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Authentic8 Silo

Neil J. Rubenking
 & Neil J. Rubenking Principal Writer, Security

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Authentic8 Silo gives businesses some control and security over Web apps. For individuals, it makes a darn good password manager, and your sensitive sites open in a hardened browser, isolated from other processes. - Authentic8 Silo
3.5 Good

The Bottom Line

Authentic8 Silo completely insulates your browser from malicious websites and also manages your passwords. You can use it on Windows, Mac, Ubunto, or iOS (iPad only).

Pros & Cons

    • Local browser is completely insulated from all Web-based attacks.
    • No local traces of Web activity.
    • Masks IP address.
    • Includes full password manager.
    • Two-factor authentication.
    • Brute-force hack protection.
    • No Android support.
    • More expensive than dedicated password managers.

When government entities need to keep information really, really secure, they keep it on computers that have no connection to the Internet. This air gap technique can be extremely effective (as long as nobody sticks a random USB drive into the protected computer). Authentic8 Silo puts a similar security gap between your computer and the websites you visit, and also functions as an effective multi-device password manager.

I'll be focusing on Silo for Individuals, which costs $10 per month. Silo for Teams, aimed at businesses and enterprises, doesn't have a fixed price. As with many enterprise-level products, you contact the company and negotiate a price based on your needs, the number of users, and so on.

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Final Thoughts

Authentic8 Silo gives businesses some control and security over Web apps. For individuals, it makes a darn good password manager, and your sensitive sites open in a hardened browser, isolated from other processes. - Authentic8 Silo

Authentic8 Silo

3.5 Good

Authentic8 Silo completely insulates your browser from malicious websites and also manages your passwords. You can use it on Windows, Mac, Ubunto, or iOS (iPad only).

About Our Expert

Neil J. Rubenking

Neil J. Rubenking

Principal Writer, Security

My Experience

When the IBM PC was new, I served as the president of the San Francisco PC User Group for three years. That’s how I met PCMag’s editorial team, who brought me on board in 1986. In the years since that fateful meeting, I’ve become PCMag’s expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, putting antivirus tools, security suites, and all kinds of security software through their paces.

Before my current security gig, I supplied PCMag readers with tips and solutions on using popular applications, operating systems, and programming languages in my "User to User" and "Ask Neil" columns, which began in 1990 and ran for almost 20 years. Along the way, I wrote more than 40 utility articles, as well as Delphi Programming for Dummies and six other books covering DOS, Windows, and programming. I also reviewed thousands of products of all kinds, ranging from early Sierra Online adventure games to AOL’s precursor Q-Link.

In the early 2000s, I turned my focus to security and the growing antivirus industry. After years of working with antivirus, I’m known throughout the security industry as an expert on evaluating antivirus tools. I serve as an advisory board member for the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), an international nonprofit group dedicated to coordinating and improving testing of anti-malware solutions.

The Technology I Use

Much of the testing I do, particularly testing with real-world ransomware, is just plain dangerous. To perform such tests safely, I sequester them inside virtual machines managed by VMWare Workstation. For cross-platform testing, I use a MacBook Air, a Google Pixel 4, and a 6th-generation iPad.

I rely on my Delphi coding skills to create and maintain small applications. These include programs to check whether an antivirus correctly handled the malware it detected, launch dangerous URLs and record the security program’s reaction, and analyze the malware that I collect for use in testing. I also wrote a tiny browser and text editor for use in testing security apps that have predefined reactions for known products.

I do my writing and research on a Dell OptiPlex desktop, relying on Microsoft Word (my fingers know all the shortcuts). Many of my articles include charts and analysis; Excel is my go-to for those. When work hours end, though, I escape the bounds of Microsoft and Windows. There’s an iPhone in my pocket, I relax with my oversized iPad, and my Kindle Oasis is always loaded with the best science fiction and fantasy.

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