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ACF2 vs Imperva Data Security Fabric comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 22, 2026

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

ACF2
Ranking in Database Security
13th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Mainframe Security (4th)
Imperva Data Security Fabric
Ranking in Database Security
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
65
Ranking in other categories
Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) (11th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Database Security category, the mindshare of ACF2 is 1.8%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Imperva Data Security Fabric is 24.8%, down from 31.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database Security Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Imperva Data Security Fabric24.8%
ACF21.8%
Other73.4%
Database Security
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer1077621 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Examiner at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
A reliable, scalable product for security and auditing of our mainframe environment
It is a good product. It has been used for years. As long as it is configured correctly, it is a very stable product. It depends on how an institution or a company configures it. It depends on an institution's risk appetite. You need to make sure it is configured as per the concept of least privilege, and the logging features, detection and control mechanism, and other things like that are enabled. If you configure it to give access to the public, then there could be compromises. You should also have someone who independently checks it to make sure that it is configured keeping security in mind. If it has been configured for a while, when there are enhancements to the product or when you enhance it, you need to make sure that security is also looked at, and it is configured according to an institution's security policies. I would rate it a nine out of 10.
GO
Group Head of Information Security at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Automated monitoring and real-time alerts improve security incident response and compliance tasks while customizable controls need enhancements
The Imperva SecureSphere Database Security offers excellent functionalities, with numerous best features from my perspective.The simplicity of Imperva SecureSphere Database Security comes out of the box. I have utilized the detailed audit logs feature in the Imperva SecureSphere Database Security, and it has proven to be highly effective. The Imperva SecureSphere Database Security has significantly aided my organization in forensic investigations and compliance audits. The real-time alerts and remediation actions available in Imperva SecureSphere Database Security have helped me promptly address security incidents. Their customizable security controls in Imperva SecureSphere Database Security have tailored the protection level for my organization's specific needs. The automated monitoring and reporting features of the Imperva SecureSphere Database Security have contributed to simplifying compliance with regulatory standards for my organization.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We use this tool to quickly assign privileges to different users as soon as they come in."
"By providing a high level of access control to the z/OS systems, ACF2 allows us to maintain tight controls on dataset and system access and helps us keep unauthorized users from accessing PHI or PII data."
"Logging and monitoring are most valuable. It is for the mainframe environment, and it is at the forefront for security and resilience."
"It is a good product."
"Without the product, extracting this information may take us as much as several days; instead, we can get it in real time."
"I am deeply impressed with the quality and depth and breadth of security and functionality in CA’s ACF2 and Top Secret products."
"I love their support. The support is great. They are number one."
"Excellent real-time reporting that saves time and resources."
"Ability to send event monitoring and administrative activities."
"We use it to prevent threats to the database."
"The tool happens to be very intelligent when it comes to processing policies and sounding alerts, allowing us to implement policies and measure actions against them, raising alerts accordingly."
"The best feature of this solution is the integration between components, and it has a lot of different components that cover the needs of our customers."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the database security policy."
"The performance of the solution is good."
"It is very effective, and we are using four main features. The first feature is cluster management, which allows me to redirect an agent to another gateway if one goes down."
"The most valuable feature is the Data Masking."
 

Cons

"The user access review could also be improved. It produces a lot of false positives."
"They can work on its ability to work in a distributed environment."
"It needs longer rules. The max rule is 32K."
"Initial setup could be complex if you rely on contractors to help with implementation."
"It needs longer rules. The max rule is 32K."
"They can work on its ability to work in a distributed environment. It's a mainframe product. As many companies move to the cloud, depending on what cloud models they choose, such as a public, hybrid, or private cloud, it should be deployable. I am not sure if it can be deployed on those platforms. It has been there since the '50s or '60s, and it's still scalable. It has survived all these years, and it's scalable to many platforms, but I don't know about the cloud."
"I would like my team and me to be able to use simple browsers, like Chrome, to be able to access mainframe data and provision users using the browser.​"
"I would like my team and me to be able to use simple browsers, like Chrome, to be able to access mainframe data and provision users using the browser."
"The solution needs local support."
"The deployment is not easy."
"Most of the feedback I receive relates to clients wanting to see an improvement in the reporting. They like the ability and functionality of the solution but they feel the reporting is lacking."
"Integration with other databases or third-party products would be useful."
"Due to restrictions because of sanctions in Iran, we do not have support for this solution."
"The professional services and customer training aspect needs to be improved."
"I would like to see more parameters configurable for the kernel reverse proxy."
"The stability and the ease of use of this product can be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"There is an annual licensing fee for upgrading the device."
"The pricing over-all depends on the entry level. For example, if support and maintenance are about $20,000 - $25,000, the initial cost can be five times more. It is less expensive for the company to maintain the client than to make the deployment."
"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis, and it is a good value for the money."
"This is an expensive solution and the price should be reduced."
"The pricing is reasonably good in South Africa."
"It is quite expensive. We wanted it in my former organization, but the price was very high. So, we couldn't purchase it. I moved to a different organization, and this organization has purchased it."
"The setup and license are quite expensive."
"Imperva SecureSphere Database Security was quite expensive several years ago, but now they provide a subscription plan for licensing. It is available now for smaller and medium-sized companies, not only large enterprises."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Manufacturing Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Retailer
7%
Financial Services Firm
21%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Insurance Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise4
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business28
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise32
 

Questions from the Community

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How does IBM Guardium Data Protection compare with Imperva SecureSphere Database Security?
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Also Known As

CA ACF2
Imperva SecureSphere Database Security, jSonar, Imperva's Data Security Posture Management
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Sky, Rogers Communications
BlueCross BlueShield, eHarmony, EMF Broadcasting, GE Healthcare, Metro Bank, The Motley Fool, Siemens
Find out what your peers are saying about ACF2 vs. Imperva Data Security Fabric and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
894,738 professionals have used our research since 2012.