Cybersecurity and technology tools we love

With all the technology options out there, it can be hard to determine which devices are actually worth our time and money and which tools will have the biggest impact on our lives. Below we have highlighted a few of the best cybersecurity and technology tools from the past couple years and how they can help us be more efficient at our jobs and everyday life.

Google Chrome

In 2015, Chrome overtook Microsoft’s Internet Explorer as the most popular desktop browser. At the beginning of 2015, Chrome had a 29 percent share of web browsing sessions and by the end they had grown to almost 33 percent; Internet Explorer, on the other hand, dropped from 35 to 25 percent last year. Chrome combined their Google search engines with its browser for an integrated and less clunky experience that was quick to drive successful adoption. In addition, the Chrome browser also grew by around 3 percent in mobile, mostly at the expense of the default Android browser, but the leader for market share was Apple’s Mobile Safari, with almost half of all mobile web sessions taking place through this browser.

Why use it: Google chrome is designed to be fast, simple and secure web browser. Most of our time online is spent on a browser, and Chrome is working to bring the best, most efficient browser experience.

Fortinet Internal Network Firewall

Fortinet kicked off 2015 with the launch of its Internal Network Firewall, which is a line of solutions that essentially creates an additional middle layer in the network for added protection. The solution uses an application-specific integrated circuit architecture to block malicious activity and enforce policies. The solution creates a new opportunity for partners, as it is an entirely additive sale to existing perimeter and core security technologies.

Why use it: Fortinet’s Internal Network Firewall delivers “continuous visibility and protection of your network from the inside out, shortening the window of exposure and limiting potential damage.”

Exabeam

Managing and tracking user behavior analytics has become a hot topic in the security industry. Enter Exabeam with a solution that it says will “put a brain on SIEM,” by adding behavioral analytics capabilities that can create patterns of user behavior and pinpoint out-of-the-ordinary activity that could be signs of an attack. What makes it different from the other companies entering into the user behavior analytics realm is its user tracking and that it builds of a timeline of a user’s threat movement instead of just sending an alert.

Why use it: Tracking user behavior analytics offer visibility into potential insider threats, show early red flags for when accounts have been compromised by external attackers and are most useful to measure changes in user behavior—this technology can help easily manage that.

Magna Data Breach

2015 was another year full of high-profile company breaches, and there’s no reason to believe 2016 will be any different. LightCyber’s Magna Active Breach Detection is a very timely solution that offers an easy-to-deploy breach detection solution that provides actionable steps to remediate any problems found. The company has been gaining high-profile attention for its solution, landing investments from key investor Shlomo Kramer, who co-founded Check Point Software Technologies and Imperva and was an early investor in Palo Alto Networks.

Why use it: One take-away we all came away with from last year’s slew of large company breaches was, “Don’t be like that guy.” It is important to know the red flags, as well as how to handle. Magna Breach Detection enables user to take actionable steps to quickly solve any issues found.

These are just a few of the helpful technologies making waves in the information security industry. Let us know your thoughts—have you used any of these resources? What are your favorite security technologies that we missed in this article?