Forescout Platform and Microsoft Defender XDR compete in the network security category. Forescout seems to have the upper hand in network flexibility, while Microsoft Defender XDR excels within the Microsoft ecosystem for threat detection.
Features: The Forescout Platform is notable for its network access control capabilities, comprehensive visibility into connected devices, and robust policy flexibility. Additionally, it manages both 802.1x and non-802.1x deployments effectively. Microsoft Defender XDR stands out for its tight integration with Microsoft products, providing a unified threat detection view. It also offers extensive EDR capabilities and seamless integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Room for Improvement: Forescout needs to enhance its third-party integration capabilities and improve its agent-based authentication models. Its technical support could be more proactive, and its debugging and reporting capabilities require enhancements. Microsoft Defender XDR could enhance threat visibility for non-Microsoft products and streamline its dashboards for greater usability. Its licensing complexity also needs clarification.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Forescout excels in on-premises deployment with robust technical support, though support quality may vary. Microsoft Defender XDR offers versatile cloud deployment options, aligning well with cloud-transition strategies. Its customer service is generally responsive, but some users find the support structure complex.
Pricing and ROI: Forescout Platform is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum with licensing based on device count. Its new flex licensing offers more flexibility, but costs remain significant. Microsoft Defender XDR, while also seen as expensive, benefits from its competitive pricing within bundled Microsoft offerings, providing added value where Microsoft products are prevalent.
We can quarantine and isolate a device within minutes.
Microsoft Defender XDR has saved me at least 50% of my time.
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.
We have had experience with their technical support and must pay additionally for maintenance, support, and regional service.
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.
Scalability can be costly since a physical box needs to be installed for every site.
Microsoft Defender XDR shows tremendous scalability, much more so than on-premises solutions.
Microsoft Defender XDR scales pretty well.
It is suitable for enterprise-level deployment but has room for improvement.
I would rate its stability as 9.5 out of ten.
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.
It provides high-fidelity signals.
Forescout Platform could enhance its integration of AI to improve IoT and OT device security to better meet our needs.
The console is a fat client, and a web interface would be preferable.
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.
Installing a physical box on each site can be expensive.
The overall pricing of Forescout Platform is reasonable for the functionality it provides.
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.
One of the most valuable features of Forescout Platform is its automation, particularly the ability to automate remediation of rogue devices on the network.
The most effective feature has been network access management, which has been crucial for our primary use cases in the organization.
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.
Once we have it on the security dashboard, we can see a real-time storyline.
Forescout Platform provides today’s busy enterprise organizations with policy and protocol management, workflow coordination, streamlining, and complete device and infrastructure visibility to improve overall network security. The solution also provides concise real-time intelligence of all devices and users on the network. Policy and protocols are delineated using gathered intelligence to facilitate the appropriate levels of remediation, compliance, network access, and all service operations. Forescout Platform is very flexible, integrates well with most of today’s leading network security products, and is a very cost-effective solution.
Forescout Platform Features
Real User Reviews
An important main feature of Forescout is the visibility the solution offers.
One reviewer who is a Consultant at a tech services company, says, "Within three or four days, you can have complete visibility of your infrastructure on the network. Compared to other solutions, the deployment of the solution is easier and we can close the project quickly."
Users also appreciate that the user interface is clear and easy to understand.
An Instructor at a tech services company, shares, "The most valuable feature of the Forescout Platform is the large capacity it can handle. Additionally, the interface of the platform is good."
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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