Today’s digital landscape is rife with cybersecurity threats lurking behind everything you click and visit, and the threat is exponentially greater for individuals and entities running businesses or doing work that makes them the center of attention, be it a diplomat or an Instagram influencer. Additional security is essential for even the best email apps and the user accounts. Google already offers the Advanced Protection Program for interested parties. Now, there’s a new offering on the block, called Proton Sentinel, from the established Swiss email provider.
Proton is a well-known brand among the security conscious, and you’ll find a lot of journalists, activists, religious heads, government officials, and other vulnerable people using its services like ProtonMail, Drive, or VPN. By default, Proton accounts are well fortified against sophisticated denial of service (DoS) attacks, phishing, brute force attempts, and malicious downloads or login attempts by bad actors. Proton developed all these systems from the ground up, and runs them on its own servers in proprietary data centers, all for added security. However, these safeguards may be inadequate for accounts owned by people in the public eye, and that’s where Proton Sentinel comes in.
Summary
- Proton Sentinel, a new offering from Swiss privacy-focused email provider Proton, provides additional security for individuals and entities at risk from cybersecurity threats.
- Thanks to its combination of AI-powered monitoring and a team of human security experts, Sentinel should offer more comprehensive protection compared to Google’s Advanced Protection Program and other solutions.
- Proton Sentinel is available as a free add-on for existing Proton subscribers.
You can activate Sentinel from your Proton account settings for additional protection from suspicious login attempts and other cybersecurity threats. Activating this AI-powered system also captures additional data for your account security log, like the device type used for the login. If it flags the attempt as suspicious, the log also mentions the safety system that protected your account. However, Proton has the unique added advantage of a 24/7 team of human security experts who can review login attempts flagged by the AI.
The combination of constant human-backed AI monitoring gives Sentinel an edge over rivals like Google’s Advanced Protection Program. Moreover, Proton Sentinel users can access more detailed security logs for self-assessment of their security measures, thereby reducing the chances of an account takeover or hack.
Sentinel is available as a free add-on for existing Proton Unlimited, Business, or Family plan subscribers, with Proton Unlimited starting at $13 for an individual if paid monthly. While that sounds like a hefty investment for additional security, Google’s free system isn’t cheap either. The latter requires a FIDO-compliant physical security key (usually a USB device), and recommends two of them, each priced between $20 and $70. In comparison, a Proton subscription gives you access to premium features across the company’s apps, besides access to Sentinel. You could use the security key built into your phone for Google’s security, but that isn’t ideal for individuals at risk.
Moreover, nobody wants an AI chatbot giving them the runaround when their account is at risk. Google’s Advanced Protection Program seems largely automated, omitting mentions of direct human involvement, while Proton has human reviewers on standby if you need assistance. While the ultimate choice comes down to the user, their choice of ecosystem, and several other factors, Proton Sentinel is a feature worth enabling, especially if you already have a paid Proton plan. One can never be too safe nowadays.
