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Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager vs Symantec Protection Engine comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 2, 2026

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

Idira Endpoint Privilege Ma...
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
12th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Compliance (5th), Privileged Access Management (PAM) (7th), Application Control (5th), Ransomware Protection (5th)
Symantec Protection Engine
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
13th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Anti-Malware Tools category, the mindshare of Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager is 1.3%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Protection Engine is 0.7%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Anti-Malware Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager1.3%
Symantec Protection Engine0.7%
Other98.0%
Anti-Malware Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Sumit Chavan - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Helps secure the infrastructure and control users with admin rights
There are many features that are currently missing. A customization option is required for certain policies. For instance, if we need to stop PowerShell scripting, we have to create a different policy for that. Being able to create a sub-level policy within a top-level policy would be good. Currently, no user-based policy option is available inside the EPM console. We can only create computer-based policies. The database is available, but there is a drawback in not being able to create local groups on the EPM console. We only have to depend on Active Directory. This limits infrastructure security as we depend on the Active Directory team to manage user groups. If they remove any users, we lose control. If we could create groups locally and block them or set specific policies, we would have more control. Local endpoint management is missing from the EPM site. Moreover, there is an issue with policies not running as expected when we make enhancements. We have to find multiple ways to whitelist applications or enhance policies.
Abhimanyu Das - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at Kyndryl
Real-time file security has reduced incident tickets and improves threat detection accuracy
The best features of Symantec Protection Engine include machine learning, file reputation, and real-time scanning. It efficiently handles heavy loads through ICAP and cloud-based processing, reducing the burden on endpoints compared to Trend Micro and other endpoint security solutions. Its centralized control is also noteworthy. Through machine learning, it detects both known and unknown malware and malicious URLs, in addition to performing signature-based scans that assist SOC teams in analysis. The solution is highly effective in leveraging both machine learning and file reputation. Regarding centralized control, it offers a unified management console for policy deployment and provides real-time visibility through dashboards, helping save significant administrative time. Symantec Protection Engine has had a positive impact on our organization by enhancing our overall security posture. It effectively blocks a high volume of file-based threats across more than 200 servers, saves SOC analysts time in endpoint remediation, and streamlines compliance processes. It further strengthens security through real-time scanning and machine learning-based quarantine, blocking phishing payloads in SharePoint uploads before they reach endpoints, thereby reducing incidents by 30–40% compared to signature-only tools.

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 of CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is its scalability."
"Regarding the granularity of the managed controls in CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager, we have different levels of features to define compensations and capabilities, which help us verify configurations and access, ultimately keeping the safety of rights intact."
"It has drastically reduced the attack surface for local administrative rights and the chance of escalation of privilege. We've removed, at this point, close to 98 percent of the local administrative accounts on workstations. If there were an incident, it would stop at that point and we'd be able to know."
"The feature called PTA, which stands for Privileged Threat Analytics keeps track of what admins are doing and works with Centimeters. If something fishy is going on with a user's credentials, it alerts the security team so they can act fast. Plus, it automates stuff like resetting credentials or blocking users. So, if there's a potential hack, CyberArk can change passwords and lock out users in a snap. It also gives you a heads-up if anything unusual is going on with server activities, like someone creating new users with uncontrolled credentials."
"The password rotation and the session recording are the most valuable features."
"There are many valuable aspects of the product, but the most common feature is working with the privileges. The controls of CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager influence the visibility into endpoints for my customers. It allows them to granularly manage controls to prevent some malicious activities on the endpoint machine."
"We did immediately begin to see results when using CyberArk."
"I have always found that CyberArk is a very tight, foolproof product compared to most other products available."
"The biggest advantage of Symantec Protection Engine is that one tool protects all, and it is centrally managed."
"Symantec Protection Engine has improved my security posture by helping me identify potentially malicious files before they reach users or critical systems, and the automated scanning process has also reduced manual efforts for my team, allowing us to focus on other security tasks and respond to threats more efficiently."
"Symantec Protection Engine provides me with the option of both cloud and on-premise solutions, which stands out for both me and my clients."
"Symantec Protection Engine is a cheaper and rock-solid product where basic anti-spam features and threat intelligence are needed."
"The operational efficiency with the high-performance scanning of Symantec Protection Engine is very good."
"The best features that I like the most include the threat intelligence network, which is effective in protecting against evolving threats."
"What I appreciate in Symantec Protection Engine is the Virtual Policy Manager (VPM) and the Application Name feature, which are really effective."
"Symantec Protection Engine's been a game-changer for us at Kantar—blocks like 80-85% of file-based threats right at the gateway before they hit our 200 servers, cutting down endpoint incidents big time."
 

Cons

"It is hard to deal with technical support if you are not certified."
"Technical support is slow to respond when we run into issues."
"It was complex to introduction the product to the end-users and the technical team."
"One area that has room for improvement is in managing the credentials for network devices."
"The product's threat protection and defense capabilities need enhancement."
"My recommendation for improvement is to add functionality for when users request access to an application. There's a pop-up UI, but it's not very customizable. I suggest creating a UI where we can write scripts or use SDKs to enhance it. This could automatically create tickets in a system like ServiceNow when users request an application. If a manager approves, we could automatically push policies to those users."
"The solution's pricing could be better."
"A customization option is required for certain policies. For instance, if we need to stop PowerShell scripting, we have to create a different policy for that. Being able to create a sub-level policy within a top-level policy would be good."
"To improve Symantec Protection Engine, I suggest simplifying its integration with other tools, as it is more complex compared to Trend Micro and CrowdStrike."
"We have scenarios in which Symantec Protection Engine misses some threats, spam, and targeted attacks that Proofpoint can catch with AI security features."
"For the improvement of Symantec Protection Engine, the engine did not work with their basic engine when I was working, which was almost three or four years before."
"I have concerns about scalability."
"I would like to see improvements in reporting and troubleshooting capabilities for Symantec Protection Engine, as more detailed insights and simplified diagnostics would make day-to-day administration easier."
"While I have mentioned many advantages of Symantec Protection Engine, there are areas for improvement, particularly the dashboard features."
"Price is a significant area for improvement. The pricing is quite expensive, and it is particularly high for regular customers."
"As for pricing, I would say it is a little expensive compared to competitors, and I think the vendor could achieve more market growth if the pricing were more reasonable."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We pay about $17 per user."
"Pricing depends on how many devices you use. Right now, on-premise, it costs us a little, but it's worth it. It seems like the cloud solution is much more expensive. We got this solution one year ago, and it's like we bought the solution, and now they are not going to support it on-premise anymore. We are in the implementation phase, and we missed this, and we already paid for the licenses. This is wasted time from my perspective, and CyberArk should be more customer-friendly."
"The product's license is easy to procure."
"CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager has a very high price, so it's a one out of ten for me in terms of pricing."
"It is an expensive solution."
"The tool is a bit pricey compared to its competitors. My company does work with competitors, but I don't have hands-on experience with other software. I've just done some comparisons."
"Although I do not deal directly with the pricing, CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is costly compared to other solutions. However, it offers beneficial features."
"I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten since the price can be too high for smaller businesses."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Construction Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
15%
Healthcare Company
12%
Construction Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
11%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise20
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Large Enterprise4
 

Questions from the Community

Looking for recommendations and a pros/cons template for software to detect insider threats
This is an inside-out --- outside-in --- inside-in question, as an insider can be an outsider as well. There is no short answer other than a blend of a PAM tool with Behavioral Analytics and Endpo...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager?
I believe it's quite a reasonably priced solution. It's not very common to use CyberArk because it's a niche solution, but customers who are willing to control administrative accounts are willing t...
What needs improvement with CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager?
While CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is a great tool, I believe the functionality could be wider. If it could work not only with permissions but also involve pure EDR tasks or User and Entity ...
What needs improvement with Symantec Protection Engine?
For emerging threats, content scanning is not enough anymore. We recently started talking about alternative products such as Proofpoint or other mail gateways which have AI features. Symantec is la...
What is your primary use case for Symantec Protection Engine?
Customers prefer Symantec Protection Engine for the licensing fees over the alternatives. The product has basic protection which is a bit lower than expectations recently, but it is an adequate pro...
 

Also Known As

Viewfinity
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Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager vs. Symantec Protection Engine and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.