Advanced Policy Firewall vs Certo AntiSpy

Advanced Policy Firewall is a free GNU GPL firewall system for Internet-deployed Linux servers. It uses iptables/netfilter to combine static rules, stateful connection policies, and checks for attack patterns and forged source addresses. Administrators can configure granular inbound and outbound filtering, including rules based on users and applications. Additional controls include reactive address blocking, GeoIP country filtering, and Spamhaus and DShield lists. IPv6 dual-stack filtering can create ip6tables rules automatically. Documentation describes snapshots loading more than 1,000 rules in under one second, plus integrations with BFD, cron, systemd, Docker/Kubernetes, and logrotate. APF requires Linux, iptables/netfilter, and Bash, and supports legacy and nft backends. Listed systems include RHEL/Rocky/AlmaLinux 8 and 9, CentOS 6 and 7, Debian 12, and Ubuntu 12.04, 20.04, and 24.04. Development mode initially flushes the firewall every five minutes; only SSH port 22 is open by default.

Certo AntiSpy is an Android security app that scans for spyware, stalkerware, viruses, trojans, and other suspicious activity. Checks include keyloggers, rooting, device administrator privileges, and apps using accessibility features to monitor activity. Most detected threats can be removed with one tap; cases needing manual action come with instructions. Intruder features can alert users to access attempts, trigger an alarm, or secretly take a photo. A privacy audit identifies apps using sensitive permissions, including camera, microphone, and location, so users can revoke access. Breach Check searches the dark web for accounts or passwords that may have appeared in data breaches. Premium Plus includes Certo Secure VPN, which the product page says encrypts browsing connections, including on public Wi-Fi. Certo says scan analysis happens locally, files and app data are not uploaded to its servers, and removal requires user approval. The Android app runs on phones and tablets with Android 7.0 or later and does not require a computer to scan. The free AntiSpy plan costs nothing and includes spyware detection, threat removal, and a privacy audit. Paid monthly plans are $4.99 a month for Premium and $8.99 a month for Premium Plus; Premium yearly is $27.99 a year.