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TL;DR
- AI is being increasingly used by hackers and malware authors to drive more dangerous threats, but Bitdefender uses AI, too, including employing machine learning with its core malware protection to detect and defeat attacks
- Deepfake videos can make scams more sophisticated and convincing, but Bitdefender is ahead of the game here with Scamio Pro, an AI assistant that can actively defend against these kinds of threats
- Bitdefender's Digital Identity Protection is also on hand to guard against identity theft and warn you about data breaches, allowing you to keep a close eye on what data is available about you online, and act quickly in the event of any compromise
The rise of AI has been seemingly inexorable in recent times, and it's affected the world in many ways – some of which are useful, or even exciting, while others are more negative or worrying. This is certainly the case in the realm of online security.
Sadly, it's true that AI has given hackers and malware peddlers new ways in which to trouble the unwary. However, on the other hand, AI can also be used to defend the devices – and lives – of ordinary people against increasingly sophisticated attacks engineered by cybercriminals.
Bitdefender is a case in point, as the company has built its security suites with guarding against AI-powered attacks firmly in mind, as well as actively using AI tech to counter these threats – fighting fire with fire, as it were. This article will explore what Bitdefender's Total Security, Premium Security, and Ultimate Security plans have got to offer in this new age of AI threats.
Better antivirus through AI
Bitdefender's security suites offer core protection and antivirus that's bolstered by machine learning to help combat AI-powered threats.
Unfortunately, AI is increasingly being used in various ways by the authors of malicious software, and that includes generating new malware from scratch, or evolving existing threats. Indeed, a recent report pointed out how some more sophisticated malware even has integrated AI models that are designed to help it change to avoid detection.
With the core antivirus and malware protection provided across all Bitdefender security suites, you get the benefit of machine learning (AI) models tailored to the individual device – whether that's a PC or phone – in order to better pick up anomalies or unknown threats present on the system. That includes defenses against all forms of malware, including ransomware, a particularly nasty trick that can hold a device – and the data on it – hostage unless a ransom is paid.
Bitdefender has been using AI in its products for a long time now – since 2008, in fact – and its antivirus is one of the most highly rated for malware protection by the independent test labs who regularly compare the different security providers.
Can Bitdefender protect you from deepfake scams?
There is an AI assistant offered as part of the Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro service that helps defend against deepfakes and other more sophisticated scams you might encounter.
AI tools have some impressive powers for media creation as you may have seen for yourself, and deepfake video clips (or images) can be quite convincing these days. This means deepfakes are a useful tool for malicious actors to make scams seem more credible.
Deepfake videos are often used in social engineering scams on the likes of Facebook or X, but there is an answer in the form of Scamio Pro. This is an AI assistant which is part of Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro service, provided with Bitdefender's Premium Security and Ultimate Security plans.
Scamio Pro is running constantly on your device(s) to defend you in real-time against deepfake-driven scams. You can manually invoke the AI to check any social media post, too, or you can upload a screenshot of what you suspect is a deepfake video which Scamio Pro will scrutinize for telltale signs that it isn't real.
Bitdefender has trained Scamio Pro to spot all common scams – based on a number of factors, including the language patterns used, and data about the sender – and it'll help keep you safe from some of the more convincing attempts at fraud which rely on leveraging deepfakes.
Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro is more than an AI assistant
Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro isn't just about Scamio Pro, and aside from this AI assistant, it provides a battery of defenses across desktop and mobile platforms to help keep you safe from online stings and traps.
That includes Scam Radar, which keeps watch for any scam activity springing up in your local area, and warns you about these. This kind of proactive protection can be key to beating the scammers, because forewarned is forearmed, as they say.
This feature also blocks scam websites and covers your webmail accounts – the likes of Gmail or Outlook – protecting against scam messages or phishing attempts. On mobile devices, Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro will also monitor chats in popular messaging apps (from Discord to WhatsApp) for anything suspicious, and it'll check texts or even notifications for scam-related activity and malicious links.
Bitdefender Scam Protection Pro bolsters your online security considerably against various threats across Windows, Mac, and mobile devices (iOS and Android) for those subscribed to Bitdefender Premium and Ultimate Security. And the Scamio Pro AI assistant is always on hand to double-check anything you're unsure about.
What about identity theft – does AI make that more likely to happen, and can Bitdefender help stop this?
You're right to be concerned about your identity, especially given certain advances in the field of AI, and a raft of countermeasures to keep your personal details safe is provided with Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection.
Unfortunately, AI is now often used by hackers to, for example, implement large-scale scanning of networks for vulnerabilities, making data breaches more likely to happen. Which means that if you have an account with a company that's breached, your personal data could be at risk through no fault of your own.
This is why protecting your own devices from risks or malware – while obviously important – isn't enough. You also need to protect your personal details too, and while, as noted, you can't stop a data breach, if you're warned about it swiftly, you can take timely action, and this is where Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection comes in.
This service provided with Bitdefender Ultimate Security has multiple facets, and a key feature is that Bitdefender monitors the dark web (and elsewhere online) continuously on the lookout for any data relating to your identity. Bitdefender will highlight anything it finds with real-time alerts warning of any threats, or indeed active attempts at identity theft.
So, if there's been a data breach involving any of your personal info, Bitdefender will alert you to the incident, and advise you on what to do next. (Such as immediately changing your account password, and then activating two-factor authentication if you didn't already, assuming the service supports it).
Bitdefender also maintains an overview of your digital life, allowing you to be better informed about what's available to see in terms of your personal data online. Bitdefender will show you where all this info originates from, allowing you to correct or remove anything that you're not comfortable with being in the public domain.
In short, you're getting proactive measures combined with real-time identity theft and data breach alerts to keep you safe from threats, whether they're AI-driven, or not. All this is provided by the Bitdefender Ultimate Security plan, although you do also get a Data Breach Detection feature for Android and iOS devices that checks for leaked personal credentials with all Bitdefender subscriptions.
Cryptomining Protection to defend your device's security and performance
Finally, it's worth noting that all of Bitdefender's security solutions have a Cryptomining Protection feature that stops your device being hijacked by mining software, which doesn't just compromise your system, but slows it down – and adds to your utility bills.
Just turn on Cryptomining Protection and it will automatically prevent any crypto-jacking attempts, whether they're facilitated by a malicious piece of software, or online via a website or link.
Unauthorized cryptomining can bog down the performance of your device, stealing lots of resources to run in the background, and meaning the apps (or games) that you're using perform much more sluggishly than usual. It also increases the power consumption of your PC, and if left to operate for a prolonged period of time, you may find that a rogue cryptomining script could be clearly evident in your next electricity bill.
With Cryptomining Protection switched on, though, you have automated defenses to ensure this doesn't happen.
Protecting your entire digital life
With the contemporary threat landscape changed forever thanks to AI, you need stronger protection than ever – and Bitdefender gives you just that, with three plans to suit different budgets, each with additional layered defenses that go beyond merely protecting your devices.
Bitdefender Total Security gives you a gamut of features to keep you safe online, and all the core protection against malware that you need. Bitdefender Premium Security adds the valuable Scam Protection Pro service, with that powerful AI assistant, which you also get with Bitdefender Ultimate Security, the flagship product that adds in Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection.
The latter represents comprehensive protection for your digital life as well as your devices, at a time when hackers are using AI to achieve not just more sophisticated phishing traps, but they're also using this tech to improve their chances of scoring a data breach. If a breach happens at a company you have an account with, you need to know about it – and act in accordance – as soon as you can.
Think of Bitdefender as an all-in-one security system for your entire life, not just your computer or mobile devices, with AI features to combat the hackers who are now using AI for their own villainous ends.