IBM Security QRadar SIEM vs. Symantec Content & Malware Analysis

I would only recommend IBM Security QRadar SIEM in a few situations. For one, it's very easy to setup and use if all your log sources are generic from known vendors. It's also significantly cheaper than Splunk, which is nice if you're trying to save money or be more efficient. I would not recommend IBM Security QRadar SIEM for environments with a lot of custom logs and complicated detection requirements.

Incentivized

If you have Symantec based environment including Symantec proxy and endpoints, Content and Malware Analysis is the obvious choice. You can't run the CAS-MAS as a standalone deployment, you need proxies or ICAP supported devices capable to send the files/URLS. It's not a network security device where you can flow/direct the traffic to C/MAS. It does not have UBA, NBA or NTR features, it is just working for analyzing files as expected.

• Enables identification and prioritization of vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure for corrective action.
• Facilitates security incident investigation and forensic analysis.
• Provides a real-time view of security events, enabling immediate incident response.
• Can integrate with external threat intelligence sources to enrich data and improve threat detection.
• Enables the generation of detailed and customized reports.

Incentivized

• 0 day detection and prevenion
• Flawless integration with Symantec Ecosystem
• Integration with other vendors supporting ICAP is also working
• Custom and golden image support
• High performance on busy environments
• Many threats are already detected and prevented through the CAS, it improves the performance drastically.
• Already builtin virustotal integration
• Reference to updates and updates information where I can see the product/service detecting which APTs
• Multiple Antivirus engines which you can select/subscribe
• Manual submission of file is supported through the gui
• URL manual submission is also supported

• Need to spend more time configuring the system to properly interpret and normalize different type of data collected from multiple resources.
• While Rule creation QRadar uses that rules to detect security threats and generate alerts, but to creating and managing rules is bit complex & tedious work to complete.
• IBM Security QRadar SIEM is excellent in handling large & complex systems that requires in-depth knowledge and extensive training to configure and maintain the system which includes upgrading, optimization of performance & issue troubleshooting.

Incentivized

• API support is lacking
• Symantec/Broadcom security vision in general
• Symantec support is not perfect
• You can't run the product as a standalone network device
• No packet capture capabiliy or work in span mode
• You need a dedicated hardware to make it run
• You need to buy

QRadar is an established and stable product, we have been using it for many years and want to continue to focus on it. Anyone who has used the product and knows it knows how reliable it is and how it facilitates continuous monitoring of threats from outside and inside. it is an exceptional product that is very useful for us.

Incentivized

As a grade I give 8 as QRadar is not easy to learn. It requires some time to master it. It also needs a team of people actively working on the product. Once you learn to use it the software works very well and it is easy to correlate and understand detected threats. It only takes time to learn how to use it well and configure it properly.

Incentivized

Customer support is Good of IBM, While Using IBM QRadar its deployment is to slow and suddenly stop working and crashed we have contacted IBM Support and Rised a Ticket within a few minute we get call back from customer support and Query Resolved by them Fast And Rapid Support of Ibm

Incentivized

The training was very useful and the people who taught us were very knowledgeable. Although the software may initially seem difficult to learn they made things much easier for us.

Incentivized

The training was very useful and the people who taught us were very knowledgeable. Although the software may initially seem difficult to learn they made things much easier for us.

Incentivized

Initial patience is required to learn how to use the product, and it takes a dedicated team to use it. One person is not enough, and it's not enough to just set it up and check it once in a while. It has to be used daily and kept under control to be used effectively

Incentivized

IBM Qradar takes the best from its competitors. Reliable and stable but sometimes very expensive, the SIEM from IBM offers a wide range of scenarios in which the customers can suite and size their own infrastructures. IBM Qradar doesn't really needs to stack up againt its competitors because it already sets an example in the SIEM world.

Incentivized

We have been using many solutions even tested nearly all available 0day sandbox solutions in the market. We choose Symantec CMA as we have already Symantec endpoint protection/EDR on the client, Symantec proxy for the web access, SCMA fits our environment. We have a big bargain when we puchase lots of equipment from the Symantec. Detection and prevention is very good at SCMA but some constant issues; like the product is not designed for heterogeneous environments, we can not integrate the SCMA with WAFs, it's lacking in api and request/reply calls. There's no file scanning, discover the option. SIEM integration is not smooth. I can not run some of the SOAR playbooks through the SCMA.

• Offense investigation was really helped in tackling the incidents. It was accurate and brief
• The automation with IBM resilient (SOAR) was a milestone in elimination of user mistakes
• The X-Force threat intelligence supported us in getting the work done without any 3rd party enterprise OSINT database

Incentivized

• 0-day and APT risk is covered by the SCMA
• As the SSL is inspected and analyzed at Bluecoat proxy servers, hidden threats, malicous files are passed to SCMA to be analyzed.
• Getting full visibility at file trajectory level
• As it's a full proxy and ICAP integration, we are sure that the files are to analyzed and scanned for malicious activity. This is a big plus compared to NGFW analyze concept, as the NGFWs have special failsafe mechanisms allowing bypass of file analysis. SCMA fully catches the hidden threats.
• Flawless integration with Bluecoat systems is a big plus, customers are getting the same type of messages within their browsers.
• A negative impact is the standardization when I deploy SCAM to one of our locations. Then the auditors demand the same coverage within other areas and it comes with the cost. Especially maintaining these devices on premise environment has a significant cost.