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IBM Security zSecure vs Top Secret comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 4, 2025

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 zSecure
Ranking in Mainframe Security
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
8.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Top Secret
Ranking in Mainframe Security
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Mainframe Security category, the mindshare of IBM Security zSecure is 15.0%, down from 23.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Top Secret is 12.3%, down from 15.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Mainframe Security Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
IBM Security zSecure15.0%
Top Secret12.3%
Other72.7%
Mainframe Security
 

Featured Reviews

it_user635553 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mainframe Systems Programmer with 51-200 employees
Provides administration of the RACF database. We can identify and remove old security database records.
* The zSecure Admin provides us with a much more user-friendly administration of the RACF database. * TopSecret and ACF2 are also supported (if they were ordered). * The Database Cleanup utility feature: Used for identifying and removing old security database records that are no longer relevant or being used.
it_user814482 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
All the features help ensure we are compliant with banking regulations
Top Secret is our external security manager for our mainframe systems It's an integral part of all of our mainframe security functions. It's the core of our mainframe security functions. It helps ensure that we are compliant with all of the various banking regulations, security regulations and…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The zSecure Admin provides us with a much more user-friendly administration of the RACF database."
"The productivity and consistency in our organization has been improved by the ability to easily generate reports and a common interface for the security administrators."
"Technical support is optimal."
"In banking, security is a priority, and we constantly get updates that meet our needs."
"We have implemented two-factor authentication, which is a new piece of CA Top Secret."
"It centralizes all the user security on a single tool, which has truly been the best part for us."
"When selecting a vendor, the most important thing is support."
"We have an ongoing relationship with technical support; they are excellent."
"It's an integral part of all of our mainframe security functions and helps ensure that we are compliant with all of the various banking regulations, security regulations and requirements."
"It protects our enterprise by providing an access monitor authentication protocol."
"Customer service is excellent, as any issue that we have had in working with the product received the best response that we could have hoped for, with technicians who have great knowledge of how the product works and who promptly responded with solutions to any problems that we have had over the years."
 

Cons

"I would like to see improvements in the certification (SSL). It must be less complicated."
"There should be more supplied reports and CARLa samples."
"The reporting feature needs to improve."
"I'd like to see integration with LDAP's services, because today we have the mainframe and Windows AD separated."
"I'd like to see that more granular, see where you could get the passwords that are being enforced, but you can enforce it at different hierarchical layers between the product."
"That is an area where I have a concern, because I don't see them keeping pace with what we're doing."
"In new releases, installation is not easy and can take about four months to roll out."
"As an IT auditor, the UI is the tough part. From the IT auditing standpoint, it needs to be more simple to use."
"I would like to see better reporting, more emphasis on audit reporting, and better scrubbing of the canned reports."
"It would be helpful if they removed limitations on user record sizes."
"The user interface could be improved. Sometimes, it is not simple to understand where a certain definition should be defined, and I go through a number of screens until I find where to do some of them."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
19%
Computer Software Company
17%
Media Company
8%
Insurance Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business1
Large Enterprise8
 

Questions from the Community

How does IBM Security zSecure handle encryption and secure transmission of data?
zSecure, a suite of products, simplifies security management on z/OS and z/VM with an intuitive interface, surpassing ISPF panels and RACF commands. It focuses on enhancing technology management, n...
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Also Known As

No data available
CA Top Secret
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Swiss Re
First Tennessee Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security zSecure vs. Top Secret and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
900,747 professionals have used our research since 2012.