This is why Astra Security is a must have security plugin

A major concern that a company must address today is the need for a cybersecurity solution. Countless instances of hack that stole people’s identity, wiped their life savings, support the fact that cybercrime needs a noob around it. While it is impossible to prevent every possible threat, it is possible to protect against certain attacks. A competent cybersecurity solution in place helps you check these attacks from reaching your site.

Recent instances of hack on websites further validate the fact. Talking in numbers, over 40,000 websites are hacked daily. This is when the need for a security solution starts crossing our minds. And to be honest, there is no dearth of website security plugins. But when put to test only a few of these plugins make it.

So, here we are, reviewing the website security plugin
– Astra Security for you. 

We have done an in-depth analysis of the Astra Security plugin before reviewing it here. We tried and tested the varied aspects of Astra – its firewall, malware scanner, website health check, and so on. So, stick around to know if the Astra plugin really makes it? One thing we can say with confidence – it’s definitely a ‘Suite’ and doesn’t slow your website unlike other plugins.

How Astra solves the current problem?

There are different security plugins for every problem you face, and that makes it cumbersome to manage and facilitate. Astra solves the problem of scattered security and brings all facets of security requirements under one roof. 

It offers malware removal, Web Application Firewall, Malware scanner, Security Audit, and Pentesting, IP blocking/whitelisting, country blocking/whitelisting, health checks, GDPR consent tool, etc. 

All this is easily managed from a single dashboard. Astra blocks attacks like SQLi, XSS, CSRF, bad bots, OWASP top 10, etc. Highly automated and hassle-free in use this security solution is a non-techie’s paradise. 

What are people saying about Astra?

The first stop was the customer reviews. We went through almost all of Astra reviews on the following two platforms – Trustpilot & Capterra and found it to be super affirmative. Although all customers had something nice to say about Astra, the following took all the limelight:

Capterra reviews: Total Reviews: 84, 5-Star Reviews: 84

Trustpilot reviews: Total Reviews: 74, 5-Star Reviews: 73

Till now it’s all hunky and dory. Let’s see how the Features perform.

What’s included?

The key features of Astra are Web Application Firewall, Malware Scanner, and Vulnerability testing & Penetration testing (Security audit and pentesting, in layman’s language). We will do a complete dissection of each of these features in a minute. 

But what impressed us about Astra is that apart from these essentials, it also covers a lot of other problems like the mandatory GDPR compliance for websites, automated scanning, etc.

• Website WAF: When we tested the Astra firewall on our website, the results pleasantly surprised us. It actually filtered the good traffic from the oncoming traffic. Plus, the malicious attempts were blocked and flagged in the ‘Threats’ section. The dashboard was neat and easy to navigate through.

• Malware Scanner: Malware scanning is a recommended process for the well-being of a website. Astra’s malware scanner is a really convenient one. Although it took a little more time (around 40 mins.) than expected in my case, the detailed & professional scan report saved the day. Though the future scans were surprisingly fast, taking under 3-4 minutes. Further, you can schedule these scans daily weekly, fortnightly, monthly. It would inform you about each scan completion via email and even send PDF reports.

• Immediate malware removal: For hacked websites, Astra offers immediate malware clean-up. In a clean-up like this, Astra security experts scan and clean the malware within a span of 4 to 6 hours of signing up. This clean-up is done with the help of a unique mix of automation and manpower.
  
• VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and  Penetration Testing): Vulnerability testing is basically a security jargon for what is commonly called security audits. The VAPT comes inherent with the business plan but is also available separately for websites at a price. In a Security Audit, security experts meticulously look into your website and find all the vulnerabilities and loopholes. The plugins and themes are also included in this.

• Slack integration: By integrating Astra with slack, no notifications will be missed. ‘Cause let’s face it, slack has become an integration in our lives, so it’s only logical to integrate your website’s security with slack.

• Health Check: And just when we thought we had explored all features, Astra surprises us. The health check feature in the dashboard checks other security aspects like HTTPS, cookie security, etc. It also gives your website a score accordingly.

• Slack integration: By integrating Astra with slack, no notifications will be missed. ‘Cause let’s face it, slack has become an integration in our lives, so it’s only logical to integrate your website’s security with slack.

Who can benefit from this service?

As for the CMS, Astra supports PHP tech stack and is effortless with WordPress, Drupal, Magento, Opencart, Joomla, Prestashop, etc. It is popular with both techies and non-techies alike.

What’s the Price?

Although there is no free version of Astra, it is on-budget if we compare it to other tested security solutions. There are three plans that it offers – Pro, Advanced & Business. Check pricing and plans in detail here: Pricing & Plans.

Conclusion

Taking into consideration all the above points, and our own experience, Astra comes out as a promising security solution. Truly, Astra has integrated a marvelous solution and made security a 5-minute affair. This intuitive security solution proved to be a great addition to our website’s security. The Astra support came out to be remarkable. When we had queries to ask, there was always someone to help. In its offerings, Astra really stands out. 

Need I say? Astra makes the cut! Curious about Astra? Check the Astra Website.