Symantec Privileged Access Manager Reviews

Name: Symantec Privileged Access Manager
Brand: Broadcom
Rating: 4 (51 reviews)

3.9 out of 5

51 reviews
85% willing to recommend

1,460 followers

What is Symantec Privileged Access Manager?

CA Privileged Access Manager is a simple-to-deploy, automated, proven solution for privileged access management in physical, virtual and cloud environments. It enhances security by protecting sensitive administrative credentials such as root and administrator passwords, controlling privileged user access, proactively enforcing policies and monitoring and recording privileged user activity across all IT resources. It includes CA PAM Server Control (previously CA Privileged Identity Manager) for fine-grained protection of critical servers

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Symantec Privileged Access Manager is the #21 ranked solution in top Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions. PeerSpot users give Symantec Privileged Access Manager an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 51 most recent Symantec Privileged Access Manager reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 7.2. (Among the highest in the category). Symantec Privileged Access Manager is most commonly compared to Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE): Symantec Privileged Access Manager vs Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). Symantec Privileged Access Manager is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 77% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 18% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Symantec Privileged Access Manager

October 2024

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Featured reviews

Muhammad Baber

System Administrator at Alghanim Industries

Initial setup was very straightforward. It's basically a hardware appliance. It's a software appliance, but it's a hard-coded appliance. It's just a black and white screen, and it has everything inside. BeyondTrust is a Windows-based server, and they usually harden the machine and have their own patches on it, even though it's a Windows machine, so we can easily log into it. With the current solution, it's very difficult to log in. It's just a black and white screen, and you need a support account to log in onto it. It feels more secure. It's a shell, and the database is embedded. But with BeyondTrust, it's SQL-based and Windows-based, so it's vulnerable. When we first set up the solution, it was only a few endpoints to give access to the vendors. Now, it's around 400-500 machines. It required a lot of maintenance. There were a lot of new patches and new versions of the appliance, and then the appliances would move out of support very quickly, which is another reason we are moving to BeyondTrust. At the moment, we are using the version which is very stable, but it is out of support within six to seven months. They keep asking you to upgrade to the new version, which is challenging. Once we upgraded, we had a lot of issues that support couldn't fix.

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UmairAkhlaque

Enterprise Solutions & Services Head at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

We are using Symantec PAM to manage privileged accounts across servers, devices, networks, and applications. It is crucial for managing admin users and controlling privileged accounts. We have also integrated it with CA strong authentication for enhanced security Using Symantec PAM makes it…

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it_user715158

Information Security Manager at United Parcel Service

Definitely do your homework. CA PAM was the best product for us but if you are strictly a mainframe shop you might like a different solution and similarly for a Windows only shop. For us we have all platforms (Windows, Linux, Unix, mainframe, databases, network devices, appliances) that need to be managed. This product was relatively simple to implement but again do your homework. Make sure you document your use cases, and I strongly recommend setting up a test environment before deploying into production. We were told to get ROI so we started with production and are now standing up a fully supported test environment. If I had the time, I would have done this the other way around.

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Symantec Privileged Access Manager mindshare

As of November 2024, the mindshare of Symantec Privileged Access Manager in the Privileged Access Management (PAM) category stands at 1.7%, down from 1.8% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Privileged Access Management (PAM)

Key learnings from peers

Last updated Oct 16, 2024

Valuable Features

Symantec Privileged Access Manager excels in centralizing administrative account management, enhancing security with access controls and password vaulting. Its session recording and automated authentication simplify compliance and auditing. It integrates seamlessly with Active Directory, offers robust API support, and provides comprehensive coverage with features like the credential vault, session manager, and access manager. Users benefit from a user-friendly interface and easy deployment, improving security and control over privileged accounts.

"Symantec PAM is easier to deploy compared to its competitors, such as BeyondTrust."
"We can check the activities in the server for fragile files and documents in case of any issues."
"It is great for identity governance."

Room for Improvement

Symantec Privileged Access Manager requires better rule management and reporting, improved integration with various systems, enhanced documentation, and a more intuitive user interface. There are issues with scalability, session recording, and multi-tenancy. Licensing can be costly when scaling. Multi-domain configurations require complex setups. Performance and stability are concerns. The interface could be more streamlined. There is a need for better integration with security tools and support for a wider range of remote assistance tools.

"Broadcom has neglected product development since acquiring Symantec, and nothing major has been added to PAM."
"They should include some assignments in the test environment to explore the product's features."
"We have to do a lot of manual work to automate features."

Pricing

Symantec Privileged Access Manager's pricing can be considered high compared to some alternatives, with various licensing options including per-device and per-user models. Long-term savings are attainable through perpetual licensing. Additional costs may include storage, session recording, and infrastructure adjustments. The solution should be evaluated as a long-term investment. Training and enablement courses are recommended to maximize solution value. Negotiating discounts may be possible, but it's not the cheapest PAM option available.

"They offer per-device, per-user, or monthly and yearly licensing models."
"The version we are using is affordable compared to BeyondTrust, which is maybe three to four times as expensive, but it depends on the features."
"It is reasonably priced."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations use Symantec Privileged Access Manager primarily for controlling administrator and privileged user access. It facilitates session management, session recording, and integrating with CA strong authentication. It aids in managing and securing passwords, ensures restricted access to IT infrastructure, and helps in reducing cyber threats. Businesses employ it for identity governance, managing accounts on Linux and Windows, and enabling access for enterprise companies, especially in financial sectors. It supports scalability for expanding user needs.

Service and Support

Symantec Privileged Access Manager's support is varied. Many users find technical support helpful, knowledgeable, and responsive. Some praise fast issue resolution, while others encounter delays and knowledge gaps, particularly with complex issues or higher-level support. Users mention improved support over the past year, though some still experience long wait times and challenges reaching advanced support levels. Ratings range widely, with several noting recent enhancements but also stressing the need for more efficiency and expertise.

Deployment

Users widely found Symantec Privileged Access Manager's initial setup to be straightforward and uncomplicated. Some encountered challenges related to internal processes, technical integration, and device configuration. Documentation and external support were helpful for many organizations. Deployments as a virtual appliance were praised for ease, but network complexities and Java dependencies posed issues for some. While many reported efficiency in setup, others required significant alignment across departments, sometimes involving external consultants for successful implementation.

Scalability

Symantec Privileged Access Manager exhibits strong scalability capabilities across different implementations. Many users report no scalability issues, highlighting its architecture and ability to manage a large number of concurrent sessions and devices. Although some encountered minor challenges with specific components like the credential manager and active directory integration, the system is generally accepted as scalable by medium to large enterprises, including sectors like banking and healthcare. Instances of resource optimization are noted, reflecting its adaptability to various environments.

Stability

Symantec Privileged Access Manager is stable with minimal issues. Users often report positive experiences, noting its reliability and maturity. There are occasional problems during patches or upgrades, but most instances are quickly resolved. It is described as highly available and self-contained, with scalability potential. Some challenges like Java-related concerns or initial problems with clustering are mentioned, but stability improves with proper configuration and updates. Many find Symantec PAM effective for their needs.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

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