Alternative cyber security solutions to Barracuda Networks
Barracuda Networks Security Alternative
Today’s digital era is marked by rapid technological evolution, increasing the demand for robust, flexible, and effective cyber security solutions. Censornet and Barracuda Networks are both noteworthy contenders in this landscape, but each possesses distinctive attributes that may make one a better fit for your business needs than the other. This guide is designed to provide a comprehensive comparison between Censornet and Barracuda Networks, primarily focusing on their product offerings, user experience, and service reliability.
Barracuda Networks Overview
Barracuda Networks is known for its comprehensive focus on Enterprise SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), with its SecureEdge platform offering an array of both hardware-based and virtualised security solutions. These services cover a broad range of cyber security needs, including cloud workload security, zero-trust secure access, Firewall-as-a-Service, and SD-WAN technologies. Barracuda further categorizes its offerings into three primary sectors: Email, Application, and Network Security.
While Barracuda presents a robust array of cyber security services, some reviews have indicated a need for improvement in their Spam efficacy, with complaints about the volume of spam bypassing their service. Further, Barracuda recently experienced a significant breach (May 2023) involving a zero-day vulnerability in their Email Security Gateway, which raises questions about their service reliability.
Censornet: An Alternative Worth Considering
As an alternative to Barracuda, Censornet offers a comprehensive platform of integrated cloud security services that provide an effective and easy-to-manage solution for businesses of all sizes. From email and web security to cloud application control, Censornet’s offerings are aimed at delivering superior performance in every aspect of cyber security.
| Features | Censornet | Barracuda |
|---|---|---|
| Simple to deploy | ||
| Fully integrated single management portal | ||
| Visual drag-and-drop policy engine | ||
| Traffic proxy required (HW/SW Appliance) | ||
| SaaS action-level controls & visibility | ||
| Email security via MX record change and API | ||
| User-accessible Outlook personal quarantine | ||
| Commerical spam detection rate | ||
| UK-based support |
Email Security
Like Barracuda, Censornet provides robust email security services designed to combat threats such as phishing and social engineering. Censornet’s approach to fraud prevention not only enforces DMARC and provides configuration for DKIM/SPF records but also adds several layers of defence against impersonation attacks. Censornet also boasts a higher commercial spam detection rate (99.999%) than Barracuda (95%).
Cloud Application Security
When it comes to application security, Censornet’s Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) module stands out as a simple, powerful, and intuitive solution. This module allows for detailed risk measurement, tracking, and control within individual SaaS applications, offering a more streamlined user experience compared to Barracuda’s complex, enterprise-grade Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) solution.
Web Security
Both Barracuda and Censornet offer robust web security solutions to protect against online threats and ensure secure access to web resources. However, there are some significant differences to consider. Barracuda’s Web Security Gateway necessitates the use of an agent on the device to route traffic to the proxy for scanning. This can add complexity to the deployment and may not be ideal for all types of businesses.
On the other hand, Censornet’s approach to web security is more integrated and straightforward. Web Security is a core module within the Censornet platform, providing a solid foundation for sophisticated Cloud Application Security. Due to Censornet’s “Direct Protect”, its web security services do not require the installation of additional agents, but still offers real-time protection against web-borne malware and other cyber threats. By managing traffic centrally but enforcing locally, proxies are not required for complex traffic routing. This delivers the best user experience with no latency or management overhead. The web security module also facilitates safe and productive internet use, helping businesses to maintain productivity while mitigating the risks of online activity.
Furthermore, Censornet’s web security capabilities extend to offer powerful control over individual SaaS applications, enabling businesses to limit risk by controlling individual actions within each app through a visual rule builder. This feature can be deployed and fully configured in minutes, making Censornet’s web security offering a user-friendly and powerful alternative to Barracuda’s more complex web security solutions.
Why Choose Censornet over Barracuda?
- Simple Deployment: Censornet’s solutions are designed for quick and easy deployment, saving businesses valuable time and resources.
- Integrated Management Portal: Censornet offers a fully integrated management portal, simplifying the task of managing your cyber security services.
- Superior Spam Detection: With a commercial spam detection rate of 99.999%, Censornet provides superior protection against unwanted emails.
- User-friendly Policy Engine: Censornet features a visual drag-and-drop policy engine, enhancing user experience and ease of use.
- UK-Based Support: Censornet offers reliable, UK-based support to assist you with any issues or queries.
In summary, while Barracuda Networks offers an extensive range of cyber security solutions, their services may be overly complex for some businesses, and concerns about spam efficacy and recent security breaches may deter potential users. In contrast, Censornet offers a user-friendly, integrated platform with superior spam detection and a strong commitment to security, making it a compelling Barracuda alternative.
Before deciding on a cyber security service, it’s crucial to consider your specific business needs, resources, and objectives. In many cases, Censornet’s simplicity, effectiveness, and commitment to user experience may make it the ideal choice for your business.
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What are Censornet customers saying?
Most importantly, our multi-cloud strategy meant we needed robust cloud security...Censornet has absolutely met our objectives.
We wanted to make sure out remote workforce had the highest levels of security while ensuring we remain fit for auditing and GDPR.
Most importantly, our multi-cloud strategy meant we needed robust cloud security. But there were other issues we wanted to address. In the past, for example, we used traditional web security proxies, but this led to challenges with delivering local content. Reporting and auditing could be problematic too, with previous solutions reporting everything, without filtering out unwanted noise, making it hard for individuals to use.
Securely delivering global content was always a challenge. With Censornet’ cloud controls and web security, we’ve been able to quickly and easily deploy a cost-effective, widely accessible and, most importantly, extremely secure way to address this.