Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management comparison

Microsoft and Qualys are both solutions in the Attack Surface Management (ASM) category. Microsoft is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.0, while Qualys is ranked #4 with an average rating of 9.2. Additionally, 100% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Qualys users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Defender External...

Read 1 Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management review

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454 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Qualys CyberSecurity Asset ...

Read 17 Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management reviews

265 Views
169 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Defender External...

Qualys CyberSecurity Asset ...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 16, 2025

Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management and Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management are two competing products in cybersecurity. While Microsoft Defender is recognized for its cost efficiency, Qualys is preferred for its comprehensive features, making it suitable for complex environments.

Features: Microsoft Defender focuses on proactive security monitoring, automated threat detection, and efficient pricing. In contrast, Qualys offers advanced scanning capabilities, robust reporting, and integrated vulnerability management, providing a deeper feature set tailored for complex needs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Defender offers straightforward integration and quick setup with responsive support, making it easy to deploy. Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management features a more involved deployment process due to its extensive features, but reliable customer service aids in effective setup and maintenance.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Defender provides competitive pricing and a favorable ROI for budget-conscious businesses. Qualys entails a higher initial investment but offers substantial ROI by delivering comprehensive features that justify its cost, catering to organizations with specialized security needs.

To learn more, read our detailed Attack Surface Management (ASM) Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Attack Surface Management (ASM)

December 2024

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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

Microsoft Defender External...

Ranking in Attack Surface Management (ASM)

10th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Microsoft Security Suite (28th)

Qualys CyberSecurity Asset ...

Ranking in Attack Surface Management (ASM)

4th

Average Rating

9.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Vulnerability Management (10th), Patch Management (7th), Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management (CAASM) (2nd), Software Supply Chain Security (6th)

Featured Reviews

Simon Fontaine

Président at ARS Solutions

Better at protecting from cyberattacks and haven't had any problems with the scalability of this solution

With Microsoft, support is always crazy, it's not easy to get support. That's their weakness. They need to improve their support. Microsoft will always give good support to their big customers or partners, but we're not a big company. If you had a thousand employees and were a big customer, maybe they'd offer better support. But in my 35 years of IT experience, it's always been the same with Microsoft. They transfer us to Europe because we speak French, but when we want to speak in English, they transfer us to people who don't know the product. Most of the time, we find a solution before they call us back.

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Revathi VeeraRaghavan

Senior Process Executive at Infosys

Provides comprehensive visibility and covers the complete attack surface

For some of the software, there was no life cycle or general information. We wanted them to give details in the database as and when the software comes. I raised a ticket for that, and after that, they updated the details for more than one million software. They should address the false positives generated in EASM. It is fetching assets that have Infosys as the keyword. They should fix that. When we click on the web application, it only shows potential web assets. The application details are not there. Overall, CSAM has matured a lot. These are the few enhancements that need to be done.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It seems to be better at protecting from cyberattacks."

"When you implement a dynamic tag using a query, you do not need to manually tag all the servers. It categorizes all the servers that come under that query. The tagging part is automatically done within a few minutes. It reduces the effort."

"We have had zero attacks since we enabled all the features in Qualys CSAM."

"The scanning results are pretty good, and some of the insights are quite valuable."

"The most valuable aspect we receive from Qualys is the remediation."

"The end-of-life and end-of-service software and hardware are some of my favorite features."

"Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management has helped to improve the organization's security posture significantly."

"The scanning results are pretty good, and some insights are quite valuable."

"I would rate Qualys CSAM a ten out of ten."

More Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management pros

Cons

"With Microsoft, support is always crazy, it's not easy to get support."

"They should address the false positives generated in EASM. It is fetching assets that have Infosys as the keyword. They should fix that."

"Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management could be more cost-effective by offering a lower price point or integrating with existing VMDR features."

"The only minor issue is occasionally being redirected to multiple teams, causing slight delays."

"The UI needs improvement as it can become overwhelming after prolonged use."

"In my opinion, the area that needs improvement is the role-based access control (RBAC). The access privilege management needs to be more robust and streamlined to enhance user access management."

"In my opinion, the area that needs improvement is the role-based access control (RBAC). The access privilege management needs to be more robust and streamlined to enhance user access management. Additionally, improvements to the user interface could be beneficial."

"They should address the false positives generated in EASM. It is fetching assets that have Infosys as the keyword."

More Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The pricing is fair. I would love to see the price come down a little bit, but we do get a lot of value out of it. We are squeezing every ounce of value we can out of the tool."

"It is cost-effective because, in a single tool, we are getting everything. All the solutions come in a single license or price."

"The Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management pricing is well-aligned with our usage."

"The pricing for Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management is reasonable, with an annual subscription costing around $1,000 per year or a monthly subscription starting at approximately $72 per month, depending on the specific package and features included."

"The pricing for Qualys CSAM is nominal."

"The pricing is market-competitive."

"The cost for Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management is high."

"Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management can be expensive, especially if we already have VMDR."

More Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

19%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

24%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

10%

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

I don't see a big difference in pricing compared to its competitors. With "intelligent" or "smart" antivirus, people are willing to pay a little more for something that could make a difference for ...

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What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

The kind of companies using it typically have one hundred or more users and are in various sectors, like manufacturing and insurance. We use it to protect against cyberattacks.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management?

The Qualys Cybersecurity Asset Management pricing is well-aligned with our usage.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management?

In my opinion, the area that needs improvement is the role-based access control (RBAC). The access privilege management needs to be more robust and streamlined to enhance user access management. Ad...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management?

We use Qualys CSAM for information related to EOL and EOS applications. For the machines connected to Qualys CSAM, we have information about the serial number and hardware ID. We have some integrat...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 9% of the time

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Compared 9% of the time

CyCognito vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

Compared 9% of the time

Resecurity EASM vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

Compared 8% of the time

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Amazon Inspector vs Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management

Compared 20% of the time

Armis vs Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management

Compared 19% of the time

Tanium vs Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management

Compared 10% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management

Compared 9% of the time

Axonius vs Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management

Compared 8% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Attack Surface Management (ASM)

December 2024

Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management report

Download Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management product report

Buyer's Guide

Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management

December 2024

Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management report

Download Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management product report

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Microsoft

Qualys

Overview

In this era of hybrid work, shadow IT creates an increasingly serious security risk. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management helps cloud security teams see unknown and unmanaged resources outside the firewall.

Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management provides advanced real-time asset visibility, dynamic tagging, and External Attack Surface Management. It streamlines asset discovery and management using cloud agents and IP-based scanning, enhancing risk management and software lifecycle tracking.

Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management offers a comprehensive solution for managing asset inventories and tracking software lifecycle states. It facilitates network visibility and supports zero-day vulnerability solutions, enhancing security posture through efficient monitoring. Users benefit from its cloud-based interface, which provides in-depth asset configurations and insights. Key features include automated vulnerability scanning and unauthorized software management, reducing manual efforts. The platform also emphasizes the importance of timely remediation and ongoing risk mitigation across multiple environments. Despite its strengths, users note the need for enhanced integration with additional CMDBs beyond ServiceNow, as well as cost efficiency improvements. Requests also include better report customization, more scan control, and a simplified UI.

What are the key features of Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management?

Real-time Visibility: Offers continuous insight into asset status and condition.
Dynamic Tagging: Allows for flexible organization and assessment of assets.
External Attack Surface Management: Identifies potential threats from external sources.
Automated Vulnerability Scanning: Reduces manual scanning efforts and identifies vulnerabilities instantly.
Unauthorized Software Management: Detects and manages software not approved for use.
Asset Purge Rule: Automates the removal of obsolete assets from the inventory.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Enhanced Security Posture: Gains stronger defense through effective asset monitoring.
Efficient Risk Management: Identifies threats quickly, enabling timely resolutions.
Improved Compliance: Assists in meeting industry standards and regulations.
Reduced Manual Effort: Automates repetitive tasks, saving time and resources.
Comprehensive Insight: Provides detailed data for informed decision making.

In industries like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management enhances asset control by offering visibility into hardware and software configurations. It aids in maintaining security compliance and identifying unauthorized software, crucial for sectors with strict regulatory requirements.

Buyer's Guide

Attack Surface Management (ASM)

December 2024

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