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IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs jSonar comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

IBM Security Guardium Data ...
Ranking in Database Security
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
77
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
jSonar
Ranking in Database Security
10th
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Database Security category, the mindshare of IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is 32.1%, up from 30.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of jSonar is 1.3%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database Security
 

Featured Reviews

Ahmer Faisel Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers mature agents, compliance reporting and reliable database security
The solution should allow the data to shift to a centralized repository with elastic servers and big data infrastructure. If a customer searches for old logs for retention purposes, there are limitations on appliances once they are set with specific hardware, so they can only be changed by uninstalling or reinstalling the hardware. The solution's aggregator feature allows data aggregation, but for instance, if a customer wants a project ready in two years, having an Elasticsearch in DB or the capacity to store huge amounts of data would be beneficial in data investigation or evaluation at an affordable cost. Some AI features should be added to IBM Security Guardium Data Protection. For example, the AI features implemented in the solution can be anomaly detection or suspicious activity identification.
reviewer1633014 - PeerSpot reviewer
Serves as a data lake for database activity and helps to centralize and normalize data
I rate the solution an eight out of ten. It can be simplified as it is a little complicated. However, it has a lot of flexibility and capability. My advice to users considering the solution is to look at their requirements and see if they align with their needs. Ensure that some use cases are tested on the solution before purchasing because it is important to ensure the monitoring works.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Audit Process Builder – Workflow generator to enhance audit tasks and compliance workflows."
"What I like about IBM Guardium Data Protection is that some of its features were deployed by collectors during the installation phase. The solution has collector and aggregator features, license installation, and even server patches that you won't find in other security providers. I like the collector-aggregator capabilities of IBM Guardium Data Protection where you install each component on separate servers, then on the aggregator, you collect all the logs on a central server or central console."
"he solution offers trouble-free access."
"Guardium is easily integrated with other IBM solutions, a significant advantage and a key reason we chose Guardium. Both platforms share the IBM infrastructure, enhancing compatibility and integration. Additionally, Guardium offers a vulnerability analyzer, which is another compelling feature of the platform."
"It provides a comprehensive security for databases, both on-prem and on the cloud. Among the advanced features we use automatic backups, DR."
"The most valuable features are the reporting and data-level access control."
"Setting up Guardium was easy and straightforward."
"It sends out an immediate alert when there's suspicious activity."
"The centralization of the data is probably the most useful feature because we span multiple database technologies. We also find the GBDI portion of it very helpful."
"It allows us to run models against it and do reports against it without understanding the different database technologies."
 

Cons

"Deployment process is very complicated as you need to now all advanced parameters. Almost not possible to figure out for yourself."
"I would like to be able to upgrade appliances within major versions without needing to rebuild the appliance."
"The biggest complaint that I hear from customers and users is that using this solution requires database skills, yet it is a security and monitoring tool."
"The solution could be improved for NoSQL databases."
"We are currently facing a challenge because it does not offer data encryption by default, only data masking."
"Using the data in native Guardium is difficult, at best."
"It was difficult implementing it, configuring it, getting it up and running and in production. However, since then, I believe it has stabilized."
"Right now we're having some issues where it's using a high CPU, we don't know why. So, better testing before the product is ready would help."
"It would be better if it were more user-friendly. Right now, it's a little bit of a complicated product to use. Another problem that we have is with encrypted traffic on Oracle. This is because it requires a database outage. That's a pain in the butt because you're monitoring critical systems, and they don't like outages."
"It can be simplified as it is a little complicated."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"One of the deployments that I know of had three databases, and the yearly fees are approximately $50,000 USD."
"Guardium is most suitable for large scale enterprises because the pricing model is better if you are implementing a large number of databases."
"The price of Guardium is higher than the main competitor, Imperva. In addition, it's complex as the calculation of the licensing is done by Processor Value Unit (PVU). However, before purchasing a DAP solution, it is important to analyze specific points to evaluate the cost-benefit of each tool. For example: Does the environment to be monitored have mainframes? If so, it's a point for Guardium. If not, a point for Imperva. Note: IBM is looking into a new licensing policy and reducing the price of Guardium."
"​If you are researching this type of solution, work with IBM."
"The price is good for the quality of the solution."
"Guardium's pricing is quite high, but it gives good value for money for all sizes of enterprises, especially for partners."
"The product's pricing is reasonable and affordable. It is in the moderate range."
"The biggest challenge is the cost associated with the product, and the cost of maintaining. Everything is not translated directly to the benefits we see. There are benefits, yes, but if I were writing the check, would I buy Guardium? No."
"I know it's not cheap."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
30%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Insurance Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
37%
Insurance Company
12%
Computer Software Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

How does IBM Guardium Data Protection compare with Imperva SecureSphere Database Security?
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is a solution for database security from IBM that gives complete visibility, control, and analysis to secure sensitive data and comply with regulations. IBM S...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Guardium Data Protection?
The pricing is good, and I have no problem with it. Although there is no flexibility to compete with other products, it generally costs between one hundred and three hundred thousand per year depen...
What do you like most about IBM Security Guardium Data Protection?
The features I like are the robust policies, which allow us to create customized monitoring based on specific activities.
What do you like most about jSonar?
It allows us to run models against it and do reports against it without understanding the different database technologies.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for jSonar?
I cannot comment on the overall pricing of the solution because we purchased it through IBM, but IBM is quite expensive, so we are considering moving to another solution.
What is your primary use case for jSonar?
Our primary use case for the solution is as a data lake for database activity, so it centralizes and normalizes all the data.
 

Also Known As

InfoSphere Guardium, Guardium, IBM Guardium
No data available
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Voya Financial
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. jSonar and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.