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AlienVault OSSIM vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security comparison

AT&T and IBM are both solutions in the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) category. AT&T is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.3, while IBM is ranked #58. AT&T holds a 3.2% mindshare in SIEM, compared to IBM’s 0.3% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of AT&T users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IBM users who would recommend it.
AlienVault OSSIM
Read 31 AlienVault OSSIM reviews
  • 5,143 Views
  • 5,040 Comparison Views
80% willing to recommend
IBM Watson for Cyber Security
Read 4 IBM Watson for Cyber Security reviews
  • 452 Views
  • 425 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Sep 18, 2024

IBM Watson for Cyber Security and AlienVault OSSIM compete in the cybersecurity market. IBM Watson appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced analytics and threat intelligence, whereas AlienVault OSSIM is favored for its comprehensive integration of open-source security tools.

Features: IBM Watson is renowned for its AI capabilities, high threat detection accuracy, and sophisticated analytics. AlienVault OSSIM integrates multiple open-source security tools, offers a robust overall security solution, and provides broad toolset integration.

Room for Improvement: Users of IBM Watson seek more streamlined AI algorithms, reduced deployment complexity, and better user interface. AlienVault OSSIM users want enhanced reporting features, improved scalability, and more intuitive user interface.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Watson is noted for its challenging deployment process but receives positive feedback for its customer service. AlienVault OSSIM offers a relatively simpler deployment experience but has mixed reviews about customer support.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Watson involves higher initial setup costs but offers strong ROI due to advanced capabilities. AlienVault OSSIM has a more budget-friendly setup cost and delivers good ROI through its comprehensive security features.

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To learn more, read our detailed AlienVault OSSIM vs. IBM Watson for Cyber Security Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
AlienVault OSSIM vs. IBM Watson for Cyber Security
July 2025
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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

AlienVault OSSIM
Ranking in Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
11th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM Watson for Cyber Security
Ranking in Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
58th
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) category, the mindshare of AlienVault OSSIM is 3.2%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Watson for Cyber Security is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
 

Featured Reviews

HarshBhardiya - PeerSpot reviewer
An open-source solution that provide good detection and more visibility
The solution is not scalable. It impacts so hard. In the initial stages, AlienVault OSSIM can be suitable for small environments. There may be limitations if the customer expresses a desire to expand and add more devices. In such cases, we would need to either explore additional solutions or work within the constraints of the existing setup. We have set up alerts and configured everything in AlienVault OSSIM. It actively monitors for any security incidents. It provides us with regular updates and notifications about any ongoing activities. Only one person is using the solution. It is the perfect solution for small businesses. I rate the solution’s scalability a three out of ten.
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Elena Stefanovska - PeerSpot reviewer
Knowledgeable support, reliable, and useful compliance policies
IBM Watson for Cyber Security can be deployed on-premise or in the cloud and it is used as a SIEM solution The most valuable features of IBM Watson for Cyber Security are ease of use and out-of-the-box reports and compliance policies. Additionally, if there are aspects that are missing IBM add…
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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The threat policies of the solution are always very advanced and the best in the market. They are very persistent in terms of keeping up with security protocols."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"The initial setup was straightforward. I didn't have any problems."
"You can customize the dashboards as well as the reporting."
"AlienVault OSSIM's GUI is very user-friendly."
"The tool's security detection is good. It helps us with login tracking and generating reports. We aim to identify potential issues, such as brute-force attacks on user accounts or server-level anomalies. For instance, if I receive a report indicating a server is at an abnormal level, I investigate and address the issue."
"The open vault component and the checking of vulnerabilities are the most valuable features. The page management helps with this. If you know how your device is vulnerable at least you can do something about it."
"Network traffic analysis is highly efficient."
More AlienVault OSSIM pros
"IBM Watson for Cyber Security is very stable."
"The customer support is very good."
"The most valuable feature of this product is innovation, where the research and upgrading of technology never ends."
"The most valuable features of IBM Watson for Cyber Security are ease of use and out-of-the-box reports and compliance policies. Additionally, if there are aspects that are missing IBM add them in the next release."
 

Cons

"The solution needs more integration with cyber intelligence systems."
"AlienVault OSSIM should improve the deployment and make it unified like the USM."
"I would like the solution to be able to integrate with my firewall, my IDS and my Honeypot solutions so that it can provide real-time reporting as things occur and then have alert sent to me on my phone when suspicious activity is happening."
"There needs to be more support or some kind of training program so users can self-learn the system more effectively."
"The main area where the AlienVault product was lacking around the 2018 timeframe was in its ability to scale."
"AlienVault OSSIM is costly."
"AlienVault OSSIM gives unwanted notifications."
"The documentation could be improved."
More AlienVault OSSIM cons
"In the future, I would like to see threat intelligence included."
"This is an expensive product, so making it more cost-effective would be an improvement."
"They need to continue to build the AI capabilities."
"The dashboard could improve in IBM Watson for Cyber Security."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"OSSIM is free."
"The licensing fees for the non-community edition are paid on an annual basis, and there are no costs in addition to this."
"When comparing AlienVault OSSIM to Microsoft Sentinel, AlienVault OSSIM incurs additional costs due to its licensing price structure. If you are using AlienVault for security purposes at a certain level it can have a higher price point than the current pricing of Microsoft Sentinel."
"OSSIM is open source, and USM is the paid license. So, if you want, you can switch to USM. There you will have to buy a license, and they have a support team that helps you out on issues you face."
"We are using the community version, which can be used for free."
"The tool's licensing costs are yearly."
"The price of AlienVault OSSIM is too high sometimes for us to present to our customers. The price should be lower. We are on a three-year license to use the solution. We had to pay extra for the support."
"AlienVault pricing is the best. Whatever cost you are paying, you are getting a return on every penny... It's not like your IBM, your QRadar, or Splunk, where the cost is too high."
More AlienVault OSSIM pricing and cost advice
"The price of this solution should be lower, although I understand why IBM charges a premium price."
"IBM Watson for Cyber Security is very simple to license and is priced well."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
15%
Comms Service Provider
11%
University
8%
Educational Organization
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about AlienVault OSSIM?
Asset discovery is good.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for AlienVault OSSIM?
It depends. I would need to review their cost models, but generally, they are on a scaled basis based on throughput usage. Because it's a software as a service solution for their core product for U...
See all answers
What needs improvement with AlienVault OSSIM?
Scaling for USM is always challenging for any product unless it is purpose-built or overbuilt at the front end. They will use Palo Alto and its competitors, and LevelBlue will manage that implement...
See all answers
Ask a question
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Comparisons

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Compared 71% of the time
USM Anywhere vs AlienVault OSSIM Logo
USM Anywhere vs AlienVault OSSIM
Compared 6% of the time
Venusense USM vs AlienVault OSSIM Logo
Venusense USM vs AlienVault OSSIM
Compared 4% of the time
Elastic Security vs AlienVault OSSIM Logo
Elastic Security vs AlienVault OSSIM
Compared 4% of the time
Splunk Enterprise Security vs AlienVault OSSIM Logo
Splunk Enterprise Security vs AlienVault OSSIM
Compared 4% of the time
More AlienVault OSSIM Competitors
IBM Security QRadar vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security Logo
IBM Security QRadar vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security
Compared 47% of the time
Logsign Next-Gen SIEM vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security Logo
Logsign Next-Gen SIEM vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security
Compared 26% of the time
Splunk Enterprise Security vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security Logo
Splunk Enterprise Security vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security
Compared 16% of the time
AWS Security Hub vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security Logo
AWS Security Hub vs IBM Watson for Cyber Security
Compared 11% of the time
More IBM Watson for Cyber Security Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
AlienVault OSSIM
August 2025
AlienVault OSSIM reportDownload AlienVault OSSIM product report
Buyer's Guide
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
August 2025
IBM Watson for Cyber Security reportDownload IBM Watson for Cyber Security product report
 

Also Known As

OSSIM
No data available
 

Overview

AlienVault OSSIM, Open Source Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), provides you with a feature-rich open source SIEM complete with event collection, normalization and correlation. Launched by security engineers because of the lack of available open source products, AlienVault OSSIM was created specifically to address the reality many security professionals face: A SIEM, whether it is open source or commercial, is virtually useless without the basic security controls necessary for security visibility.

AT&T
Watson for cyber security can draw security intelligence from millions of security blogs, online forums and white papers - so you can see threats unseen by other systems.
IBM
 

Sample Customers

Council Rock School District
Information Not Available
Buyer's Guide
AlienVault OSSIM vs. IBM Watson for Cyber Security
July 2025
Free Report: AlienVault OSSIM vs. IBM Watson for Cyber Security
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We monitor all Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.