Check Point Harmony SASE vs Squid

Check Point Harmony SASE combines secure internet access, private network access, SaaS security, and SD-WAN in a hybrid platform. A single Check Point Infinity Portal console manages network infrastructure, users, and security. SaaS Security provides inline and API-based enforcement, application control, tenant restrictions, DLP, threat prevention, oversharing remediation, shadow SaaS discovery, and posture management. Private Access applies identity-based zero-trust policies to employees, third parties, and branch offices. Secure SD-WAN optimizes routing for more than 10,000 applications and users, steers traffic based on link health, and supports sub-second failover across MPLS, 5G, and broadband. Reporting integrations include Amazon S3, Splunk, and Azure Sentinel; documented identity integrations include Okta, Microsoft Entra ID, and Google Workspace. The service is described as SOC 2 Type 2 compliant. Its agent is listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook, Android, and iOS, with minimum versions specified for several systems. A free 30-day trial is available through the Check Point Portal; a software license is required afterward. Pricing is on request.

Squid is a self-hosted caching proxy for web traffic. It keeps commonly requested pages and other supported data available for reuse, helping reduce bandwidth and improve response times. Squid handles HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and gopher data; supported cache engines also include ICP and HTCP. Administrators can apply access controls and use full request logging. Squid can accelerate servers, direct content among web servers, and organize content clusters for load balancing. Multiple caches can be connected as a mesh or hierarchy through parent and sibling links. Proxy authentication options include Basic, NTLM, Digest, and Negotiate, with bundled helpers for LDAP, SQL databases, PAM, RADIUS, and Windows domains. Basic authentication encodes credentials with Base64 rather than encrypting them, so credentials are effectively cleartext between browser and proxy. Squid is free to download, use, and modify, and is distributed under GPL version 2, with some components under compatible open-source licenses. It is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with installation through operating-system packages, source releases, and binaries. Documentation, a wiki, bug tracking, and mailing lists are available.