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IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs McAfee Vulnerability Manager for Databases [EOL] comparison

IBM and McAfee are both solutions in the Database Security category. Additionally, 86% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of McAfee users who would recommend it.
IBM Security Guardium Data ...
Read 80 IBM Security Guardium Data Protection reviews
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  • 4,538 Comparison Views
86% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between IBM Security Guardium Data Protection and McAfee Vulnerability Manager for Databases [EOL] based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

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Database Security
January 2026
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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

IBM Security Guardium Data ...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
80
Ranking in other categories
Database Security (1st)
McAfee Vulnerability Manage...
Average Rating
7.6
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

DP
David Plazer
Chief Executive Officer at Kipustec
Ensures data security and compliance with reliable alerts and protections
The manuals should be clearer. There needs to be an online course or tutorial for faster management training. The maintenance was slightly complicated. I had to read the manuals carefully and even failed the Guardium certification exam due to insufficient information or time. Improving the tool learning process would be beneficial.
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Wahidur Rahman - PeerSpot reviewer
Wahidur Rahman
Senior Executive Officer at United Commercial Bank Limited
The solution's activity monitoring is valuable, but it should have more integrations and updates overall
Our primary use case for this solution is activity, authentication, and scans for audit purposes and priority assessments The feature I have found most valuable is activity monitoring. McAfee has not had many legacy features. They are not updating their value adjustment.In the next feature, I'd…
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Gathering ​the data works very well. ​"
"The most valuable feature for me, in my role as systems DBA, is the expediting of internal and external audits."
"Ease of deployment is a valuable feature."
"The investment return was good because IBM Security Guardium Data Protection provided significant security and compliance benefits."
"It can help with PCI compliance. It includes features like data masking, especially during queries, which supports compliance efforts."
"Our internal audit is keeping an eye out, and making sure that we're in compliance. Having the Guardium solution and its reporting helps us get through that process a lot more quickly and efficiently."
"The most valuable features are the reporting and data-level access control."
"The most valuable feature of the solution for the customers is the monitoring and full log of the database activity of privileged users."
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection pros
"The feature I have found most valuable is activity monitoring."
"The technical support is good; they are knowledgeable."
"The support is very good. They are very quick to respond when we have issues."
 

Cons

"There could be a feature to integrate and protect multiple databases. The local support services need improvements as well."
"They could enable the out-of-the-box feature to track application user activity."
"The price of this solution is quite high for smaller organizations, so they should release a version that is affordable for small and medium-sized businesses."
"The solution lacks control over database security."
"It was difficult implementing it, configuring it, getting it up and running and in production. However, since then, I believe it has stabilized."
"The improvement needed relates to encryption capabilities. Currently, it doesn't use encryption for IBM i, because it's impossible."
"If IBM Guardium Data Protection could find a way to not have a lot of coding and development required to get the solution up and running it would be an advantage. The information of the agent could improve, which is necessary for us to monitor the databases would be a great benefit."
"I would like to be able to upgrade appliances within major versions without needing to rebuild the appliance."
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection cons
"In the next feature, I'd like to see more integrations and updates overall, specifically bottom tech."
"Technical support could be more responsive."
"The UI needs to be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IBM Guardium Data Protection charges you based on the number of users, e.g. based on the number of licenses, and it's either on a per-license or a per-data basis."
"On a scale from one to ten, where one is low price, and ten is very high price, I rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten."
"I would suggest to review the type of data, need for security, and if the organizational structure needs the options IBM Guardium provides."
"The price of the solution could be better."
"Its cost is good. With the new metric of licensing, such as PDO not being available now, customers are expecting a good price for the solution."
"My company purchased IBM Guardium Data Protection in a package, so I'm unable to give its exact licensing cost, but for the package of three IBM solutions, it wasn't very expensive. I'd rate the pricing for all three solutions three out of five. When my team deployed IBM Guardium Data Protection, all features were included."
"The cost depends on the number of databases. You can purchase advanced licenses, but the standard license is calculated based on the number of databases you have to onboard."
"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."
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection pricing and cost advice
"It's not expensive compared to other products that are available."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
25%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Insurance Company
5%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise44
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...
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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Guardium Data Protection?
I don't remember the exact prices, but Guardium is an expensive tool because it is targeted towards corporate enterprises.
See all answers
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.
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Comparisons

Imperva Data Security Fabric vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
Imperva Data Security Fabric vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 55% of the time
Oracle Audit Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
Oracle Audit Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 13% of the time
DataSunrise Database Security vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
DataSunrise Database Security vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 5% of the time
Oracle Database Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
Oracle Database Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 3% of the time
IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 3% of the time
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Competitors
No data available
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
January 2026
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection reportDownload IBM Security Guardium Data Protection product report
Buyer's Guide
Database Security
January 2026
McAfee Vulnerability Manager for Databases [EOL] reportDownload McAfee Vulnerability Manager for Databases [EOL] product report
 

Also Known As

InfoSphere Guardium, Guardium, IBM Guardium
No data available
 

Overview

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection offers automatic discovery and classification of sensitive data, real-time monitoring, and advanced analytics to identify unusual activities around data.

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is designed to safeguard sensitive data across enterprises with real-time activity monitoring and comprehensive security features. Its capabilities include data discovery, classification, and compliance automation with pre-built templates for regulations like PCI, SOX, HIPAA, and CCPA. Supporting a variety of platforms, it facilitates seamless monitoring, making it a valuable asset for diverse environments in maintaining data security and compliance.

What are the key features?
  • Real-Time Monitoring: Provides alerts for unauthorized activities.
  • Data Masking: Protects data through masking techniques.
  • Access Control: Ensures only authorized users gain access.
  • Query Rewriting: Alters queries to maintain data integrity.
  • Platform Support: Monitors across multiple environments.
Why consider this for ROI?
  • Ease of Deployment: Simplifies the setup process for enterprises.
  • Robust Reporting: Enhances transparency through detailed audit trails.
  • Compliance Automation: Streamlines compliance with regulatory requirements.
  • Risk Management: Identifies and mitigates potential risks efficiently.

Industries like banking and finance utilize IBM Security Guardium Data Protection to enhance database security and compliance efforts. Enterprises employ it to detect incidents and manage vulnerabilities, focusing on protecting customer data and maintaining privacy standards. The technology aids in incident detection and supports adherence to security regulations.

IBM

McAfee Vulnerability Manager for Databases automatically discovers databases on your network, determines if the latest patches have been applied, and tests for common weaknesses.

McAfee
Buyer's Guide
Database Security
January 2026
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