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AlienVault USM

AlienVault USM

Overview

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, including SIEM, intrusion detection, vulnerability management, as…

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Users have found AlienVault USM to be a valuable SIEM solution for centralizing and searching log data from a large number of network …
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MSSP Review

8 out of 10
October 04, 2021
AlienVault offers a different experience as opposed to other SIEM tools where it can be set up and configured properly in a shorter amount …
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Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 7 features
  • Centralized event and log data collection (8)
    8.5
    85%
  • Correlation (8)
    8.5
    85%
  • Event and log normalization/management (8)
    8.0
    80%
  • Custom dashboards and workspaces (8)
    7.0
    70%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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Essentials

$1,075

Cloud
per month

Standard

$1,695

Cloud
per month

Premium

$2,595

Cloud
per month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • Setup fee optional
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.alienvault.com/products/pri…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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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

8
Avg 7.8
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Product Details

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, including SIEM, intrusion detection, vulnerability management, as well as continuous threat intelligence updates. The vendor states that even for resource-limited IT security teams, AlienVault USM can be affordable, fast to deploy, and easy to use. It eliminates the need to deploy, integrate, and maintain multiple point solutions in the data center.

Smart, automated data collection & analysis: USM Anywhere automatically collects and analyzes data across the attack surface, helping to quickly gain centralized security visibility without the complexity of multiple disparate security technologies.

Automated threat detection powered by AT&T Alien Labs: With threat intelligence provided by AT&T Alien Labs, USM Anywhere is updated automatically to stay on top of evolving and emerging threats, so the security team can focus on responding to alerts.

Incident response orchestration with AlienApps: USM Anywhere supports a growing ecosystem of AlienApps, enabling the user to orchestrate and automate actions towards other security technologies, able to respond to incidents quickly and easily.

AlienVault USM Features

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Features

  • Supported: Centralized event and log data collection
  • Supported: Correlation
  • Supported: Event and log normalization/management
  • Supported: Deployment flexibility
  • Supported: Integration with Identity and Access Management Tools
  • Supported: Custom dashboards and workspaces
  • Supported: Host and network-based intrusion detection

Additional Features

  • Supported: AlienVault Open Threat Exchange

AlienVault USM Screenshots

Screenshot of USM Anywhere NIDS Dashboard

AlienVault USM Videos

AlienVault USM Competitors

AlienVault USM Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo
Supported CountriesGlobal

Frequently Asked Questions

Splunk Cloud and Fortinet on IBM Cloud are common alternatives for AlienVault USM.

Reviewers rate Deployment flexibility highest, with a score of 8.6.

The most common users of AlienVault USM are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(735)

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!

Users have found AlienVault USM to be a valuable SIEM solution for centralizing and searching log data from a large number of network attached devices. This platform is being used for various use cases such as vulnerability management, scanning, malware detection, and monitoring malicious network traffic. It is considered a good SIEM solution for organizations new to security operational logging or those with a smaller staff and budget. The product has been praised for its integrated feature sets, including HIDS, NIDS, FIM, and security alerting capabilities. The inclusion of features like vulnerability scanning and file integrity monitoring has extended its value for organizations in the early stages of cybersecurity program development. Many users have experienced real-time alerts, enabling them to respond to security incidents and compromised passwords more quickly. Furthermore, AlienVault is used for a range of functions such as SIEM, vulnerability scanning, asset discovery, and investigations. It provides organizations with a centralized log collection site, allowing them to monitor and address new problems more effectively. The platform has been effective in helping organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements and improve SOC operations. Additionally, AlienVault is used to analyze network traffic, Windows Event Logs, and other security events, helping organizations improve network security and protect their customers. It solves security challenges related to device and software visibility, monitoring for anomalous events, and ensuring patch management. Users appreciate the simplicity of deployment and the robustness of the interface. The support team is highly responsive and knowledgeable.

AlienVault USM Anywhere is used by organizations to easily identify security incidents happening across their infrastructure and comply with PCI-DSS compliance requirements. MSSPs utilize AlienVault USM Anywhere to provide their customers with best-in-class threat monitoring and response services. It is also used to monitor cloud environments, scanning and alerting for any known vulnerabilities or activity on servers. AlienVault helps organizations with auditing purposes by monitoring cloud permissions and changes to security. Additionally, it is deployed to customers for monitoring and is used by NSOCs to monitor their networks. AlienVault has been implemented across organizations, covering server assets and providing granular logging on systems and networks. It helps in raising alarms/alerts and mitigating network-related activities. AlienVault collects and alerts on network and system activity across the entire organization, making it easy to filter for important data. The product centralizes log data and helps perform vulnerability analysis and threat detection. It assists in security patching and monitoring within AWS environments. Users appreciate the ease of use and configuration of the cloud-based panel. AlienVault is implemented and managed for clients as a recommended SIEM solution, collecting and normalizing logs from various data sources. It is used throughout organizations to gain insight into network and server events, manage and correlate logs, and recognize anomalous activity. Users have been able to set up alerts for specific events and policies, effectively managing systems and alerts in place, monitoring multiple client environments, and identifying issues that clients may have missed.

AlienVault USM Anywhere is praised for its cost-effectiveness compared to other SIEM solutions on the market. Users appreciate its threat intelligence capabilities, ease of use, user-friendly interface, and simplicity of deployment. The built-in correlation rules require minimal setup and provide high-quality results. Asset management and scanning features help users stay on top of monitoring assets, including dynamic and static asset lists. The integration of OTX into USM Anywhere allows for up-to-date threat intelligence and pulse subscriptions.

The software plays a crucial role in monitoring and alerting when anomalies occur, aiding in threat detection, compliance management, log collection, and vulnerability scanning. It helps organizations stay up to speed on new vulnerabilities and supports agile business initiatives by aiding analysts in identifying cyber threats and providing access to threat cross-referencing data. AlienVault USM Anywhere is deployed to monitor AWS cloud environments, attain compliance, identify threats, and facilitate auditing of non-emergency configuration changes and vulnerability monitoring.

Overall, AlienVault USM Anywhere provides centralized security monitoring, incident response capabilities, compliance reporting features, vulnerability assessment tools, real-time SIEM functionality, as well as asset discovery and user activity monitoring capabilities. It has been widely adopted across various industries for enhancing security posture and gaining comprehensive visibility into network activities.

Based on user recommendations, AlienVault USM receives the following common recommendations:

  1. AlienVault USM is recommended for cost-conscious companies and small to medium businesses due to its affordability and effectiveness. Users find it to be a great tool for analyzing and reacting to threats, offering excellent value for the price.

  2. Users suggest exploring alternative SIEM choices and discussing functionality and configuration requirements. Logrhythm is mentioned as a possible alternate SIEM choice, especially for high-end functionality needs. It is advised to compare features and select the SIEM system that offers the best cost for desired features.

  3. To maximize the experience with AlienVault USM, users recommend taking advantage of training opportunities provided by AlienVault. Joining official training sessions allows users to learn best practices from other users and gain comprehensive knowledge of the product. Users also recommend utilizing forums, support, webinars, and videos offered by AlienVault to enhance understanding and achieve optimal results.

Overall, AlienVault USM is regarded as a cost-effective solution suitable for organizations with data privacy and security priorities. The product's flexibility, community-created intelligence, and continual improvement are also highlighted by users. While some mention areas for improvement, such as support stability and module quality, the general consensus is that AlienVault USM delivers reliable security enhancements and cost savings.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 390)
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Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Asset discovery.
  • Real-time threat detection.
  • Centralized log management.
  • Provides actionable insights into emerging threats.
  • Intrusion detection.
  • Enhancing user interface intuitiveness.
  • Granular customization options for alerts and reporting.
  • Integration with third-party tools and expanding support for emerging threat intelligence sources would be beneficial since the alien app only supports a few.
October 04, 2021

MSSP Review

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • Threat intelligence look-ups
  • Asset management
  • Vulnerability scanning
  • Better UI/workflow for alarms
  • Better alarm management (add notes/set status)
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • UX/UI responsive and easy to navigate.
  • Covers wide variety of systems and devices.
  • Ease of getting sensors up and running.
  • More simplified dashboards would help not overwhelm new users.
  • Use more industry-standard terms for items.
  • Tech support that actually reads your questions prior to replying with canned responses.
  • Update their KBs to reflect real-world scenarios. We've ran across several places where NxLog's settings in the KB were incorrect and support had no idea, kept telling us that we were wrong despite demonstrating to them the correct settings.
Thomas Young | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • AlienVault makes following real-time threats very simple with its graphics interface.
  • AlienVault is also easy to work with, and customer support is great.
  • AlienVault works mainly automatically, which makes using it easy. If it required too much effort, the software tool would be replaced.
  • The logs of AlientVault are harder to read through than other logs.
  • Support is good, but not great.
  • Resources for using the product could be made easier to search and understand.
Score 4 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Log collection
  • Users cannot share views across an organization.
  • Views and reports could be more interchangeable.
  • Descriptions of events are based upon each individual asset reporting and not a general grouping of events according to any framework or standards. This makes it difficult for the administrator/user as they would need to know each and every asset and their respective event descriptions.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Deployment is straight forward
  • AlienVault USM forensic and response app is great. You can create rules to shut down, disable networking, etc. automatically if Windows becomes infected.
  • AlienVault allows seamless integration with third-party products like Cisco, Office365 etc.
  • A lot of false-positive alarms
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Extremely customizable and versatile product.
  • Useful dashboard and UI is easy to navigate.
  • Log plugins parse logs from a variety of sources into a readable format
  • AlienApps provide out-of-the-box integration with other solutions.
  • The product requires a considerable amount of time to set up.
  • Setting up log filters in order to prevent USM from quickly running out of space is very time-consuming.
  • The product will stop working if the logs run out of space. There is no way to set retention rules to automatically clean up old logs.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Identifies possible spurious identify (Windows AD) changes and manipulation.
  • Identifies installation of possible malware.
  • Analyzed all activities and filters for only those with a potential negative security impact.
  • Closing an Investigation does not close the attached alarms.
  • Vulnerability Scanning interfaces/process is complicated to use.
  • Vulnerability Scanning allows far too many assets to be specified at once, resulting in timeouts and ambiguous results.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Consolidation of logs from various sources.
  • Alerting on particular activities.
  • Alerting on anomalous activities.
  • Time consuming implementation that requires professional services.
  • Pricing model based on the amount of data can be expensive.
  • Training for the product is available, but at additional expense.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • Ease of deployment and quick to get operating.
  • Wide range of plugins and log receivers to ingest logs from many sources.
  • Simple interface and dashboard makes daily operation quick and easy.
  • Custom notification templates can be limited - it is not easy to get custom email alert content for example.
  • Some network configuration on premise is needed to take full advantage of NIDS (port/traffic mirroring for example).
  • Vulnerability scanning and reporting can be a bit sparse if you are used to the likes of Nessus.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Log Correlation: The engineers at Alienvault/AT&T Cybersecurity have included a great integrated rule set (which continues to grow) to save analysts time on combing through logs and instead executing threat hunts, investigations, and remedial activities.
  • Single pane-of-glass for all security activities from the convenience and efficiency of a SaaS web console, being that USM has deep integrations with over a dozen major software platforms (Office 365, GSuite, ZScaler, Box, etc.) and what they call plugins which interpret log and SIEM data from hundreds of vendors and platforms like Meraki, CrowdStrike, Aruba switches and AP's, etc.
  • Great value! You can pay the same or more for other big name SIEM vendors that offer less features than this platform. Plus, even if you begin ingesting too much log data, you can filter specifics types of logs (for example, ones that have no impact to security) to bring data ingestion in line with your subscription level. The onboarding team did a great job in right-sizing our subscription plan, so this hasn't been a problem.
  • Vulnerability scanning is currently done by authentication into the host over the network, even when the AlienVault USM agent is installed on an endpoint. It would be nice to have near-real-time vulnerability information provided via the agents. This would also delete the need for specially-configured remote-access admin service accounts on endpoints, which is just another account that has to be administered, namely password management and auditing for potential abuse and compromise.
  • Endpoint agent support for ARM architecture is just starting to get going -- wide availability across Linux and MS Windows/Server platforms won't be available until possibly circa mid-2021. Fortunately, at least general asset scan info, authenticated vulnerability scans, etc. still provide a good deal of security inspection into these devices.
  • Making some UI settings persist across logins on the web console is still lacking. Would also be nice to change a "detailed view" to icons/thumbnails/tiles. UI is very efficient in some aspects but frustrating in others.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • The system is intuitive and easy to navigate.
  • Integration with key services like AWS and other cloud applications is crucial.
  • Links to MITRE, root cause, and remediation recommendations is also a very nice feature.
  • Difficult to configure for initial set up.
  • Key features like alarms for brute force attacks or malware should be automatic instead of needing to be created and configured.
  • Remediation should be taken one step further past recommendations to actual solutions able to be purchased or assisted by AlienVault.
Angel Meza | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Great documentation.
  • Overall good support.
  • Nice UI.
  • UI can be wonky at times.
  • Log search from the SIEM UI is quite troublesome as every filter applied performs the search again.
  • Some features can stop working seemingly out of nowhere, requiring contacting support.
Arther Magaya | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • Authenticated vulnerability assessment
  • Authenticated asset discovery
  • Incident response
  • Log correlation
  • Ability to do an external vulnerability assessment.
  • User training awareness through the console for administrators to educate users.
  • Allow more remediation options for administrators to endusers.
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