Tag Archive for: Alternatives

Top Antivirus Alternatives to Google Play Protect

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In the ever-evolving digital landscape, Android devices have emerged as a prime target for malicious actors. Despite Google’s efforts to fortify its platform with Google Play Protect, recent studies reveal that this built-in security measure falls short in comparison to other antivirus solutions. As of February 14, 2024, Android users are strongly advised to consider alternative antivirus options to safeguard their devices and data.

Google Play Protect: An Inadequate Guard

Google Play Protect, a security feature pre-installed on Android devices, is designed to detect and eliminate harmful apps. However, recent findings from AV-TEST, an independent organization specializing in IT security and antivirus research, expose the deficiencies of this shield. In a six-month endurance test, Google Play Protect demonstrated a significantly lower malware detection rate than its competitors, leaving Android users vulnerable to a multitude of threats.

Top Alternatives to Google Play Protect

In the quest for optimal protection, Android users have access to a plethora of free antivirus software options. Let’s explore some of the leading choices:

  • AVG Antivirus: With over 100 million downloads on Google Play, AVG Antivirus offers robust protection against viruses, malware, and privacy intrusions.
  • Norton 360: Mobile Security: This comprehensive security solution boasts advanced features such as a smart firewall, web protection, and app adviser.
  • Avast Antivirus: Avast provides real-time protection, ensuring that your device remains secure from the latest threats.
  • Dr. Web Security Space: Recognized for its high detection rates, Dr. Web offers a reliable defense against various malware.
  • Kaspersky Antivirus & VPN: Kaspersky’s combination of antivirus and VPN technologies guarantees privacy and security across multiple fronts.
  • Lookout Security & Antivirus: In addition to antivirus protection, Lookout provides features such as identity protection and safe browsing.
  • Bitdefender Mobile Security: Bitdefender’s antivirus engine and comprehensive security tools ensure top-notch protection for your Android device.
  • ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus:…

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10 Best VPN Alternatives in 2024

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Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are often used to connect to the internet in a safe, encrypted way. They let users connect to remote networks or hide what they do online.

When discussing VPN alternatives, it’s crucial to clearly understand the context and the specific needs that are prompting the search for alternatives.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have long been essential for ensuring secure remote access, enabling users to connect to private networks over the internet confidently.

Nevertheless, organizations and individuals are seeking contemporary, streamlined, and reliable alternatives to conventional VPNs with the ever-changing work environment, growing security risks, and technological advancements.

These alternatives have been developed to tackle the various limitations and challenges that come with using VPNs. They aim to overcome issues like scalability, security vulnerabilities, and the complexity of managing access for a distributed workforce.

But as technology has changed, different options have come up.

When looking for VPN alternatives focusing on secure, scalable network infrastructure for businesses, Perimeter 81 is often highlighted as a leading and best VPN Alternative solution. It’s known for offering a more modern, cloud-based approach to network security compared to traditional VPN technologies. You can try a free demo here.

Table of Contents

Why do we need to switch to alternative VPN solutions?
What is the difference Between ZTNA vs VPN?
Best VPN Alternative Solutions
Best VPN Alternative Solutions Features
Best VPN Alternatives in 2024
1. Perimeter 81
2. Tor (The Onion Router)
3. ProtonVPN
4. NordLayer
5. Private Internet Access (PIA)
6. I2P (Invisible Internet Project)
7. Checkpoint Secure SD-WAN
8. Zerotier
9. Zscaler Private Access
10. Cloudflare Access 
Conclusion
FAQs

Why do we need to switch to alternative VPN solutions?

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are often used for security, privacy, getting around area limits, etc. But in the past few years, there has been more talk about the need to think about VPN options.

Here are some reasons why companies and people might look for alternatives to standard VPNs:

Performance Problems: VPNs can sometimes slow…

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Explore print server alternatives to avoid IT headaches

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While matters related to printing have always been a challenge for IT, the fallout from the 2021 PrintNightmare vulnerability has spurred more enterprises to find other ways to handle their print server infrastructure.

Window Server print servers are easy enough to spin up but difficult to maintain. Users can also find it mystifying to parse why a print job didn’t execute as expected, which leads to more help desk tickets and ties up valuable IT resources in a troubleshooting exercise. There are many print server alternatives on the market designed to give IT more insight into printing problems, hand users more control over their print jobs and offer enterprises the visibility into how much is spent on printing and where.

Why PrintNightmare made printing even more complicated

The PrintNightmare vulnerability (CVE-2021-34527) surfaced in July 2021 and gave attackers a way to remotely execute code on Windows desktop and server systems through a Windows print spooler bug. A threat actor who manages to exploit this vulnerability could perform privileged operations such as installing software, accessing data or creating user accounts.

Microsoft released patches to correct the vulnerability, but one major consequence is that print driver installation now requires administrator privileges. With users no longer able to install or update existing print drivers due to PrintNightmare mitigations, administrators have had to investigate different configuration options or attempt to circumvent the security measures through registry changes that are not sanctioned by Microsoft.

Where a third-party print server alternative can help

For enterprises with a mix of printers across multiple sites, the changes ushered in by the PrintNightmare patch made an already difficult management job even more troublesome. Administrators lost the flexibility to let users install print drivers unless they skirted security protocols and gave escalated privileges.

Many products offer more security options to give users more control over print jobs that are not available in Windows Server print server. For example, pull printing is a feature some vendors offer that only gives the authenticated user the ability…

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Evidence Mounts: UK Study Shows Better Legal Alternatives Pushing Pirates To Become Customers

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The theory that piracy enforcement is a far inferior method for combating copyright infringement when compared with better and innovative business models and offerings is certainly old hat for us here. And, while there have certainly been studies going back years showing that to be the case, it seems notable that the past few months have seen a wave of these studies all coming on top of each other. We had MUSO, of all organizations, essentially concluding a survey it did in the UK showing how much content “pirates” actually buy legitimately by saying, “Hey, content industries, get your shit together!” That was followed quite recently by a study performed by Dutch researchers that did an amazing and large-sampled survey that concluded quite clearly that user-friendly legal alternatives depressed piracy rates at a far greater clip than enforcement measures.

And, now, because good things always come in threes, yet another study in the UK has shown that once-pirates of music are morphing into very real customers due to convenient and user-friendly streaming services.

A new report from market research and data analytics firm YouGov only adds weight to that apparent shift. The headline stat from the company’s Music Report is that just one in ten Brits are currently downloading music illegally. That’s down from almost double (18%) that figure five short years ago.

It’s quite obvious what coincides with that time period of the past five years that could contribute to this reduction in piracy and sure as hell isn’t anything in the enforcement arena. Instead, the YouGov study suggests that the streaming services so many in the music industry have tried desperately to torpedo are responsible for this reduction. And, more interestingly, the report suggests that the trend line is only going to continue, if not accelerate.

More than six out of ten (63%) illegal music downloaders predict they’ll still be pirating in five years’ time but a significant 22% believe they won’t. Just over a third (36%) acknowledge that using unofficial sources for music is becoming more difficult but the summary doesn’t offer reasons why.

“It is now easier to stream music than to pirate it. And the cost is not prohibitive,” one respondent said. “Spotify has everything from new releases to old songs, it filled the vacuum, there was no longer a need for using [an] unverified source,” added another.

In other words, innovators solved the music piracy problem in the UK, as we always said would happen. John Marshall, the associate director at YouGov, was even more explicit in his conclusions, essentially stating that the public was now satisfied with streaming services and mostly had no use for piracy.

All of this is not to say that the music industry doesn’t still have jobs in peril, of course. It’s just that those jobs appear to be the ones involved in copyright enforcement, while the business of music itself should be doing quite well.

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