Cortex XSIAM vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management comparison

The compared Palo Alto Networks and Microsoft solutions aren't in the same category. Palo Alto Networks is ranked #14 in SIEM , with an average rating of 8.4, and holds a 2.4% mindshare in the category. Microsoft is ranked #14 in ASM , with an average rating of 7.5, and holds a 3.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Palo Alto Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Cortex XSIAM

Read 15 Cortex XSIAM reviews

7,605 Views
3,346 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Defender External...

Read 2 Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management reviews

1,123 Views
842 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cortex XSIAM

Microsoft Defender External...

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cortex XSIAM and Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Splunk, Wazuh, IBM and others in Security Information and Event Management (SIEM).

To learn more, read our detailed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

January 2026

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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

Cortex XSIAM

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (14th), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) (7th), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (8th)

Microsoft Defender External...

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Attack Surface Management (ASM) (14th), Microsoft Security Suite (33rd)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Security Software solutions, they serve different purposes. Cortex XSIAM is designed for Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and holds a mindshare of 2.4%, up 2.3% compared to last year.
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management, on the other hand, focuses on Attack Surface Management (ASM), holds 3.1% mindshare, up 2.6% since last year.

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cortex XSIAM	2.4%
Splunk Enterprise Security	7.4%
Wazuh	7.3%
Other	82.9%

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Attack Surface Management (ASM) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management	3.1%
CrowdStrike Falcon	7.9%
Darktrace	5.3%
Other	83.7%

Attack Surface Management (ASM)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2666148

Associate Director at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees

Integration challenges highlight the need for manual workflows

The standard integrations are very limited, and the integrations available are not listed in the marketplace. Obtaining validation for integrations from Palo Alto takes around eight months, which is quite long. The solution would benefit from having more standard playbooks and templates available, as in other partners. Currently, everything must be created from scratch. In terms of incident response automation, it is quite poor due to the lack of integration with all security tools, making manual intervention necessary.

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AndyChan3

General manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

Enhanced visibility and exposes vulnerabilities but needs more integration

I am currently in the pilot stage of implementing Microsoft External Attack Surface Management (EASM). My organization is transitioning to a comprehensive track of Microsoft solutions, and we will move to full-scale production in another year, maybe Microsoft External Attack Surface Management…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The automation capabilities significantly improve response times by allowing us to respond to incidents from a single dashboard rather than navigating multiple dashboards."

"One of the valued aspects of the product is its use of artificial intelligence to detect security vulnerabilities."

"The most valuable aspect is that Cortex XSIAM doesn't generate excessive alerts, refines all search results effectively, and filters out incidents where SOC intervention isn't necessary, allowing engineers to focus only on what matters."

"The most valuable feature is the integration capability."

"Its ability to deliver a substantial amount of security intelligence greatly enhances and optimizes our security operations program."

"The flexibility for creating manual workflows stands out."

"It operates on a single, extensive database which enables it to excel in detecting threats and anomalies across the network and endpoints, delivering a highly effective and comprehensive security solution."

"The flexibility for creating manual workflows stands out."

More Cortex XSIAM pros

"Microsoft External Attack Surface Management helps improve the visibility of my exposed vulnerabilities and provides an overview of my security posture across the globe."

"It seems to be better at protecting from cyberattacks."

Cons

"At the beginning, we experienced some difficulties setting up the product with connectivity and infrastructure, but ultimately it functioned really effectively."

"The solution’s pricing and technical support could be improved."

"Cortex could improve the detection and online resolution of security vulnerabilities."

"I would rate the overall stability a six or seven, as we have only used it for a few months and need a year of experience to provide a full assessment."

"Further integration capabilities with various other software products that can seamlessly tie into Cortex XSIAM would be advantageous."

"Cortex XSIAM needs improvements in terms of data onboarding, parsers, and third-party integration supports."

"The standard integrations are very limited, and the integrations available are not listed in the marketplace. Obtaining validation for integrations from Palo Alto takes around eight months, which is quite long."

"There is room for improvement in expanding integrations to include more cybersecurity solutions."

More Cortex XSIAM cons

"The integration is not as seamless compared to competitors like Palo Alto."

"With Microsoft, support is always crazy, it's not easy to get support."

"Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product cost could be considered value for money compared to other solutions in the market, though it is quite high."

"The solution comes at a significant cost."

"The solution is expensive compared to its competitors."

"Since Palo Alto is trying to get as many new customers as possible, they're offering very competitive pricing."

"In terms of pricing, we found Cortex XSIAM to offer a very reasonable and competitive rate."

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Government

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Outsourcing Company

Energy/Utilities Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	4

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cortex XSIAM?

I did not participate in pricing discussions for Cortex XSIAM solutions, so I cannot provide a review regarding prices for this solution.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cortex XSIAM?

Cortex XSIAM is on the expensive side and requires substantial improvement in pricing. There are other features that could be improved, including integration with vendors such as CyberArk. I would ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cortex XSIAM?

With Cortex XSIAM, we installed an agent on Active Directory on-premise. We connected our Firewalls to the Data Lake and the Active Directory, and protected the Firewalls with another authenticatio...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

I rate the pricing of the solution as eight out of ten.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement. Introduction of more AI automation into the products would also be beneficial. The integration is not as seamless co...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management?

See all answers

Comparisons

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR vs Cortex XSIAM

Compared 23% of the time

Microsoft Sentinel vs Cortex XSIAM

Compared 12% of the time

Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks vs Cortex XSIAM

Compared 8% of the time

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Cortex XSIAM

Compared 6% of the time

IBM Security QRadar vs Cortex XSIAM

Compared 6% of the time

More Cortex XSIAM Competitors

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

Compared 13% of the time

Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

Compared 9% of the time

Darktrace vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

Compared 8% of the time

Bitsight vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

Compared 8% of the time

UpGuard BreachSight vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management

Compared 4% of the time

More Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cortex XSIAM

January 2026

Download Cortex XSIAM product report

Buyer's Guide

Attack Surface Management (ASM)

January 2026

Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management report

Download Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management product report

Overview

Cortex XSIAM acts as a critical element for SOC foundations, integrating SIEM and EDR capabilities, valued for threat detection and seamless security orchestration with Palo Alto Networks products.

Organizations find Cortex XSIAM beneficial for SOC foundations due to its capability to integrate SIEM and EDR tools, facilitating data collection, detection, and response. It connects with third-party data sources while reducing management effort and offering cost-effective alternatives to competitors like CrowdStrike and Trend Micro. Featuring automation and integration with Palo Alto Networks products, Cortex XSIAM enhances threat detection. Unified architecture allows a comprehensive view of attacks, further supported by machine learning and integration with existing vendor solutions, ensuring that users gain insights without significant manual log analysis.

What are Cortex XSIAM's key features?

Security Orchestration: Streamlines processes across security operations.
Automation and Response: Efficient incident response management.
Detection Enrichment: Enhances identification of threats.
Centralized Endpoint Security: Comprehensive protection and monitoring of endpoints.
Forensic Investigation: Automated investigation to expedite threat analysis.

What benefits are evident in Cortex XSIAM reviews?

Cost-Effectiveness: Provides economical options compared to other market players.
Comprehensive Integration: Seamlessly integrates with multiple data sources and vendors.
Reduced Management Effort: Simplifies the administration of security operations.
Enhanced Threat Detection: Strengthens identification and remediation processes.

Industries implement Cortex XSIAM mainly in technology-driven sectors where centralized endpoint protection and automation of forensic investigation are paramount. By integrating several third-party systems for incident response, companies in competitive markets leverage its attributes for heightened operational security efficiency. However, users note areas for improvement, such as Attack Surface Management and integration enhancements, to better suit tech-heavy industries needing extensive connectivity with cybersecurity solutions.

Palo Alto Networks

In this era of hybrid work, shadow IT creates an increasingly serious security risk. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management helps cloud security teams see unknown and unmanaged resources outside the firewall.

Microsoft

Buyer's Guide

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

January 2026

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