What is our primary use case?
We operate a security operations center for several companies. We rely on Field Effect Covalence as their primary endpoint detection and response platform, making it their main line of defense. Additionally, we leverage Covalence during incident response, especially for larger events. In such cases, we prioritize the rapid deployment of Covalence to the affected client, followed by engaging Field Effect's services to effectively contain the threat.
We wanted to proactively protect our clients, and deploying Field Effect Covalence gave us peace of mind knowing they were safe.
While we offer both cloud and on-site deployments, Field Effect typically recommends on-site devices for new clients. However, we're happy to accommodate cloud-based solutions for clients with specific reservations about on-site hardware.
How has it helped my organization?
The 24/7 expert monitoring for attacks and risks is crucial.
Covalence is straightforward to use and easy to figure out.
The tagging system is incredibly helpful, especially when action items are generated. As soon as these appear, I can immediately contact the client by phone or message to determine whether it's a false positive, an IT team member's activity triggering the flag, or a genuine threat. This information is invaluable, as relying on a standard user checking at random intervals could easily lead to missed threats. In my case, receiving both an email and a text message on my phone for each action item is a huge advantage. Time is of the essence when dealing with incidents, so the prompt notification through the action ARO is incredibly valuable.
Covalence offers a unified cybersecurity product that proactively strengthens all of our threat surfaces, simplifying maintenance and streamlining workflows. Having multiple tools consolidated into one platform saves a significant amount of time.
It helps save our security teams a few hours per day.
Covalence has helped replace other major EDR solutions for some of our clients.
Covalence provides helpful recommendations for reducing security risks, accessible through the "AROs" tab. These recommendations go beyond basic vulnerability scanning, which the platform also offers. It can pinpoint specific machines vulnerable due to outdated software or other issues, as well as highlight potentially suspicious behavior. For instance, I've encountered situations where a user had disabled multi-factor authentication, which raises security concerns. Therefore, Covalence is valuable for identifying specific vulnerabilities and suspicious behavior associated with individual devices or accounts.
What is most valuable?
The AROs have been incredibly helpful. They not only provide a clear overview of activity but also act as a vulnerability scanner to some extent. However, with the vast amount of logs and other data we receive daily, it's still valuable to have a concise summary of everything happening.
What needs improvement?
We meet with the Field Effect team every month, and I understand that one potential project they're considering is a patch remediation component within Field Effect. The ability to directly patch machines would be a significant improvement, though I recognize it's a substantial undertaking. I believe they're exploring the feasibility of this feature, and its inclusion in the Covalence tool would be transformative, streamlining workflows and reducing reliance on additional tools.
I have a couple of suggestions for improvement. First, it would be great if we could remotely remove machines from the portal, either by uninstalling the agent remotely or completely deleting the machine entry. Currently, if a machine is upgraded, especially for our smaller clients who replace machines frequently, the old machine entry remains offline or otherwise inaccessible, cluttering the portal. Having a self-service option to remove these machines would be much more efficient than contacting support every time.
In the AROs tab, if we encounter multiple duplicate recommendations, it would be helpful to be able to select and resolve or dismiss them all at once. This would save time and effort when dealing with repetitive tasks.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Field Effect Covalence for eight months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't encountered any stability issues with Covalence, unlike the other tools we use. Throughout my time working with Covalence, I haven't experienced any downtime or problems accessing the software or web UI. I'm incredibly impressed with its uptime.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Covalence is highly scalable, accommodating small deployments of just ten clients up to larger implementations with 500 clients. This makes it ideal for businesses of all sizes, especially those with rapidly growing client bases like our smaller clients. Additionally, replacing hardware devices is easy by contacting the Field Effect support team.
How are customer service and support?
For certain tags, if a substantial action item is received, I will first offer the client brief advice before internally contacting technical support for further assistance. Overall, I've been quite satisfied with the quality of support provided. While there have been a few instances of slightly slower response times than I'd prefer, the assistance offered has been excellent. When prioritizing tasks, the immediacy of action items, particularly important ones, takes precedence over mere recommendations or observations, as the former requires prompt attention.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before adopting Covalence, we utilized CheckLite, a similar solution developed by another company section in collaboration with an external partner. While not as sophisticated as Covalence, it served us well until our recent acquisition. Following the buyout, we transitioned to Covalence due to its greater maturity, user-friendliness, and the exceptional support provided by its team.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment was remarkably straightforward. We simply need to provide the person working on this project with information such as network resources, hardware types, and other relevant details.
Beyond Field Effect setting up the physical device and shipping it off to the client, only one person is required for the deployment.
What about the implementation team?
We work directly with Field Effect and do all the implementations in-house.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
While we evaluated other options like CrowdStrike, ultimately our decision went with Covalence. This was largely influenced by three factors: our CEO's prior experience, the evolving landscape of available tools, and the existing partnership we have with Field Effect.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Field Effect Covalence a nine out of ten. I've been extremely pleased with it overall. There are just a couple of minor areas in the web portal that could be improved for easier navigation. Apart from that, I've been incredibly happy with the service.
No real maintenance is required for Covalence.
For someone unfamiliar with Field Effect, I'd start with a quick internal product demo. This highlights key features and limitations, followed by directing them to their website and comprehensive support docs. Finally, I'd share my positive firsthand experience with the software.
For large-scale deployments of Covalence, having an RMM solution or another multi-machine deployment method is crucial. While manual installation is feasible for smaller clients, efficiently managing broader deployments requires automated tools. Otherwise, the setup process itself is straightforward.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: MSP Reseller