Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks and Microsoft Defender XDR compete in the endpoint security category. Microsoft Defender XDR seems to have an upper hand due to its seamless integration within Microsoft's ecosystem and extensive visibility into threats.
Features: Cortex XDR offers advanced detection capabilities, machine learning and AI features, and end-to-end protection. It provides extensive customization for users, enhancing security management flexibility. Microsoft Defender XDR boasts extensive integration with Microsoft products like Azure and Office 365, enhancing threat visibility. It includes built-in threat intelligence and strong protection for email traffic.
Room for Improvement: Cortex XDR users report concerns about false positives and wish for enhanced reporting tools and more on-premises deployment options. They also seek better integration with third-party solutions. Microsoft Defender XDR users express frustration with complex licensing and desire a more intuitive interface. There's also room for improved integration with non-Microsoft environments and more detailed industry-specific threat intelligence.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cortex XDR is mainly deployed in public cloud environments, with some private and hybrid cloud use. User experiences with technical support vary, with some noting issues in reaching experts. Microsoft Defender XDR predominantly uses public cloud deployment and supports hybrid cloud solutions. Users find technical support responsive, though there are ticket handling issues reported. Both products offer robust deployment options but could improve their setup processes.
Pricing and ROI: Cortex XDR is perceived as expensive compared to competitors like CrowdStrike and Sophos, but its feature set offers a sound ROI through security savings and efficiencies. Microsoft Defender XDR, though often seen as pricier, provides cost-effective licensing when bundled with Microsoft 365, offering wide-ranging security features justifying the cost for many users. Both products promise significant ROI, mainly by reducing breach risks and the necessity for multiple security solutions.
They appreciate the rich telemetry data from the solution, as it provides in-depth threat identification.
Ever since we turned on the M5 feature set back in June, we have seen a reduced number of potentially malicious clicks and faster alerting when incidents occur.
Previously, identifying and containing threats took a long time, but now, with Microsoft Defender XDR, it takes just a few minutes.
The biggest return on investment for us is that by being on the platform, we can sunset many legacy tools.
Every vendor has similar support; it depends on how the case is handled and raised.
Their support is efficient and responsive whenever I raise a ticket through my portal.
You get stuck in low-level support for way longer than you should, instead of them escalating the issue up the chain.
It's critical to escalate SEV B issues immediately to a domestic engineer.
Once issues are escalated to the second or third layer, the support is much better.
Microsoft Defender XDR shows tremendous scalability, much more so than on-premises solutions.
It is suitable for enterprise-level deployment but has room for improvement.
Cortex XDR is stable, offering high quality and reliable performance.
The service has remained consistently online, with any issues isolated to specific components, suggesting a well-designed and modular architecture.
The services within our ecosystem have been reliable, meeting their SLAs.
The inclusion of this feature would allow the application of DLP policies alongside antivirus policies via a single agent and console, making it more competitive as other OEMs often offer DLP solutions as part of their antivirus products.
Cortex XDR could improve its sales support team, including better commission structures and referral programs.
The licensing process needs improvement and clarification.
Improvements are needed in automated response capabilities.
Some inconsistencies exist between blades, which could be improved for a more seamless user and UI experience.
Cortex XDR is perceived as expensive by some customers, yet offers dynamic pricing.
Compared to competitors such as CrowdStrike and Sophos, the pricing of Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is similar to CrowdStrike but more expensive than Sophos.
There are certainly savings when using Microsoft Defender XDR, which can range from 30%, 40%, and even up to 50%.
I would rate the pricing as eight out of ten, indicating it is a reasonable cost for the product.
Microsoft purposefully obfuscates this through marketing ploys to hide costs.
It incorporates AI for normal behavior detection, distinguishing unusual operations.
The product provides automation responses in case of a threat attack, severity assessments, centralized manageability, and comprehensive compliance features, resulting in reduced costs.
With Microsoft threat intelligence information, it detects various types of threats, including insider attacks, malicious content, and data exfiltration.
This allows us to secure our systems in advance and proactively improve security, rather than waiting for incidents to occur.
It's because endpoint management is my primary focus, and this feature integrates well with my other skills.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks delivers comprehensive endpoint security, integrating well with other systems to offer robust threat detection and real-time protection through AI-driven analytics.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks offers advanced endpoint protection and threat detection through AI and behavior-based analytics. Its user-friendly design simplifies integration with firewalls, delivering multi-layered protection with low resource consumption. Valued for policy management, USB control, and incident correlation, Cortex XDR enhances threat management and real-time threat hunting capabilities. However, users note challenges with third-party integration, reporting, and dashboard automation. Agent performance across operating systems and memory consumption are areas for improvement, alongside reducing false positives and simplifying endpoint management and setup.
What features does Cortex XDR offer?Cortex XDR is crucial in industries requiring robust endpoint protection, such as finance, healthcare, and technology. It supports malware detection, behavioral analysis, and ransomware mitigation across endpoints, including remote work environments, providing comprehensive threat visibility and security policy management. The solution's integration with firewalls and specialized industry requirements enhances security posture in diverse operational settings.
Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect against threats in the Microsoft 365 environment.
It offers robust security measures, comprehensive threat detection capabilities, and an efficient incident response system. With seamless integration with other Microsoft products and a user-friendly interface, it simplifies security management tasks.
Users have found it effective in detecting and preventing various types of attacks, such as phishing attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.
Watch the Microsoft demo video here: Microsoft Defender XDR demo video.
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