends helps ensure that legitimate messages get through. Charset filter Many spam messages are written in Cyrillic and / or Asian charsets. The Charset Filter detects this kind of messages and tags them as SPAM. 17.1.2. Antispam operation The Bitdefender Antispam Engine uses all antispam filters combined to determine whether a certain email message should get into your Inbox or not. Every email that comes from the internet is first checked with the Friends list/Spammers list filter. If the sender''s address is found in the Friends list the email is moved directly to your Inbox. Otherwise, the Spammers list filter will take over the email to verify if the sender''s address is on its list. If a match is made, the email will be tagged as SPAM and moved in the Spam folder. Else, the Charset filter will check if the email is written in Cyrillic or Asian characters. If so the email will be tagged as SPAM and moved in the Spam folder. Antispam 104Bitdefender Internet Security Note If the email is tagged as SEXUALLY EXPLICIT in the subject line, Bitdefender will consider it SPAM. 17.1.3. Supported email clients and protocols Antispam protection is provided for all POP3/SMTP email clients. The Bitdefender Antispam toolbar however is integrated only into: ● Microsoft Outlook 2007 / 2010 / 2013 / 2016 ● Mozilla Thunderbird 14 and higher 17.2. Turning on or off antispam protection Antispam protection is enabled by default. To turn on or off the Antispam feature: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTISPAM pane, turn on or off the switch. 17.3. Using the antispam toolbar in your mail client window In the upper area of your mail client window you can see the Antispam toolbar. TheAntispam toolbar helps youmanage antispamprotection directly from your mail client. You can easily correct Bitdefender if it marked a legitimate message as SPAM. Important Bitdefender integrates into the most commonly used mail clients through an easy-to-use antispam toolbar. For a complete list of supported mail clients, refer to “Supported email clients and protocols” (p. 105). Each button from the Bitdefender toolbar will be explained below: Settings - opens a window where you can configure the antispam filters and the toolbar settings. Is Spam - indicates that the selected email is spam. The email will be moved immediately to the Spam folder. If the antispam cloud services are activated, the message is sent to Bitdefender Cloud for further analysis. Antispam 105Bitdefender Internet Security Not Spam - indicates that the selected email is not spam and Bitdefender should not have tagged it. The email will be moved from the Spam folder to the Inbox directory. If the antispamcloud services are activated, themessage is sent to Bitdefender Cloud for further analysis. Important The Not Spam button becomes active when you select a message marked as SPAM by Bitdefender (normally these messages are located in the Spam folder). Add Spammer - adds the sender of the selected email to the Spammers list. Youmay need to clickOK to acknowledge. The emailmessages received from addresses in the Spammers list are automatically marked as [spam]. Add Friend - adds the sender of the selected email to the Friends list. You may need to click OK to acknowledge. You will always receive email messages from this address no matter what they contain. Spammers - opens theSpammers list that contains all the email addresses fromwhich you don''t want to receivemessages, regardless of their content. For more information, refer to “Configuring the Spammers List” (p. 108). Friends - opens the Friends list that contains all the email addresses from which you always want to receive email messages, regardless of their content. For more information, refer to “Configuring the Friends List” (p. 107). 17.3.1. Indicating detection errors If you are using a supported mail client, you can easily correct the antispam filter (by indicating which email messages should not have been marked as [spam]). Doing so helps improve the efficiency of the antispam filter. Follow these steps: 1. Open your mail client. 2. Go to the junk mail folder where spam messages are moved. 3. Select the legitimatemessage incorrectlymarkedas [spam]byBitdefender. 4. Click the Add Friend button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar to add the sender to the Friends list. You may need to click OK to acknowledge. Youwill always receive emailmessages from this address nomatter what they contain. Antispam 106Bitdefender Internet Security 5. Click the NotSpambuttonon theBitdefender antispam toolbar (normally located in the upper part of the mail client window). The email message will be moved to the Inbox folder. 17.3.2. Indicating undetected spammessages If you are using a supported mail client, you can easily indicate which email messages should have been detected as spam. Doing so helps improve the efficiency of the antispam filter. Follow these steps: 1. Open your mail client. 2. Go to the Inbox folder. 3. Select the undetected spam messages. 4. Click the Is Spam button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar (normally located in the upper part of themail client window). They are immediately marked as [spam] and moved to the junk mail folder. 17.3.3. Configuring toolbar settings To configure the antispam toolbar settings for your email client, click Settings button on the toolbar, and then the Toolbar Settings tab. Here you have the following options: ● Mark spam email messages as ''Read'' - marks the spammessages as read automatically, so as not to be disturbing when they arrive. ● You can choose whether or not to display confirmation windows when you click the Add Spammer and Add Friend buttons on the antispam toolbar. Confirmation windows can prevent accidentally adding email senders to Friends / Spammers list. 17.4. Configuring the Friends List The Friends list is a list of all the email addresses from which you always want to receive messages, regardless of their content. Messages from your friends are not labeled as spam, even if the content resembles spam. Note Any mail coming from an address contained in the Friends list, will automatically be delivered to your Inbox without further processing. Antispam 107Bitdefender Internet Security To configure and manage the Friends list: ● If you are using Microsoft Outlook or Thunderbird, click the Friends button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar. ● Alternatively: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTISPAM pane, clickManage Friends. To add an email address, select the Email address option, enter the address, and then click ADD. Syntax: name@domain.com. To add all the email addresses from a specific domain, select the Domain name option, enter the domain name, and then click ADD. Syntax: ● @domain.com and domain.com - all the received email messages from domain.com will reach your Inbox regardless of their content; ● domain - all the received email messages from domain (no matter the domain suffixes) will be tagged as SPAM; ● com - all the received email messages having the domain suffix com will be tagged as SPAM; It is recommended to avoid adding entire domains, but this may be useful in some situations. For example, you can add the email domain of the company you work for, or those of your trusted partners. To delete an item from the list, click the correspondingRemove link. To delete all entries from the list, click CLEAR LIST. You can save the Friends list to a file so that you can use it on another computer or after reinstalling the product. To save the Friends list, click the Save button and save it to the desired location. The file will have a .bwl extension. To load a previously saved Friends list, click LOAD and open the corresponding .bwl file. To reset the content of the existing list when loading a previously saved list, select Overwrite current list. Click OK to save the changes and close the window. 17.5. Configuring the Spammers List The Spammers list is a list of all the email addresses from which you don''t want to receive messages, regardless of their content. Any email message received fromanaddress contained in theSpammers listwill be automatically marked as SPAM, without further processing. Antispam 108Bitdefender Internet Security To configure and manage the Spammers list: ● If you are using Microsoft Outlook or Thunderbird, click Spammers button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar integrated into yourmail client. ● Alternatively: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTISPAM pane, clickManage Spammers. To add an email address, select the Email address option, enter the address, and then click ADD. Syntax: name@domain.com. To add all the email addresses from a specific domain, select the Domain name option, enter the domain name, and then click ADD. Syntax: ● @domain.comand domain.com - all the received email messages from domain.com will reach your Inbox regardless of their content; ● domain - all the received email messages from domain (no matter the domain suffixes) will be tagged as SPAM; ● com - all the received email messages having the domain suffix com will be tagged as SPAM. It is recommended to avoid adding entire domains, but this may be useful in some situations. Warning Do not add domains of legitimate web-based email services (such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail or other) to the Spammers list. Otherwise, the emailmessages received from any registered user of such a service will be detected as spam. If, for example, you add yahoo.com to the Spammers list, all email messages coming from yahoo.com addresses will be marked as [spam]. To delete an item from the list, click the correspondingRemove link. To delete all entries from the list, click CLEAR LIST. You can save the Spammers list to a file so that you can use it on another computer or after reinstalling the product. To save the Spammers list, click the Save button and save it to the desired location. The file will have a .bwl extension. To load a previously saved Spammers list, click LOAD and open the corresponding .bwl file. To reset the content of the existing list when loading a previously saved list, select Overwrite current list. Click OK to save the changes and close the window. Antispam 109Bitdefender Internet Security 17.6. Configuring the local antispam filters As described in “Antispam insights” (p. 104), Bitdefender uses a combination of different antispam filters to identify spam. The antispam filters are pre-configured for efficient protection. Important Depending on whether or not you receive legitimate emails written in Asian or Cyrillic characters, disable or enable the setting that automatically blocks such emails. The corresponding setting is disabled in the localized versions of the program that use such charsets (for example, in the Russian or Chinese version). To configure the local antispam filters: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTISPAM pane, click Settings. 3. Click the corresponding turn on or off switches. If you are using Microsoft Outlook or Thunderbird, you can configure the local antispam filters directly from your mail client. Click the Settings button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar (normally located in the upper part of the mail client window), and then the Antispam Filters tab. 17.7. Configuring the cloud settings The cloud detectionmakes use of the Bitdefender Cloud services to provide you with efficient and always up-to-date antispam protection. The cloud protection functions as long as you keep Bitdefender Antispam enabled. Samples of legitimate or spamemails can be submitted to Bitdefender Cloud when you indicate detection errors or undetected spam emails. This helps improve the Bitdefender antispam detection. Configure the email sample submission to Bitdefender Cloud by selecting the desired options by following these steps: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTISPAM pane, click Settings. 3. Click the corresponding turn on or off switches. Antispam 110Bitdefender Internet Security If you are using Microsoft Outlook or Thunderbird, you can configure the cloud detection directly from your mail client. Click the Settings button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar (normally located in the upper part of the mail client window), and then the Cloud Settings tab. Antispam 111Bitdefender Internet Security 18. FIREWALL The Firewall protects your computer from inbound and outbound unauthorized connection attempts, both on local networks and on the internet. It is quite similar to a guard at your gate - it keeps track of connection attempts and decides which to allow and which to block. The Bitdefender firewall uses a set of rules to filter data transmitted to and from your system. Under normal conditions, Bitdefender automatically creates a rulewhenever an app tries to access the internet. You can also manually add or edit rules for apps. As a safety measure you will be notified each time a potentially malicious app is blocked from accessing the internet. Bitdefender automatically assigns a network type to every network connection it detects. Depending on the network type, the firewall protection is set to the appropriate level for each connection. To find out more about the firewall settings for each network type and how you can edit the network settings, refer to “Managing connection settings” (p. 115). 18.1. Turning on or off firewall protection To turn firewall protection on or off: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FIREWALL pane, turn on or off the switch. Warning Because it exposes your computer to unauthorized connections, turning off the firewall should only be a temporary measure. Turn the firewall back on as soon as possible. 18.2. Managing apps rules To view and manage the firewall rules controlling apps'' access to network resources and the internet: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. Firewall 112Bitdefender Internet Security 2. In the FIREWALL pane, click Application Access. 3. The first time you access Firewall, you are introduced into the feature. Click OK, GOT IT to continue. You can see the latest 15 programs (processes) that have passed through Bitdefender Firewall and the internet network you are connected to. To see the rules created for a specific app, simply click it, and then click the View application rules link. The Rules window opens. For each rule the following information is displayed: ● NETWORK - the process and the network adapter types (Home / Office, Public or All) to which the rule applies to. Rules are automatically created to filter network or internet access through any adapter. By default, the rules apply to any network. You can manually create rules or edit existing rules to filter an app''s network or internet access through a specific adapter (for example, a wireless network adapter). ● PROTOCOL - the IP protocol the rule applies to. By default, the rules apply to any protocol. ● TRAFFIC - the rule applies in both directions, inbound and outbound. ● PORTS - the PORT protocol the rule applies to. By default, the rules apply to all ports. ● IP - the internet protocol (IP) the rule applies to. By default, the rules apply to any IP address. ● ACCESS - whether the app is allowed or denied access to the network or internet under the specified circumstances. To edit or delete the rules for the selected app, click the icon. ● Edit rule - opens a window where you can edit the current rule. ● Delete rule - you can choose to remove the current set of rules for the selected app. Adding app rules To add an app rule: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FIREWALL pane, click Settings. Firewall 113Bitdefender Internet Security 3. In the Rules window, click Add rule. In the Settings window you can apply the following changes: ● Apply this rule to all applications. Enable this switch to apply the created rule to all apps. ● Program Path. Click BROWSE and select the app the rule applies to. ● Permission. Select one of the available permissions: Permission Description Allow The specified app will be allowed network / internet access under the specified circumstances. Deny The specified app will be denied network / internet access under the specified circumstances. ● Network Type. Select the type of network the rule applies to. You can change the type by opening the Network Type drop-down menu and selecting one of the available types from the list. Network Type Description Any Network Allow all traffic between your computer and other computers no matter the network type. Home/Office Allowall traffic between your computer and computers in the local network. Public All traffic is filtered. ● Protocol. Select from the menu the IP protocol the rule applies to. ● If you want the rule to apply to all protocols, select Any. ● If you want the rule to apply to TCP, select TCP. ● If you want the rule to apply to UDP, select UDP. ● If you want the rule to apply to ICMP, select ICMP. ● If you want the rule to apply to IGMP, select IGMP. ● If you want the rule to apply to a specific protocol, type the number assigned to the protocol you want to filter in the blank edit field. Firewall 114Bitdefender Internet Security Note IP protocol numbers are assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). You can find the complete list of assigned IP protocol numbers at http://www.iana.org/assignments/protocol-numbers. ● Direction. Select from the menu the traffic direction the rule applies to. Direction Description Outbound The rule applies only for the outgoing traffic. Inbound The rule applies only for the incoming traffic. Both The rule applies in both directions. In the Advanced window you can customize the following settings: ● Custom Local Address. Specify the local IP address and port the rule applies to. ● CustomRemote Address. Specify the remote IP address and port the rule applies to. To remove the current set of rules and restore the default ones, click Reset rules in the Rules window. 18.3. Managing connection settings Whether you connect to the internet using a Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter, you can configure what settings should be applied for a safe navigation. The options you can choose from, are: ● Dynamic – the network type will be automatically set based on the profile of the connected network, Home/Office or Public.When this happens, only Firewall rules for the specific network type or those defined to apply to all network types will apply. ● Home /Office– the network typewill always beHome /Office, disregarding the profile of the connected network. When this happens, only Firewall rules for Home/Office or those defined to apply to all network types will apply. Firewall 115Bitdefender Internet Security ● Public - the network type will always be Public, disregarding the profile of the connected network. When this happens, only Firewall rules for Public or those defined to apply to all network types will apply. To configure your network adapters: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FIREWALL pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Network Adapters tab. 4. Select the settings you want to apply when connecting to the following adapters: ● Wi-Fi ● Ethernet 18.4. Configuring advanced settings To configure advanced firewall settings: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FIREWALL pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Settings tab. The following features can be configured: ● Port scan protection - detects and blocks attempts to find out which ports are open. Port scans are frequently used by hackers to find outwhich ports are open on your computer. They might then break into your computer if they find a less secure or vulnerable port. ● Alert mode - alerts are shown each time an app tries to connect to the internet. Select Allow or Block. When Alert mode is turned on, the Profiles feature is automatically switched off. Alert mode can be used simultaneously with Battery Mode. ● Allow access to domain network - allow or deny access to resources and shares defined by your domain controllers. ● StealthMode - whether you can be detected by other computers. Click the Edit stealth settings to choose when your device should or should not be visible to other computers. Firewall 116Bitdefender Internet Security ● Default application behavior - allow Bitdefender apply automatic settings to app with no defined rules. Click Edit default rules to choose whether automatic settings should be applied or not. ● Automatic - apps access will be allowed or denied based on the automatic Firewall and user rules. ● Allow - apps that don''t have any Firewall rule definedwill be automatically allowed. ● Block - apps that don''t have any Firewall rule defined will be automatically blocked. Firewall 117Bitdefender Internet Security 19. VULNERABILITY An important step in protecting your computer against malicious actions and apps is to keep the operating system and the apps you regularly use up to date.Moreover, to prevent unauthorized physical access to your computer, strong passwords (passwords that cannot be easily guessed) must be configured for each Windows user account and for the Wi-Fi networks you connect to as well. Bitdefender automatically checks your system for vulnerabilities and alerts you about them. It scans for the following: ● outdated apps on your computer. ● missing Windows updates. ● weak passwords to Windows user accounts. ● not secured wireless networks and routers. Bitdefender provides two easyways to fix the vulnerabilities of your system: ● You can scan your system for vulnerabilities and fix them step by step using the Vulnerability Scan option. ● Using automatic vulnerability monitoring, you can check and fix detected vulnerabilities in the Notifications window. You should check and fix system vulnerabilities every one or two weeks. 19.1. Scanning your system for vulnerabilities To detect system vulnerabilities, Bitdefender requires an active internet connection. To scan you system for vulnerabilities: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the VULNERABILITY pane, click Vulnerability Scan. 3. The first time you access Vulnerability Scan, you are introduced into the feature. Click START SCAN to continue, and then wait for Bitdefender to check your system for vulnerabilities. ● Critical Windows updates Vulnerability 118Bitdefender Internet Security A list of criticalWindowsupdates that are not installed on your computer is displayed. A system restart may be required to allow Bitdefender finish the installation. Please note that it may take a while to install the updates. ● Application updates To see information about the app that needs to be updated, click its name from the list. If an app is not up to date, clickDOWNLOADNEWVERSION to download the latest version. ● Weak Windows accounts You can see the list of the Windows user accounts configured on your computer and the level of protection their password provides. You can choose between asking the user to change the password at the next login or changing the password yourself immediately. To set a new password for your system, select Change the password now. To create a strong password, we recommend you to use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters (such as #, $ or@). ● Wi-Fi networks and routers To find out more about the wireless network and router you are connected to, click its name from the list. If it is recommended to set a stronger password for your home network, make sure that you follow our instructions, so that you can stay connectedwithoutmakingworries about your privacy. When other recommendations are available, follow the provided instructions to make sure your home network stays safe from the hackers'' prying eyes. 19.2. Using automatic vulnerability monitoring Bitdefender scans your system for vulnerabilities regularly, in the background, and keeps records of detected issues in the Notifications window. To check and fix the detected issues: Vulnerability 119Bitdefender Internet Security 1. Click Notifications on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the All tab, select the notification regarding the Vulnerability scan. 3. You can see detailed information regarding the detected system vulnerabilities. Depending on the issue, to fix a specific vulnerability proceed as follows: ● If Windows updates are available, click Install. ● If automatic Windows update is disabled, click Enable. ● If an app is outdated, click Update now to find a link to the vendor webpage from where you can install the latest version of that app. ● If aWindowsuser account has aweak password, clickChange password to force the user to change the password at the next logon or change the password yourself. For a strong password, use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters (such as #, $ or@). ● If the Windows Autorun feature is enabled, click Fix to disable it. ● If the router you have configured has set aweak password, clickChange password to access its interface from where you can set a strong one. ● If the network you are connected to has vulnerabilities which may expose your system at risk, click Change Wi-Fi settings. To configure the vulnerability monitoring settings: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the VULNERABILITY pane, click Settings. Important To be automatically notified about system or app vulnerabilities, keep the Vulnerability option enabled. 3. Choose the system vulnerabilities you want to be regularly checked by using the corresponding switches. Windows updates Check if yourWindowsoperating systemhas the latest critical security updates from Microsoft. Vulnerability 120Bitdefender Internet Security Application updates Check if apps installed on your system are up-to-date. Outdated apps can be exploited by malicious software, making your PC vulnerable to outside attacks. User passwords Check whether the passwords of the Windows accounts and routers configured on the systemare easy to guess or not. Setting passwords that are hard to guess (strong passwords) makes it very difficult for hackers to break into your system. A strong password includes uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters (such as #, $ or@). Autoplay Check the status of theWindowsAutorun feature. This feature enables apps to be automatically started from CDs, DVDs, USB drives or other external devices. Some types of threats use Autorun to spread automatically from removable media to the PC. This is why it is recommended to disable this Windows feature. Wi-Fi Security Advisor Check if the wireless home network you are connected to is secure or not, and if it has vulnerabilities. Also, check if the password of your home router is strong enough, and how you can make it safer. Most unprotectedwireless networks are not secure, thus allowing the hackers'' prying eyes have access to your private activities. Note If you turn off monitoring of a specific vulnerability, related issues will no longer be recorded in the Notifications window. 19.3. Wi-Fi Security Advisor While on the go, working in a coffee shop, or waiting at the airport, connecting to a public wireless network formaking payments, checking emails or social network accounts can be the fastest solution. But prying eyes trying to hijack your personal data can be there, watching how the information leaks through the network. Vulnerability 121Bitdefender Internet Security Personal data means the passwords and usernames you use to get access to your online accounts, such as emails, bank accounts, social media accounts, but also the messages you send. Usually, public wireless networks are more likely to be unsafe since they do not require password at login, and if they do, the password could be made available to anybodywhowants to connect.Moreover, theymay bemalicious or honeypot networks, representing a target for cyber criminals. To safeguard you against the perils of unsecured or unencrypted public wireless hotspots, Bitdefender Wi-Fi Security Advisor analyzes how secure a wireless network is, and when necessary, it recommends you to use Bitdefender VPN. The Bitdefender Wi-Fi Security Advisor gives information about: ● Home Wi-Fi networks ● Office Wi-Fi networks ● Public Wi-Fi networks 19.3.1. Turning onor offWi-Fi SecurityAdvisor notifications To turn on or off the Wi-Fi Security Advisor notifications: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the VULNERABILITY pane, click Settings. 3. In the Settings window, turn on or off theWi-Fi Security Advisor option. 19.3.2. Configuring Home Wi-Fi network To start configuring your home network: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the VULNERABILITY pane, clickWi-Fi Security. 3. In the Home Wi-Fi tab, click SELECT HOME WI-FI. A list with the wireless networks you connected to until now is displayed. 4. Point to your home network, and then click SELECT. If a home network is considered unsecured or unsafe, configuration recommendations to improve its security are displayed. Vulnerability 122Bitdefender Internet Security To remove the wireless network you have set as a home network, click the REMOVE button. To add a new wireless network as home, click Select new home wi-fi. 19.3.3. Configuring Office Wi-Fi network To start configuring your office network: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the VULNERABILITY pane, clickWi-Fi Security. 3. In the Office Wi-Fi tab, click SELECT OFFICE WI-FI. A list with the wireless networks you connected to until now is displayed. 4. Point to your office network, and then click SELECT. If an office network is considered unsecured or unsafe, configuration recommendations to improve its security are displayed. To remove the wireless network you have set as office network, click REMOVE. To add a new wireless network as office, click Select new office wi-fi. 19.3.4. Public Wi-Fi While connected to an unsecured or unsafe wireless network, the Public Wi-Fi profile is activated. While running in this profile, Bitdefender Internet Security is set to automatically accomplish the following program settings: ● Advanced Threat Defense is turned on ● TheBitdefender Firewall is turned on and the following settings are applied to your wireless adapter: ● Stealth mode - ON ● Network type - Public ● The following settings from Online Threat Prevention are turned on: ● Encrypted web scan ● Protection against fraud ● Protection against phishing Vulnerability 123Bitdefender Internet Security ● A button that opens Bitdefender Safepay™ is available. In this case, the Hotspot protection for unsecured networks is enabled by default. 19.3.5. Checking information about Wi-Fi networks To check information about the wireless networks you usually connect to: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the VULNERABILITY pane, clickWi-Fi Security. 3. Depending on the information you need, select one of the three tabs,Home Wi-Fi, Office Wi-Fi or Public Wi-Fi. 4. Click View details next to the network you want to find more info about. There are three types of wireless networks filtered by their importance, each type indicated by a specific icon: Wi-Fi is unsafe - indicates that the security level of the network is low. This means that there is a high risk to use it, and it is not recommended to make payments or check bank accountswithout an extra protection. In such situations, we recommend you to use Bitdefender Safepay™ with Hotspot protection for unsecured networks enabled. Wi-Fi is unsafe - indicates that the security level of the network is moderate. This means that it can have vulnerabilities and it is not recommended to make payments or check bank accounts without an extra protection. In such situations, we recommend you to use Bitdefender Safepay™ with Hotspot protection for unsecured networks enabled. Wi-Fi is secure - indicates that the network you use is secure. In this case, you can use sensitive data for making online operations. By clicking the View details link in the area of each network, the following details are displayed: ● Secured - here you can view if the selected network is secured or not. Unencrypted networks can leave the data you use exposed. ● Encryption type - here you can view the encryption type used by the selected network. Some encryption types may not be secure. Therefore, we strongly recommend you to check information about the displayed encryption type to be sure that you are protected while surfing the web. ● Channel/Frequency - here you can view the channel frequency used by the selected network. Vulnerability 124Bitdefender Internet Security ● Password strength - here you can view how strong the password is. Note that the networks that have set weak passwords represent a target to cyber criminals. ● Type of sign in - here you can view if the selected network is protected using a password or not. It is highly recommended to connect only to networks that have set strong passwords. ● Authentication type - here you can view the authentication type used by the selected network. Vulnerability 125Bitdefender Internet Security 20. WEBCAM PROTECTION That hackers may take over your webcam to spy on you is not a novelty anymore, and solutions to protect it, such as revoking app’s privileges, disable the device’s built-in camera, or to cover it up are not very practical. To prevent further attempts to gain access to your privacy, Bitdefender Webcam Protection permanently monitors the apps that try to get access to your camera and blocks those that are not listed as trusted. As a safety measure you will be notified each time an untrusted app will attempt to gain access to your camera. 20.1. Turning on or off Webcam Protection 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In theWEBCAM PROTECTION pane, turn on or off the switch. 20.2. Configuring Webcam Protection You can configure which rules should be applied when an appwill try to gain access to your camera by following these steps: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In theWEBCAM PROTECTION pane, click Settings. Application block rules ● Block all access to the webcam - no app will be allowed to gain access to your webcam. ● Block browsers'' access to the webcam - no web browser except Internet Explorer andMicrosoft Edgewill be allowed to gain access to yourwebcam. Due to the Windows Store apps procedure to run in a single process, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge cannot be detected by Bitdefender as web browsers, and therefore are excepted from this setting. ● Set applicationwebcam access based on Bitdefender users'' choice - if the majority of Bitdefender users consider a popular app as being harmless, then its access to the webcam will be automatically set on Allow. If a popular app is considered as dangerous by the many, then its access will be automatically set on Blocked. Webcam Protection 126Bitdefender Internet Security You will be informed each time one of your installed apps will be listed as blocked by the majority of Bitdefender users. Notifications ● Notify when allowed applications connect to the webcam - you will be notified each time an allowed app will access your webcam. 20.3. Adding apps to the Webcam Protection list Apps that try to connect to your webcam are automatically detected and depending on their behavior and the community''s choice, their access is allowed or denied. However, you canmanually start configuring on your own what action should be taken by following these steps: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In theWEBCAM PROTECTION pane, clickWebcam access. 3. The first time you accessWebcamProtection, you are introduced into the feature. 4. Click the desired link: ● Select Windows Store apps to add to the permissions list - a list with the detected Windows Store apps is displayed. Turn on the switches next to the apps you want to add to the list. ● Start adding applications to the webcam access list - go to the .exe file you want to add to the list, and then click OK. To add additional apps, click the Add a new application to the list link. Click the Access allowed/Access blocked switch. To viewwhat the Bitdefender users have chosen to dowith the selected app, click the icon. The apps that will request access to your camera together with the time of last activity will appear in this window. You will be notified each time one of the allowed apps is blocked by the Bitdefender users. Webcam Protection 127Bitdefender Internet Security 21. SAFE FILES Ransomware is a malicious software that attacks vulnerable systems by locking them, and asks for money to let the user take back the control of his system. Thismalicious software acts intelligent by displaying falsemessages to panic the user, urging him to proceed with the asked payment. The infection can be spread via spam emails, by downloading attachments, or by visiting infectedwebsites and installingmalicious appswithout letting the user know what is happening on his system. Ransomware can have one of the following behaviors preventing the user from accessing his system: ● Encrypts sensitive and personal files without giving the possibility of decryption until a ransom is paid by the victim. ● Locks the computer’s screen and displays a message asking for money. In this case, no file is encrypted, only the user is forced to proceed with the payment. ● Blocks apps from running. With Bitdefender Safe Files you can keep protected from ransomware attacks personal files, such as documents, photos or movies. Note Advanced Threat Defense and Safe Files are two layers of protection against ransomware. Advanced Threat Defense is the feature that stops ransomware attacks in their tracks to your system''s critical areas, while Safe Files makes sure no important file on your computer gets encrypted. 21.1. Turning on or off Safe Files To turn on or off the Safe Files feature: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the SAFE FILES pane, turn on or off the switch. Each time an app will try to access one of the protected file, a Bitdefender pop-up is displayed. You can allow or block the access. Note The Safe Files feature is not enabled by default. Safe Files 128Bitdefender Internet Security 21.2. Protect personal files from ransomware attacks If you want to settle personal files to a shelter: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the SAFE FILES pane, click Protected Folders. 3. The first time you access Protected Folders, you are introduced into the feature. Click PROTECT MORE FOLDERS to continue. 4. Select the folder you want to protect, and then click OK. To add additional folders, click theProtectmore folders link. Alternatively, drag folders to this window. By default, the folders Pictures, Videos, Documents, andMusic are protected against threat attacks. Personal data stored in online file hosting services such as Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive are also included to the protection environment, provided that their apps are installed on the system. To avoid system slow down, we recommend you to add utmost 30 folders, or save multiple files in a single folder. Note Custom folders can be protected only for current users. System and app files cannot be added to exceptions. 21.3. Configuring apps access Those apps that try to change or delete protected files may be flagged as potentially unsafe and added to the Blocked apps'' list. If such an app is blocked and you are sure that its behavior is normal, you can allow it by following these steps: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the SAFE FILES pane, click Application Access. 3. The apps that have requested to change files in your protected folders are listed. Turn on the switch next to the app you are sure is safe. In the same window you can disable ransomware protection for specific apps by turning off the corresponding switch. If you want to add new apps to the list, click the Add a new application to the list link. Safe Files 129Bitdefender Internet Security 21.4. Protection at boot It is known that manymalicious apps are set to run at system startup, a fact which can seriously damage a machine. Bitdefender Boot time protection scans all critical system areas before all files are being loaded, with zero impact on the system. To disable Protection at boot: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the SAFE FILES pane, click Settings. 3. Turn off Protection at boot. Note Apps added to exceptions will be scanned as well and treated accordingly. Safe Files 130Bitdefender Internet Security 22. RANSOMWARE REMEDIATION Bitdefender Ransomware Remediation backs up your files such as documents, pictures, videos, or music to make sure that they are protected from being damaged or lost in case of ransomware encryption. Each time a ransomware attack is detected, Bitdefender will block all processes involved in the attack and start the remediation process. This way, you will be able to recover the content of your entire files without paying for any asked ransom. 22.1. Turning on or off Ransomware Remediation To turn on or off Ransomware Remediation: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the RANSOMWARE REMEDIATION pane, turn on or off the switch. Note To ensure that your files are protected against ransomware, we recommend you to keep Ransomware Remediation enabled. 22.2. Turning on or off automatic restore Automatic Restore makes sure that your files are automatically restored in the event of ransomware encryption. To turn on or off automatic restore: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the RANSOMWARE REMEDIATION pane, click Settings. 3. Turn on or off the Automatic restore switch. 22.3. Viewing files that were automatically restored When theAutomatic restore option is enabled, Bitdefenderwill automatically restore files that were encrypted by a ransomware. Hereby, you can enjoy worry-free computer experience knowing that you files are safe. To view files that were automatically restored: 1. Click Notifications on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. Ransomware Remediation 131Bitdefender Internet Security 2. In the All tab, select the notification regarding the latest ransomware behavior remediated, and then click Restored Files. The list with the restored files is displayed. Here you can also view the location where your files have been restored. 22.4. Restoring encrypted files manually In case you have to manually restore files that were encrypted by a ransomware, follow these steps: 1. Click Notifications on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the All tab, select the notification regarding the latest ransomware behavior detected, and then click Encrypted Files. 3. The list with the encrypted files is displayed. Click RECOVER FILES to continue. 4. In case the entire or a part of the restoring process fails, you have to choose the location where the decrypted files should be saved. Click RESTORE LOCATION, and then choose a location on your PC. 5. A confirmation window appears. Click FINISH to end the restoring process. Fileswith the following extensions canbe restored in case they get encrypted: .3g2; .3gp; .7z; .ai; .aif; .arj; .asp; .aspx; .avi; .bat; .bin; .bmp; .c; .cda; .cgi; .class; .com; .cpp; .cs; .css; .csv; .dat; .db; .dbf; .deb;.doc; .docx; .gif; .gz; .h264; .h; .flv; .htm; .html;.ico; .jar; .java; .jpeg; .jpg;.js; .jsp; .key; .m4v; .mdb; .mid; .midi; .mkv; .mp3; .mp4; .mov; .mpg; .mpeg; .ods; .odp;.odt; .ogg; .pdf; .pkg; .php; .pl; .png; .pps; .ppt; .pptx; .ps; .psd; .py; .rar; .rm; .rtf; .sav; .sql; .sh; .svg; .swift; .swf; .tar; .tex; .tif; .tiff; .txt; .xlr; .xls; .xlsx; .xml; .wmv; .vb; .vob; .wav; .wks; .wma; .wpl; .wps; .wpd; .wsf; .z; .zip; 22.5. Adding applications to exceptions You can configure exception rules for trusted apps so that the Ransowmare Remediation feature does not block them if they perform ransomware-like actions. To add apps to the Ransomware Remediation exceptions list: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. Ransomware Remediation 132Bitdefender Internet Security 2. In the RANSOMWARE REMEDIATION pane, click Exceptions. 3. To start adding apps to the list, click Add a new application to the list. Ransomware Remediation 133Bitdefender Internet Security 23. FILE ENCRYPTION Bitdefender File Encryption enables you to create encrypted, password-protected logical drives (or vaults) on your computer where you can securely store your confidential and sensitive documents. The data stored on the vaults can only be accessed by userswho know the password. The password allows you to open, store data on and close a vault while maintaining its security. While a vault is open, you can add new files, access current files or change them. Physically, the vault is a file stored on the local hard drive having the .bvd extension. Although the physical files representing the vaulted drives can be accessed from a different operating system (such as Linux), the information stored on them cannot be read because it is encrypted. File vaults can be managed from the Bitdefender window or by using the Windows contextual menu and logical drive associated with the vault. 23.1. Managing file vaults To manage your file vaults from Bitdefender: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FILE ENCRYPTION pane, click Settings. The existing file vaults appear in this window. 23.2. Creating file vaults To create a new vault: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FILE ENCRYPTION pane, click Create New File Vault. 3. Specify the name and the location of the vault file. ● Type the name of the vault file in the corresponding field. ● Click BROWSE, select the location of the vault and save the vault file under the desired name. 4. Choose a drive letter from the corresponding menu. When you open the vault, a virtual disk drive labeled with the selected letter appears in My Computer. File encryption 134Bitdefender Internet Security 5. If you want to change the default size (100 MB) of the vault, use the up and down arrow keys from the Vault size (MB) spin box. 6. Type the desired password to the vault in the Password and Confirm password fields. The password must have at least 8 characters. Anyone trying to open the vault and access its files must provide the password. 7. Click CREATE. Bitdefender will immediately inform you about the result of the operation. If an error has occurred, use the error message to troubleshoot the issue. To create a new vault faster, right-click on your desktop or in a folder on your computer, point to Bitdefender > Bitdefender File Vault and select Create File Vault. Note It may be convenient to save all file vaults to the same location. This way, you can find them quicker. 23.3. Importing a file vault To import a file vault stored locally: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FILE ENCRYPTION pane, click Import vault. 3. Search the location of your vault and select it (the .bvd file). 4. Click Open. 23.4. Opening file vaults To access and work with the files stored in a vault, you must open the vault. When you open the vault, a virtual disk drive appears in My Computer. The drive is labeled with the drive letter assigned to the vault. 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FILE ENCRYPTION pane, click Settings. 3. Select the vault you want to open, and then click UNLOCK. 4. Type the required password, and then click OK. 5. Click OPEN to open your vault. File encryption 135Bitdefender Internet Security Bitdefender will immediately inform you about the result of the operation. If an error has occurred, use the error message to troubleshoot the error. To open a vault faster, locate on your computer the .bvd file representing the vault youwant to open. Right-click the file, point toBitdefender >Bitdefender File Vault and selectUnlock. Type the required password, and then clickOK. 23.5. Adding files to vaults Before you can add files or folders to a vault, you must open the vault. To add new files to your vault: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FILE ENCRYPTION pane, click Settings. 3. Select the vault you want to add files to, and then click UNLOCK. 4. Type the required password, and then click OK. 5. Click OPEN to open your vault. 6. Add files or folders as you normally do in Windows (for example, you can use the copy-paste method). To add files to your vault faster, right-click the file or folder you want to copy to a vault, point to Bitdefender > Bitdefender File Vault and select Add to File Vault. ● If only one vault is open, the file or folder is copied directly to that vault. ● If several vaults are open, youwill be prompted to choose the vault to copy the item to. Select from the menu the drive letter corresponding to the desired vault and click OK to copy the item. 23.6. Locking vaults When you are done with your work in a file vault, you must lock it to protect your data. By locking the vault, the corresponding virtual disk drive disappears from My Computer. Consequently, access to the data stored in the vault is completely blocked. To lock a vault: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FILE ENCRYPTION pane, click Settings. File encryption 136Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Select the vault you want to lock, and then click LOCK. Bitdefender will immediately inform you about the result of the operation. If an error has occurred, use the error message to troubleshoot the issue. To lock a vault faster, right-click the .bvd file representing the vault, point to Bitdefender > Bitdefender File Vault and select Lock. 23.7. Removing files from vaults To remove files or folders from a vault, the vault must be open. To remove files or folders from a vault: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FILE ENCRYPTION pane, click Settings. 3. Select the vault from which you want to remove files, and then click UNLOCK in case it is locked. 4. Click OPEN. Remove files or folders as you normally do in Windows (for example, right-click a file you want to delete and select Delete). 23.8. Changing vault password The password protects the content of a vault from unauthorized access. Only users who know the password can open the vault and access the documents and data stored inside it. The vault must be locked before you can change its password. To change the password of a vault: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FILE ENCRYPTION pane, click Settings. 3. Select the vault for which you want to change the password, and then click SETTINGS. 4. Type the current password of the vault in the Old Password field. 5. Type the new password of the vault in the New Password and Confirm New Password fields. File encryption 137Bitdefender Internet Security Note The passwordmust have at least 8 characters. For a strong password, use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters (such as #, $ or@). Bitdefender will immediately inform you about the result of the operation. If an error has occurred, use the error message to troubleshoot the issue. To change the password of a vault faster, locate on your computer the .bvd file representing the vault. Right-click the file, point to Bitdefender > Bitdefender File Vault and select Change Vault Password. File encryption 138Bitdefender Internet Security 24. PASSWORDMANAGER PROTECTION FOR YOUR CREDENTIALS We use our computers to shop online or pay our bills, to connect to social media platforms or log in with instant messaging apps. But as everybody knows, it’s not always easy to remember the password! And if we are not careful while browsing online, our private information, such as our email address, our instant messaging ID or our credit card data can be compromised. To keep your passwords or your personal data on a sheet of paper or in the computer can be dangerous because they can be accessed and used by people who want to steal and use that information. And to remember each password you have set for your online accounts or for your favoritewebsites is not an easy task. Therefore, is there a way to make sure that we find our passwords when we need them? And can we rest assured that our secret passwords are always safe? Password Manager helps you keep track of your passwords, protects your privacy and provides a secure browsing experience. Using a single master password to access your credentials, Password Manager makes it easy for you to keep your passwords safe in a Wallet. To offer the best protection for your online activities, Password Manager is integratedwith Bitdefender Safepay™ and provides a unified solution for the various ways in which your private data can be compromised. Password Manager protects the following private information: ● Personal information, such as the email address or the phone number ● Login credentials for the websites ● Bank account information or the credit card number ● Access data to the email accounts ● Passwords for the apps ● Passwords for the Wi-Fi networks Password Manager protection for your credentials 139Bitdefender Internet Security 24.1. Create a new Wallet database Bitdefender Wallet is the place where you can store your personal data. For an easier browser experience, you need to create a Wallet database as follows: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, click Create new Wallet. 3. Click Create new. 4. Type the required information in the corresponding fields. ● Wallet label - type a unique name for your Wallet database. ● Master Password - type a password for your Wallet. ● Retype Password - retype the password you set. ● Hint - type a hint to remember the password. 5. Click CONTINUE. 6. At this step you can choose to store your information in the cloud. If you select Yes, banking information will remain stored locally on your device. Choose the desired option, then click CONTINUE. 7. Select the web browser you want to import credentials from. 8. Click FINISH. 24.2. Import an existing database To import a wallet database stored locally: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, click Create new Wallet. 3. Click FROM TARGET. 4. Browse to the location on your device where you want to save the wallet database, and then choose a name for it. 5. Click Open. 6. Give a name to your Wallet and type in the password assigned when it was created in the first place. 7. Click IMPORT. Password Manager protection for your credentials 140Bitdefender Internet Security 8. Select the programs you want the Wallet to import credentials from, and then the FINISH button. 24.3. Export the Wallet database To export your Wallet database: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, clickMy Wallets. 3. Click the icon on the desired wallet, and then select Export. 4. Search the location of your wallet database and select it (the .db file). 5. Click Save. Note The Wallet needs to be opened in order for the Export option to be available. If the wallet you need to export is locked, click ACTIVATE WALLET, and then type in the password assigned when it was created in the first place. 24.4. Synchronize your wallets in the cloud To turn the wallets synchronization in the cloud on or off: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, clickMy Wallets. 3. Click the icon on the desired wallet, and then select Settings. 4. Choose the desired option in the window that appears, then click Save. Note The Wallet needs to be opened in order for the Export option to be available. If the wallet you need to synchronize is locked, click ACTIVATE WALLET, and then type in the password assigned when it was created in the first place. 24.5. Manage your Wallet credentials To manage your passwords: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, clickMy Wallets. Password Manager protection for your credentials 141Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Select the desired Wallet database, and then click ACTIVATE WALLET. 4. Type the Master password, and then click OK. A new window appears. Select the desired category from the upper part of the window: ● Identity ● Websites ● Online banking ● Emails ● Apps ● Wi-Fi Networks Adding/ editing the credentials ● To add a new password, choose the desired category from the top, click + Add item, insert the information in the corresponding fields and click the Save button. ● To edit an entry from the table, select it and click the Edit button. ● To remove an entry, select it, click the Delete button. 24.6. Turning on or off the Password Manager protection To turn the Password Manager protection on or off: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, turn on or off the switch. 24.7. Managing the Password Manager settings To configure the master password in detail: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Security Settings tab. The following options are available: Password Manager protection for your credentials 142Bitdefender Internet Security ● Ask for my master password when I login to my device - you will be prompted to insert your master password when you access the device. ● Ask for mymaster password when I openmy browsers and apps - you will be prompted to insert your master password when you access a browser or an app. ● Do not askme formymaster password - youwill not be prompted to insert your master password when you access the computer, a browser or an app. ● Automatically lockWallet when I leave my device unattended - you will be prompted to insert your master password when you return to your device after 15 minutes. Important Be sure to remember your master password or keep a record of it in a safe place. If you forget the password, you will have to reinstall the program or contact Bitdefender for support. Improve your experience To select the browsers or the apps where you want to integrate Password Manager: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Plugins tab. Check an app to use Password Manager and improve your experience: ● Internet Explorer ● Mozilla Firefox ● Google Chrome ● Safepay Configuring the Autofill The Autofill feature makes it easy for you to connect with your favorite websites or to log in with your online accounts. The first time you enter your login credentials and personal information into your web browser, they are automatically secured into the Wallet. Password Manager protection for your credentials 143Bitdefender Internet Security To configure the Autofill settings: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PASSWORD MANAGER pane, click Settings. 3. Select the Autofill settings tab. 4. Configure the following options: ● Configure how Password Manager secures your credentials: ● Save credentials automatically in Wallet - the login credentials and other identifiable information such as your personal and credit card details are automatically saved and updated into the Wallet. ● Ask me every time - you will be asked every time if you want to add your credentials to the Wallet. ● Do not save, I will update the information manually - the credentials can be added only manually into the Wallet. ● Autofill login credentials: ● Autofill login credentials every time - the credentials are inserted automatically into the browser. ● Autofill forms: ● Prompt my fill options when I visit a page with forms - a popup with the fill options will appear every time Bitdefender detects that you want to perform an online payment or to sign up. Manage the Password Manager information from your browser You can easily manage the Password Manager details directly from your browser, to have all the important data at hand. TheBitdefenderWallet add-on is supported by the following browsers: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, and is also also integrated with Safepay. To access the Bitdefender Wallet extension, open your web browser, allow the add-on to be installed and click the icon on the toolbar. The Bitdefender Wallet extension contains the following options: ● Open Wallet - opens the Wallet. ● Lock Wallet - locks the Wallet. Password Manager protection for your credentials 144Bitdefender Internet Security ● Web pages - opens a submenu with all the websites logins stored in the Wallet. Click Add Web Page to add new websites into the list. ● Fill Forms - opens a submenu containing the information you added for a specific category. From here you can add new data to your Wallet. ● Password Generator - enables you to generate random passwords you can use for new or existing accounts. Click Show advanced settings to customize the complexity of the password. ● Settings - opens the Password Manager settings window. ● Report issue - report any issue you encounter with the Bitdefender Password Manager. Password Manager protection for your credentials 145Bitdefender Internet Security 25. ANTI-TRACKER Manywebsites you visit are using trackers to collect information about your behavior, either to share it with third-party companies or to show ads that are more relevant for you. Hereby, websites owners are makingmoney to be able to provide you content for free or continue operating. Besides collecting information, trackers can slow down your browsing experience or waste your bandwidth. With Bitdefender Anti-tracker extension activated in your web browser, you avoid to be tracked so that your data remains privatewhile you browse online and you speed up the time websites need to load. The Bitdefender extension is compatible with the following web browsers: ● Internet Explorer ● Google Chrome ● Mozilla Firefox The trackers we detect are grouped in the following categories: ● Advertising - used to analyze website traffic, user behavior or visitors’ traffic patterns. ● Customer Interaction - used to measure user interaction with different input forms such as chat or support. ● Essential - used to monitor critical webpage functionalities. ● Site Analytics - used to gather data regarding webpage usage. ● Social Media - used to monitor social audience, activity and user engagement with different social media platforms. 25.1. Anti-tracker interface When theBitdefenderAnti-tracker extension is activated, the iconappears next to the search bar in your web browser. Every time you visit a website, a counter can be noticed on the icon, referring to the detected and blocked trackers. To view more details about the blocked trackers, click the icon to open the interface. Besides the number of the trackers blocked, you can view the time required for the page to load and the categories to which the Anti-tracker 146Bitdefender Internet Security detected trackers belong. To view the list of the websites that are tracking, click the desired category. To disableBitdefender fromblocking trackers on thewebsite you are currently visiting, click Pause protection on this website. This setting applies only as long you have the website open and will be reverted to the initial state when you close the website. To allow trackers from a specific category to monitor your activity, click the desired activity, and then click the corresponding button. If you change your mind, click the same button once again. 25.2. Turning Bitdefender Anti-tracker off To turn off the Bitdefender Anti-tracker: ● From your web browser: 1. Open your web browser. 2. Click the icon next to the address bar in your web browser. 3. Click the icon in the upper-right corner. 4. Use the corresponding switch to turn off. The Bitdefender icon turns grey. ● From the Bitdefender interface: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the Anti-tracker pane, click Settings. 3. Next to the web browser for which you want to disable the extension, turn off the corresponding switch. 25.3. Allowing a website to be tracked If you would like to be tracked while you visit a particular website, you can add its address to exceptions as follows: 1. Open your web browser. 2. Click the icon next to the search bar. 3. Click the icon in the upper-right corner. Anti-tracker 147Bitdefender Internet Security 4. If you are on the website you want to add to exceptions, click Add current website to the list. If you would like to add another website, type its address in the corresponding field, and then click . Anti-tracker 148Bitdefender Internet Security 26. VPN The VPNappmay be installed from your Bitdefender product and used every time you want to add an extra layer of protection to your connection. The VPN serves as a tunnel between your device and the network you connect to securing your connection, encrypting the data using bank-grade encryption, and hiding your IP addresswherever you are. Your traffic is redirected through a separate server; thusmaking your device almost impossible to be identified through the myriad of other devices that are using our services. Moreover, while connected to the internet via Bitdefender VPN, you are able to access content that is normally restricted in specific areas. Note Some countries practice internet censorship and therefore the usage of VPNs on their territory has been banned by law. To avoid legal consequences, a warning message can appear when you try to use the Bitdefender VPN app for the first time. By continuing using the app, you confirm that you are aware of the applicable country regulations and the risks to which you might be exposed. 26.1. Installing VPN The VPN app can be installed from your Bitdefender interface, as follows: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the VPN pane, click Install VPN. 3. In the window with the description of the VPN app, read the Subscription agreement, and then click INSTALL BITDEFENDER VPN. Wait several moments until the files are downloaded and installed. If another VPN app is detected, we recommend you to uninstall it. Having installed multiple VPN solutions, you may encounter system slowdowns or other functionality problems. 4. Click OPEN BITDEFENDER VPN to finish the installation process. Note Bitdefender VPN requires .Net Framework 4.5.2 or higher to be installed. In case you do not have this package installed, a notification window appears. Click install .Net Framework to be redirected to a page from where you can download the newest version of this software. VPN 149Bitdefender Internet Security 26.2. Opening VPN To access the main interface of Bitdefender VPN, use one of the following methods: ● From system tray 1. Right-click the icon in system tray, and then click Show. ● From the Bitdefender interface: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the VPN pane, click Open VPN. 26.3. VPN interface TheVPN interface displays the status of the app, connected or disconnected. The server location for users with the free version is automatically set by Bitdefender to the most appropriate server, while premium users have the possibility to change the server location they want to connect to. For more information about VPN subscriptions, refer to “Subscriptions” (p. 151). To connect or disconnect, simply click on the status displayed at the top of the screen, or right-click the system tray icon. The system tray icon displays a green checkmark when the VPN is connected, and a red checkmark when the VPN is disconnected. While connected, the elapsed time and the bandwidth usage are displayed on the lower part of the interface. To get access tomore options, access theMenu area by clicking the icon in the upper-left side. Here you have the following options: ● MyAccount–details about yourBitdefender account andVPNsubscription are displayed. Click Switch Account if you want to sign in with another account. ● Settings – depending on your needs, you can customize the behavior of your product: ● receive notifications when the VPN automatically connects or disconnects ● automatically run the VPN app at Windows startup ● automatically launch the VPN app when your device connects to unsecured wireless networks VPN 150Bitdefender Internet Security ● Upgrade to Premium - if you are using the free version, you can upgrade to the premium plan from here. ● Support - you are redirected to our Support Center platform from where you can read a helpful article on how to use Bitdefender VPN. ● About - information about the installed version is displayed. 26.4. Subscriptions Bitdefender VPN offers for free a daily 200 MB traffic quota per device to secure your connection every time you need, and connects you automatically to the optimal server location. To get unlimited traffic and unrestricted access to content worldwide by choosing a server location at your will, upgrade to the premium version. You canupgrade to theBitdefender PremiumVPNversion anytimeby clicking the GET UNLIMITED TRAFFIC button available in the product interface. The Bitdefender Premium VPN subscription is independent from the Bitdefender Internet Security subscription, meaning you will be able to use it for its entire availability, regardless of the state of the security solution subscription. In case the Bitdefender Premium VPN subscription expires, but the one for Bitdefender Internet Security is still active, youwill be reverted to the free plan. BitdefenderVPN is a cross-platformproduct, available inBitdefender products compatible with Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Once you upgrade to the premium plan, you will be able to use your subscription on all products, provided that you log in with the same Bitdefender account. VPN 151Bitdefender Internet Security 27. SAFEPAYSECURITYFORONLINETRANSACTIONS The computer is quickly becoming the main tool for shopping and banking. Payingbills, transferringmoney, buyingprettymuchanything you can imagine has never been quicker or easier. This involves sending personal information, account and credit card data, passwords and other types of private information over the internet, in other words exactly the type of information flow that cyber-criminals are very interested to tap into. Hackers are relentless in their efforts to steal this information, so you can never be too careful about securing online transactions. Bitdefender Safepay™ is first of all a protected browser, a sealed environment that is designed to keep your online banking, e-shopping and any other type of online transaction private and secure. For the best privacy protection, Bitdefender Password Manager has been integrated into Bitdefender Safepay™ to secure your credentials whenever you want to access private online locations. For more information, refer to “Password Manager protection for your credentials” (p. 139). Bitdefender Safepay™ offers the following features: ● It blocks access to your desktop and any attempt to take snapshots of your screen. ● It protects your secret passwords while browsing online with Password Manager. ● It comes with a virtual keyboard which, when used, makes it impossible for hackers to read your keystrokes. ● It is completely independent from your other browsers. ● It comes with built-in hotspot protection to be used when your computer is connected to unsecured Wi-fi networks. ● It supports bookmarks and allows you to navigate between your favorite banking/shopping sites. ● It is not limited to banking and e-shopping. Any website can be opened in Bitdefender Safepay™. Safepay security for online transactions 152Bitdefender Internet Security 27.1. Using Bitdefender Safepay™ By default, Bitdefender detects when you navigate to an online banking site or online shop in any browser on your computer and prompts you to launch it in Bitdefender Safepay™. To access the main interface of Bitdefender Safepay™, use one of the following methods: ● From the Bitdefender interface: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the Safepay pane, click Open Safepay. ● From Windows: ● InWindows 7: 1. Click Start and go to All Programs. 2. Click Bitdefender. 3. Click Bitdefender Safepay™. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: Locate Bitdefender Safepay™ from the Windows Start screen (for example, you can start typing "Bitdefender Safepay™" directly in the Start screen) and then click the icon. ● InWindows 10: Type "Bitdefender Safepay™" in the search box from the taskbar and click its icon. If you are used to web browsers, you will have no trouble using Bitdefender Safepay™ - it looks and behaves like a regular browser: ● enter URLs you want to go to in the address bar. ● add tabs to visit multiple websites in the Bitdefender Safepay™ window by clicking . ● navigate back and forward and refresh pages using respectively. ● accessBitdefenderSafepay™settingsby clicking andchoosingSettings. ● protect your passwords with Password Manager by clicking . ● manage your bookmarks by clicking next to the address bar. Safepay security for online transactions 153Bitdefender Internet Security ● open the virtual keyboard by clicking . ● increase or decrease the browser size by pressing simultaneouslyCtrl and the +/- keys in the numeric keypad. ● view information about your Bitdefender product by clicking and choosing About. ● print important information by clicking . Note To switch between Bitdefender Safepay™ and Windows desktop, press the Alt+Tab keys, or click the Switch to Desktop option on the upper left side of the window. 27.2. Configuring settings Click and choose Settings to configure Bitdefender Safepay™: Domains list Thewebsites you have added to Bookmarkswith theAutomatically open in Safepay option enabled will appear here. If you want to stop automatically opening with Bitdefender Safepay™ a website from the list, click × next to the desired entry from the Remove column. Blocking pop-ups You can choose to block pop-ups by clicking the corresponding switch. You can also create a list of websites to allow pop-ups from. The list should contain only websites you fully trust. To add a site to the list, provide its address in the corresponding field and click Add domain. To remove a website from the list, select the X corresponding to the desired entry. Manage Plugins You can choose whether you wish to enable or disable specific plugins in Bitdefender Safepay™. Manage certificates You can import certificates from your system to a certificate store. Select Import certificates and follow the wizard to use the certificates in Bitdefender Safepay™. Safepay security for online transactions 154Bitdefender Internet Security Automatically launch Virtual Keyboard at password fields The Virtual Keyboard will automatically appear when a password field is selected. Use the corresponding switch to enable or disable the feature. Ask for confirmation before printing Enable this option if you want to give your confirmation before the printing process starts. 27.3. Managing bookmarks If you disabled the automatic detection of someor all websites, or Bitdefender simply doesn''t detect certainwebsites, you canaddbookmarks toBitdefender Safepay™ so that you can easily launch favorite websites in the future. Follow these steps to add a URL to Bitdefender Safepay™ bookmarks: 1. Click the icon next to the address bar to open the Bookmarks page. Note The Bookmarks page is opened by default when you start Bitdefender Safepay™. 2. Click the + button to add a new bookmark. 3. Type the URL and the title of the bookmark and click Create. Check the Automatically open in Safepay option if you want the bookmarked page to open with Bitdefender Safepay™ each time you access it. The URL is also added to the Domains list on the settings page. 27.4. Turning off Safepay notifications When a banking site is detected, the Bitdefender product is set up to notify you through a pop-up window. To turn off the Safepay notifications: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the Safepay pane, click Settings. 3. Turn off Safepay notifications. Safepay security for online transactions 155Bitdefender Internet Security 27.5. Using VPN with Safepay To make online payments in a safe environment while being connected to unsecured networks, the Bitdefender productmay be set up to automatically launch the VPN app in the same time with Safepay. To start using the VPN app together with Safepay: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the Safepay pane, click Settings. 3. Turn on Use VPN with Safepay. Safepay security for online transactions 156Bitdefender Internet Security 28. DATA PROTECTION 28.1. Deleting files permanently When you delete a file, it can no longer be accessed through normal means. However, the file continues to be stored on the hard disk until it is overwritten when copying new files. TheBitdefender File Shredder helps youpermanently delete data by physically removing it from your hard disk. You can quickly shred files or folders from your computer using theWindows contextual menu by following these steps: 1. Right-click the file or folder you want to permanently delete. 2. Select Bitdefender > File Shredder in the context menu that appears. 3. ClickDELETEPERMANENTLY, and then confirm that youwish to continue with the process. Wait for Bitdefender to finish shredding the files. 4. The results are displayed. Click FINISH to exit the wizard. Alternatively, you can shred files from the Bitdefender interface, as follows: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the DATA PROTECTION pane, click File Shredder. 3. Follow the File Shredder wizard: a. Click the ADD FOLDERS button to add the files or folders you want to be permanently removed. Alternatively, drag these files or folders to this window. b. Click DELETE PERMANENTLY, and then confirm that you wish to continue with the process. Wait for Bitdefender to finish shredding the files. c. Results Summary The results are displayed. Click FINISH to exit the wizard. Data Protection 157Bitdefender Internet Security 29. PARENTAL CONTROL BitdefenderParental Control allows you tomanageandprotect your children''s online activities. Once you have configured Bitdefender Parental Control, you can easily find out what your children are doing on the devices they use and where they have been in the last 24 hours. Moreover, to help you know better what your children are doing, the feature gives you statistics about their activities and interests. In your Bitdefender subscription you have included the following features: ● On Windows, macOS and Android-based devices: ● Block inappropriate webpages. ● Block apps like games, chat, file sharing programs, or others. ● Block the usage of the monitored device. ● Block internet access for specific periods of time (such as when it''s time for lessons). ● Set time restrictions for the usage of the devices. ● View the average time spent by your children on a device. ● View a report with the apps used on the monitored device in the last 30 days. ● Set restricted areas. ● Find your child''s Android device location. ● On iOS-based devices: ● Block incomming calls from the contacts list. ● Set restricted areas. ● Find your child''s iOS device location. If youwant to have access tomore features, you can upgrade to Bitdefender Parental Control Premium version. The features included in the premium version, are: ● View if your children have become victims to a predatory behavior. ● View if cyberbullying attemptsweremade by colleagues or strangerswhile spending time online. Parental Control 158Bitdefender Internet Security The features included in the premium version are available for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS-based devices. To check your children''s online activities, manage the devices your children use, or change the Parental Control settings, you need to access your Bitdefender account. There are two possibilities to access your Bitdefender account, either from a web browser by going to https://central.bitdefender.com, or from the Bitdefender Central app, which can be installed on Android and iOS-based devices. To install the Bitdefender Central app on your devices: ● OnAndroid - searchBitdefender Central onGoogle Play, and then download and install the app. Follow the required steps to complete the installation. ● On iOS - search Bitdefender Central on App Store, and then download and install the app. Follow the required steps to complete the installation. Note In this material you are provided with the options and instructions available on the web platform. 29.1. Accessing Parental Control - My Children Once you access the Parental Control section, the My Children window is available. Here you can start creating profiles for your children and later you can view and edit them. Once created, the profiles are displayed as profile cards, allowing you to quickly manage them and check their statuses at a glance. As soon as you create a profile, you can start customizing more detailed settings to monitor and control the access to the internet and to specific apps for your children. You can access Parental Control settings from Bitdefender Central on any computer or mobile device connected to the internet. Access your Bitdefender account: ● On any device with internet access: 1. Access Bitdefender Central. 2. Log in to your Bitdefender account using your email address and password. Parental Control 159Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Select the Parental Control panel. 4. In theMyChildrenwindow that appears, you canmanage and configure the Parental Control profiles for each device. ● From your Bitdefender interface: 1. Click Privacy on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the PARENTAL CONTROL pane, click Configure. You are redirected to the Bitdefender accountwebpage.Make sure that you are logged in with your credentials. 3. Select the Parental Control feature. 4. In theMyChildrenwindow that appears, you canmanage and configure the Parental Control profiles for each device. Note Make sure you are logged on to the computer with an administrator account. Only users with administrative rights on the system (system administrators) can access and configure Parental Control. 29.2. Create profiles for your children To start monitoring your children''s online activities, you need to configure profiles and install the Bitdefender Parental Control app on the devices they use. To create a child profile: 1. Access Bitdefender Central. 2. Select the Parental Control panel. 3. Click CREATE A CHILD PROFILE in theMy Children window. 4. Set specific information, such as name, date of birth or gender. To add a picture to your child''s profile, click the icon in the bottom right corner of the Profile picture option. Click SAVE to continue. Based on children development standards, setting the child''s date of birth automatically loads settings for searching theweb considered appropriate for his age category. 5. Click LET''S ADD A DEVICE. Parental Control 160Bitdefender Internet Security 6. If your child''s device already has a Bitdefender product installed, select his device from the available list, and then select the account you want to monitor. Click ASSIGN. If you child has no Bitdefender product installed on the device he uses, click Install on a new device, and then click SENDDOWNLOAD LINK. Type an email address in the corresponding field, and click SEND EMAIL. Note that the generated download link is valid for the next 24 hours only. If the link expires, you will have to generate a new one by following the same steps. On the device you want to install Bitdefender, check the email account that you typed in, and then click the corresponding download button. Important OnWindowsandmacOS-baseddevices that do not have aBitdefender product installed, the Bitdefender Parental Control monitoring tracker will be installed so that you can monitor your children online activities. On Android and iOS-based devices, the Bitdefender Parental Control app will be downloaded and installed. To assign other devices, click the icon from the child''s profile, and then chooseDevices. Follow the instructions from step 6 provided in this chapter. 29.2.1. Installing the Bitdefender Parental Control app on Android and iOS-based devices Tomonitor your children''s online activities on Android or iOS-based devices, you have to install the Parental Control dedicated app, and then to link their devices to your Bitdefender account. Depending on the devices your children detain, follow these steps: ● On Android: 1. Go to Google Play Store, search Bitdefender Parental Control, and then tap the installation option. 2. Tap ACCEPT when you are asked to allow permissions. Bitdefender needs permissions to keep you informed about your child''s activity, and if they are not accepted, the app will not be installed. 3. Open the Parental Control app. Parental Control 161Bitdefender Internet Security 4. An introduction wizard containing details about the product features is displayed the first time you open the app. Select NEXT to continue being guided, or SKIP to close the wizard. 5. To continue with the installation, Bitdefender needs your approval to collect personal data that belongs to your child, which will only be used to deliver you information about your child''s activity. For more details, tap Privacy policy. By tapping CONTINUE you consent to collecting personal data from the device. 6. Log in to your existing Bitdefender account. If you do not have a Bitdefender account, you can choose to create a one by using the corresponding option. Alternatively, you can sign in with a Facebook, Google, or Microsoft account. 7. Tap TURN ON to be redirected to the screen from where you can turn on the Accessibility option for the app. Follow the onscreen instructions to properly set up the app. 8. Tap ALLOW to be redirected to the screen from where you can turn on the Enable Usage Access option for the app. Follow the onscreen instructions to properly set up the app. 9. Tap ACTIVATE to be redirected to the screen from where you can activate the Activate device administrator rights option for the app. Follow the onscreen instructions to properly set up the app. This will prevent your child from uninstalling the Parental Control app. 10. Assign the device to your child profile. ● On iOS: 1. Go to App Store, search Bitdefender Parental Control, and then tap the installation option. 2. To continue with the installation, Bitdefender needs your approval to collect personal data that belongs to your child, which will only be used to deliver you information about your child''s activity. For more details, tap Privacy Policy. By tapping Continue you consent to collecting personal data from the device. 3. Log in to your existing Bitdefender account. If you do not have a Bitdefender account, you can choose to create a one by using the corresponding option. Alternatively, you can sign in with a Facebook, Google, or Microsoft account. Parental Control 162Bitdefender Internet Security 4. You are asked to grand access to all requested permissions required for the app. Tap Allow. 5. Allow the access to the device''s location so that Bitdefender can locate it. 6. Allow the app to sendnotifications. TomanageBitdefender notifications, go to Settings > Notifications > Parental. 7. To be able to monitor your child''s contacts, you have to enable Call Blocking & Identification. Follow the required steps so that you can use Bitdefender Parental Control for restricting inbound phone calls. 8. Assign the device to your child profile. 29.2.2. Monitoring your children''s online activities Bitdefender Parental Control helps you keep track of what your children are doing online. This way, you can always find out exactly in what activities they were involved while spending time on the assigned devices. Depending on the settings you make, Bitdefender provides you with reports that may contain detailed information for each event, such as: ● The status of the event. ● The notification severity. ● The device name. ● The date and time when the event occurred. Tomonitor the internet traffic, the accessed apps, or the online activities for your children: 1. Access Bitdefender Central. 2. Select the Parental Control panel. 3. Select the desired device card. In the Activity window you can view the information you are interested in. Alternatively, select the View today''s activity link on the monitored device card to be redirected to the Activity window. Note The Activity section will contain only details from Windows, macOS and Android-based devices. Parental Control 163Bitdefender Internet Security 29.2.3. Configuring the Reports Settings By default, when Parental Control is enabled, your children''s online activities are logged. To receive email notifications about your children''s online activities: 1. Access Bitdefender Central. 2. Select the Parental Control panel. 3. Select the Reports Settings tab. 4. Enable the corresponding option to receive activity reports. 5. Type the email address where the email notifications are to be sent. 6. Adjust the frequency by selecting: weekly ormonthly, and then clickSAVE. You can also choose to receive notifications in your Bitdefender account in the following situations: ● Every time your children are trying to access blocked apps (on Windows, macOS and Android). ● Every time your children receive calls from blocked/unknown phone numbers (on iOS). ● Every time your children leave the safe areas or enter restricted areas. ● Every time your children check in as Safe. 29.2.4. Editing a profile To edit an existing profile: 1. Access Bitdefender Central. 2. Select the Parental Control panel. 3. Click the icon on the desired profile card, and then select Edit. 4. After customizing the wanted settings, select SAVE. 29.2.5. Removing a profile To remove an existing profile: 1. Access Bitdefender Central. 2. Select the Parental Control panel. Parental Control 164Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Click the icon on the desired profile card, and then select Remove. 4. Confirm your choice. 29.3. Configuring Parental Control profiles To start monitoring your children, a profile needs to be assigned to the devices that have installed the Bitdefender Parental Control feature or app. After creating a profile, you can customizemore detailed settings tomonitor and control the access to the internet and to specific apps. To start configuring a profile, select the desired profile card from the My Children window. Click a tab to configure the corresponding Parental Control feature for the device: ● Activity - displays all the activities, interests, locations, and interactions with friends, from the current day. ● Applications - allows you to block the access to certain apps, such as games, messaging software, movies, etc. ● Websites - allows you to filter web navigation. ● Phone Contacts - here you can specifywhich contacts from your children''s lists are allowed to come in contact by phone. ● Child Location - here you can set locations that are safe or not for your children. ● Social - here you can view your children''s activity from the last 30 days on social networks platforms. This information is only available to users who have upgraded to Bitdefender Parental Control Premium. ● Screen Time - allows you to block the access to the devices you specified at your children''s profiles. The access can be restricted both at a certain time interval and for cumulative daily limits. 29.3.1. Activity The Activity window gives you detailed information about your children''s online activities from the last 24 hours, inside and outside the home. To view activities from previous days click the calendar icon from the top left-corner of the window. Parental Control 165Bitdefender Internet Security Depending on the activity, this window may include information about: ● Locations - here you can view the locationswhere your childrenwere during the day. ● Interests - here you can view info about the categories of websites that your children have visited. Click the Review inappropriate content link to allow or deny access to specific interests. ● Social Interactions - here you can view the contacts that your children communicatedwith. Click theManage Contacts link to select the contacts that your children should stay in touch with or not. ● Applications - here you can see the apps your children have used. Click the Review app restrictions link to block or allow the access to specific apps. ● All day activity - here you can see the time spent online on all devices assigned to your children, and the location where they were active. The gathered information is from the current day. 29.3.2. Applications TheApplicationswindowallows you to block apps from running onWindows, macOSandAndroid-baseddevices. Games,media andmessaging software, as well as other categories of software can be blocked this way. Here you can also view a top 30 days used apps together with the time spent by your children on using them. Information about the time spent on using apps canonly be retrieved fromWindows,macOSandAndroid-baseddevices. To configure application control for a specific user account: 1. A list with the assigned devices is displayed. Select the card with the device on which you want to restrict app access. 2. ClickManage the apps used by.... A list with the installed apps is displayed. 3. Select Blocked next to the apps you want your child to stop using. 4. Click SAVE to apply the new setting. You can stop monitoring the installed apps by turning off theMonitor Apps Used option in the upper-right corner of the window. Parental Control 166Bitdefender Internet Security 29.3.3. Websites The Websites window helps you block websites with inappropriate content onWindows,macOS and Android-based devices.Websites that host videos, games, media and messaging software, as well as other categories of negative content can be blocked this way. The feature can be enabled or disabled by using the corresponding switch. Depending on the age you set for your children, the Interests list comes by default with a selection of categories enabled. To allow or deny the access to a specific category, click it. The icon that appears indicates that your childwill not be able to access content related to a specific category. Allowing or blocking a website To allow or restrict the access to certain webpages, you have to add them to the Exceptions list, as follows: 1. Click theMANAGE button. 2. Type the webpage you want to allow or block in the corresponding field. 3. Select Allow or Block. 4. Click FINISH to save the changes. Note Access restrictions to websites can be set only for Windows, Android and macOS devices added at your child''s profile. 29.3.4. Phone Contacts ThePhoneContactswindowgives you the possibility to specifywhich friends from your child''s list are allowed or not to come in contact by phone. On iOS-based devices you can block inbound calls, while on Android-based devices you can view the contacts list. To restrict inbound calls from a specific phone number of a contact, first you need to add your child''s iOS device to his profile: 1. Access Bitdefender Central. 2. Select the Parental Control panel. Parental Control 167Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Click the icon from the child''s profile, and then choose Devices. 4. Select the iOS device you want to assign, and then click ASSIGN. If the iOS device you want to assign to your child''s profile is not available in the list, click Install on a new device, and then click SEND DOWNLOAD LINK. Type an email address in the corresponding field, and click SEND EMAIL. Note that the generated download link is valid for the next 24 hours only. If the link expires, you will have to generate a new one by following the same steps. On the device you want to install Bitdefender, check the email account that you typed in, and then click the corresponding download button. 5. Select the Phone Contacts tab in Bitdefender Central. A list with cards is displayed. The cards represent the contacts from your child''s Android smartphone. 6. Select the card with the phone number you want block. The icon that appears indicates that your child will not be reached by the selected phone number. Note No outbound calls, no inbound and no outbound SMS messages will be blocked. 29.3.5. Child Location View the device''s current location onGoogleMaps. The location is refreshed every 5 seconds, so you can track it if it is on the move. The accuracy of the location dependson howBitdefender is able to determine it: ● If the GPS is enabled on the device, its location can be pinpointed towithin a couple ofmeters as long it is in the range of GPS satellites (i.e. not inside a building). ● If the device is indoors, its location can be determined to within tens of meters if Wi-Fi is enabled and there are wireless networks available in its range. Parental Control 168Bitdefender Internet Security ● Otherwise, the locationwill be determined using only information from the mobile network,which canoffer an accuracynobetter than several hundred meters. Configuring location & Safe Check-in To be sure that your child goes to certain locations, you can make a list of safe and unsafe places. Each time he is entering alone in a predefined area, a notification will appear in the Parental Control app asking to confirm that he is safe. By tapping I''VE ARRIVED SAFELY you are informed through a notification in your Bitdefender account that the final destination has been reached. In case no confirmation is given by your child, you are still able to see the history of his location throughout the day by checking his profile in your Bitdefender account. To configure a location: 1. Click Devices in the frame you have in the Child Location window. 2. ClickCHOOSEDEVICES, and then select the device youwant to configure. 3. In the Areas window, click the ADD AREA button. 4. Choose the type of the location, SAFE or RESTRICTED. 5. Type a valid name for the area where your children have permission to go or not. 6. Set the range that should be applied for monitoring from the Radius slide bar. 7. Click ADD AREA to save your settings. You are asked if your children are going to travel alone or not. Confirm with Yes or No. Note The location tracker can be used for monitoring Android and iOS devices that have installed the Bitdefender Parental Control app. 29.3.6. Social - Cyberbullying and online predators The Social window gives you insights about your children''s online activities from the last 30 days on social networks apps, such asWhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Instagram. To guide you to possible online traps your children may fall into, cyberbullying and predator behavior attempts are detected and Parental Control 169Bitdefender Internet Security displayed in this area. This is possible due to the artificial intelligence technologies we are using to detect hazards, such as: ● Photos containing nudity. ● Mean text messages. ● Disclosure of personal information (home address, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc.). ● Meetings requests from strangers. In paticular, Bitdefender Parental Control Premium analyses: ● Text messages sent only in English on WhatsApp (Android, Windows and macOS), Facebook Messenger (Windows and Mac) and Instagram (Android). ● Images sent or received on WhatsApp (Android, Windows and macOS), Facebook Messenger (Android, Windows and macOS) and Instagram (Android). ● Images sent or received on any app (iOS). Note The messages we analyze on WhatsApp are as well from the app as from the web version from Google Chrome. To be able to analyze the messages on WhatsApp Web from Google Chrome on Android-based devices, the Accessibility option must be activated for Bitdefender Parental Control. To activate Accessibility: go to Settings > Accessibility > Parental Control. The messages we analyze on Facebook Messenger are from the app, from https://www.facebook.com/ and from https://www.messenger.com/ from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. Important The Social tab becomes available only to users who have upgraded to the premium version. To upgrade to Bitdefender Parental Control Premium, refer to “Bitdefender Parental Control subscriptions” (p. 172). To be able to detect cyberbullying and predatory behaviors, you have to: 1. Create a child profile and assign devices to your child''s profile as described in “Create profiles for your children” (p. 160). 2. Allow the permissions requested during the installation of the Bitdefender Parental Control app on Android and iOS-based devices. Parental Control 170Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Enable the Bulling & Predators option, as follows: a. Access Bitdefender Central. b. Select the Parental Control panel. c. Click Reports Settings. d. Enable the corresponding switch. Once configured, information is automatically gathered from Windows, macOS and iOS-based devices. To allow Bitdefender to gather information fromFacebookMessenger and Instagramapps fromAndroid-based devices, you have to enable some settings, as follows: ● Facebook Messenger app: 1. Tap the profile picture 2. Tap Photos & Media. 3. Enable Save Photos and Save on Capture. ● Instagram app: 1. Tap the profile picture. 2. Tap Photos & Media. 3. Tap , and the tap Original Photos 4. Enable Save on Capture. 5. Enable Save Original Photos and Save Posted Photos. 29.3.7. Screen Time In the Screen Time you are informed about the time spent on the assigned devices on the current day, how much time is left from the daily limit you set, and the status of the selected profile, active or paused. From thiswindow you can also set time restrictions for different times of the day, such as bed time, homework or private lessons. Time Restrictions To start configuring time restrictions: 1. Click Review time restrictions. 2. In the Set time restrictions area, click Add a new restriction. Parental Control 171Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Give a name to the restriction you want to set (for example, bed time, homework, tennis lessons, etc.). 4. Set the time frame and days when the restrictions should be applied, and then click ADD to save the settings. To edit a restriction you set, go to the Screen Time window, point the restriction you want to edit, and the click the icon that appears. To delete a restriction, go to the Screen Time window, point the restriction you want to edit, and then click the icon that appears. Daily Limit The daily limit usage can be applied toWindows, macOS and Android-based devices. If you set the profile to be put on pause once the limit is reached, then this setting will apply to all assigned devices, no matter if they are Windows, macOS, Android or iOS. To set a daily limit usage: 1. Click Review time restrictions. 2. In the Set a limit for daily usage area, click Add a new daily limit. 3. Set the time and days when the restrictions should be applied, and then click SAVE to save the settings. 29.4. Bitdefender Parental Control subscriptions Besides the Parental Control features included in your Bitdefender subscription (Applications, Websites, Phone Contacts, Child Location, and Screen Time) you have the possibility to be informed in real time about the threats your children are exposed to while using social networks. Hereby, you can take action and start to protect your children from being harassed by colleagues or strangers. To receive insights about your children''s activities while using social networks, you can upgrade to the premium version. To upgrade to Bitdefender Parental Control Premium: 1. Access Bitdefender Central. 2. Select the Parental Control panel. 3. Click LEARN MORE in the upper banner. 4. Click BUY PREMIUM. Parental Control 172Bitdefender Internet Security You are redirected to our website fromwere you canmake the acquisition. The Bitdefender Parental Control Premiumsubscription is independent from the Bitdefender Internet Security subscription, meaning you will be able to use it for its entire availability, regardless of the state of the security solution subscription. In case the Bitdefender Parental Control Premiumsubscription expires, but the one for Bitdefender Internet Security is still active, you will still have access to the product features except from the cyberbullying and online predators monitoring, which are included in the Social feature. Once you upgrade to the premium plan, you will be able to use your subscription on all devices your children detain, provided that you log in with the same Bitdefender account. Note You can upgrade to Bitdefender Parental Control Premium only if you are in one of the following countries: USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, SouthAfrica, Australia, or New Zealand. The list with further countries will be updated as soon as the product will be available for use in new areas. Parental Control 173Bitdefender Internet Security 30. USB IMMUNIZER The Autorun feature built into Windows operating systems is a very useful tool that allows computers to automatically execute a file from media connected to it. For example, software installations can start automatically when a CD is inserted into the optical drive. Unfortunately, this feature can also be used by threats to automatically launch and infiltrate your computer from rewritablemedia such as USB flash drivesandmemory cardsconnected throughcard readers.NumerousAutorun based attacks have been created in recent years. With USB Immunizer you can prevent any NTFS, FAT32 or FAT formatted flash drive from automatically executing threats ever again. Once an USB device is immunized, threats can no longer configure it to run a certain app when the device is connected to a computer running Windows. To immunize an USB device: 1. Connect the flash drive to your computer. 2. Browse your computer to locate the removable storage device and right-click its icon. 3. In the contextual menu, point to Bitdefender and select Immunize this drive. Note If the drive has already been immunized, the message The USB device is protected against autorun-based threatwill appear instead of the Immunize option. To prevent your computer from launching threats from unimmunized USB devices, disable the media autorun feature. For more information, refer to “Using automatic vulnerability monitoring” (p. 119). USB Immunizer 174Bitdefender Internet Security SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION 175Bitdefender Internet Security 31. PROFILES Daily job activities, watching movies or playing games may cause system slow down, especially if they are running simultaneously with Windows update processes and maintenance tasks. With Bitdefender, you can now choose and apply your preferred profile, which makes system adjustments suited to increase the performance of specific installed apps. Bitdefender provides the following profiles: ● Work Profile ● Movie Profile ● Game Profile ● Public Wi-Fi Profile ● Battery Mode Profile If you decide to not use Profiles, a default profile called Standard is enabled and it brings no optimization to your system. According to your activity, the following product settings are applied when Work, Movie or Game profiles are activated: ● All Bitdefender alerts and pop-ups are disabled. ● Automatic Update is postponed. ● Scheduled scans are postponed. ● Search Advisor is disabled. ● Special offers notifications are disabled. According to your activity, the following system settings are applied when Work, Movie or Game profiles are activated: ● Windows Automatic Updates are postponed. ● Windows alerts and pop-ups are disabled. ● Unnecessary background programs are suspended. ● Visual effects are adjusted for best performance. ● Maintenance tasks are postponed. ● Power plan settings are adjusted. Profiles 176Bitdefender Internet Security While running in the Public Wi-Fi profile, Bitdefender Internet Security is set to automatically accomplish the following program settings: ● Advanced Threat Defense is turned on ● TheBitdefender Firewall is turned on and the following settings are applied to your wireless adapter: ● Stealth mode - ON ● Network type - Public ● The following settings from Online Threat Prevention are turned on: ● Encrypted web scan ● Protection against fraud ● Protection against phishing 31.1. Work Profile Running multiple tasks at work, such as sending emails, having a video communication with your distant colleagues or working with design apps may affect your system performance. Work Profile has been designed to help you improve your work efficiency, by turning off some of your background services and maintenance tasks. Configuring Work Profile To configure the actions to be taken while in Work Profile: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Click the CONFIGURE button from the Work Profile area. 4. Choose the system adjustments youwould like to be applied by checking the following options: ● Boost performance on work apps ● Optimize product settings for Work profile ● Postpone background programs and maintenance tasks ● Postpone Windows Automatic Updates 5. Click SAVE to save the changes and close the window. Profiles 177Bitdefender Internet Security Manually adding apps to the Work Profile list If Bitdefender does not automatically enter Work Profile when you launch a certain work app, you canmanually add the app to theWork application list. To manually add apps to the Work application list in Work Profile: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Click the CONFIGURE button from the Work Profile area. 4. In theWork profile settings window, click Applications list. 5. Click ADD. A new window appears. Browse to the app''s executable file, select it and click OK to add it to the list. 31.2. Movie Profile Displaying high quality video content, such as high definitionmovies, requires significant system resources. Movie Profile adjusts system and product settings so you can enjoy an uninterrupted and seamlessmovie experience. Configuring Movie Profile To configure the actions to be taken while in Movie Profile: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Click the CONFIGURE button from the Movie Profile area. 4. Choose the system adjustments youwould like to be applied by checking the following options: ● Boost performance on video players ● Optimize product settings for Movie profile ● Postpone background programs and maintenance tasks ● Postpone Windows Automatic Updates ● Adjust power plan settings for movies 5. Click SAVE to save the changes and close the window. Profiles 178Bitdefender Internet Security Manually adding video players to the Movie Profile list If Bitdefender does not automatically enter Movie Profile when you launch a certain video player app, you can manually add the app to the Movie application list. To manually add video players to the Movie application list in Movie Profile: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Click the CONFIGURE button from the Movie Profile area. 4. In theMovie profile settings window, click Players list. 5. Click ADD. A new window appears. Browse to the app''s executable file, select it and click OK to add it to the list. 31.3. Game Profile Enjoying an uninterrupted gaming experience is all about reducing system load and diminishing slowdowns. By using behavioral heuristics along with a list of known games, Bitdefender can automatically detect running games and optimize your system resources so that you can enjoy your gaming break. Configuring Game Profile To configure the actions to be taken while in Game Profile: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Click the CONFIGURE button from the Game Profile area. 4. Choose the system adjustments youwould like to be applied by checking the following options: ● Boost performance on games ● Optimize product settings for Game profile ● Postpone background programs and maintenance tasks ● Postpone Windows Automatic Updates Profiles 179Bitdefender Internet Security ● Adjust power plan settings for games 5. Click SAVE to save the changes and close the window. Manually adding games to the Game list If Bitdefender does not automatically enter Game Profile when you launch a certain game or app, you canmanually add the app to theGame application list. To manually add games to the Game application list in Game Profile: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Click the CONFIGURE button from the Game Profile area. 4. In the Game profile settings window, click Games list. 5. Click ADD. A new window appears. Browse to the game''s executable file, select it and click OK to add it to the list. 31.4. Public Wi-Fi Profile Sending emails, typing sensitive credentials or shopping online while connected to unsafe wireless networks can expose your personal data to risk. Public Wi-Fi Profile adjusts product settings to give you the possibility to make payments online and use sensitive information in a protected environment. Configuring Public Wi-Fi profile To configure Bitdefender to apply product settings while connected to an unsafe wireless network: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Click the CONFIGURE button from the Public Wi-Fi Profile area. 4. Let the Adjusts product settings to boost protection when connected to an unsafe public Wi-Fi network check box enabled. 5. Click Save. Profiles 180Bitdefender Internet Security 31.5. Battery Mode Profile Battery Mode profile is specially designed for laptop and tablet users. Its purpose is to minimize both system and Bitdefender impact on power consumption when the battery charge level is lower than the default one or the one you select. Configuring Battery Mode Profile To configure the Battery Mode profile: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Click the CONFIGURE button from the Battery Mode Profile area. 4. Choose the system adjustments to be applied by checking the following options: ● Optimize product settings for Battery mode. ● Postpone background programs and maintenance tasks. ● Postpone Windows Automatic Updates. ● Adjust power plan settings for Battery mode. ● Disable external devices and network ports. 5. Click SAVE to save the changes and close the window. Type a valid value in the spin box or select one using the up and down arrow keys to specify when the system should start operating in Battery Mode. By default, the mode is activated when the battery charge level drops below 30%. The following product settings are applied when Bitdefender operates in Battery Mode profile: ● Bitdefender Automatic Update is postponed. ● Scheduled scans are postponed. ● Security Widget is turned off. Bitdefender detects when your laptop has switched to battery power and based on the battery charge level it automatically enters Battery Mode. Profiles 181Bitdefender Internet Security Likewise, Bitdefender automatically exits Battery Mode when it detects the laptop is no longer running on battery. 31.6. Real-time optimization Bitdefender Real-time optimization is a plugin that improves your system performance silently, in the background, making sure that you are not interrupted while you are in a profile mode. Depending on the CPU load, the plugin monitors all processes, focusing on those that take up a higher load, to adjust them to your needs. To turn on or off Real-time optimization: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Profiles tab. 3. Scroll down until you see the Real-time optimization option, and then use the corresponding switch to turn it on or off. Profiles 182Bitdefender Internet Security TROUBLESHOOTING 183Bitdefender Internet Security 32. SOLVING COMMON ISSUES This chapter presents some problems you may encounter when using Bitdefender and provides you with possible solutions to these problems. Most of these problems can be solved through the appropriate configuration of the product settings. ● “My system appears to be slow” (p. 184) ● “Scan doesn''t start” (p. 185) ● “I can no longer use an app” (p. 188) ● “What to do when Bitdefender blocks a website, a domain, an IP address, or an online app that are safe” (p. 189) ● “What to do if Bitdefender detects a safe app as ransomware” (p. 189) ● “How to update Bitdefender on a slow internet connection” (p. 193) ● “Bitdefender services are not responding” (p. 194) ● “Antispam filter does not work properly” (p. 194) ● “The Autofill feature in my Wallet doesn''t work” (p. 199) ● “Bitdefender removal failed” (p. 200) ● “My system doesn''t boot up after installing Bitdefender” (p. 201) If you cannot find your problem here, or if the presented solutions do not solve it, you can contact the Bitdefender technical support representatives as presented in chapter “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.1. My system appears to be slow Usually, after installing a security software, there may appear a slight slowdown of the system, which to a certain degree is normal. If you notice a significant slowdown, this issue can appear for the following reasons: ● Bitdefender is not the only security program installed on the system. Though Bitdefender searches and removes the security programs found during the installation, it is recommended to remove any other security solution youmay use before installing Bitdefender. For more information, refer to “How do I remove other security solutions?” (p. 75). Solving common issues 184Bitdefender Internet Security ● The Minimum System Requirements for running Bitdefender are not met. If your machine does not meet the Minimum System Requirements, the computer will become sluggish, especiallywhenmultiple apps are running at the same time. For more information, refer to “Minimum system requirements” (p. 3). ● You have installed apps that you do not use. Any computer has programs or apps that you do not use. And many unwanted programs run in the background taking up disk space and memory. If you do not use a program, uninstall it. This is also valid for any other pre-installed software or trial app you forgot to remove. Important If you suspect a programor an app to be an essential part of your operating system, do not remove it and contact Bitdefender Customer Care for assistance. ● Your system may be infected. Your systemspeed and its general behavior can also be affected by threats. Spyware, malware, Trojans and adware all take a toll on your computer’s performance. Make sure to scan your system periodically, at least once a week. It is recommended to use the Bitdefender System Scan because it scans for all types of threats endangering the security of your system. To start the System Scan: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click System Scan. 3. Follow the wizard steps. 32.2. Scan doesn''t start This type of issue can have two main causes: ● A previous Bitdefender installation which was not completely removed or a faulty Bitdefender installation. In this case reinstall Bitdefender: ● InWindows 7: Solving common issues 185Bitdefender Internet Security 1. Click Start, go to Control Panel and double-click Programs and Features. 2. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 3. Click REINSTALL in the window that appears. 4. Wait for the reinstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: 1. From the Windows Start screen, locate Control Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. 2. Click Uninstall a program or Programs and Features. 3. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 4. Click REINSTALL in the window that appears. 5. Wait for the reinstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 10: 1. Click Start, then click Settings. 2. Click theSystem icon in the Settings area, then select Installed apps. 3. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 4. Click Uninstall again to confirm your choice. 5. Click REINSTALL in the window that appears. 6. Wait for the reinstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. Note By following this reinstall procedure, customized settings are saved and available in the new installed product. Other settingsmay be switched back to their default configuration. ● Bitdefender is not the only security solution installed on your system. In this case: Solving common issues 186Bitdefender Internet Security 1. Remove the other security solution. Formore information, refer to “How do I remove other security solutions?” (p. 75). 2. Reinstall Bitdefender: ● InWindows 7: a. Click Start, go to Control Panel and double-click Programs and Features. b. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. c. Click REINSTALL in the window that appears. d. Wait for the reinstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: a. From theWindowsStart screen, locateControl Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. b. Click Uninstall a program or Programs and Features. c. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. d. Click REINSTALL in the window that appears. e. Wait for the reinstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 10: a. Click Start, then click Settings. b. Click the System icon in the Settings area, then select Installed apps. c. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. d. Click Uninstall again to confirm your choice. e. Click REINSTALL in the window that appears. f. Wait for the reinstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. Solving common issues 187Bitdefender Internet Security Note By following this reinstall procedure, customized settings are saved and available in the new installed product. Other settings may be switched back to their default configuration. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.3. I can no longer use an app This issue occurs when you are trying to use a program which was working normally before installing Bitdefender. After installing Bitdefender you may encounter one of these situations: ● You could receive a message from Bitdefender that the program is trying to make a modification to the system. ● You could receive an errormessage from the program you''re trying to use. This type of situation occurs when Advanced Threat Defense mistakenly detects some apps as malicious. Advanced Threat Defense is a Bitdefender featurewhich constantlymonitors the apps running on your systemand reports thosewith potentiallymalicious behavior. Since this feature is based on a heuristic system, there may be cases when legitimate apps are reported by Advanced Threat Defense. When this situation occurs, you can except the respective app from being monitored by Advanced Threat Defense. To add the program to the exceptions list: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ADVANCED THREAT DEFENSE pane, click Settings. 3. In the Exceptions area, click Add applications to exceptions. 4. Find and select the app you want to be excepted, and then click OK. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). Solving common issues 188Bitdefender Internet Security 32.4. What to do when Bitdefender blocks a website, a domain, an IP address, or an online app that are safe Bitdefender offers a secure web browsing experience by filtering all web traffic and blocking any malicious content. However, it is possible that Bitdefender considers a website, a domain, an IP address, or online app that are safe as unsafe, which will cause Bitdefender HTTP traffic scanning to block them incorrectly. Should the same page, domain, IP address, or online app be blocked repeatedly, they can be added to exceptions so that they will not be scanned by theBitdefender engines, thus ensuring a smoothwebbrowsing experience. To add a website to Exceptions: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ONLINE THREAT PREVENTION pane, click Exceptions. 3. Provide the address of the blocked website, the name of the domain, the IP address, or online app in the corresponding field and click ADD. 4. Click SAVE to save the changes and close the window. Only websites, domains, IP addresses, and apps that you fully trust should be added to this list. These will be excepted from scanning by the following engines: threat, phishing and fraud. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.5. What to do if Bitdefender detects a safe app as ransomware Ransomware is a malicious program that tries to make money from users by locking their vulnerable systems. To keep your system safe from unfortunate situations, Bitdefender gives you the possibility to indemnify personal files. When an app tries to change or delete one of your protected files, it will be considered as unsafe and Bitdefender will block its functionality. In case such an app is added to the untrusted apps'' list and you are sure that it is safe to use it, follow these steps: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. Solving common issues 189Bitdefender Internet Security 2. In the SAFE FILES pane, click Application Access. 3. The apps that have requested to change files in your protected folders are listed. Click the Allow switch next to the app you are sure is safe. 32.6. I cannot connect to the internet You may notice that a program or a web browser can no longer connect to the internet or access network services after installing Bitdefender. In this case, the best solution is to configure Bitdefender to automatically allow connections to and from the respective software app: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FIREWALL pane, click Settings. 3. In the Rules window, click Add rule. 4. A newwindowappearswhere you can add the details.Make sure to select all the network types available and in thePermission section selectAllow. Close Bitdefender, open the software app and try again to connect to the internet. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.7. I cannot access a device on my network Depending on the network you are connected to, the Bitdefender firewall may block the connection between your system and another device (such as another computer or a printer). As a result, you may no longer share or print files. In this case, the best solution is to configure Bitdefender to automatically allow connections to and from the respective device, as follows: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FIREWALL pane, click Settings. 3. In the Rules window, click Add rule. 4. In the Settings window, turn on the Apply this rule to all applications option. 5. Click the Advanced tab. Solving common issues 190Bitdefender Internet Security 6. In the Custom Remote Address box, type the IP address of the computer or printer you want to have unrestricted access to. If you still cannot connect to the device, the issue may not be caused by Bitdefender. Check for other potential causes, such as the following: ● The firewall on the other computer may block file and printer sharing with your computer. ● If the Windows Firewall is used, it can be configured to allow file and printer sharing as follows: ● InWindows 7: 1. Click Start, go to Control Panel and select System and Security. 2. Go to Windows Firewall, and then click Allow a program through Windows Firewall. 3. Select the File and Printer Sharing check box. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: 1. From theWindows Start screen, locateControl Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. 2. ClickSystemandSecurity, go toWindows Firewall and selectAllow an app through Windows Firewall. 3. Select the File and Printer Sharing check box, and then click OK. ● InWindows 10: 1. Type "Allow an app through Windows Firewall" in the search box from the taskbar and click its icon. 2. Click Change settings. 3. In the Allowed apps and features list select the File and Printer Sharing check box, and then click OK. ● If another firewall program is used, refer to its documentation or help file. ● General conditions that may prevent using or connecting to the shared printer: Solving common issues 191Bitdefender Internet Security ● You may need to log on to a Windows administrator account to access the shared printer. ● Permissions are set for the shared printer to allow access to specific computer and users only. If you are sharing your printer, check the permissions set for the printer to see if the user on the other computer is allowed access to the printer. If you are trying to connect to a shared printer, checkwith the user on the other computer if you have permission to connect to the printer. ● The printer connected to your computer or to the other computer is not shared. ● The shared printer is not added on the computer. Note To learn how to manage printer sharing (share a printer, set or remove permissions for a printer, connect to a network printer or to a shared printer), go to the Windows Help and Support Center (in the Start menu, click Help and Support). ● Access to a network printer may be restricted to specific computers or users only. You should check with the network administrator if you have permission to connect to that printer. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.8. My internet is slow This situation may appear after you install Bitdefender. The issue could be caused by errors in the Bitdefender firewall configuration. To troubleshoot this situation: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the FIREWALL pane, turn off the switch to disable the feature. 3. Check if your internet connection improved with the Bitdefender firewall disabled. ● If you still have a slow internet connection, the issuemay not be caused by Bitdefender. You should contact your Internet Service Provider to verify if the connection is operational on their side. Solving common issues 192Bitdefender Internet Security If you receive confirmation from your Internet Service Provider that the connection is operational on their side and the issue still persists, contact Bitdefender as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). ● If the internet connection improved after disabling the Bitdefender firewall: a. ClickProtection on the navigationmenu on the Bitdefender interface. b. In the FIREWALL pane, click Settings. c. Go to the Network Adapters tab and set your internet connection on Home/Office. d. In the Settings tab, turn off Port scan protection. In the Stealth Mode area, click Edit stealth settings. Turn on Stealth Mode for the network adapter you are connected to. e. Close Bitdefender, reboot the system and check the internet connection speed. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.9. How to update Bitdefender on a slow internet connection If you have a slow internet connection (such as dial-up), errors may occur during the update process. To keep your systemup to datewith the latest Bitdefender threat information database: 1. Click Settings on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. Select the Update tab. 3. Turn off the Silent update switch. 4. Next timewhen an update will be available, youwill be prompted to select which update you would like to download. Select only Signatures update. 5. Bitdefenderwill download and install only the threat information database. Solving common issues 193Bitdefender Internet Security 32.10. Bitdefender services are not responding This article helps you troubleshoot the Bitdefender Services are not responding error. You may encounter this error as follows: ● The Bitdefender icon in the system tray is grayed out and you are informed that the Bitdefender services are not responding. ● The Bitdefender window indicates that the Bitdefender services are not responding. The error may be caused by one of the following conditions: ● temporary communication errors between the Bitdefender services. ● some of the Bitdefender services are stopped. ● other security solutions running on your computer at the same time with Bitdefender. To troubleshoot this error, try these solutions: 1. Wait a few moments and see if anything changes. The error may be temporary. 2. Restart the computer andwait a fewmoments until Bitdefender is loaded. Open Bitdefender to see if the error persists. Restarting the computer usually solves the problem. 3. Check if you have any other security solution installed as theymay disrupt the normal operation of Bitdefender. If this is the case, we recommend you to remove all of the other security solutions and then reinstall Bitdefender. For more information, refer to “How do I remove other security solutions?” (p. 75). If the error persists, please contact our support representatives for help as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.11. Antispam filter does not work properly This article helps you troubleshoot the following problems concerning the Bitdefender Antispam filtering operation: ● A number of legitimate email messages are marked as [spam]. ● Many spammessages are not marked accordingly by the antispam filter. Solving common issues 194Bitdefender Internet Security ● The antispam filter does not detect any spam message. 32.11.1. Legitimate messages are marked as [spam] Legitimate messages are marked as [spam] simply because they look like spam to the Bitdefender antispam filter. You can normally solve this problem by adequately configuring the Antispam filter. Bitdefender automatically adds the receivers of your email messages to a Friends List. The email messages received from the contacts in the Friends list are considered to be legitimate. They are not verified by the antispam filter and, thus, they are never marked as [spam]. The automatic configuration of the Friends list does not prevent the detection errors that may occur in these situations: ● You receive a lot of solicited commercial mail as a result of subscribing on variouswebsites. In this case, the solution is to add the email addresses from which you receive such email messages to the Friends list. ● A significant part of your legitimatemail is frompeople towhomyou never e-mailedbefore, suchas customers, potential businesspartners andothers. Other solutions are required in this case. If you are using one of themail clients Bitdefender integrates into, indicate detection errors. Note Bitdefender integrates into the most commonly used mail clients through an easy-to-use antispam toolbar. For a complete list of supported mail clients, refer to “Supported email clients and protocols” (p. 105). Add contacts to Friends List If you are using a supported mail client, you can easily add the senders of legitimate messages to the Friends list. Follow these steps: 1. In yourmail client, select an emailmessage from the sender that youwant to add to the Friends list. 2. Click the Add Friend button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar. 3. You may be asked to acknowledge the addresses added to the Friends list. Select Don''t show this message again and click OK. Solving common issues 195Bitdefender Internet Security You will always receive email messages from this address no matter what they contain. If you are using a different mail client, you can add contacts to the Friends list from the Bitdefender interface. Follow these steps: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTISPAM pane, clickManage Friends. A configuration window appears. 3. Type the email address you always want to receive email messages from and then click ADD. You can add as many email addresses as you want. 4. Click OK to save the changes and close the window. Indicate detection errors If you are using a supported mail client, you can easily correct the antispam filter (by indicating which email messages should not have been marked as [spam]). Doing so helps improve the efficiency of the antispam filter. Follow these steps: 1. Open your mail client. 2. Go to the junk mail folder where spam messages are moved. 3. Select the legitimatemessage incorrectlymarkedas [spam]byBitdefender. 4. Click the Add Friend button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar to add the sender to the Friends list. You may need to click OK to acknowledge. Youwill always receive emailmessages from this address nomatter what they contain. 5. Click the NotSpambuttonon theBitdefender antispam toolbar (normally located in the upper part of the mail client window). The email message will be moved to the Inbox folder. 32.11.2. Many spammessages are not detected If you are receiving many spam messages that are not marked as [spam], you must configure the Bitdefender antispam filter so as to improve its efficiency. Try the following solutions: Solving common issues 196Bitdefender Internet Security 1. If you are using one of themail clients Bitdefender integrates into, indicate undetected spam messages. Note Bitdefender integrates into the most commonly used mail clients through an easy-to-use antispam toolbar. For a complete list of supported mail clients, refer to “Supported email clients and protocols” (p. 105). 2. Add spammers to the Spammers list. The email messages received from addresses in the Spammers list are automatically marked as [spam]. Indicate undetected spammessages If you are using a supported mail client, you can easily indicate which email messages should have been detected as spam. Doing so helps improve the efficiency of the antispam filter. Follow these steps: 1. Open your mail client. 2. Go to the Inbox folder. 3. Select the undetected spam messages. 4. Click the Is Spam button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar (normally located in the upper part of themail client window). They are immediately marked as [spam] and moved to the junk mail folder. Add spammers to Spammers List If you are using a supported mail client, you can easily add the senders of the spam messages to the Spammers list. Follow these steps: 1. Open your mail client. 2. Go to the junk mail folder where spam messages are moved. 3. Select the messages marked as [spam] by Bitdefender. 4. Click the Add Spammer button on the Bitdefender antispam toolbar. 5. Youmaybe asked to acknowledge the addresses added to theSpammers list. Select Don''t show this message again and click OK. If you are using a different mail client, you can manually add spammers to the Spammers list from the Bitdefender interface. It is convenient to do this Solving common issues 197Bitdefender Internet Security only when you have received several spam messages from the same email address. Follow these steps: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTISPAM pane, clickManage Spammers. A configuration window appears. 3. Type the spammer''s email address and then click the ADD. You can add as many email addresses as you want. 4. Click OK to save the changes and close the window. 32.11.3. Antispam filter does not detect any spammessage If no spam message is marked as [spam], there may be a problem with the Bitdefender Antispam filter. Before troubleshooting this problem,make sure it is not caused by one of the following conditions: ● Antispamprotectionmight be turned off. To verify the antispamprotection status, click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. Look in the Antispam pane to check if the feature is enabled. If Antispam is turned off, this is what is causing your problem. Click the corresponding switch to turn on your antispam protection. ● The Bitdefender Antispam protection is available only for email clients configured to receive email messages via the POP3 protocol. This means the following: ● Emailmessages received viaweb-based email services (such asYahoo, Gmail, Hotmail or other) are not filtered for spam by Bitdefender. ● If your email client is configured to receive email messages using other protocol than POP3 (for example, IMAP4), the Bitdefender Antispam filter does not check them for spam. Note POP3 is one of the most widely used protocols for downloading email messages from a mail server. If you do not know the protocol that your email client uses to download email messages, ask the person who configured your email client. ● Bitdefender Internet Security doesn''t scan Lotus Notes POP3 traffic. Solving common issues 198Bitdefender Internet Security A possible solution is to repair or reinstall the product. However, you may want to contact Bitdefender for support instead, as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.12. The Autofill feature in my Wallet doesn''t work You have saved your online credentials in your Bitdefender Password Manager and you noticed that the autofill is not working. Usually, this issue appears when the Bitdefender Wallet extension is not installed in your browser. To fix this situation, follow these steps: ● In Internet Explorer: 1. Open Internet Explorer. 2. Click Tools. 3. Click Manage add-ons. 4. Click Toolbars and Extensions. 5. Point to Bitdefender Wallet and click Enable. ● InMozilla Firefox: 1. Open Mozilla Firefox. 2. Click Tools. 3. Click Add-ons. 4. Click Extensions. 5. Point to Bitdefender Wallet and click Enable. ● In Google Chrome: 1. Open Google Chrome. 2. Go to the Menu icon. 3. Click More Tools. 4. Click Extensions. 5. Point to Bitdefender Wallet and click Enable. Note The add-on will be enabled after you restart your web browser. Solving common issues 199Bitdefender Internet Security Now check if the autofill feature in Wallet works for your online accounts. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 32.13. Bitdefender removal failed If you want to remove your Bitdefender product and you notice that the process hangs out or the system freezes, click Cancel to abort the action. If this does not work, restart the system. When removal fails, some Bitdefender registry keys and files may remain in your system. Such remaindersmay prevent a new installation of Bitdefender. They may also affect system performance and stability. To completely remove Bitdefender from your system: ● InWindows 7: 1. ClickStart, go toControl Panel and double-clickPrograms and Features. 2. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 3. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. 4. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: 1. From theWindows Start screen, locate Control Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. 2. Click Uninstall a program or Programs and Features. 3. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 4. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. 5. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 10: 1. Click Start, then click Settings. 2. Click the System icon in the Settings area, then select Installed apps. 3. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. 4. Click Uninstall again to confirm your choice. 5. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. Solving common issues 200Bitdefender Internet Security 6. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. 32.14. My system doesn''t boot up after installing Bitdefender If you just installed Bitdefender and cannot reboot your system in normal mode anymore there may be various reasons for this issue. Most probably this is caused by a previous Bitdefender installation which was not removed properly or by another security solution still present on the system. This is how you may address each situation: ● You had Bitdefender before and you did not remove it properly. To solve this: 1. Reboot your system and enter in SafeMode. To find out how to do this, refer to “How do I restart in Safe Mode?” (p. 76). 2. Remove Bitdefender from your system: ● InWindows 7: a. Click Start, go to Control Panel and double-click Programs and Features. b. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. c. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. d. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. e. Reboot your system in normal mode. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: a. From theWindowsStart screen, locateControl Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. b. Click Uninstall a program or Programs and Features. c. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. d. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. Solving common issues 201Bitdefender Internet Security e. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. f. Reboot your system in normal mode. ● InWindows 10: a. Click Start, then click Settings. b. Click the System icon in the Settings area, then select Installed apps. c. Find Bitdefender Internet Security and select Uninstall. d. Click Uninstall again to confirm your choice. e. Click REMOVE in the window that appears. f. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. g. Reboot your system in normal mode. 3. Reinstall your Bitdefender product. ● You had a different security solution before and you did not remove it properly. To solve this: 1. Reboot your system and enter in SafeMode. To find out how to do this, refer to “How do I restart in Safe Mode?” (p. 76). 2. Remove the other security solution from your system: ● InWindows 7: a. Click Start, go to Control Panel and double-click Programs and Features. b. Find the name of the program you want to remove and select Remove. c. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: a. From theWindowsStart screen, locateControl Panel (for example, you can start typing "Control Panel" directly in the Start screen), and then click its icon. Solving common issues 202Bitdefender Internet Security b. Click Uninstall a program or Programs and Features. c. Find the name of the program you want to remove and select Remove. d. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. ● InWindows 10: a. Click Start, then click Settings. b. Click the System icon in the Settings area, then select Installed apps. c. Find the name of the program you want to remove and select Uninstall. d. Wait for the uninstall process to complete, and then reboot your system. To correctly uninstall the other software, go to their website and run their uninstall tool or contact them directly to provide you with the uninstall guidelines. 3. Reboot your system in normal mode and reinstall Bitdefender. You have already followed the steps above and the situation is not solved. To solve this: 1. Reboot your system and enter in SafeMode. To find out how to do this, refer to “How do I restart in Safe Mode?” (p. 76). 2. Use the System Restore option fromWindows to restore the computer to an earlier date before installing the Bitdefender product. 3. Reboot the system in normal mode and contact our support representatives for help as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). Solving common issues 203Bitdefender Internet Security 33. REMOVING THREATS FROM YOUR SYSTEM Threats can affect your system in many different ways and the Bitdefender approach depends on the type of threat attack. Because threats change their behavior frequently, it is difficult to establish a pattern for their behavior and their actions. There are situations when Bitdefender cannot automatically remove the threat infection fromyour system. In such cases, your intervention is required. ● “Bitdefender Rescue Mode (Rescue Environment in Windows 10)” (p. 204) ● “What to do when Bitdefender finds threats on your computer?” (p. 208) ● “How do I clean a threat in an archive?” (p. 209) ● “How do I clean a threat in an email archive? ” (p. 210) ● “What to do if I suspect a file as being dangerous?” (p. 211) ● “What are the password-protected files in the scan log?” (p. 211) ● “What are the skipped items in the scan log?” (p. 212) ● “What are the over-compressed files in the scan log?” (p. 212) ● “Why did Bitdefender automatically delete an infected file?” (p. 212) If you cannot find your problem here, or if the presented solutions do not solve it, you can contact the Bitdefender technical support representatives as presented in chapter “Asking for help” (p. 214). 33.1. Bitdefender Rescue Mode (Rescue Environment in Windows 10) Rescue Mode is a Bitdefender feature that allows you to scan and disinfect all existing hard drive partitions inside and outside of your operating system. Once Bitdefender Internet Security is installed on Windows 7, Windows 8 andWindows 8.1 and the Bitdefender RescueMode Image file downloaded, Rescue Mode can be used even if you are no longer able to boot into Windows. InWindows 10, Bitdefender Rescue Environment is integratedwithWindows RE, meaning there is no need to download any Rescue Mode Image on this operating system, and the feature cannot be used if there are startup Removing threats from your system 204Bitdefender Internet Security problems. To clean the system before Windows services are loaded, we recommend using Bitdefender Rescue CD. Bitdefender Rescue CD is a free tool that scans and cleans your computer whenever you suspect a threat is affecting its operation. Useful articles containing details on how to create and use it are available on the Bitdefender S u p p o r t C e n t e r p l a t f o r m a t https://www.bitdefender.com/support/consumer.html. Downloading the Bitdefender Rescue Mode Image To be able to use Rescue Mode inWindows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, first you have to download its image file as follows: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Rescue Mode. 3. Click Yes in the confirmation window that appears to reboot your computer. Wait for the Bitdefender Rescue Mode Image file to be downloaded from the Bitdefender servers. As soon as the downloading process is finished, the computer will restart. A menu appears prompting you to select an operating system. At this step you can choose to start your system in Rescue Mode or in normal mode. Note Due to the integration with Windows Recovery Environment in Windows 10, there is no need to download any Rescue Mode Image on this operating system. Starting your system in Rescue Mode in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 You can enter Rescue Mode in one of two ways: From the Bitdefender interface 1. ClickProtection on the navigationmenu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Rescue Mode. Removing threats from your system 205Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Click Yes in the confirmation window that appears to reboot your computer. 4. After the computer restarts, a menu appears prompting you to select an operating system. Choose Bitdefender Rescue Mode to boot into aBitdefender environment fromwhere you can clean up yourWindows partition. 5. If prompted, press Enter and select the screen resolution closest to the one you normally use. Then press Enter again. Bitdefender Rescue Mode loads in a few moments. Boot your computer directly into Rescue Mode If Windows no longer starts, you can boot your computer directly into Bitdefender Rescue Mode by following the steps below: ● InWindows 7: 1. Press the F8 key until the Advanced Boot Options screen appears. 2. Use the arrow keys to select Bitdefender Rescue Mode, and then press Enter. Bitdefender Rescue Mode will load in a few moments. ● InWindows 8 and Windows 8.1: 1. Press the Shift key until the Advanced Startup Options screen appears. 2. Select the Use another operating system option, and then Bitdefender Rescue Mode. Bitdefender Rescue Mode will load in a few moments. Note It is possible to load your computer in Rescue Mode only if the Rescue Mode Image file has been previous downloaded as described in “Downloading the Bitdefender Rescue Mode Image” (p. 205). Starting your system in Rescue Environment in Windows 10 You can enter Rescue Environment only from your Bitdefender product, as follows: 1. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. Removing threats from your system 206Bitdefender Internet Security 2. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Rescue Environment. 3. Click Reboot in the window that appears. Bitdefender Rescue Environment loads in a few moments. Scanning your system in Rescue Mode (Rescue Environment in Windows 10) To scan your system in Rescue Mode (Rescue Environment): ● InWindows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1: 1. Enter Rescue Mode, as described in “Starting your system in Rescue Mode in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1” (p. 205). 2. The Bitdefender logo will appear and the security solution engines will start to be copied. 3. A welcome window will then appear. Click Continue. 4. An update of the threat information database is started. 5. After the update is completed, the Bitdefender On-demand Antivirus Scanner window appears. 6. Click Scan Now, select the scan target in the window that appears, and then click Open to start scanning. It is recommended to scan your entire Windows partition. Note Whenworking in RescueMode, you are dealingwith Linux-type partition names. Disk partitions will appear as sda1 probably corresponding to the (C:)Windows-type partition, sda2 corresponding to (D:) and so on. 7. Wait for the scan to complete. If any threat is detected, follow the instructions to remove it. 8. To exit RescueMode, right-click in an empty area of the desktop, select Exit in the menu that appears, and then choose whether to reboot or shut down the computer. ● InWindows 10: 1. Enter Rescue Environment, as described in “Starting your system in Rescue Environment in Windows 10” (p. 206). Removing threats from your system 207Bitdefender Internet Security 2. The Bitdefender scanning process starts automatically as soon as the system is loaded in Rescue Environment. 3. Wait for the scan to complete. If any threat is detected, follow the instructions to remove it. 4. To exit Rescue Environment, click theCLOSE button in thewindowwith the scan results. 33.2. What to do when Bitdefender finds threats on your computer? You may find out there is a threat on your computer in one of these ways: ● You scanned your computer and Bitdefender found infected items on it. ● A threat alert informs you that Bitdefender blocked one ormultiple threats on your computer. In such situations, update Bitdefender to make sure you have the latest threat information database and run a System Scan to analyze the system. As soon as the systemscan is over, select the desired action for the infected items (Disinfect, Delete, Move to quarantine). Warning If you suspect the file is part of the Windows operating system or that it is not an infected file, do not follow these steps and contact Bitdefender Customer Care as soon as possible. If the selected action could not be taken and the scan log reveals an infection which could not be deleted, you have to remove the file(s) manually: The first method can be used in normal mode: 1. Turn off the Bitdefender real-time antivirus protection: a. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. b. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. c. In the Shield window, turn off Bitdefender Shield. 2. Display hidden objects in Windows. To find out how to do this, refer to “How do I display hidden objects in Windows?” (p. 75). Removing threats from your system 208Bitdefender Internet Security 3. Browse to the location of the infected file (check the scan log) and delete it. 4. Turn on the Bitdefender real-time antivirus protection. In case the first method failed to remove the infection: 1. Reboot your system and enter in Safe Mode. To find out how to do this, refer to “How do I restart in Safe Mode?” (p. 76). 2. Display hidden objects in Windows. To find out how to do this, refer to “How do I display hidden objects in Windows?” (p. 75). 3. Browse to the location of the infected file (check the scan log) and delete it. 4. Reboot your system and enter in normal mode. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 33.3. How do I clean a threat in an archive? An archive is a file or a collection of files compressed under a special format to reduce the space on disk necessary for storing the files. Some of these formats are open formats, thus providing Bitdefender the option to scan inside them and then take appropriate actions to remove them. Other archive formats are partially or fully closed, and Bitdefender can only detect the presence of threats inside them, but is not able to take any other actions. If Bitdefender notifies you that a threat has been detected inside an archive and no action is available, it means that removing the threat is not possible due to restrictions on the archive’s permission settings. Here is how you can clean a threat stored in an archive: 1. Identify the archive that includes the threat by performing a System Scan of the system. 2. Turn off the Bitdefender real-time antivirus protection: a. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. b. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. Removing threats from your system 209Bitdefender Internet Security c. In the Shield window, turn off Bitdefender Shield. 3. Go to the location of the archive and decompress it using an archiving app, like WinZip. 4. Identify the infected file and delete it. 5. Delete the original archive to make sure the infection is totally removed. 6. Recompress the files in a new archive using an archiving app, likeWinZip. 7. Turn on the Bitdefender real-time antivirus protection and run a System scan to make sure there is no other infection on the system. Note It''s important to note that a threat stored in an archive is not an immediate threat to your system, since the threat has to be decompressed and executed to infect your system. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 33.4. How do I clean a threat in an email archive? Bitdefender can also identify threats in email databases and email archives stored on disk. Sometimes it is necessary to identify the infected message using the information provided in the scan report, and delete it manually. Here is how you can clean a threat stored in an email archive: 1. Scan the email database with Bitdefender. 2. Turn off the Bitdefender real-time antivirus protection: a. Click Protection on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. b. In the ANTIVIRUS pane, click Settings. c. In the Shield window, turn off Bitdefender Shield. 3. Open the scan report and use the identification information (Subject, From, To) of the infected messages to locate them in the email client. 4. Delete the infected messages. Most email clients also move the deleted message to a recovery folder, fromwhich it can be recovered. You should make sure the message is deleted also from this recovery folder. Removing threats from your system 210Bitdefender Internet Security 5. Compact the folder storing the infected message. ● In Microsoft Outlook 2007: On the File menu, click Data File Management. Select the personal folders (.pst) files you intend to compact, and click Settings. Click Compact Now. ● In Microsoft Outlook 2010 / 2013/ 2016: On the File menu, click Info, and thenAccount settings (Addand removeaccounts or change existing connection settings). Then click Data File, select the personal folders (.pst) files you intend to compact, and click Settings. Click Compact Now. 6. Turn on the Bitdefender real-time antivirus protection. If this information was not helpful, you can contact Bitdefender for support as described in section “Asking for help” (p. 214). 33.5. What to do if I suspect a file as being dangerous? You may suspect a file from your system as being dangerous, even though your Bitdefender product did not detect it. To make sure your system is protected: 1. Run a System Scan with Bitdefender. To find out how to do this, refer to “How do I scan my system?” (p. 52). 2. If the scan result appears to be clean, but you still have doubts and want to make sure about the file, contact our support representatives so that we may help you. To find out how to do this, refer to “Asking for help” (p. 214). 33.6. What are the password-protected files in the scan log? This is only a notification which indicates that Bitdefender has detected these files are either protected with a password or by some form of encryption. Most commonly, the password-protected items are: ● Files that belong to another security solution. ● Files that belong to the operating system. Removing threats from your system 211Bitdefender Internet Security To actually scan the contents, these files would need to either be extracted or otherwise decrypted. Should those contents be extracted, Bitdefender''s real-time scanner would automatically scan them to keep your computer protected. If you want to scan those files with Bitdefender, you have to contact the product manufacturer to provide you with more details on those files. Our recommendation to you is to ignore those files because they are not a threat for your system. 33.7. What are the skipped items in the scan log? All files that appear as Skipped in the scan report are clean. For increased performance, Bitdefender does not scan files that have not changed since the last scan. 33.8. What are the over-compressed files in the scan log? The over-compressed items are elements which could not be extracted by the scanning engine or elements for which the decryption time would have taken too long making the system unstable. Overcompressed means that Bitdefender skipped scanning within that archive because unpacking it proved to take up toomany system resources. The content will be scanned on real time access if needed. 33.9. Why did Bitdefender automatically delete an infected file? If an infected file is detected, Bitdefender will automatically attempt to disinfect it. If disinfection fails, the file ismoved to quarantine to contain the infection. For particular types of threats, disinfection is not possible because the detected file is entirely malicious. In such cases, the infected file is deleted from the disk. This is usually the case with installation files that are downloaded from untrustworthy websites. If you find yourself in such a situation, download the installation file from themanufacturer''s website or other trustedwebsite. Removing threats from your system 212Bitdefender Internet Security CONTACT US 213Bitdefender Internet Security 34. ASKING FOR HELP Bitdefender provides its customers with an unparalleled level of fast and accurate support. If you experience any issue or if you have any question about your Bitdefender product, you can use several online resources to find a solution or an answer. At the same time, you can contact the Bitdefender Customer Care team. Our support representativeswill answer your questions in a timely manner and will provide you with the assistance you need. The “Solving common issues” (p. 184) section provides the necessary information regarding the most frequent issues you may encounter when using this product. If you do not find an answer to your question in the provided resources, you can contact us directly: ● “Contact us directly from Bitdefender Internet Security” (p. 214) ● “Contact us through our online Support Center” (p. 215) Contact us directly fromBitdefender Internet Security If you have a working internet connection, you can contact Bitdefender for assistance directly from the product interface. Follow these steps: 1. Click Support on the navigation menu on the Bitdefender interface. 2. You have the following options: ● USER''S GUIDE Access our database and search for the necessary information. ● SUPPORT CENTER Access our online articles and video tutorials. ● CONTACT SUPPORT Click CONTACT SUPPORT to launch the Bitdefender Support Tool and contact the Customer Care Department. a. Complete the submission form with the necessary data: i. Select the type of issue you experienced. ii. Type a description of the issue you encountered. Asking for help 214Bitdefender Internet Security iii. Click TRY TO REPRODUCE THIS ISSUE in case you are encountering a product issue. Reproduce the issue, and then click FINISH in the REPRODUCING THE ISSUE frame. iv. Click CONFIRM TICKET. b. Continue completing the submission form with the necessary data: i. Type your full name. ii. Type your email address. iii. Select the agreement check box. iv. Click CREATE DEBUG PACKAGE. Wait for a fewmomentswhile Bitdefender gathers product related information. This informationwill help our engineers find a solution to your problem. c. Click CLOSE to exit the wizard. You will be contacted as soon as possible by one of our representatives. Contact us through our online Support Center If you cannot access the necessary information using the Bitdefender product, refer to our online Support Center: 1. Go to https://www.bitdefender.com/support/consumer.html. The Bitdefender Support Center hosts numerous articles that contain solutions to Bitdefender-related issues. 2. Use the search bar at the top of the window to find articles that may provide a solution to your problem. To search, just type a term in the Search bar and click Search. 3. Read the relevant articles or documents and try the proposed solutions. 4. If the solution does not solve your problem, go to https://www.bitdefender.com/support/contact-us.html and contact our support representatives. Asking for help 215Bitdefender Internet Security 35. ONLINE RESOURCES Several online resources are available to help you solve your Bitdefender-related problems and questions. ● Bitdefender Support Center: https://www.bitdefender.com/support/consumer.html ● Bitdefender Support Forum: https://forum.bitdefender.com ● The HOTforSecurity computer security portal: https://www.hotforsecurity.com You can also use your favorite search engine to find out more information about computer security, the Bitdefender products and the company. 35.1. Bitdefender Support Center The Bitdefender Support Center is an online repository of information about the Bitdefender products. It stores, in an easily accessible format, reports on the results of the ongoing technical support and bugfixing activities of the Bitdefender support and development teams, along with more general articles about threat prevention, the management of Bitdefender solutions with detailed explanations, and many other articles. The Bitdefender Support Center is open to the public and freely searchable. The extensive information it contains is yet another means of providing Bitdefender customers with the technical knowledge and insight they need. All valid requests for information or bug reports coming from Bitdefender clients eventually find their way into the Bitdefender Support Center, as bugfix reports, workaround cheatsheets or informational articles to supplement product helpfiles. The Bitdefender Support Center is available any time at https://www.bitdefender.com/support/consumer.html. 35.2. Bitdefender Support Forum The Bitdefender Support Forum provides Bitdefender users with an easy way to get help and to help others. Online resources 216Bitdefender Internet Security If your Bitdefender product does not operatewell, if it cannot remove specific threats from your computer or if you have questions about the way it works, post your problem or question on the forum. Bitdefender support technicians monitor the forum for new posts to assist you. You may also get an answer or a solution from a more experienced Bitdefender user. Before posting your problem or question, search the forum for a similar or related topic. TheBitdefender Support Forum is available at https://forum.bitdefender.com, in 5 different languages: English, German, French, Spanish and Romanian. Click theHome&HomeOffice Protection link to access the section dedicated to consumer products. 35.3. HOTforSecurity Portal HOTforSecurity is a rich source of computer security information. Here you can learn about the various threats your computer is exposed to when connected to the internet (malware, phishing, spam, cyber-criminals). New articles are posted regularly to keep you up-to-date with the latest threats discovered, the current security trends and other information on the computer security industry. The HOTforSecurity webpage is https://www.hotforsecurity.com. Online resources 217Bitdefender Internet Security 36. CONTACT INFORMATION Efficient communication is the key to a successful business. Since 2001 BITDEFENDER has established an unquestionable reputation by constantly striving for better communication so as to exceed the expectations of our clients and partners. Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. 36.1. Web addresses Sales department: sales@bitdefender.com Support Center: https://www.bitdefender.com/support/consumer.html Documentation: documentation@bitdefender.com Local distributors: https://www.bitdefender.com/partners Partner program: partners@bitdefender.com Media relations: pr@bitdefender.com Careers: jobs@bitdefender.com Threat submissions: virus_submission@bitdefender.com Spam submissions: spam_submission@bitdefender.com Report abuse: abuse@bitdefender.com Website: https://www.bitdefender.com 36.2. Local distributors The Bitdefender local distributors are ready to respond to any inquiries regarding their areas of operation, both in commercial and in generalmatters. To find a Bitdefender distributor in your country: 1. Go to https://www.bitdefender.com/partners/partner-locator.html. 2. Choose your country and city using the corresponding options. 3. If you do not find a Bitdefender distributor in your country, feel free to contact us by email at sales@bitdefender.com.Write your email in English in order for us to be able to assist you promptly. 36.3. Bitdefender offices The Bitdefender offices are ready to respond to any inquiries regarding their areas of operation, both in commercial and in general matters. Their respective addresses and contacts are listed below. Contact information 218Bitdefender Internet Security U.S.A Bitdefender, LLC 6301 NW 5th Way, Suite 4300 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 Phone (office&sales): 1-954-776-6262 Sales: sales@bitdefender.com Technical support: https://www.bitdefender.com/support/consumer.html Web: https://www.bitdefender.com UK and Ireland BITDEFENDER LTD C/O Howsons Winton House, Stoke Road, Stoke on Trent Staffordshire, United Kindon, ST4 2RW Email: info@bitdefender.co.uk Phone: (+44) 2036 080 456 Sales: sales@bitdefender.co.uk Technical support: https://www.bitdefender.co.uk/support/ Web: https://www.bitdefender.co.uk Germany Bitdefender GmbH TechnoPark Schwerte Lohbachstrasse 12 D - 58239 Schwerte Office: +49 2304 9 45 - 162 Fax: +49 2304 9 45 - 169 Sales: vertrieb@bitdefender.de Technical support: https://www.bitdefender.de/support/consumer.html Web: https://www.bitdefender.de Denmark Bitdefender APS Agern Alle 24, 2970 Hørsholm, Denmark Office: +45 7020 2282 Technical support: http://bitdefender-antivirus.dk/ Web: http://bitdefender-antivirus.dk/ Contact information 219Bitdefender Internet Security Spain Bitdefender España, S.L.U. C/Bailén, 7, 3-D 08010 Barcelona Fax: +34 93 217 91 28 Phone: +34 902 19 07 65 Sales: comercial@bitdefender.es Technical support: https://www.bitdefender.es/support/consumer.html Website: https://www.bitdefender.es Romania BITDEFENDER SRL Orhideea Towers Building, 15A Orhideelor Street, 11th fllor, district 6 Bucharest Fax: +40 21 2641799 Sales phone: +40 21 2063470 Sales email: sales@bitdefender.ro Technical support: https://www.bitdefender.ro/support/consumer.html Website: https://www.bitdefender.ro United Arab Emirates Dubai Internet City Building 17, Office # 160 Dubai, UAE Sales phone: 00971-4-4588935 / 00971-4-4589186 Sales email: mena-sales@bitdefender.com Technical support: https://www.bitdefender.com/support/consumer.html Website: https://www.bitdefender.com Contact information 220Bitdefender Internet Security Glossary Activation code Is a unique key that can be bought from retail and used to activate a specific product or service. An activation code enables the activation of a valid subscription for a certain period of time and number devices and can also be used to extend a subscription with the condition to be generated for the same product or service. ActiveX ActiveX is a model for writing programs so that other programs and the operating system can call them. ActiveX technology is used with Microsoft Internet Explorer to make interactive webpages that look and behave like computer programs, rather than static pages. With ActiveX, users can ask or answer questions, use push buttons, and interact in other ways with the webpage. ActiveX controls are often written using Visual Basic. Active X is notable for a complete lack of security controls; computer security experts discourage its use over the internet. Advanced persistent threat Advanced persistent threat (APT) exploits vulnerabilities of systems to steal important information to deliver it to the source. Big groups such as organizations, companies, or governments, are targeted by this threat. The objective of an advanced persistent threat is to remain undetected for a long time being able to monitor and gather important information without damaging the targeted machines. The method used to inject the threat into the network is through a PDF file or an Office document that look harmless so that every user can run the files. Adware Adware is often combined with a host app that is provided at no charge as long as the user agrees to accept the adware. Because adware apps are usually installed after the user has agreed to a licensing agreement that states the purpose of the app, no offense is committed. However, pop-up advertisements can become an annoyance, and in some cases degrade system performance. Also, the information that Glossary 221Bitdefender Internet Security some of these apps collect may cause privacy concerns for users who were not fully aware of the terms in the license agreement. Archive A disk, tape, or directory that contains files that have been backed up. A file that contains one or more files in a compressed format. Backdoor A hole in the security of a system deliberately left in place by designers or maintainers. The motivation for such holes is not always sinister; someoperating systems, for example, comeout of the boxwith privileged accounts intended for use by field service technicians or the vendor''s maintenance programmers. Boot sector A sector at the beginning of each disk that identifies the disk''s architecture (sector size, cluster size, and so on). For startup disks, the boot sector also contains a program that loads the operating system. Boot virus A threat that infects the boot sector of a fixed or floppy disk. An attempt to boot from a diskette infected with a boot sector virus will cause the threat to become active in memory. Every time you boot your system from that point on, you will have the threat active in memory. Botnet The term “botnet” is composed of the words “robot” and “network”. Botnets are internet-connected devices infected with threats and can be used to send spam emails, steal data, remotely control vulnerable devices, or spread spyware, ransomware, and other kinds of threats. Their objective is to infect asmany connected devices as possible, such as PCs, servers, mobile or IoT devices belonging to big companies or industries. Browser Short for web browser, a software app used to locate and display webpages. Popular browsers includeMicrosoft Internet Explorer,Mozilla Firefox andGoogle Chrome. These are graphical browsers, whichmeans that they can display graphics as well as text. In addition, most modern Glossary 222Bitdefender Internet Security browsers canpresentmultimedia information, including soundand video, though they require plug-ins for some formats. Command line In a command line interface, the user types commands in the space provided directly on the screen using command language. Cookie Within the internet industry, cookies are described as small files containing information about individual computers that can be analyzed and used by advertisers to track your online interests and tastes. In this realm, cookie technology is still being developed and the intention is to target ads directly to what you''ve said your interests are. It''s a double-edge sword for many people because on one hand, it''s efficient and pertinent as you only see ads about what you''re interested in. On the other hand, it involves actually "tracking" and "following" where you go andwhat you click. Understandably so, there is a debate over privacy and many people feel offended by the notion that they are viewed as a "SKU number" (you know, the bar code on the back of packages that gets scanned at the grocery check-out line). While this viewpoint may be extreme, in some cases it is accurate. Cyberbullying When colleagues or strangers are committing abusive acts against children on purpose to physically hurt. To damage emotionally, the assaulters are sending mean messages or unflattering photos, thus making their victims isolate from others or feel frustrated. Disk drive It''s a machine that reads data from and writes data onto a disk. A hard disk drive reads and writes hard disks. A floppy drive accesses floppy disks. Disk drives can be either internal (housedwithin a computer) or external (housed in a separate box that connects to the computer). Download To copy data (usually an entire file) from a main source to a peripheral device. The term is often used to describe the process of copying a file from an online service to one''s own computer. Downloading can also Glossary 223Bitdefender Internet Security refer to copying a file from a network file server to a computer on the network. Email Electronic mail. A service that sends messages on computers via local or global networks. Events An action or occurrence detected by a program. Events can be user actions, such as clicking a mouse button or pressing a key, or system occurrences, such as running out of memory. Exploits A way to take advantage of different bugs or vulnerabilities that are present in a computer (software or hardware). Thus, hackers may gain the control of computers or networks. False positive Occurs when a scanner identifies a file as infected when in fact it is not. Filename extension The portion of a filename, following the final point, which indicates the kind of data stored in the file. Many operating systems use filename extensions, e.g. Unix, VMS, and MS-DOS. They are usually from one to three letters (some sad old OSes support no more than three). Examples include "c" for C source code, "ps" for PostScript, "txt" for arbitrary text. Heuristic A rule-basedmethod of identifying new threats. Thismethod of scanning does not rely on specific threat information database. The advantage of the heuristic scan is that it is not fooled by a new variant of an existing threat. However, it might occasionally report suspicious code in normal programs, generating the so-called "false positive". Honeypot A decoy computer system set to attract hackers to study the way they act and identify the heretical methods they use to collect system information. Companies and corporations are more interested in Glossary 224Bitdefender Internet Security implementing and using honeypots to improve their overall state of security. IP Internet Protocol - A routable protocol in the TCP/IP protocol suite that is responsible for IP addressing, routing, and the fragmentation and reassembly of IP packets. Java applet A Java program which is designed to run only on a webpage. To use an applet on a webpage, you would specify the name of the applet and the size (length and width, in pixels) that the applet can utilize. When the webpage is accessed, the browser downloads the applet from a server and runs it on the user''s machine (the client). Applets differ from apps in that they are governed by a strict security protocol. For example, even though applets run on the client, they cannot read or write data onto the client''s machine. Additionally, applets are further restricted so that they canonly read andwrite data from the samedomain that they are served from. Keylogger A keylogger is an app that logs anything you type. Keyloggers are not malicious in nature. They can be used for legitimate purposes, such as monitoring employees or children activity. However, they are increasingly being used by cyber-criminals for malicious purposes (for example, to collect private data, such as login credentials and social security numbers). Macro virus A type of computer threat that is encoded as a macro embedded in a document. Many apps, such as Microsoft Word and Excel, support powerful macro languages. These apps allow you to embed a macro in a document, and have the macro execute each time the document is opened. Mail client An email client is an app that enables you to send and receive email. Glossary 225Bitdefender Internet Security Memory Internal storage areas in the computer. The termmemory identifies data storage that comes in the form of chips, and the word storage is used for memory that exists on tapes or disks. Every computer comes with a certain amount of physicalmemory, usually referred to asmainmemory or RAM. Non-heuristic Thismethod of scanning relies on specific threat information database. The advantage of the non-heuristic scan is that it is not fooled by what might seem to be a threat, and does not generate false alarms. Online predators Individualswho seek to attractminors or adolescents into conversations on purpose to involve them into illegal sexual activities. Social networks are the ideal place where vulnerable children can easily be hunted and seduced into committing sexual activities, online or face-to-face. Packed programs A file in a compression format.Manyoperating systemsandapps contain commands that enable you to pack a file so that it takes up lessmemory. For example, suppose you have a text file containing ten consecutive space characters. Normally, this would require ten bytes of storage. However, a program that packs fileswould replace the space characters by a special space-series character followed by the number of spaces being replaced. In this case, the ten spaceswould require only two bytes. This is just one packing technique - there are many more. Path The exact directions to a file on a computer. These directions are usually described bymeans of the hierarchical filing system from the top down. The route between any two points, such as the communications channel between two computers. Phishing The act of sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The email directs the user to visit a website where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and Glossary 226Bitdefender Internet Security bank account numbers, that the legitimate organization already has. The website, however, is bogus and set up only to steal the user’s information. Photon Photon is an innovative non-intrusive Bitdefender technology, designed to minimize the performance impact of your security solution. By monitoring your PC’s activity in the background, it creates usage patterns that help optimize booting and scanning processes. Polymorphic virus A threat that changes its form with each file it infects. Since they have no consistent binary pattern, such threats are hard to identify. Port An interface on a computer to which you can connect a device. Personal computers have various types of ports. Internally, there are several ports for connecting disk drives, display screens, and keyboards. Externally, personal computers have ports for connecting modems, printers, mice, and other peripheral devices. In TCP/IP and UDP networks, an endpoint to a logical connection. The port number identifies what type of port it is. For example, port 80 is used for HTTP traffic. Ransomware Ransomware is a malicious program that tries to make money from users by locking their vulnerable systems. CryptoLocker, CryptoWall, and TeslaWall, are only some variants that hunt personal systems of users. The infection can be spread by accessing spam emails, downloading email attachments, or installing apps, without letting the user know about what is happening on his system. Daily users and companies are targeted by ransomware hackers. Report file A file that lists actions that have occurred. Bitdefendermaintains a report file listing the path scanned, the folders, the number of archives and files scanned, how many infected and suspicious files were found. Glossary 227Bitdefender Internet Security Rootkit A rootkit is a set of software tools which offer administrator-level access to a system. The term was first used for the UNIX operating systems and it referred to recompiled tools which provided intruders administrative rights, allowing them to conceal their presence so as not to be seen by the system administrators. Themain role of rootkits is to hide processes, files, logins and logs. They may also intercept data from terminals, network connections or peripherals, if they incorporate the appropriate software. Rootkits are not malicious in nature. For example, systems and even some apps hide critical files using rootkits. However, they are mostly used to hide threats or to conceal the presence of an intruder into the system.When combined with threats, rootkits pose a great threat to the integrity and the security of a system. They can monitor traffic, create backdoors into the system, alter files and logs and avoid detection. Script Another term for macro or batch file, a script is a list of commands that can be executed without user interaction. Spam Electronic junk mail or junk newsgroup postings. Generally known as any unsolicited email. Spyware Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user''s internet connectionwithout his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware apps are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the internet; however, it should be noted that the majority of shareware and freeware apps do not come with spyware. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about email addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers. Spyware''s similarity to a Trojan horse threat is the fact that users unwittingly install the product when they install something else. A common way to become a victim of spyware is to download certain peer-to-peer file swapping products that are available today. Glossary 228Bitdefender Internet Security Aside from the questions of ethics and privacy, spyware steals from the user by using the computer''s memory resources and also by eating bandwidth as it sends information back to the spyware''s home base via the user''s internet connection. Because spyware is using memory and system resources, the apps running in the backgroundcan lead to system crashes or general system instability. Startup items Any files placed in this folder will open when the computer starts. For example, a startup screen, a sound file to be played when the computer first starts, a reminder calendar, or apps can be startup items. Normally, an alias of a file is placed in this folder rather than the file itself. Subscription Purchase agreement that gives the user the right to use a particular product or service on a specific number of devices and for a certain period of time. An expired subscription can be automatically renewed using the information provided by the user at the first purchase. System tray Introduced with Windows 95, the system tray is located in the Windows taskbar (usually at the bottom next to the clock) and containsminiature icons for easy access to system functions such as fax, printer, modem, volume, andmore. Double click or right-click an icon to view and access the details and controls. TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol - A set of networking protocols widely used on the internet that provides communications across interconnected networks of computers with diverse hardware architectures and various operating systems. TCP/IP includes standards for how computers communicate and conventions for connecting networks and routing traffic. Threat A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your will. Most threats can also replicate themselves. All computer threats aremanmade. A simple threat that can copy itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple threat is dangerous because it will quickly use all Glossary 229Bitdefender Internet Security available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of threat is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems. Threat Information Update The binary pattern of a threat, used by the security solution to detect and eliminate the threat. Trojan A destructive program that masquerades as a benign app. Unlike malicious software programs and worms, Trojans do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. One of themost insidious types of Trojan horse threats is a program that claims to rid your computer of threats but instead introduces threats onto your computer. The term comes from a story in Homer''s Iliad, in which the Greeks give a giant wooden horse to their foes, the Trojans, ostensibly as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse inside their city walls, Greek soldiers sneak out of the horse''s hollow belly and open the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour in and capture Troy. Update A new version of a software or hardware product designed to replace an older version of the same product. In addition, the installation routines for updates often check to make sure that an older version is already installed on your computer; if not, you cannot install the update. Bitdefender has its ownupdate feature that allows you tomanually check for updates, or let it automatically update the product. Virtual Private Network (VPN) Is a technology that enables a temporary and encrypteddirect connection to a certain network over a less secure network. This way, sending and receiving data is secure and encrypted, difficult to be caught by snoopers. A proof of security is the authentication, which can be done only using a username and password. Worm A program that propagates itself over a network, reproducing itself as it goes. It cannot attach itself to other programs. Glossary 230">