Perimeter 81 review: Can it survive in 2024?

Perimeter 81 is a cloud-based network security solution designed to help organizations increase security on corporate networks. The solution takes network security beyond the capabilities of traditional VPNs and firewalls, with 50 worldwide points of presence and a range of security features. These features include a Zero Trust ArchitectureAdvanced malware protection, and device currency checks.

Continue reading to learn more about Perimeter 81 and what it offers as a network security solution.

Price of Perimeter 81

Perimeter 81 offers four paid plans: Essential, Premium, Premium Plus, and Enterprise.

Here is a brief overview of their feature and price differences:

Perimeter 81’s pricing structure is similar to some of its competitors, viz Nord Lair. For example, Premium and Premium Plus have annual billing costs of $12/user/month and $16/user/month, respectively. Meanwhile, their equivalents in NordLayer – Core and Premium – cost $11 per user/month and $14 per user/month, respectively.

Perimeter 81 is expensive when you put it next to Tongate, with the highest price being $10 per user/month for annual billing.

While there is no free trial available, I appreciate Perimeter 81 offering a 30-day money-back guarantee for each of their plans. I also appreciate how potential buyers can request a demo to join a call and receive a 15-minute walkthrough of the VPN.

See: Free VPN vs Paid VPN: Which is Right for You? (Tech Republic)

Is Perimeter 81 safe?

Yes, I found Perimeter 81 to be a safe and secure VPN software solution. Perimeter 81 has many advanced security features that make it secure. VPN for various organizations. The tool features multi-factor authentication (MFA), which prompts employees to go through a multi-step account login process before gaining access to company resources.

As an enterprise solution, I appreciate that Perimeter 81 offers single sign-on, which integrates with business services such as Azure, Google Suite, LDAP, or OKTA to allow company employees to work remotely. Secure login can be streamlined. However, I want to point out that SSO is not available on the Essential plan – so keep that in mind when considering their subscriptions.

The solution also uses AES-256 encryption using IPsec or WireGuard protocols and supports network security features such as split tunneling, web filtering, firewall, and an always-on VPN option. Another notable security feature is automatic Wi-Fi protection, which ensures that employees cannot access company resources when their connection is exposed.

See: 10 Ways A Zero Trust Architecture Protects Against Ransomware (Tech Republic)

A major security concern I have about Perimeter 81 is its log policy. The provider keeps IP log data for 60 days before it is deleted. However, Perimeter 81 claims that only workspace admins have access to this data.

Key Features of Perimeter 81

Below are some features of Perimeter 81 that I found interesting.

Access to the application without an agent

One of my favorite Perimeter 81 features is its agentless zero-trust network access. It works by giving employees or third-party contractors limited access to the company’s network. This feature can give specific employees access to a particular application through a browser – not the wider company network. This helps administrators monitor employee or third-party contractor access to company networks to see where and how access occurs.

See: How to Create an Effective Cybersecurity Awareness Program (TechRepublic Premium)

DNS filtering

Another Perimeter 81 inclusion I like is its DNS filtering. This feature restricts users’ access to unauthorized websites that could damage the company’s network infrastructure. This helps IT teams determine which content or IP addresses will be whitelisted or blacklisted on employee devices.

I imagine this is especially beneficial for businesses with hybrid workforces and fully remote workers.

Device currency check

If your department regularly handles sensitive data, I suggest looking into Perimeter 81’s Device Posture Check or DPC. DPC ensures that a company’s most critical resources are protected by only granting access to devices that meet security posture requirements. Perimeter 81 DPC rules can check Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS and Linux devices before and during network access, and remove devices where user policy and currency There is a contradiction between

Advanced malware protection

For more traditional threat protection, Perimeter 81’s Advanced Malware Protection is a welcome feature. It uses a combination of signature-based detection, heuristics, and advanced machine learning to identify and block malware and zero-day attacks. Personally, I appreciate how it enables administrators to easily track user exposure to harmful content with extensive reports.

See: How to tell if your VPN is working properly (Tech Republic)

What operating systems, ID providers, and cloud services is Perimeter 81 compatible with?

According to my research, Perimeter 81 supports all major operating systems and devices. Specifically, it supports the following:

• Windows 10 or later.
• macOS 11 or later.
• Linux 7 or later.
• iOS 15 or later.
• Android 8.1 or later.

When it comes to popular enterprise applications and cloud services, Perimeter One is compatible with Amazon AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. For identity providers and SAML 2.0 providers, I commend Perimeter 81 for having broad support overall. Right now, it’s compatible with:

• Google
• Auth0.
• Azure AD.
• ADFS
• to wave
• Octa.
• OneLogin.
• Jump cloud.
• Ping ID.
• Ping Federate.

As a disclaimer, the above list reflects supported IdPs as of October 2024.

Perimeter 81 occupation

• The user interface is easy to understand.
• Integrates with many third-party solutions such as Azure, Google Suite, LDAP, and OKTA.
• 50+ global data centers.
• Provides seamless network access.
• Supports multiple platforms and operating systems.
• Offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Frame 81 cons

• Free trial and free version are not available.
• Important safety features are not included in some plans.
• Keeps IP logs for up to 60 days depending on the plan.

Who is Perimeter 81 for?

I recommend Perimeter 81 for medium to large organizations whose employees need secure remote access to their company’s internal network. From my review, Perimeter 81 may not be suitable for small businesses unless you are willing to pay for higher plans to access its full security features.

Perimeter 81 Alternative

While Perimeter 81 may be a good security solution for most organizations, there are still other notable alternatives to check out if you feel Perimeter 81 doesn’t fit your needs. Below are two that I have analyzed and considered as good alternatives.

Nord Lair

Nord Lair is a secure remote access solution from Nord Security. NordLayer’s paid plan enables you to create secure connections between remote devices and corporate networks. An added advantage is that NordLayer has more than Perimeter 81 which provides 24/7 live/email support across all its plans. Perimeter 81 only offers live support on premium plans.

Twingate

If you’re a small team or individual on a budget and looking for a good network security alternative to Perimeter 81 that offers a free plan, Twingate might be a good choice. This tool is a cloud-based service that provides secure remote access to an organization’s networks. Pricing starts at $5/user/month for annual billing. This is much cheaper than Perimeter 81, which starts at $8 per month. Additionally, this tool offers a 14-day free trial in all its premium plans.

See: Different Types of VPNs and When to Use Them (Tech Republic)

Review the procedure.

My review of Perimeter 81 is primarily based on user experience, integration capabilities, and security features. Most of my analysis was done by gathering information from the Perimeter 81 website, where I reviewed their capabilities and compared them to other similar services such as NordLayer and Twingate. I also looked at user feedback on the product from popular review sites to get an insight into what users are saying about the solution.

I rated Perimeter 81 using an internal algorithm to get a rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars. Scoring was based on Perimeter 81 on its own and in relation to other VPNs available today.