Today's needs for robust Internet security cannot be underestimated. It seems we hear of major data breaches almost daily, and these attacks affect not only the companies themselves, but millions of people, too. Use this Sophos review to find out more about one of the Internet's leading security suites.
Companies and individuals cannot sit idly by and hope an attack doesn't affect them. It's a matter of time until some data breach will take its toll on another unsuspecting person or group and turn their lives upside down. We think it's time to take a hard look at what defenses are available to protect against these ravaging attacks. Here, we take apart one of the leading Internet security products and analyze the components protecting users against viruses, hackers, and ransomware, and compare them to three other popular products available.
What Is Sophos?
Image via Sophos
Sophos, headquartered in Abingdon, United Kingdom, is a security software company focused primarily on protecting networks of enterprises the world over. For over 30 years, they have protected companies of the likes of Pixar, Under Armour, Northrop Grumman, Xerox, Ford, Avis, and Toshiba. The company offers home protection with paid and free versions.
Tests show excellent protection in both versions though with more robust protection in their paid version. With rapidly advancing cyber-security threats, Sophos understands the challenges present in ever-growing numbers of and complexity in IT networks. Sophos is an industry leader in meeting the need for simpler and more reliable protection for all devices including servers managed in the Cloud.
Product Features
Image via Amazon
Sophos Intercept X with Endpoint Advanced is a network security platform with several critical features designed for maximum protection. Its deep learning approach to ransomware doesn't use signatures as many do, and blocks ransomware from executing. This deep learning technology offers predictive protection to predict occurrences of malware and stop it in its tracks before it damages systems. This approach vastly improves response and detection times to keep up with rapidly evolving threats.
Phishing emails continue their relentless attack on enterprise systems worldwide, and so Intercept X runs smoothly and boosts endpoint protection. Intercept X is at the heart of phishing email protection and uses anti-exploit technology preventing delivery of ransomware and other threats.
Their CryptoGuard technology is at the heart of their ransomware attack prevention. It monitors and detects rapid file encryption and shuts down active attacks. If it detects encryption attempts, affected files are returned to their original state. Intercept X also contains the Sophos Clean tool which removes and cleans traces of malware that signature-based security systems often miss.
Pricing
Srices for Sophos fluctuate, but the reported MSRP of Sophos Intercept X is between $20 and $40 per user per year. Sophos Intercept X is available from one of their worldwide resellers.
How It Compares
We picked a few similar products to see how they compare.
Ease of Use:
Once installed, Intercept X runs smoothly alongside other installed solutions.
CPU Requirements:
Endpoint installations require Windows versions 7, 8, 8.1,10, and Pro. x86-64 bit.
Design Quality:
Once installed, Intercept X runs smoothly alongside other installed solutions.
Guarantee:
As with most enterprise software solutions, Sophos offers paid licenses for various levels of support. Support covers all aspects of the software, its use, installation, and troubleshooting if required.
Pros
Cons
Where to Buy :
Ease of Use:
AVG is easy to use and setup. The interface resembles familiar standalone security suites and each green button defines its use. Under each button is configuration settings to customize the software, but it's limited to selections safe for most users. The company offers a 30-day free trial.
CPU Requirements:
Installation and CPU requirements include full compatibility with Windows and at least a Pentium 4/ AMD Athlon 64 processor that accepts SSE2 instructions. RAM (onboard memory) requirements must meet 512 MB or more for Windows XP, or 1024 MB RAM for other operating systems. For installation, 2 GB or more free space is required on the hard drive.
Design Quality:
AVG is underwhelming in the design department. It's good software and performs well, but its looks and functionality could use an update. The layout is OK, but looks too busy and its color theme should have choices.
Guarantee:
AVG provides a 30-day risk-free guarantee if purchased from their website. Each reseller offers different guarantees of this product. Consult with your retailer for specifics.
Pros
Cons
Where to Buy :
Bitdefender Business and GravityZone Enterprise security solution use similar advanced behavior-based protection analysis similar to those mentioned in our Sophos review. Bitdefender was in a group of select companies invited to take part in the Forrester Wave in Q2 of 2018. Other participants included Sophos, Symantec, and Trend Micro.
Bitdefender performed well but less than Sophos. Bitdefender's claim of “best” isn't supported by the results of the Forrester test. However, Bitdefender performed well enough for the mention and it received an award from AV-TEST for a Top Product in 2017.
GravityZone is built from scratch as a virtual resource such as a workstation, server, or operating system to name a few. A virtual resource makes it possible to run multiple operating systems on one piece of hardware. The company provides licensing options for customizing the needs for various installation scenarios in offices, datacenters, public cloud, or Exchange mail servers.
Ease of Use:
Although the user interface (UI) could use a theme update, overall the UI looks good and is easy to see. In its standby state, the makers took pains to lock out the UI which is a great safety feature. If you're just watching the UI for changes, we like information readily available without having to go further if a threat occurs.
Of particular interest is its ability to show a step-by-step sequence of an attack, but it lacks the ability to roll back files attacked by ransomware. To us, this is necessary.
Administrators can select from several modules such as the firewall, content control, and power user, and include them in the installer package for client machines. This helpful option is common in enterprise security packages and considered necessary. If needed, additional modules include uninstall password, scan before installation, and install to a custom path. All these options are available.
An additional feature we like is sandboxing. Sandboxing allows for unknown or suspicious files to run inside a protected environment and watch how the file performs without affecting the system. Bitdefender grabs unknown files automatically sandboxes them, but occasionally files are missed making this feature indispensable.
CPU Requirements:
Bitdefender runs smooth in most modern computers, but they recommend the following for installation: Win 7 with SP1, Win 8 and 8.1, or Win 10 Intel 2 GHz or equivalent processor 2GB RAM (memory) At least 2.5 GB free space on the hard drive
Design Quality:
We're impressed with the layout and sensible location of all controls on the dashboard. The safety features are a plus and shows Bitdefender designed the interface with speed and user-friendliness in mind. We have no complaints with its quality or design.
Guarantee:
Bitdefender provides a 30-day risk-free guaranteed. Bitdefender Gravity Zone is available from resellers and their guarantees vary.
Pros
Cons
Where to Buy :
The next product in our Sophos review is Avast Endpoint Protection for Business. Avast takes network security to the next level by providing coverage for the entire network. Servers, mobile, printers, and webcams fall under the umbrella of coverage from Avast.
The ever-present threat of hackers and malware continues to drive companies like Avast to develop solutions. Their complex solutions and host intrusion prevention systems block unauthorized gateway access to the network.
Ease of Use:
Avast Endpoint Protection feels similar to Avast's free antivirus edition. They appear to use their free antivirus solution and added a firewall and anti-spam to make it into a security suite. Endpoint uses many of the same features from the free version. The free antivirus version can detect threats as well as or better than other elite software programs.
To their detriment, Avast is sneaky in how they offer premium features such as a junk file cleaner, and force payment if the clean button is pressed after the scan completes. We think important features found in comparable programs should be included by default.
On a positive note, the sandbox feature included makes up for a few of the shortcomings of Avast. Sandboxing allows running questionable files in a protected environment to assess whether it should be allowed to run within the regular system.
Its web-based protection does a great job detecting phishing sites as our tests showed and found all but two out of the ten we sent through. This is a good detection rate, but other suites score 100% consistently.
CPU Requirements:
Avast can be installed in any OS environment, including Mac and Windows Server 64 bit. Recommended hardware requirements state an Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon 64 processor able to support SSE2 instructions. Memory required is a minimum 256 RAM and at least 2GB of free hard drive space for smooth operation.
Design Quality:
A very important metric in all security solutions is performance drag. It's frustrating to deal with a slow, lagging computer with a large security suite hogging most of its resources to function. Worse, when the security software blocks you from doing anything during a scan. Avast doesn't present such a problem much to their credit.
Avast is a full-fledged Internet security suite capable of running neck and neck with elite endpoint solutions available. However, a few important shortcomings mentioned earlier prevent this suite from reaching five stars in our review of the software.
Guarantee:
Avast offers a 30-day money-back guarantee from the date of purchase.
Pros
Cons
Where to Buy :
Sophos Review - Conclusion
During our Sophos review, we were pleasantly surprised with the quality, function, and speed of Sophos Intercept X. Sophos's CryptoGuard technology impressed us with its ability to rollback changes made from a ransomware attack. None of the other products in our Sophos review are capable of this level of protection. The software is sophisticated enough to block and reverse ransomware which is one of today's worst cyber threats.
Featured Image: Image via Sophos