I have used anti-virus software as long as I remember and the big names that I know of are Norton, McAfee, Trend Micro, which at some point in time I purchased and used. When SecureAge Technology, a Singapore tech company, approached me to review their anti-virus software, I agreed immediately. What I did not expect was how innovative the product is and changes the way we monitor computer threats.
SecureAPlus is relaunched on 25 Sep with version 6.0, and includes new features, but the best part is that instead of 1-year Freemium, the new replaced SecureAPlus Lite is free forever! For detailed changes, visit this link:
Background
SecureAge Technology was the brainchild of Dr Ngair Teow-Hin, a Singapore national and graduate of Cambridge University, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Pennsylvania. He founded the company in 2003 with a vision to create & commercialize innovative data security solutions.
SecureAPlus is an endpoint protection software launched in 2013 for Windows & Android that protects enterprise endpoints against multiple attack vectors – known threats or unknown threats, file or file-less, attacks from within the network or from outside. SecureAPlus consists of three main security features:
- Known threat detection
- Unknown threat detection
- Application control and whitelisting
SecureAPlus: How Is It Different
To the lay person, SecureAPlus is probably just another anti-virus security software to prevent the device from being intruded with virus, bugs, malware, ransomware, etc. But the difference with SecureAPlus how it detects and prevents.
Universal AV Cloud Engines: Detects Known Threats
Instead of relying on one brand, SecureAPlus relies on multiple anti-virus engines available on the cloud to detect threats. Not just Norton, or McAfee, or Trend Micro, or BitDefender. But all at the same time. It is also a better way to determine if a threat is genuine: if several engines classify as a threat, it probably is. If only one engine flags it, maybe it’s a false positive. During my review, one of the pre-installed apps on my LG gram13 laptop was flagged as a threat.
SecureAge APEX Engine: Detects Unknown Threats
As an added level of security, the SecureAge own AI-powered APEX engine covers unknown threats that are not yet known. You can choose to upload sample files for further assessment
Application Whitelisting: Block First Approach
Application Whitelisting adopts a block-first approach against untrusted files and provides an additional layer of defence by enabling SecureAPlus to both protect and detect when deployed against malware. The block-first approach ensures any file that is still not trusted can do no harm until identified and cleared for launch. It stops advanced and zero-day malware on its tracks.
The traditional way of blacklisting no longer prevents zero-day attacks or unknown threats as they only detect known malware and viruses. Therefore, if an unknown type of ransomware suddenly attacks, the blacklisting approach would not detect it as harmful.
Application Control
SecureAPlus also covers all other file-based attacks that slip past detection techniques through application control. It defends against wider attack vectors: covering against portable executable on USB storage, malicious scripts, and file-less attacks through its command line protection and process protection features, with the inclusion of an initial set of customizable and expandable rules.
Works With Existing AV Software
SecureAPlus can co-exist with your existing AV software, if you choose to. There is no conflict as SecureAPlus is more than just an AV engine, but also uses other threat detection methods that an AV software might not offer.
SecureAPlus detection platform surpasses the competition by creating an all-in-one product boasting the cohesive implementation of the above-mentioned tools, which works seamlessly to achieve a fast, lightweight, AI-powered gatekeeper that protects against today’s and tomorrow’s threats.
It is also more lightweight than many other antivirus scanners, typically using tens of megabytes of RAM, and less than 150 MB at maximum, whereas the standard Windows Defender consumes several hundreds of megabytes at full load – much more than APEX. The minimal system impact of APEX means endpoint users will not experience any system slowdown during antivirus scans.
My Experience
The software installs rather fast, unlike other AV software that I have reviewed. I was a little confused during the initial installation stage as it asked if I wanted to install the ClamAV. Retrospectively, I realised that it is because SecureAPlus lets you choose whether to use your existing AV software or to use theirs.
The overall UI is a little cluttered, and might not size up optimally on laptops with unusual resolution, like 4K. There is only an option to do full scan instead of a “quick scan” as what other brands offer, but it seems the scanning is pretty fast. There is also an online portal to manage your licenses and show the recent scan results of all your installed devices and remote whitelist management.
The online help site seems very comprehensive in explaining the functions, and I highly recommend anyone to browse through for a deeper understanding of SecureAPlus.
List of Awards received by SecureAPlus
- Best+++ in CheckLab Testing (2019)
- Best in AV Lab 2018 Anti-Ransomware Test (2018)
- Best in AV Lab 2017 Fileless Malware Protection Test (2017)
- Best in AV Lab 2017 Drive-by Download Test (2017)
- Best in AV Lab 2016 Ransomware Protection Test (2016)
Free Version Available
SecureAPlus just released Version 6 and went through a change in the license offering. There are now three plans: Lite is free with many advanced features disabled, but normal users should not feel a pinch. Essentials costs US$19.99 per PC per year, and Pro costs US$29.99. For detailed comparison, check this link below.
For new users, enjoy SecureAPlus Pro free for 90 days, after that you get to keep it forever with SecureAPlus Lite.
The Android version is free and will provide Premium protection if you have an existing paid license linked to the app.
Conclusion
SecureAPlus is a PC protection software for Windows & Android that protects your PC against known and unknown malware. I am pleased with the experience so far and I will keep the software running. Once my current AV license expires, I may replace with this. There aren’t any real threats that was detected during my 4 week review, nor do I wish for any.
I think the whole idea of multi-layer threat prevention is good. Traditional AV tools offer blacklist controls – they block what they know. The so-called A.I. engine guess what they don’t know. The whitelist function seems to be pretty legit for users who are absolutely paranoid about their computers: nothing gets through unless they know what it is. There is even a “lockdown” mode that will block any unknown activities.
If you are running one of those free or basic AV tools, do consider trying SecureAPlus. Its free version might not be as comprehensive as the paid version, but it is definitely better than other free AV tools out there. You do not even have to give up your existing AV software if it makes you feel better. Give it a try and see if it works for you.
