Sentinel Reviews

Name: Sentinel
Brand: OpenText
Rating: 3.8 (17 reviews)

3.8 out of 5

17 reviews
82% willing to recommend

What is Sentinel?

Sentinel is a full-featured Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution that simplifies the deployment, management and day-to-day use of SIEM, readily adapts to dynamic enterprise environments and delivers the true "actionable intelligence" security professionals need to quickly understand their threat posture and prioritize response.

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Sentinel is the #13 ranked solution in top Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions. PeerSpot users give Sentinel an average rating of 7.6 out of 10. Sentinel is most commonly compared to CrowdStrike Falcon: Sentinel vs CrowdStrike Falcon. Sentinel is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 54% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 13% of all views.

Helped 865,829 peers since 2012

Featured Sentinel reviews

Simon Johnston

Manager, Customer Success at Coltek Business Soltuions

I don't really have experience working with these solutions. I promote them for our clients, but I don't work with them. I can't share my experience with these tools as I make assumptions about that. For both Adlumin and CrowdStrike, both confirm that they're scalable and enterprise-ready and all those kinds of things. We haven't had any specific problem with either of those. We just have a preference for which one we would prefer. If somebody says they want to use a different one from the one that we prefer, then we have to find reasons why they aren't. But scalability is not one of the reasons that one is better over the other. I don't really have advice for people that are looking into using Sentinel; just do your research across what is available. On a scale of one to ten, I rate Sentinel a seven.

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JaideepSingh

Technology Specialist at a government with 51-200 employees

Sentinel gave us logs to tell us what's going right and wrong in your environment so we could secure the network. We also got multiple kinds of logs. By running some queries from the logs, we could find and fix the anomalies in the environment. Sentinel's threat visibility was great at telling us if we had something going on in our environment. We had to set up alerts in our environment based on the logs. If we had the right alerts set up, we got notified about threats and where security was lacking, so we could also take care of that. Sentinel's threat intelligence helped us prepare and take proactive steps for potential threats before they hit. Having preparation before a threat has helped our security operations. When I was using it, I used to keep going into my dashboards and looking for any threats on a weekly basis, or maybe two or three times a week. Based on that, we would recommend certain changes to the server and infrastructure teams to block or allow some ports. Sentinel's threat intelligence helped plan security against risks.

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reviewer2543502

Security Engineer at PhonePe

If I compare it with traditional SIEMs, it is much better because traditional SIEMs have their limitations and are more graphical user interface-based. The ability to do advanced hunting queries allows us to extract data in a more efficient way based on behavior in the organization or client network. The scope of querying, log retention, and investigating facts is much better with Sentinel.

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Sentinel mindshare

As of August 2025, the mindshare of Sentinel in the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) category stands at 3.6%, up from 2.1% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

PeerResearch reports based on Sentinel reviews

Type	Title	Date
Category	Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)	Aug 26, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Aug 26, 2025	Download
Comparison	Sentinel vs Splunk Enterprise Security	Aug 26, 2025	Download
Comparison	Sentinel vs Wazuh	Aug 26, 2025	Download
Comparison	Sentinel vs Microsoft Sentinel	Aug 26, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
CrowdStrike Falcon	4.3	4.7%	96%	132 interviews Add to research
Wazuh	3.7	11.8%	80%	48 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Sentinel users value its Correlation Engine for policy rule generation, business intelligence for tracking activities, streamlined integration, and automation features. Its scalability, intuitive web interface, and threat visibility enhance security operations. Advanced querying supports tailored responses to threats. Anomaly dashboards facilitate zero-day attack identification, while email alerts improve monitoring efficiency. The user-friendly GUI and native integration promote ease of use. Sentinel ensures smooth connections, leveraging cloud-based capabilities to enhance threat detection.

"In my opinion, Sentinel's best features include that it's a very easy product to use, it's very simple, and the after-sale service is very good."
"We can do advanced hunting queries and modify SQL queries to get desired results based on the rules triggering over the console."
"The solution lets us get all the logs properly and regularly monitor customer infrastructure."

Room for Improvement

Sentinel requires enhancements in its Correlation Engine, device support, and agent development flexibility. Users find the Java desktop app and WMI integration cumbersome, preferring full web-based management. Cloud connectivity needs expansion beyond Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. The platform's user interface and dashboards are criticized for lacking simplicity and flexibility. Extensive Unix scripting skills are needed, and documentation on security aspects is insufficient. Its integration with various cloud systems and customization options also demand improvement.

"Price is always a consideration, so the price would be nice if it were lower."
"There are still a few vendor-specific devices for which Sentinel needs to work on integration, such as Netskope devices."
"I rate Sentinel a six out of ten for scalability."

ROI

Sentinel ensures ROI by monitoring user behavior to forestall malicious activities, reducing extra security expenses. Integration features contribute to financial benefits. Clients generally experience favorable financial outcomes, frequently within a lease timeframe, often under three years. Calculating financial gains from antivirus services remains challenging since potential losses, if absent, aren't quantifiable.

Pricing

Sentinel is described as a subscription-based solution with pricing perceived as moderate to expensive, most suitable for large organizations. Licensing offers flexibility, occasionally providing discounts for long-term partners. Sentinel typically requires a support contract with NetIQ for maintenance, with upgrades available annually. Pricing is aligned with competitors, yet challenges arise with currency exchange for some users. Additional packages, like Sentinel Rapid Deployment, cater to specific needs but entail separate costs.

"Sentinel is moderately priced."
"Sentinel is a subscription-based solution."
"Sentinel's slightly on the expensive side."

Popular Use Cases

Sentinel is used for log collection, filtering, and security management. Its primary use includes investigating suspicious activities, such as unauthorized access or unusual behaviors, by integrating with systems like Active Directory. Users appreciate its simple interface and its role in monitoring security events and managing alarms. It serves as a hub for IT and security teams and supports integration with other tools, offering enhanced threat detection capabilities and advanced query modifications.

Service and Support

Sentinel customer service is generally well-received, although there are mixed feelings about support. Some appreciate the human touch and knowledgeable engineers, while others face challenges in obtaining timely help. Support staff's ability varies, with backend support seen as more effective. High priority cases receive quick attention, but less urgent issues can take longer. Access to a dedicated engineer with a support contract is beneficial. Experiences suggest inconsistent service levels across inquiries.

Deployment

Sentinel's initial setup experience varied among users. Some found it complex due to network variables and custom integrations, especially with Azure architecture, while others described it as straightforward or easy, particularly those familiar with Linux. Duration for deployment ranged from minutes to a few months, depending on familiarity and complexity. Virtual appliances and guided processes facilitated setup for some, and team sizes for management varied. Proper guidance made basic integrations simpler with well-known devices.

Scalability

Many users report Sentinel as highly scalable, especially when cloud-based and integrated with Identity Manager or User Application Portal. It scales efficiently up to 24,000 events per second; beyond that level, additional technologies like Hadoop can enhance scalability. Some face challenges due to technical expertise or specific requirements, but scalability is often rated positively. Enterprise businesses benefit from it, especially for large-scale operations. Due to pricing dynamics, it's popular among diverse sectors.

Stability

Sentinel is noted for being stable and reliable, with several users highlighting its strong performance and minimal downtime. Some mention needing more RAM, particularly with Java issues, and concerns over network changes requiring restarts. There are occasional regional outages related to updates, but users find the system robust. Many rate its stability highly, citing support for high event volumes without facing significant issues. Despite a few network-related challenges, Sentinel maintains a positive reputation for stability.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Sentinel Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Government

Retailer

Comms Service Provider

University

Insurance Company

Healthcare Company

Performing Arts

Hospitality Company

Wholesaler/Distributor

Media Company

Outsourcing Company

Construction Company

Educational Organization

Real Estate/Law Firm

Energy/Utilities Company

Non Profit

Consumer Goods Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Transportation Company

Legal Firm

Logistics Company

Marketing Services Firm

Non Tech Company

Aerospace/Defense Firm

Compare Sentinel with alternative products

Learn more about Sentinel

Sentinel was previously known as NetIQ Sentinel, Novell SIEM.

Sentinel customers

Faysal Bank, GaVI, Handelsbanken, ISC Mªnster, Lambeth Council, Swisscard, The Municipality of Siena, Tukes, University of Dayton, University of the Sunshine Coast