Every few years I undertake a review and comparison of various Cybersecurity Software and Hardware solutions including antivirus, anti-spyware, internet security software, cloud-based EDR cyber security applications, and firewall hardware.
Last week I presented the rankings of my Top 20 Anti-virus applications, this week I’m going to present my rankings for Anti-spyware, Cloud-based EDR Cyber Security and Firewall Hardware. When my first list was issued eons ago, I provided fewer than ten Anti-virus apps. I then expanded to a dozen or so Anti-virus apps. This year we included the top twenty of this category with their relative scores. Some apps maybe separated by as few as 0.05 points or less; other apps may have tied with the same relative ranking. So, rather than simply tell you “use this one, not that one” I provide the relative scoring so you can make your own selection(s).
But each of the additional categories actually comprises a much smaller group of products in the ‘common’ market, or in some cases are limited by ‘economics’ when it comes to testing, so the number of products in those categories may range from less than 10 to 10 or more.
By the way, to compile these rankings I used the same rating criteria Insightful Accountant has been using for the App Comparison reviews and Blue-papers we’ve be performing as part of our “Be Insightful” Premium Content. The criteria include (but were not limited to): “ease of implementation,” “configurability,” “automation capabilities,” “ease of use,” “product support,” “reputation,” and “price” when evaluating the various software/applications. To finalize the rankings I computed a composite score designed to provide categorical rankings based on a relative score of 0-5 with 5 being the highest and 0 being the lowest.
The results for Anti-Spyware are summarized in the table below.
I realize that some (but not all) of the Apps in the list above also appeared in our Anti-virus list (last week) since they provide both anti-virus and anti-spyware functionality, but that’s just “the way it is.”
As with anti-virus software and apps, Insightful Accountant understands you may have your own favorites. We also recognize your feelings may change when it comes to these software applications for ‘home’ rather than ‘work’. Feel free to drop tell us your preferences in comments to this article.
With that said, let’s look at “Cloud-based EDR Cyber Security” options”
The final group we will look at this year is ‘Firewall Hardware’ (either with or without over-the-net threat updates).
Insightful Accountant wants to remind you that “before making any purchase decision(s), you should always review and perhaps ‘try’ one of these apps to confirm the app you select conforms to the standards and requirements of all of your major applications, including those apps that are internet based.” In addition, if you are networked, or are actively running apps over an internet provider and hosting source, ensure that the anti-virus software you try or buy conforms to their specifications.
Once again, feel free to share your opinions about your favorite Cyber-security Software or Hardware—along with your experiences—by posting them in the comments to this article. But please, keep them “PG,” or they will not get published.
Disclosures:
This article does not constitute a formal endorsement by Insightful Accountant, or the author, of any of the products discussed herein.
This article provides a relative comparison and ranking of multiple products based upon the authors reviews of products and product information. Survey methodology is a trade-secret of Insightful Accountant and protected under Insightful Accountant’s copyright.
This is an editorial feature, it s not sponsored content. None of the vendors have paid Insightful Accountant, or the author, remuneration of any type to be included within this feature. The article is provided solely for informational and educational purposes.
Various trade names used herein refer specifically to registered trademark products held by their respective owners. They are used for informational and educational purposes only.
