How we choose recommendations

Latch & Cipher is a guide site, not a review lab. We don't rank products or run side-by-side tests. We explain what a threat looks like, what defends against it, and what we'd use ourselves.

What we look at

• Does it stop the actual attack? A lock that resists picking doesn't help if the door frame splits. We recommend the fix for how things really fail.
• Is there a free option? If a built-in setting or a free tool does the job, we say so first.
• Security track record. How the company handles updates, breaches and customer data. A security product with a poor privacy record gets that record mentioned.
• Ongoing cost. Subscriptions and what stops working if you cancel.
• Will you actually use it? A good habit beats a better gadget that stays in the drawer.

How a recommendation is written

Every pick says why it fits, who it's for, its main downside, and a cheaper or free alternative where one exists. Where we haven't settled on a specific product, we tell you what to look for instead of naming one.

Commissions don't decide picks

Some links may earn us a commission. That never decides what we recommend, and we recommend things with no affiliate program when they're the better choice. How we make money explains it.

Keeping it current

Products change and get discontinued. We review guides with product recommendations at least every six months, and the date at the top of each guide shows its last material update.