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Palo Alto Networks AutoFocus vs VirusTotal 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

Palo Alto Networks AutoFocus
Ranking in Threat Intelligence Platforms
15th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.5
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
VirusTotal
Ranking in Threat Intelligence Platforms
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
Anti-Malware Tools (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Threat Intelligence Platforms category, the mindshare of Palo Alto Networks AutoFocus is 2.3%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of VirusTotal is 6.2%, up from 5.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Threat Intelligence Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

RichPhillips - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers a centralized dashboard for reporting threats and anomalies
The tool along with other suite of products provides us with threat and alert information.  The solution has provided us with a centralized dashboard for reporting threats and anomalies.  I am impressed with the tool's integration of Palo Alto products which serves as a platform for security.  I…
Chinmay Banerjee - PeerSpot reviewer
Helps businesses collect threat data while keeping privacy in mind and apable of detecting, blocking, and removing viruses and malware
There are two gray areas I still need to explore. I have worked with VirusTotal because it easily integrates with over seventy antivirus scanners and blacklisting services. In addition to those there is much scope to improve and add other services or integrations. The areas for improvement are that VirusTotal is not using much AI or generative AI models, while other competitors are starting to build them. For example, VirusTotal's work is based on the setup done by their engineers. If you want to do scanning or protection activities for a specific site, app, or device, that is the area VirusTotal is currently focused on. But other competitors are building AI models that can do things like left-side scanning and provide auto-generated reports. VirusTotal has predefined reports, but there is a lot of manual effort involved. Secondly, the API is very limited if I want to integrate VirusTotal with other applications. They need to build more connectors and provide support for Webhook connectors for the API. If you can't build your own connector, it's always good to have provisions for Webhook setup connectors across platforms. Thirdly, Kaspersky, a competitor of VirusTotal, is using a methodology called "gatekeeper." A gatekeeper is a security system that protects the inside of a building from outside threats. This is the model Kaspersky is currently using. You have your website set up, but the entire army of VirusTotal or Kaspersky is standing guard, protecting you from the first gate itself. Right now, VirusTotal detects threats from your domain, but it is always better to verify inside the domain and protect it from the first level when people or malware are entering. This first level of protection is lacking in VirusTotal right now. The security bridge and protection gate are missing.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is alerting."
"The logs play a crucial role as they contribute to blocking unwanted Internet traffic."
"I am impressed with the tool's integration of Palo Alto products which serves as a platform for security."
"It integrates well with other solutions and provides good threat intelligence in terms of external threats."
"The feature that I like best is the dashboard."
"The initial setup is easy."
"I have never had any problems with stability or bugs while using VirusTotal."
"The feature I like the most is the ability to see the MD5 or SHA-256 signature of the file, and also the composition of the file according to its segments."
"VirusTotal provides 95% to 98% accurate information."
"With VirusTotal, I can check for any hash, malware, file, domain, IP URL, or malicious URL, and Kaspersky stays clean."
"The most valuable feature is the worldwide malware information database."
"It allows us to see if there have been previous reports on certain indicators of compromise, providing insights from other security professionals."
"It gives detailed information about suspicious IPs, which is one of its most valuable features."
 

Cons

"I would like to have more technical documentation that contains greater detail on the types of threats that are occurring."
"It would be better if they used the threat intelligence feeds directly from their side and changing the verdict instead of us requesting it."
"I would like the tool to see more integration with Cortex XDR. There is no real reason to keep them separate."
"It is a completely cloud-based product at present."
"It would be helpful to have better documentation for configuring and installing the solution."
"I would like to see improvements in the score consistency and accuracy."
"VirusTotal has different versions, and sometimes the parameters of the API are not very clear."
"They can improve the telemetry. Whenever we handle a sample, they cannot provide any information about a victim."
"VirusTotal is hard to understand because you need to know Google Docs to create queries, and it doesn't have documentation for that."
"The platform could improve in the areas of endpoints and networks."
"VirusTotal has predefined reports, but there is a lot of manual effort involved."
"I would like to see an improved user interface and some automation."
"I would like to see improvements in the score consistency and accuracy."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is reasonably priced."
"It is expensive."
"The pricing is reasonable."
"VirusTotal is an expensive solution."
"The pricing is very economical."
"We are using VirusTotal with free licenses, managing the license limits across three or four accounts, thus incurring no costs."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Insurance Company
6%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Palo Alto Networks AutoFocus?
I am impressed with the tool's integration of Palo Alto products which serves as a platform for security.
What needs improvement with Palo Alto Networks AutoFocus?
I would like the tool to see more integration with Cortex XDR. There is no real reason to keep them separate.
What is your primary use case for Palo Alto Networks AutoFocus?
The tool along with other suite of products provides us with threat and alert information.
What do you like most about VirusTotal?
With VirusTotal, I can check for any hash, malware, file, domain, IP URL, or malicious URL, and Kaspersky stays clean.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for VirusTotal?
I do not know about the pricing or licensing as our organization services VirusTotal for our clients.
What needs improvement with VirusTotal?
I would like to see improvements in the score consistency and accuracy. VirusTotal should add more details like those from competitors such as URL Void or Symantec URL Checker, which show the categ...
 

Also Known As

Palo Alto Threat Intelligence Management
No data available
 

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Telkom Indonesia
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Palo Alto Networks AutoFocus vs. VirusTotal and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.