Check Point Harmony Mobile vs OpenVPN Access Server comparison

Check Point Harmony Mobile is a unified security solution for user devices and access. It is a complete threat defense solution for mobile devices that prevents cyberattacks and enforces security for remote workers and users. It prevents threats on apps, networks, and OS while enhancing the user experience and preventing the disruption of device performance. 

Check Point Harmony Mobile Benefits

Some benefits of Harmony Mobile include: 

• Advanced app analysis that detects known and unknown threats
• Mitigates threats regardless of the mobile management platform or what the user is doing
• Prevents infected devices to send data to botnets
• Blocks phishing attacks on social media, email, and messaging
  

Harmony Mobile integrates with UEM systems to assess the device’s level of risk. The UEM quarantines and activates security policies, such as blocking access to corporate assets. 

Check Point Harmony Mobile Key Features

Harmony Mobile's key features include: 

• App protection: The platform detects and blocks the download of malicious applications in real-time. It runs the application in a cloud-based environment and tests it by leveraging techniques such as sandboxing, advanced static analysis, anomaly detection, and other techniques. By doing so, it prevents malware from infiltrating employees’ mobile devices. 

• Network protection: The platform’s unique infrastructure extends Check Point security capabilities to mobile devices. It includes features such as anti-phishing, safe browsing, conditional access, anti bot, and URL filtering. 

• Simple and easy to use management: Check Point Harmony Mobile integrates with almost all mobile management solutions (MDM/UEM), and supports BYOD programs and remote work settings. It delivers scalability and efficiency with zero-touch deployment. The system works for all Android deployment models. The management console is cloud-based, delivering visibility over the risk posture and enabling admins to roll granular policies. 

• User friendly: The platform is easy to adopt, with no disruption of the user experience or the device's usability. The system delivers detailed threat notifications in real time as well as weekly reports. The platform doesn’t impact battery life or data consumption. Additionally, it keeps the user and corporate data private without collecting or analyzing personal information. Finally, the platform anonymizes the context metadata from apps and networks it uses for analysis.  

Check Point Harmony Mobile Components 

• Behavioral risk engine: The engine uses data received from the app about the network, configuration, and OS data integrity, detects and analyzes suspicious activity, and produces a risk score.
   
• Mobile gateway: A multi-tenant architecture and mobile devices are registered. The gateway manages the solution communications with connected mobile devices and with the dashboard.
   
• Management dashboard: The dashboard enables administration, provisioning, and monitoring of devices and policies. It integrates with Unified Endpoint Management.
  
  
• Mobile Protect app: This lightweight app for iOS and Android collects data and analyzes threats to devices. It monitors the operating systems, applications, and network behavior and collects data to detect malicious behavior.
  
  
• ThreatCloud: A database with real-time threat intelligence on indicators of compromise from hundreds of thousands of Check Point gateways and millions of endpoints worldwide.  

Check Point Harmony Mobile Capabilities

• Prevents malicious app downloads
• Prevents phishing on applications
• Prevents man-in-the-middle attacks
• Stops infected devices from accessing corporate applications
• Detects OS exploits

Reviews from Real Users

"The easy navigation of the admin portal is a welcome change to how some other admin portals are not very user-friendly," says G.S., a Manager of Infrastructure Services at an energy/utilities company.

Kadeem C., an IT Security Analyst at an energy/utilities company, says, "I really like the application scanning portion where it scans your current applications and any new applications that you add to the device to let you know if it is malicious."

Oleg P., Senior Network/Security Engineer at Skywind Group, says, "The most impressive thing is the SSL VPN Portal."

Hans V., an Engineer at Caldoo, adds that “We've found that the product is quite stable."

OpenVPN Access Server is a comprehensive VPN solution that enables secure remote access and site-to-site connectivity. It uses the open-source OpenVPN protocol with added encryption and authentication for robust security. The web-based admin interface simplifies setup and centralized management of users, devices, and access controls.

OpenVPN Access Server's ease of setup, comprehensive security features, and professional support make it a viable option for businesses looking to facilitate secure remote access and inter-office connectivity. However, potential users should be mindful of the technical requirements for setup and the possibility of network performance issues in specific scenarios.

Based on over 30 independent peer reviews, OpenVPN garners consistently positive feedback for its stability, security, and free open-source licensing. The most common complaints relate to initial setup complexity and occasional connection drops. Despite these drawbacks, most reviewers highly recommend OpenVPN Access Server due to its robust encryption standards, flexible access options, and scalability across organization sizes.

Versatile Installation and Client Support:

• OpenVPN Access Server can be installed on various Linux OS platforms, offering flexibility to adapt to different network environments. This includes popular distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
• OpenVPN Access Server supports a comprehensive range of VPN clients, ensuring broad compatibility and user accessibility. This includes clients for Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux, enabling users to connect securely from various devices.

User Authentication and Security:

• OpenVPN Access Server incorporates a built-in user authentication system, which can be managed via a web-based interface. This allows administrators to manage user accounts, passwords, and access permissions easily.
• For enhanced security, OpenVPN Access Server supports integration with external authentication systems like PAM, LDAP, RADIUS, and SAML. This allows you to leverage your existing authentication infrastructure for VPN access.
• The solution provides the flexibility to implement custom Python programming for advanced authentication methods, catering to specific security requirements.
• OpenVPN Access Server utilizes the OpenVPN protocol, renowned for its robust encryption and security. VPN tunnels are secured with TLS authentication, credentials, certificates, and optional MAC address lock, ensuring a high level of protection for data transmission.

Flexible Access Control and Tunneling Options:

• OpenVPN Access Server provides comprehensive access control rules, allowing administrators to specify user or group access to IP addresses and subnets. This enables granular control over network access and resource utilization.
• OpenVPN Access Server supports both full-tunnel and split-tunnel redirection. Full-tunnel mode routes all VPN client internet traffic through the VPN tunnel, while split-tunnel mode allows selective routing of specific traffic.

OpenVPN offers professional support for Access Server, with a global team of experts available through an online ticket system. This ensures that users have timely access to assistance when needed.