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Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs. Tenable Security Center

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

    Score9.7 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is a service available on Microsoft's Azure, that provides insights into vulnerabilities, risks, and exposures for web-based resources. It defines an organization’s unique internet-exposed attack surface and discovers unknown resources to help users proactively manage security posture.

    $0.01

    per day per asset

    Tenable Security Center

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/ATenable Security Center (formerly Tenable.sc) from Tenable Network Security in Baltimore, presents a vulnerabiliy management option used to identify and prioritize vulnerabilities based on risk to businesses. It is managed on premises.N/A
    Pricing
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface ManagementTenable Security Center
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface ManagementTenable Security Center
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface ManagementTenable Security Center
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Tenable
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Would buy again
    6 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    6 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    6 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    6 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface ManagementTenable Security Center
    Threat Intelligence
    Comparison of Threat Intelligence features of Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management and Tenable Security Center
    Feature
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
    9.7
    1 Ratings
    18% above category average
    Tenable Security Center
    9.6
    1 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Network Analytics9.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Threat Recognition10.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Vulnerability Classification10.01 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Automated Alerts and Reporting10.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Threat Analysis10.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Threat Intelligence Reporting9.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Automated Threat Identification10.01 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Vulnerability Management Tools
    Comparison of Vulnerability Management Tools features of Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management and Tenable Security Center
    Feature
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
    9.4
    1 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Tenable Security Center
    9.6
    1 Ratings
    14% above category average
    IT Asset Realization8.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Authentication9.01 Ratings8.01 Ratings
    Configuration Monitoring10.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Web Scanning10.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Vulnerability Intelligence10.01 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface ManagementTenable Security Center
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Tenable Nessus
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Tenable Nessus
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Tenable Vulnerability Management
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Tenable Vulnerability Management
    Score8.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface ManagementTenable Security Center
    Likelihood to Recommend
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (7 ratings)
    Usability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.4
    (3 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface ManagementTenable Security Center
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is particularly well-suited for discovering, inventorying, and continuously monitoring the external attack surface, especially in environments with heavy Microsoft adoption. It is less suitable as a standalone solution for internal scanning, real-time attack detection, automated remediation, or advanced application testing. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management es especialmente adecuado para descubrir, inventariar y monitorear continuamente la superficie de ataque externa, sobre todo en entornos con fuerte adopción de Microsoft. Es menos adecuado como solución única para escaneo interno, detección de ataques en tiempo real, remediación automática o pruebas avanzadas de aplicaciones. Parts of this review were originally written in Spanish and have been translated into English using a third-party translation tool. While we strive for accuracy, some nuances or meanings may not be perfectly captured.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Tenable
    [Tenable.sc (formerly SecurityCenter)] does very well for internal scanning for vulnerabilities, however it needs to be combined with Tenable.io in order to do cloud scanning.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Microsoft
    • Lack of visibility of external assets
    • Reduction of the risk of external attacks
    • Falta de visibilidad de activos externos
    • Reducción del riesgo de ataques externos
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Tenable
    • Vulnerability management from one place
    • Maximum endpoint visibility
    • Easy to set up and plan the structure
    • Support desk quickly responses
    • Well-prepared documentation
    • Broad scanning type
    • Supports various compliance standards
    • User groups allows coordination between teams
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • Asset Attribution and Ownership Clarity
    • Risk Prioritization and Business Context
    • Noise and False Positives
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Tenable
    • Centralized vulnerability management with sensors.
    • Network health assessment and Incident response.
    • For alerting or notification, it should also support the SMS gateway.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Microsoft
    We rate Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management’s overall usability as 10 out of 10 because it delivers a strong balance between depth of capability and ease of use, particularly within organizations already operating in the Microsoft security ecosystem.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Tenable
    based on product capabilities and usage
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Tenable
    On all of the occasions that I have had to reach out to Tenable for assistance, they have been extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Solutions and support are provided quickly, and they work on the issue until it is resolved.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Because Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is part of the broader Microsoft Defender family (including Defender XDR, Entra ID, Azure Security, Sentinel, etc.), it:
    Shares identity, endpoint, and threat context across tools
    Reduces the need for custom integrations or connectors
    Works in a “single pane of glass” experience for SOC analysts
    Why it matters:
    Organizations already invested in Microsoft security tools gain greater contextual insight and lower operational overhead.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Tenable
    We decided to go with Tenable due to its robust reporting capabilities and competitive pricing vs its competitors. While all tools are very similar in regards to scanning capabilities we prefer Tenable SC's user interface. We also like the option to have both on-prem and cloud with theirs. Tenable io product as well.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • Reduced Business Risk from Unknown External Assets
    • Operational Efficiency and Cost Avoidance
    • Faster Risk Identification During Change Events
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Tenable
    • Create internal/operational efficiencies
    • Improve compliance & risk management
    • Cost management
    • Solid vulnerability scanner
    • Ease, of use, and capabilities when it comes to analyzing vulnerabilities is what makes this product stand out
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots