Best security software: How 9 cutting-edge tools tackle today’s threats

Threats are constantly evolving and, just like everything else, tend to follow certain trends. Whenever a new type of threat is especially successful or profitable, many others of the same type will inevitably follow. The best defenses need to mirror those trends so users get the most robust protection against the newest wave of threats. Along those lines, Gartner has identified the most important categories in cybersecurity technology for the immediate future.

We wanted to dive into the newest cybersecurity products and services from those hot categories that Gartner identified, reviewing some of the most innovative and useful from each group. Our goal is to discover how cutting-edge cybersecurity software fares against the latest threats, hopefully helping you to make good technology purchasing decisions.

Each product reviewed here was tested in a local testbed or, depending on the product or service, within a production environment provided by the vendor. Where appropriate, each was pitted against the most dangerous threats out there today as we unleashed the motley crew from our ever-expanding malware zoo.

With each review, listed in alphabetical order, we will endeavor to show how these new and trending cybersecurity tools work, where they fit into a security architecture, and how they defend against the latest types of threats and attacks.

Best security software, 2018

BluVector — Category: Network security
BluVector offers advanced detection and response, and even threat hunting, all performed at machine speeds. BluVector works almost right away, but also has deep machine learning capabilities, so it gets even smarter over time. It will learn the intricacies of each network that deploys it, tweaking its algorithms and detection engines in a way that makes the most sense for the environment. Read the full review.

Bricata — Category: Intrusion detection
At it’s core, Bricata offers advanced IPS/IDS protection with multiple detection engines and threat feeds to defend network traffic and core assets. But it goes a step farther, adding the ability to launch threat hunts based on events, or simply anomalies. Read the full review.

Cloud Defender — Category: Cloud security
Cloud Defender is a user-friendly tool that lets local IT staff inspect their cloud deployments to look for evidence of hidden threats or breaches. But it can also be used in a SaaS model, with the cybersecurity team at Alert Logic taking over most cloud-based cybersecurity functions. Read the full review.

Contrast Security — Category: Application security
Contrast Security has one of the most elegant solutions out there for application security. The secret sauce is its use of bytecode instrumentation, a feature in Java used to help integrate programs and application features during development. Read the full review.