We use this product to monitor database administrator events and activities on all services. We also use it for preventive measures. Some sensitive queries can be blocked in line before transactions occur.
Network Engineer at a media company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Has a robust recording system and does a good job monitoring events
Pros and Cons
- "Ability to send event monitoring and administrative activities."
- "There is sometimes lost communication and it can take a lot of troubleshooting to solve."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
It's great that we're able to send light event monitoring and administrative activities. SecureSephere has a robust recording system.
What needs improvement?
We have a lot of lost communication between the clients and the management server. This is a client-on-server solution and sometimes the agent stops communicating and it can take a lot of troubleshooting to solve the issue. It would also be helpful if they'd improve artificial intelligence.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using this solution for six years.
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Imperva Data Security Fabric
January 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is pretty good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good.
How are customer service and support?
The customer support is not very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I don't recall the name of the previous solution but we switched to Imperva because it was less complex.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was reasonably straightforward. The deployment took about three months and we had some external assistance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is an expensive solution. We pay an additional amount for support.
What other advice do I have?
Staff need training prior to using this product.
I rate this solution nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Database Administrator at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Brings segregation of duties, provides continuous monitoring, and is easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "The beauty of it is that it provides segregation of duties. Typically, in the traditional environment, DBAs administer the database, and they have too much access. We are in the process of implementing other Oracle solutions, and it brings some kind of segregation. Just because someone is a DBA does not mean that he or she should have access to all of the data. Some of the data can be masked so that privacy and security are enhanced, especially when it is customer data for an institution like a bank."
- "It is quite expensive. I would prefer a lower price."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for database activity monitoring. We use it to monitor all the traffic that comes to the database to know about the operations that are happening on the database.
At the moment, it is on-premises, but we eventually would like to go to the cloud.
How has it helped my organization?
It serves as a way and means to see if any unauthorized person is trying to access the database. It helps to implement specific rules to ensure that only authenticated people have access to the database.
What is most valuable?
The beauty of it is that it provides segregation of duties. Typically, in the traditional environment, DBAs administer the database, and they have too much access. We are in the process of implementing other Oracle solutions, and it brings some kind of segregation. Just because someone is a DBA does not mean that he or she should have access to all of the data. Some of the data can be masked so that privacy and security are enhanced, especially when it is customer data for an institution like a bank.
What needs improvement?
It is quite expensive. I would prefer a lower price.
In terms of features, I started using it this month. I need more time to explore it.
For how long have I used the solution?
It has not been long. We implemented it this month.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We are currently doing a PoC, and there are a few issues that we are trying to resolve. When all of those issues are sorted out, we can start measuring the stability of the solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't scaled it yet.
How are customer service and support?
We are working with their technical support. They have been good so far.
How was the initial setup?
It is straightforward, but it depends on the organizational policies and rules in terms of the infrastructure. For example, when you deploy it in an environment like Oracle, it is probably fine, but in other environments like Cisco, there could be some issues that you have to troubleshoot. It is more of an infrastructural or environmental issue.
We started with the PoC. It was implemented within two days. We are now doing monitoring to ensure everything is still fine.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is quite expensive. We wanted it in my former organization, but the price was very high. So, we couldn't purchase it. I moved to a different organization, and this organization has purchased it.
What other advice do I have?
It is a fantastic solution. It is very good, but the only issue is that if you don't have enough money, you cannot use this solution.
I would rate it an eight out of 10 for now. After exploring it more, I might rate it higher.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Imperva Data Security Fabric
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Imperva Data Security Fabric. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Security Engineer at a comms service provider with 5,001-10,000 employees
A solid product with good pricing and a simple initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is very simple."
- "The updates could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for auditing purposes so collecting and archiving of logs.
What is most valuable?
The solution is very good for auditing purposes, including collecting and archiving logs.
We appreciate that we can use it on the DB server without harming the performance of the database is fantastic. It doesn't feel like it's lagging.
The initial setup is very simple.
Overall it's a solid product.
The pricing is okay.
What needs improvement?
The support could be improved.
The product needs to perform better in extremely busy databases. It does not do really well where the DB is extremely, extremely busy.
The updates could be better.
The UI can be improved.
The ability to narrow down to the right environment could be helpful. They need to allow users to find an easy way to drill down to what's important.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for three years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is solid. The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is okay. However, if you're going to set up a redundancy, it needs to be in the same data center, as the manager that manages the entire system needs to share the data, and therefore they need to basically work in the area where they have direct connectivity between the sites. In our case, we have multiple data centers, and we distribute the connectivity and we can't achieve that.
The solution's scalability isn't based on users. Even if you have one person using it, you might have 300 databases. It's not about the number of users, it's the number of databases.
How are customer service and support?
The support isn't as good as it could be. We are not quite satisfied with it.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Oracle.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is very simple and straightforward. It's not too difficult or complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution isn't crazy-expensive. It's reasonable.
We pay for the solution on a monthly basis.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and an end-user.
I'd recommend the solution to others. It's a very solid product.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Security Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Reasonably priced, performs well, and stable
Pros and Cons
- "The performance of the solution is good."
- "The solution could improve by having more integration."
What is our primary use case?
Imperva SecureSphere Database Security is used to store data for if there is an emergency we can restore it.
What is most valuable?
The performance of the solution is good.
What needs improvement?
The solution could improve by having more integration.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Imperva SecureSphere Database Security for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Imperva SecureSphere Database Security is scalable.
We have three people in my organization using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
I have not needed to use the support.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We have five engineers that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution is reasonable and it requires a license.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Imperva SecureSphere Database Security a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Deputy Director/IT Infrastructure & Security at a educational organization with 1,001-5,000 employees
Good in terms of stability, but it is expensive and would benefit from better integration with other environments
Pros and Cons
- "This is a stable product."
- "I would like to see integration such that there is support for different kinds of environments, such as on-premises versus cloud."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use for this product is as an application firewall.
What needs improvement?
The system reports vulnerabilities in my vulnerability assessment, but I need something to generate warning messages.
I would like to see integration such that there is support for different kinds of environments, such as on-premises versus cloud.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Imperva SecureSphere Database Security for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We are not concerned with scalability because we do not have the need.
How are customer service and technical support?
We don't speak directly with the vendor. We only call the managed solution provider.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use another similar product prior to this one.
What about the implementation team?
This is a managed service, so I did not handle the installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This is an expensive solution and the price should be reduced.
What other advice do I have?
We may or may not continue using this product in the future, and I may recommend it to others, depending on their environment.
I would rate this solution a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Chairman & CEO at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
A stable solution with cyber intelligence feature for preventing threats to the database
Pros and Cons
- "The cyber intelligence feature is the most valuable."
- "It is very expensive. Its price can be better."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to prevent threats to the database. It is like a firewall in front of the database servers.
What is most valuable?
The cyber intelligence feature is the most valuable.
What needs improvement?
It is very expensive. Its price can be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easy to scale technically, but it is so expensive.
We have about five administrators who use this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is very good. In a few situations, they took too long to respond. I would rate them a nine out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. It took us four weeks to deploy it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is very expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others to use a professional service to certify for the latest implementations. I would rate Imperva SecureSphere Database Security a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Business Development Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
A comprehensive monitoring and auditing solution
Pros and Cons
- "It has a very user-friendly interface that's very detailed."
- "Overall, it's a very good product but they could do with some modifications log-wise."
What is most valuable?
It has a very user-friendly interface that's very detailed.
What needs improvement?
Overall, it's a very good product but they could do with some modifications log-wise — it should be more comprehensive. Otherwise, 95% of the product is very good.
The interface could be more user-friendly.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for roughly two to three years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Imperva SecureSphere Database Security is both completely scalable and stable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I don't have much experience with technical support, but when I have spoken with them, they have been helpful.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very straightforward; not complex at all.
Deployment time varies, but in terms of implementation, it's a very good product. There is no hectic environment during the implementation. It is a very straightforward implementation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is very high but compared to the price of the overall solution, then I think it's a good deal because the solution itself is great.
What other advice do I have?
I would highly recommend this solution. It's a very expensive solution, but if you have the budget for it, I would definitely recommend Imperva Database Security.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Imperva Database Security a rating of nine.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Cyber Security Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Great discovery module feature; scans and blocks whatever is necessary
Pros and Cons
- "The discovery module provides good visibility."
- "Reporting could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
Most of our clients are banks and insurance and financial institutions that want to achieve compliance. They want to achieve auditing for their regulatory compliances as well. On the database side, that includes being able to monitor DBS and to block certain activities on the DVF. On the application side, it also has to be preventative and that's also part of compliance. This solution enables clients to achieve data security, whether on cloud or on prem. We offer support services and we are a service provider for database security through Imperva and also application security through Imperva to our clients. I'm a cyber security engineer and we are gold partners of SecureSphere DS.
What is most valuable?
I would say the discovery module is the most valuable feature as it provides good visibility of the database environment to particular sites. It scans the entire front of the environment to detect any new databases found just to make sure there are not any malicious things going on. I think it's a very powerful tool in that sense. It also helps that the solution is able to block queries that are able to be run by given database administrators on databases and manages user rights.
What needs improvement?
I've been part of various projects and also interact with clients because I do pre-sales. Most of the feedback I receive relates to clients wanting to see an improvement in the reporting. They like the ability and functionality of the solution but they feel the reporting is lacking. The general feeling is also that the GUI has been the same for a very long time and there is room for improvement there. It could look a little better and then if the reports are also improved that would make a big difference all round.
From a basic implementation point of view, there are some features that are very technical, clients want everything very granular and they always say Imperva bundles everything. You do a signature, and ABC updates and you trust what the ABC is doing. I think if it were a little more granular and detailed in terms of how, for example, a query stream is being detected or something like that, rather than just blocking something, it would give the administrator a better view and understanding of what's happening.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for almost a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The physical appliances are always very stable. In terms of CPU usage, things like the gateway load, payway load, they come with a little bit more capacity on that front. I think the issue always comes with the virtual appliances where you may run out of space, or maybe there are new versions of whichever hypervisor you are running that could change and maybe affect the virtual machines running on top. On the physical side, there's never an issue, it's stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Database security is highly scalable because depending on the number of sites available, you're able to assume that you have the running agent. You can then access the IP for the gateway, you can log in your logs which are managed by the NX, so it's all fine. It's highly scalable for the database. I think even if you have branches all over the country, you can manage them centrally where you have agents monitoring whichever database is allocated to whichever site. We have deployed over 60 projects all over East Africa. I currently handle four, which are two application and two database.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is good and the response is guaranteed until the problem is solved. I think when it comes to response time, it's always very quick. Maybe just one simple criticism would be that it's very hard to get a remote station with them and everything is always email and sending logs. I'd like to see more hands-on and direct contact with the environment.
How was the initial setup?
Complexity really depends on the client's environment, but I would say the initial set up for basic deployment of the components should take roughly six working days. It has to be integrated with everything. Installing links to all the other databases could take maybe another 10 work days, so around two weeks. I do the deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Customers are very, very satisfied with the licensing costs and there's not really anyone that competes with Imperva so the clients are very happy. Their requirements are covered.
What other advice do I have?
I would definitely recommend Imperva. I swear on it and try to pitch Imperva every time. I know its abilities, I know what you're going to get. I know how user friendly it is. It's easy to create policies. Reports are very okay. It's got various compatibilities, desk deployment, so Imperva is what I would recommend.
I would rate this solution a nine out of 10.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
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Updated: January 2026
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