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Microsoft Defender for IoT vs Palo Alto Industrial OT Security comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

Microsoft Defender for IoT
Ranking in Operational Technology (OT) Security
6th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
IoT Security (5th), Microsoft Security Suite (27th)
Palo Alto Industrial OT Sec...
Ranking in Operational Technology (OT) Security
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Operational Technology (OT) Security category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for IoT is 5.7%, up from 4.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Palo Alto Industrial OT Security is 1.1%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operational Technology (OT) Security
 

Featured Reviews

William Tuleja - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration with existing tools boosts management efficiency
The only improvement I see is that some detection explanations are vaguely provided by Microsoft, resulting in generic IoT detections that alert me to an issue yet don't specify what's wrong. Often, it just links back to a generic KB article without additional information. When it happens, it requires extra detective work. This issue doesn't occur often but can be annoying.
Engineerinfosec67 - PeerSpot reviewer
Comprehensive security features with integral network communication view
Real-time monitoring and proactive threat prevention offered by Palo Alto Industrial OT Security is a key feature of the product, which is distinctive since many other security solutions for industrial plant environments are basically able to detect - not protect. They need to be integrated with other security components, making the deployment more complex as more products and solutions need to be integrated. In Palo Alto, we have a single device that does everything. These features contribute to maintaining oversight over my Industrial networks or my customers' networks, and it's very important. It is a way to detect any change in the field, even if changes are made outside the proper control processes. The capability of Palo Alto Industrial OT Security to map network flows and understand asset interdependencies is especially important in complex environments. In smaller environments, which are the most common in my country, the industrial plants usually change very slowly, so this kind of discovery feature is interesting at the beginning but not critical after the first deployments. The positive impact of Palo Alto Industrial OT Security on my organization brings benefits such as a constant view of the intercommunication and connection between different areas of the networks.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I find Microsoft Defender very effective in vulnerability management and it provides good attack reduction, making it a next-generation protection solution."
"Mainly, it is manageable and integrates with other Microsoft products, which is crucial for me."
"I believe it is best suited for cloud services and is unmatched by other cloud security solutions."
"As a cybersecurity consultant, the best part of Microsoft Defender for IoT is the capability to integrate with other tools such as Microsoft Sentinel and receive real-time alerts from the product."
"The graphics and analysis in Microsoft Defender for IoT are very representative."
"It is manageable and integrates with other Microsoft products, which is crucial for me."
"Some advantages of Microsoft Defender for IoT are that it's easy to install on any OS, and you can create any custom use cases easily."
"Real-time monitoring and proactive threat prevention offered by Palo Alto Industrial OT Security is a key feature of the product, which is distinctive because many other security solutions for industrial plant environments are basically able to detect but not protect."
 

Cons

"The primary area that needs improvement is compatibility with the latest IoT technologies."
"Microsoft Defender for IoT is not scalable. If you want to monitor another industrial network, you need an additional server, making it less scalable."
"The documentation for Microsoft Defender for IoT is lacking. There are no clear steps or guidance, and updates are frequent, which adds to the confusion."
"Customer service and support from Microsoft are costly. The execution by engineers is expensive, and the service is neither free nor toll-free, making it less accessible for customers."
"The only improvement I see is that some detection explanations are vaguely provided by Microsoft, resulting in generic IoT detections that alert me to an issue yet don't specify what's wrong."
"The only improvement I see is that some detection explanations are vaguely provided by Microsoft, resulting in generic IoT detections that alert me to an issue yet don't specify what's wrong."
"There are a few limitations with Microsoft Defender for IoT. We raised concerns with the product team because they don't capture all the information regarding command execution or processes executed on certain endpoints."
"The area for improvement in Palo Alto Industrial OT Security is the coverage of the different types of devices that can be connected, which is a common complaint or request from the end user because everyone has something that is different from the others."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Energy/Utilities Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
5%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for IoT?
I don't think I have any recommendation on improvements for Microsoft Defender for IoT because we don't use it too extensively. There are a few limitations with Microsoft Defender for IoT. We raise...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender for IoT?
Clients mainly use Microsoft Defender for IoT for unfamiliar sign-in attempts and Microsoft Defender EDRs. We are using use cases for unfamiliar sign-in and malicious activity, such as user sign-in...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Palo Alto Industrial OT Security?
The pricing, setup costs, and licensing allow customers to save and reduce costs. The licensing is based not on the number of protected devices. It's based on the type of firewall that is installed...
What needs improvement with Palo Alto Industrial OT Security?
The area for improvement in Palo Alto Industrial OT Security is the coverage of the different types of devices that can be connected, which is a common complaint or request from the end user as eve...
What is your primary use case for Palo Alto Industrial OT Security?
I have worked with Palo Alto Industrial OT Security as a presales engineer. I am the distributor. I have a partnership with Palo Alto, and my customers are System Integrators.
 

Also Known As

Azure Defender for IoT
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Nozomi, Claroty, CyberArk and others in Operational Technology (OT) Security. Updated: June 2025.
860,632 professionals have used our research since 2012.