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Overview

What is AlienVault OSSIM?

OSSIM leverages the power of the AlienVault Open Threat Exchange by allowing users to both contribute and receive real-time information about malicious hosts. AlienVault OSSIM is an open source Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) product. It is a unified…

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

AlienVault OSSIM has proven to be an invaluable tool for organizations looking to centralize their logs and effectively manage security …
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Lego block SIEM

6 out of 10
November 24, 2021
Incentivized
As an organization, we leveraged alien vault as a SIEM solution for ourselves and also as a managed services offering for our customers. …
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Popular Features

View all 13 features
  • Centralized event and log data collection (10)
    9.4
    94%
  • Deployment flexibility (11)
    8.2
    82%
  • Event and log normalization/management (11)
    8.1
    81%
  • Correlation (11)
    7.0
    70%
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Pricing

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What is AlienVault OSSIM?

OSSIM leverages the power of the AlienVault Open Threat Exchange by allowing users to both contribute and receive real-time information about malicious hosts. AlienVault OSSIM is an open source Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) product. It is a unified platform…

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  • No setup fee

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What is AlienVault USM?

AlienVault® Unified Security Management® (USM) delivers threat detection, incident response, and compliance management in one unified platform. It is designed to combine all the essential security capabilities needed for effective security monitoring across cloud and on-premises environments,…

What is Tenable Nessus?

Tenable headquartered in Columbia offers Nessus, a vulnerability scanning and security assessment solution used to analyze an entity's security posture, vulnerability testing, and provide configuration assessments.

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Product Demos

Archie Webster - AlienVault OSSIM Demo

YouTube

Explore OSSIM - demo HIDS

YouTube

OSSIM Demo (5.1) - Improved Threat Detection, Security Visibility, and Usability

YouTube
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Features

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Security Information and Event Management is a category of security software that allows security analysts to look at a more comprehensive view of security logs and events than would be possible by looking at the log files of individual, point security tools

7.5
Avg 7.8
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Product Details

What is AlienVault OSSIM?

OSSIM leverages the power of the AlienVault Open Threat Exchange by allowing users to both contribute and receive real-time information about malicious hosts. AlienVault OSSIM is an open source Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) product. It is a unified platform providing:
  • Asset discovery
  • Vulnerability assessment
  • Intrusion detection
  • Behavioral monitoring
  • SIEM
OSSIM provides the basis for AlienVault's proprietary Unified Security Management (USM) product.

It also leverages the power of the AlienVault Open Threat Exchange by allowing users to both contribute and receive real-time information about malicious hosts.

AlienVault OSSIM Video

AlienVault® USM vs. OSSIM™

AlienVault OSSIM Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(30)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

AlienVault OSSIM has proven to be an invaluable tool for organizations looking to centralize their logs and effectively manage security events. Users have praised its ability to collect and analyze security data from various sources, allowing them to monitor for unusual activity, devices, and potential threats on a daily basis. With its IDS capabilities, both network-based and hardware-based, AlienVault OSSIM has helped users detect and prevent suspicious activity on their networks.

The Netflow feature of AlienVault OSSIM has also been highly regarded by users. It enables them to diagnose spikes of activity in the network and detect any unusual behavior, aiding in the identification of potential threats. Additionally, the intelligent analytic engine of AlienVault OSSIM helps determine these potential threats with clear presentation of alerts and the ability to drill down for detailed information.

One of the key business problems that AlienVault OSSIM addresses is the need for a single management platform that combines SIEM, reporting, and asset management capabilities. Users have found this to be a significant time and money-saving aspect of the product as it eliminates the need for multiple tools. The customizable dashboard allows users to create rules and receive email notifications, enhancing their ability to effectively manage security incidents.

AlienVault OSSIM is commonly used by IT departments for a range of tasks including intrusion detection, asset discovery, SIEM correlation, and behavior analytics. It has proven particularly useful in identifying machines that are behind on patches and updates. Furthermore, it facilitates threat hunting by collecting events from all machines, providing a comprehensive view of potential security risks.

Overall, AlienVault OSSIM has garnered positive feedback from users who appreciate its log centralization capabilities, effective threat detection features, and comprehensive reporting and analytics capabilities. Its versatility in addressing multiple use cases makes it a valuable tool for organizations seeking to enhance their network security posture.

User-Friendly Installation Process: Many users have found that AlienVault OSSIM has a user-friendly installation process. Reviewers have mentioned that the software is self-contained in an ISO file, allowing for quick and easy deployment. They appreciate the automated installation process and options for customization, such as setting a static IP and configuring email messaging.

Seamless User Experience Across Devices: Several reviewers have praised AlienVault OSSIM's accessibility across different devices. The software can be accessed via a web browser on desktops, workstations, and mobile devices. Users have noted that the dashboard and other features automatically adapt to the device being used, providing a seamless and consistent user experience regardless of the platform.

Out-of-the-Box Configuration and Customization Options: Many reviewers have highlighted the out-of-the-box configuration of AlienVault OSSIM as well-suited for most environments, making the initial setup process straightforward. The included wizard provides a guided experience, enabling users to have the system up and running within a few hours. Additionally, users appreciate the ability to customize or add new widgets to tailor the monitoring experience according to their specific needs. This flexibility allows them to optimize their environment's monitoring capabilities efficiently.

Limited log management capabilities: Some users have mentioned that OSSIM lacks robust log management features compared to the full USM version. Several reviewers have expressed a desire for more comprehensive log management capabilities in OSSIM.

Absence of support for Cloud-based servers and apps: The lack of support for Cloud-based servers and applications in OSSIM has been noted as a limitation by multiple users. This feature, which is available in the USM version, could be beneficial for those who rely on cloud infrastructure.

Limited integration with third-party solutions: Integration with third-party solutions like BMC Remedy and ServiceNow is limited in OSSIM, leading to inconvenience for some users who heavily depend on these ITSM solutions. Although email alerts can emulate this functionality, several reviewers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the current level of integration.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-10 of 10)
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Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
AlienVault OSSIM is very well suited for threat hunting. The ability to find all events and logs from all machines in one place saves a lot of time. It is also well suited for vulnerability scanning. The aspect that is lacking (or not obvious at least) is the integration with other security tools (like an antivirus for example).
November 24, 2021

Lego block SIEM

Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
AlienVault is a good SIEM tool in general, it can collect logs, has the ability to create custom reports for the data that it gathers from both windows systems and networking devices, and the reports with some amount of finessing can look as good as the organization spends time on them. The problem is that alien vault past these great abilities falls short on doing anything else, it is an archaic SIEM solution that does nothing more than being a SIEM solution, [it] is very little out of the box reporting that is useful, no ability to dynamically adapt to a customers environment and no AI built into the appliance. At the end of the day, the biggest problem that this product suffers from is that it is expensive for the value provided. If you are looking for a SIEM that does nothing more than just be a SIEM and you have a dedicated team to run it, alien value is a great tool, unfortunately, that’s all it can do.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If you don't have staff do dedicate solely to SIEM, AlienVault [OSSIM] is simple enough to get up and running and configure enough rules and notifications so that it does not require dedicated staff to constantly monitor. Vulnerability scanning has a lot to be desired - suggest using a system with more robust vulnerability scanning features.
John Keenan | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If you want a SIEM and you are a small-to mid-market organization getting security monitoring started, then this is a great SIEM for the money. It comes with a vulnerability scanner. While vulnerability scanners aren't all that expensive, this saves time and money by offering an industry-leading open-source version that enables managers to immediately start vulnerability management programs.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
AlienVault OSSIM is great for organizations that do not have a large staff and cannot afford to dedicate an entire person or group of people to deal with threats and monitoring the environment. The cost is also very reasonable for the amount of functionality of all the features we receive from the product.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
AlienVault OSSIM is an excellent starter SIEM—you have a fully functioning SIEM in a few hours (installs in less than one, but takes a few to configure, based on your network). The insight you get, immediately is worth the time setting it up. If you are willing to invest some more time, you can fine tune it to really provide deep insight into your network. I really love that it is still free (was nervous when AT&T bought AlienVault).

Each of MyBuildings is routed back to the core - reduces overall traffic and adds one more layer to the network for security reasons. So having an "eye" in each building is necessary at this point. Not sure what I would do if I had to stop using them. The only other thing I plan on doing, in the process of rolling it out right now, is to add some netflow analysis.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Small, medium or large, every company can benefit from this tool. Even if you decide to supplement your existing SIEM this is the way to go and chances are you might end up switching to this as your primary.
December 01, 2018

AlienVault OSSIM

Scott Holland | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
OSSIM is suited for security researchers and system admins who want quick visibility of network activity and alerts they may have missed without the aid of Alien Vault OSSIM. After a setup that only takes around 15 to 30 minutes, you will be seeing network traffic and generating alarms on your dashboard making it fast and effective deployment.
Jose Quintero | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
The most obvious scenario in which OSSIM is well suited is in a single office/home office (SOHO) or small business, in which budget is reduced but asset discovery and vulnerability management are greatly needed and appreciated. OSSIM is lightweight and free, so the real challenge to face is to hire or assign an administrator to manage and operate it, instead of any investment on an expensive appliance. Also, as resellers, promoting usage of OSSIM to customers charging for professional services for installation, administration, and maintenance (remember that OSSIM doesn't have official support from AlienVault) is a great asset for the organization.
Ivan Montilla Miralles | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
If this is your first experience with a SIEM, this one can get you started. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of the product and you'll most likely be satisfied with it if your company is an SMB. If you need compliance reports, OSSIM is too small for you, you'll need to go with USM or USM Anywhere.
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