The first security app aimed solely at Windows 8 sees daylight

Nov 22, 2012 08:53 GMT  ·  By

Bitdefender has just announced that its first security product aimed exclusively at the Windows 8 platform is now available in the Store, but it must be purchased via the company’s website.

The so-called Bitdefender Security for Windows 8 is an application developed to replace the built-in Windows Defender and to add a new security layer to your Windows 8 computer. It also comprises Microsoft’s Early Launch Anti-Malware (ELAM) technology, so it detects any potential threat before the machine completes the booting process.

The app boasts the same features as Bitdefender Internet Security 2013, including the aforementioned early start-up scanner, the Proactive App Scanner, a Scan Boost Technology and Bitdefender’s Safepay. What’s more, it comes with a two-way firewall, anti-phishing protection and parental control tools.

The app must be purchased from Bitdefender’s official website for $59.95 (€46.5), while a three-license pack is priced at $74.95 (€58.5).

Microsoft claims that the brand-new Windows Defender is a very advanced security product, as it now features not only anti-spyware protection, but also real-time anti-virus protection and definition updates.

“Windows Defender is working in concert with Microsoft’s SmartScreen filter. Since its release, the SmartScreen filter has used URL reputation to help protect Internet Explorer customers from more than 1.5 billion attempted malware attacks and over 150 million attempted phishing attacks,” a Microsoft spokesperson told us.

Windows 8’s Windows Defender cannot be uninstalled, but instead it is automatically disabled once the user deploys a third-party security product. The app remains on the Windows 8 computer and is automatically re-enabled when the installed security software is disabled or completely removed.

Microsoft claims this particular technology was designed to make sure that users remain on the safe side all the time, as the “reinvented” Windows Defender provides some of the most effective security options on the market.

Download Bitdefender Security for Windows 8 from Softpedia