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Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Symantec Advanced Authentication comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 11, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator
Ranking in Authentication Systems
3rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (6th), Identity Management (IM) (7th), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (3rd)
Symantec Advanced Authentic...
Ranking in Authentication Systems
19th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.7
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is 8.5%, up from 7.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Advanced Authentication is 0.6%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Authentication Systems
 

Featured Reviews

Rias_Majeed - PeerSpot reviewer
Once configured properly, it runs smoothly with minimal potential for misconfiguration and enhances security by providing two-factor authentication
Customer service and support are helpful, but in the last few years, I've found that the first-level support isn't able to understand the issue. They escalate to the tier-two level, who are able to resolve it. On the first level, it takes time. Maybe they have grown too big and aren't able to give each network the unique attention it deserves. We customize some implementations, and at that time, they're not able to help because the people supporting are new and not from the field. The training seems fine, but in practice, it's different. Their support is not that great anymore. A little arrogance is there. It doesn't qualify them very well if there's arrogance in their communication. They do not understand the issue. That's why you're coming back to support. For example, one issue I'm facing is when a person leaves the organization without handing over details. They'll send an email to that person, but that person is not available. How are you going to access this email? These are a few instances where we are finding it difficult, and they take more than a week or two to resolve some issues. Their support used to be very good, but now that they're on top, they're not as responsive at the first-level support.
Umair (Abu Mohaymin) Akhlaque - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures robust security features and ease of deployment, although it may lack some of the more modern authentication options
There has been a need for aggressive development to modernize the product and align it with contemporary security requirements. While the rebranding has been a step forward, further enhancements are essential to meet the evolving demands of the market. It lacks features such as ActiveSync Exchange security, and it doesn't offer alternatives like password-less authentication via biometrics or patches. While Symantec mainly relies on traditional token-based or password-based methods, newer authentication methods are missing from its repertoire. Support services often lack promptness and depth of knowledge, leaving customers waiting for weeks to resolve issues. In the realm of multifactor authentication, swift resolution of problems is critical, as any slowdown or interruption can significantly impact operations. Urgent improvement is necessary to ensure that support responses are faster and more effective, aligning with the demands of MFA implementation.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Once you configure it properly, it runs fine."
"The implementation has significantly improved access management within our organization."
"The technical support for FortiAuthenticator is excellent."
"FortiAuthenticator is really good software that integrates very well with Fortinet products."
"FortiAuthenticator is a very good solution. It is all jury-based. FortiAuthenticator is very easy for anyone to understand how it works and be able to take action."
"The product’s most valuable feature is integration with FortiGate, FortiToken, FortiTalk, and multi-factor authentication."
"The product's on-premise version doesn't have recurring costs."
"It is very stable. We have never had any issues with this solution."
"Rules on Risk Authentication are very good."
"One of the most valuable aspects is its remarkable stability."
"It tells us exactly what we want in terms of authentication to various applications and provides protection for users who access them."
"One of the most valuable features of this solution is that it's a strong authentication solution that's able to integrate with applications."
 

Cons

"We had issues trying to integrate the keys properly during the initial setup."
"Integration with some other enterprise applications could be improved."
"No SMS gateway from the ISP"
"It can not use SQL to query FortiAnalyzer directly."
"Other features that would improve the product are a single sign-on where people can use their Gmail ID to log-in, etc."
"Improvements in the product could start from the dashboard, overall customization, and configuration."
"There is room for improvement in stability and support."
"The GUI has some shortcomings and can be made better. The GUI is not great."
"We have seen quite a few issues with bugginess. It is indeed pretty buggy and we have had to install some fixes."
"This solution could be improved with risk-based authentication. I think that this product has everything that most customers are looking for, but modern technology has people looking for security tools with risk-based authentication, which they have a separate tool for. If they could integrate this, it would improve Symantec Advanced Authentication. They have to look at what's newly trending and how things are moving forward, and then adapt and adopt those features. Symantec's technical support should also be improved, in terms of response time."
"Advanced Authentication talks about the Device ID. But how the device ID is captured, I want to know more about that."
"Urgent improvement is necessary to ensure that support responses are faster and more effective, aligning with the demands of MFA implementation."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The platform is cost-effective as it does not require a separate license for SD-WAN functionality."
"Between paying them to help with the configuration, the box itself, and the support, it came to like $12,500, including a three-year service agreement."
"The cost of the license could be less expensive. The license is paid on a yearly basis."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price and ten is a low price, I rate the pricing a seven."
"The price seems okay. It's not that expensive compared to other authenticators."
"I price of the solution is expensive."
"It's not expensive."
"I would rate the pricing a four out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive. It is not that costly. It is cheap, easy to manage, easy to install, and easy to configure."
"There are eventually going to be implementation costs. Sometimes you're required to have custom code developments there, so that has to be part of the implementation price."
"The price is reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
The cost of FortiAuthenticator is rated high due to market conditions. Nevertheless, I rated its cost an eight on a scale of one to ten.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
The technical support could be improved as some staff lacks the necessary knowledge to assist effectively.
What do you like most about Symantec Advanced Authentication?
One of the most valuable aspects is its remarkable stability.
What needs improvement with Symantec Advanced Authentication?
There has been a need for aggressive development to modernize the product and align it with contemporary security requirements. While the rebranding has been a step forward, further enhancements ar...
 

Also Known As

FortiAuthenticator
CA Advanced Authentication, CA Strong Authentication, CA Risk Authentication, Arcot WebFort, Arcot RiskFort
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Global bank, Large Filipino Bank and SK Infosec
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs. Symantec Advanced Authentication and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.