


Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise and Microsoft Defender for Business both compete in the endpoint security category. Microsoft Defender for Business seems to have the upper hand due to its seamless integration with existing Microsoft products and ecosystems.
Features: Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise is notable for its proactive threat protection and robust firewall capabilities. It offers machine learning, application and device control, and network and USB lockdowns, making it ideal for smaller IT teams. Microsoft Defender for Business provides advanced threat detection and response, excellent integration with Microsoft products, and predictive analysis that enhances ease of use in Microsoft environments.
Room for Improvement: Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise needs to integrate Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), improve firewall controls, and enhance user-friendliness, especially for Mac environments and support. Microsoft Defender for Business could improve its integration with non-Microsoft environments, manage false positives more effectively, and improve support response times while offering more flexible pricing and licensing.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise offers flexible deployment options in various cloud environments but has faced challenges with support responsiveness post-Broadcom acquisition. Microsoft Defender for Business benefits from seamless deployment within public and hybrid clouds, leveraging its Microsoft ecosystem. However, it needs to improve support responsiveness and interaction ease.
Pricing and ROI: Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise offers competitive pricing, with cost variability at enterprise levels, which can be a barrier for smaller businesses. It is appreciated for its licensing flexibility and emphasis on compliance and proactive security. In contrast, Microsoft Defender for Business, bundled with Office 365, offers cost-effective solutions for businesses within Microsoft's ecosystem but may experience increased pricing for larger implementations. Both products deliver decent ROI, with Microsoft focusing on integration and a comprehensive security suite.
They appreciate the rich telemetry data from the solution, as it provides in-depth threat identification.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks helps to reduce my total cost of ownership significantly.
In Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, most of the remediation is automated and the accuracy is quite good.
Using Microsoft Defender for Business results in cost reductions as it consolidates various features under one product, saving around 20% to 30% of the budget.
The value I see in Microsoft Defender for Business is in its ability to track and respond to application usage and security threats through its CASB and automation features, which are cost-beneficial.
The technical support from Palo Alto deserves a mark of ten because they reach out within an hour whenever assistance is needed.
There is no back and forth, and they know what we are asking for and come up with the best resolution for a solution.
If any of these services are missed, it becomes a problem in terms of support tickets, follow-up, or special configuration that needs to be done in the system.
It is rated ten out of ten for its quality and assistance.
The onboarding support is exceptional, ensuring seamless integration and implementation.
Faster support is needed for endpoint security solutions.
The support site for accessing new software is complicated, despite necessary multi-factor authentication.
I rate the technical support from Symantec as eight out of ten because they have comprehensive and clear documentation that can be easily found on search engines if someone knows how to search.
You can onboard 10,000 endpoints in just hours, which demonstrates the excellent scalability of this product.
Activating the newly purchased licenses is instantaneous, allowing installations without adjustments since it's cloud-based.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks can be expanded anytime by purchasing another license without any issues related to scalability.
The cloud-based nature of the solution ensures high scalability.
The scalability of Microsoft Defender for Business is rated as ten, indicating it is very scalable.
In terms of scalability, I would rate Microsoft Defender for Business a ten.
Regarding scalability, since Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise is a cloud solution, it is very scalable.
In my experience supporting approximately 10 different companies with up to 100 workstations each, scalability has never been a concern with Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise.
Cortex remains fast and responsive, even with increasing data and alerts.
The thresholds we've seen on our firewall boxes at some instances reached 80% to 85%, but even at that level of utilization, we don't observe any latency or any issues reported with respect to accessing the application.
Cortex XDR is stable, offering high quality and reliable performance.
No customer complaints about its functionality or reliability.
Although it generally works, there are occasional issues and errors that sometimes require a complete system format to rectify.
I would rate the stability of Microsoft Defender for Business with a three out of ten, where one is very bad.
I rate the stability of Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise as excellent, giving it a nine for all the new possibilities and features that can be implemented.
The solution is exceptionally stable.
Improving reporting and dashboard customization, along with the addition of real-time and exportable reports, would help SOC teams greatly.
The inclusion of this feature would allow the application of DLP policies alongside antivirus policies via a single agent and console, making it more competitive as other OEMs often offer DLP solutions as part of their antivirus products.
If the per GB data could be provided at a certain level free of cost or at the same cost which the customer is taking for the entire bundle, that would be better.
Microsoft should provide batch management solutions with the application, integrating pass management with roles.
Features related to Advanced Persistent Threat detection vectors and cyber kill chain integrations are not available out-of-the-box.
There can be improvements in the user interface to make it more intuitive.
Many customers are seeking modern protection features such as MDR (managed detection and response).
The centralized management console is intuitive, but the threat intelligence aspect could be more incorporated and developed, especially with AI integration and news directly in the platform.
The pricing on SentinelOne is far more reasonable and cheaper than Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks.
I would say it is definitely not a cheap product, considering how mature it is and how scalable all Palo Alto products are together.
Cortex XDR is perceived as expensive by some customers, yet offers dynamic pricing.
Single-year pricing remains good.
The pricing is quite affordable at the enterprise level with no extra expenses noted.
Although the cost can be slightly higher, it expedites deployment, which is beneficial, especially for startups.
It incorporates AI for normal behavior detection, distinguishing unusual operations.
The product provides automation responses in case of a threat attack, severity assessments, centralized manageability, and comprehensive compliance features, resulting in reduced costs.
It includes machine learning to easily analyze data and detect complex threats across endpoints, networks, or clouds.
The threat detection capabilities are robust, with a dedicated research team and a continuously updated threat feed.
Its vulnerability management is regarded as one of the best in the industry.
The most effective features of Microsoft Defender for Business include its threat detection and response capabilities in managing vulnerabilities and ransomware attacks.
What I appreciate the most about Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise is the integration with the workstations and the around-the-clock monitoring.
Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise is highly compatible and rarely causes disruptions in production.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks | 3.7% |
| Microsoft Defender for Business | 1.6% |
| Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise | 0.6% |
| Other | 94.1% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 46 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 20 |
| Large Enterprise | 52 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 15 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 2 |
| Large Enterprise | 4 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 16 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 9 |
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks provides advanced threat detection with AI-driven endpoint protection and seamless integration, ensuring multi-layered security and automatic threat response.
Cortex XDR is designed to safeguard endpoints against malware and suspicious activities. It offers advanced threat detection and response capabilities using behavioral analysis, AI, and machine learning. It seamlessly integrates with security infrastructures, providing endpoint security, firewall integration, and enhanced visibility in both cloud-based and on-premises environments.
What are the key features of Cortex XDR?Organizations in diverse sectors deploy Cortex XDR to protect against malware, leveraging its advanced threat detection capabilities. Its integration with existing security infrastructures appeals to those seeking comprehensive protection in both cloud and on-premises environments, providing enhanced visibility and threat intelligence.
Microsoft Defender for Business offers comprehensive endpoint protection with features like AI-driven predictive analysis and integration with Microsoft services. It caters to businesses in the Microsoft and Azure ecosystems, enhancing cybersecurity strategies with real-time alerts and automated threat hunting.
Targeting enterprise environments, Microsoft Defender for Business provides extensive security measures for desktops, laptops, and virtual desktop infrastructure. Its seamless integration with Microsoft Sentinel allows for enhanced insight and threat mitigation. The central console aids in configuration and management, but areas such as URL filtering, reporting, and integration with non-Microsoft systems require improvement. Users often demand advanced threat detection and a quicker response to emerging threats, as managing security across platforms can present challenges.
What are the key features of Microsoft Defender for Business?In sectors like finance and healthcare, Microsoft Defender for Business is implemented to secure sensitive data and maintain compliance. Managed service providers and resellers leverage its capabilities to offer robust security frameworks for clients, ensuring protection of digital assets and reducing risks associated with cyber threats.
Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise delivers robust security features like firewall management, anti-malware, intrusion prevention, and real-time AI-based analysis. Its flexibility and resource efficiency, alongside cloud integration, make it a reliable choice for endpoint security.
Offering comprehensive features for proactive protection, Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise provides automatic remediation, policy configuration, and system monitoring through an efficient management interface. It ensures antivirus and endpoint protection against malware, viruses, and network threats in cloud or on-premises environments. Users benefit from its functionality in access control, EDR, threat detection, and network monitoring. However, there is room for improvement in user-friendliness, threat intelligence, and AI-based detection capabilities to address sophisticated threats. Enhanced browser protection, support, and pricing, along with better integration of cloud security and robust firewall controls, are sought after refinements.
What are Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise’s key features?Various industries utilize Symantec Endpoint Security Enterprise to secure endpoints with extensive device and network threat prevention. The solution is often deployed to safeguard financial data, healthcare records, and sensitive information in critical infrastructures, ensuring compliance with strict regulatory standards.
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