Stay Cyber Safe with these Secure Apps
The app world is rapidly expanding every single day.
As of March 2017, Android users are able choose from over 2.8 million apps. Apple’s App Store offers 2.2 million apps.
It can be overwhelming to sort through user reviews and features lists to find the very best apps for your needs. But in our increasingly dangerous mobile world, it’s more important than ever to protect digital data.
Read on to discover a roundup of the current landscape of security apps. We’ve included top anti-virus, anti-malware, multifactor authentication (MFA), password keeper, folder security or virtual private network (VPN) apps for iOS, Android devices or PC/MACs. Please note that not all apps are available on all devices. And we’ve included both free and paid apps in this list, so if that is a sticking point for you, pay close attention to the cost.
The top apps in no particular order:
1. The top anti-virus apps available:
● Lookout: Can provide fast protection against malware, and offers Contacts, Data Backup & Restore, and Find My Phone functions included in the package. Unfortunately, advanced features such as Safe Browsing, Remote Lock & Wipe and the Privacy Advisor are only available in the paid version.
● Bitdefender: What’s nice is that the anti-virus doesn’t run in the background, bogging down your machine. You are ready to go once it’s installed.
● Sophos: Key perks include that it’s free, there are no advertisements, and you can use a QR scanner to set up secure Wi-Fi.
● Norton: This app is also free. In an AV-test, Norton caught 100% of malware. It also allows users to lock phones remotely.
2. The top anti-malware apps available:
● RansomFree: This app is great as an extra layer of protection after your antivirus software, and it’s free and easy to install. Downside: It’s only available for PC right now.
● Malware Bytes: Users rave about the simple and easy-to-use interface. But, they don’t love that it can bog down memory and it scans slowly.
3. The top MFA apps available:
● Duo Security: Easy to scale for businesses of all sizes, and the mobile version is free with a relatively quick setup. Downsides include a manual setup process, and the number of features available might be overwhelming as a new user.
● Authy: This app turns your smartphone into a 2FA token. It’s free to use and syncs across devices. Cons include that the desktop version won’t force the use of a master password and that the Bluetooth feature is spotty on desktop and Mac computers.
● Azure MFA: If you’re using Microsoft as your OS, Azure is a seamless integration with MS active directory and MS cloud products. A downside is that competitors have better integration with third party directories and SaaS.
● RecordVault: RecordVault offers software-based 3FA with military-grade encryption. It syncs across all devices and scales up and down for businesses and individuals.
4. The top password keeper apps available:
● LastPass: This app is easy to use and convenient, offered at a good price.
● Dashlane: The standout feature for Dashlane includes the ability to reset all passwords at once; but it is pricey.
● True Key: True Key offers biometric authentication and is in the mid-range for price.
5. The top folder security apps available:
● Folder Lock: If your business data or personal information is folder-based, Folder Lock offers lots of features in a good interface. Installation is quick and easy. It is expensive, however.
● SecureIT: Reviews dub SecureIT as the easiest encryption software. One downside is that the app offers no help with password generation, which may or may not be an issue.
● RecordVault: For folder security, RecordVault uses top-notch 3FA to keep files secure at all times.
6. The top VPN apps available:
● PureVPN: Businesses may want to do a side-by-side comparison for VPN technology. PureVPN uses split tunneling technology for an easy-to-use, reliable, and secure connection.
● NordVPN: NordVPN is known for having more simultaneous connections to speed up its service. Among the VPN apps listed here, it offers the best price.
● ExpressVPN: When speed matters, ExpressVPN does test as the fastest of these 3 apps. Cons include that it comes with a higher price tag, and you can only use 3 devices per license.
In an age where breaches occur daily, take the time to secure your data. Decide which apps fit your company the best, and make sure to test them before you implement their use.
You simply won’t regret the time and effort spent finding apps to stop hackers from accessing your most valuable assets. It could be the step that saves your company from huge financial losses, or even going under.
For further discussion on cybersecurity apps, contact Cyber Solutions Technologies by emailing Rick Wielopolski.
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