

Pentera and Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management are competing products in the vulnerability management market. Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is favored for its comprehensive features, while Pentera is noted for better pricing and support.
Features: Pentera provides automated penetration testing, enhancing vulnerability assessment efficiency. It offers attack surface management for continuous protection. Microsoft Defender integrates with the Microsoft ecosystem and offers real-time threat analytics. Its built-in automation and extensive reporting tools make it appealing for enterprises.
Room for Improvement: Pentera could expand its ecosystem integrations and enhance reporting features. It may benefit from adding more comprehensive threat intelligence. Customer support availability could be improved. Microsoft Defender may need streamlined deployment for non-Microsoft users and improved initial setup guidance. The interface could be optimized for better user experience.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Pentera has a straightforward deployment process with comprehensive support services. Microsoft Defender benefits from existing Microsoft infrastructure, making it suitable for organizations using Microsoft products but requiring careful integration planning. Its customer service is supported by a vast Microsoft network.
Pricing and ROI: Pentera is recognized for lower initial setup costs, offering quicker ROI for smaller organizations or those seeking focused penetration testing. Microsoft Defender, despite higher setup costs, provides solid ROI over time due to its extensive feature set and integration, benefiting large enterprises seeking comprehensive security management.
Organizations typically do not rely solely on Microsoft products to avoid putting all eggs in one basket, which presents a challenge for maximizing ROI.
As a Microsoft partner, we receive significant discounts, making the solution affordable for us.
Some customers consider the ROI favorable, but facing difficulties now due to changes in the licensing model, which has made it more expensive compared to last year.
They are sometimes responsive, however, often issues cannot be reproduced on their end, making it challenging.
The support we receive from Microsoft is declining, and for example, after taking advanced support, we have not received satisfactory answers.
They are familiar with Microsoft products but are not direct Microsoft staff, which is an area needing improvement.
The integration is straightforward for those who understand it, though documentation needs improvement.
It is scalable; I evaluated the product and decided to use Defender on over 700 of our company servers.
There are compatibility issues occasionally arising with false positives when other security tools are not whitelisted in Microsoft Defender.
It is very resource-intensive, consuming a lot of memory and CPU.
If Microsoft experiences downtime, this solution goes down as it is a SaaS-based solution where we have no control.
This scoring should be for specific industries as well. If I belong to the healthcare industry using Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management, it should provide me with a risk score and show how I fare against the risk score of my industry.
A vulnerability I patch within 15 minutes takes 24 additional hours for an update.
The product is not stable; it often uses excessive memory and CPU, which makes it slow.
When the IP is imported into a system, we cannot withdraw or revoke the license.
Overall, every organization wishes for cheaper options, but we look at the security side as well, so we are good for now.
For non-partners, however, the cost could be seen as higher, between seven to ten.
The pricing is reasonable, and it's included in the whole Microsoft E5 bundle, so it's all-inclusive.
The main advantage of Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management is that it can locate and prevent most threats even when the endpoints are not connected to the corporate network, as long as the internet is available.
The feature for customizing to region-specific and domain-specific requirements in healthcare is particularly beneficial.
The most valuable aspect is the kind of assessment results I get, and the recommendations provided in Microsoft products really help in taking care of the resources.
We can automate the Pentera processes by automatically creating scenarios to validate the system.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management | 2.3% |
| Wiz | 6.6% |
| Tenable Nessus | 5.1% |
| Other | 86.0% |
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Pentera | 24.1% |
| Cymulate | 15.9% |
| The NodeZero Platform by Horizon3.ai | 13.6% |
| Other | 46.4% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 9 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 2 |
| Large Enterprise | 6 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 5 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 1 |
| Large Enterprise | 4 |
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management enables organizations to identify vulnerabilities, manage patches, and fortify threat detection. It offers endpoint assessments, cloud incident management, and dynamic security through Microsoft's Security Scorecard integration.
Organizations leverage Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management for advanced threat detection and response. It provides robust tools for vulnerability assessment and cloud incident management, integrated with Microsoft's Security Scorecard to enhance dynamic security profiling. Key features include automatic patch deployment, security configuration management, and seamless integration with Microsoft platforms, benefiting both on-prem and cloud environments. Organizations can track vulnerabilities with severity-based reports, helping manage outdated software and minimizing threat exposure.
What are the key features of Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management?In healthcare, Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management helps manage compliance with health regulations, while in finance, it aids in securing sensitive data from cyber threats. Manufacturing sectors benefit from its patch management, keeping operational technology systems less vulnerable to disruptions.
Pentera is the category leader for Automated Security Validation, allowing every organization to evaluate its security readiness, to know its real security risk at any given moment. Test all cybersecurity layers across the attack surface – inside and out – by safely emulating attacks & prioritize patching with a risk-based remediation roadmap.
Thousands of security professionals and service providers around the world use Pentera to guide remediation and close security gaps before they are exploited. For more info visit: pentera.io
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