IBM Guardium Vulnerability Assessment vs Vicarius vRx comparison

IBM Guardium Vulnerability Assessment vs. Vicarius vRx

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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

Zafran Security

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Vulnerability Management category, the mindshare of Zafran Security is 0.7%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Guardium Vulnerability Assessment is 0.5%, down from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Vicarius vRx is 0.9%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Vulnerability Management

Featured Reviews

Israel Cavazos Landini

Associate Director IT Security Operations at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees

Weekly insights and risk analysis facilitate informed security decisions

I appreciate the weekly insights Zafran provides, which include critical topics for networks and IT security, allowing us to evaluate which insights apply to our environment. The organization score feature is valuable to keep the leadership team updated on how our infrastructure fares security-wise. The applicable risk level versus base risk level feature is beneficial because prior to Zafran, we only used the base risk level, but now understand that risk depends on the asset itself. Zafran is an excellent tool.

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Dr. Sajid Latif

Guardium Administrator at Interactive Group

Improvements sought in database optimization while benefiting from robust security monitoring

We use the analytical functionality of Guardium, but the analytical functionality is not so powerful or flexible because it does not include the application user ID. It only includes the database user ID. To identify risky users, it does not support end users, so IBM must incorporate this feature into the built-in analytical engine of the Guardium. There is only one problem I experienced while using Guardium: the internal database of the collector is MySQL, which is not so powerful or flexible. When you make a query in a MySQL database, it takes too much time to respond. IBM should replace this MySQL database with a more powerful internal database for the logging mechanism so that Guardium can collect logging data flexibly and ensure optimization. My overall experience with Guardium is good. The only problem is that IBM must replace the internal DB, MySQL, with a more powerful enterprise-level database because enterprises use it at an enterprise level, and MySQL does not support optimally.

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OrenBen Shalom

Information Security Manager at Pango

Consolidates vulnerability discovery, prioritization, and remediation in a single platform

Vicarius vRx offers several advantages, especially for organizations with diverse operating systems and applications requiring frequent patching. The platform helps prioritize patch installation by identifying high-risk vulnerabilities, allowing IT teams to focus on critical threats first. This prioritization is crucial because it prevents IT teams from being overwhelmed by the constant influx of patches, enabling them to create a manageable plan and allocate resources effectively. By distinguishing between critical, high-risk, and medium-risk vulnerabilities, Vicarius vRx empowers IT teams to address the most urgent threats promptly and schedule less critical patches for later. Both native operating system updates and Vicarius vRx offer vulnerability remediation. Native OS updates allow for the patching of system vulnerabilities on Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, Vicarius vRx provides a single solution for installing both operating system and application updates by also discovering application vulnerabilities. Another valuable feature is virtual patching, which allows us to protect an asset from a specific vulnerability without installing a patch. Sometimes, installing a patch alone is insufficient and requires restarting the asset. However, production servers often cannot be restarted during the day, restricting restarts to specific timeslots. Virtual patching creates a network-based protection layer that prevents exploitation of a vulnerability, offering a temporary safeguard. While not a foolproof solution for long-term use, it's a valuable tool that reduces tension between IT and security teams by providing time to properly install patches.

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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

"Zafran is an excellent tool."

"Overall, we have seen about eighty-seven percent reduction of the number of vulnerabilities that require urgency to remediate, specifically the number of criticals."

"Zafran has become an indispensable tool in our cybersecurity arsenal."

"We are able to see the real risk of a vulnerability on our environment with our security tools."

"We saw benefits from Zafran Security almost immediately after deploying it."

"It helped with some of the regulatory requirements. It also helped with some of the security analytics and analysis. It was worthwhile from that perspective."

"The Vulnerability Assessment feature is quite stable and helps identify numerous vulnerabilities in databases."

"The reporting features are good and there are many built-in reports that can be quickly configured."

"The most valuable feature is that it provides a simple English recommendation on actions that you need to take once a vulnerability is discovered."

"Agent-based scanning is the most valuable feature."

"While other vulnerability scanners overwhelm us with a huge list of problems after a scan, Vicarius vRx goes beyond that."

"Since we started using Vicarius vRx, I have not had to worry about patching the software."

"Patchless Protection helps protect us from vulnerabilities that may not yet have patches from the manufacturer. I've used it for a piece of software that we don't have a patch for. It monitors that software, analyzes it, and makes sure nothing nefarious is going on when it's vulnerable."

"I also like how easy it is to use. We instructed some companies on how to use it, provided them with an account, and gave them the ability to deploy and patch. They could quickly figure it out. We can spend an hour in the office showing someone how everything works, and they're good to go. It's the same with our customers."

"The system prioritizes vulnerabilities, identifying high, medium, and low risks, allowing us to focus on high-risk applications. It allows us to focus on high-risk applications and do the updates."

"The ability to consolidate vulnerability discovery, prioritization, and remediation in one platform is crucial."

"Vicarius vRx's automation feature is its most valuable, allowing us to automate manual tasks, receive automated reports, and easily check device update status."

More Vicarius vRx pros

Cons

"Initially, we were somewhat concerned about the scalability of Zafran due to our large asset count and the substantial amount of information we needed to process."

"The dashboarding and reporting functionality of Zafran Security is an area that definitely could use some improvements."

"I think the ability to have some enhanced reporting capabilities is something they can improve on, as they have good reports but we have asked for some specific reporting enhancements."

"It was not as easy to use. The user-friendliness of it was somewhat lower than what I was expecting. It was also lacking in terms of the ease of the setup. There should be an automatic agent for deployment."

"There is only one problem I experienced while using Guardium: the internal database of the collector is MySQL, which is not so powerful or flexible."

"Building policies is not that easy. There are some things that are turned off by default, for example, displaying values."

"The interface could be improved by having sub-groups of tests, ultimately making the process of collecting tests faster."

"We did some automation. We kicked off scheduled updates to update our systems, but it did not work. When we attempted to scale the product and update multiple systems, we ran into a lot of issues. We also ran into the issue of it creating double assets."

"While I appreciate the automation of vulnerability management, Vicarius vRx's current manual patchless application is a point for improvement."

"The patchless protection feature is currently difficult to understand and could be made more user-friendly."

"Vicarius vRx's application management capabilities could be improved by allowing users to manage and uninstall applications directly within the GUI, eliminating the need for scripting and streamlining the process."

"I would be happy if the patch update could be downloaded to the Vicarius server and then implemented on the client. Currently, they just send a link to the software."

"I would be happy if the patch update could be downloaded to the Vicarius server and then implemented on the client."

"There can be more scripting capability and more filtering capability. We should be able to filter more granular details in the operating system such as whether it is a service, application, executable, or something like that. For the most part, we are satisfied with what we are able to filter."

"They do have a search function for device names. They already have a list of all our devices, however, if I'm looking for something, sometimes the name does not come up at the top of the list."

More Vicarius vRx cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"One thing not advantageous for it was that it was a little bit more expensive. I would rate it one out of five in terms of pricing."

"The pricing is great because we are a reseller of the product. It is really up to us and Vicarius, and they are very easy to work with."

"From a pricing perspective, Vicarius was cheaper compared to other competitors."

"I am not sure how much it costs, but it would have saved us some costs."

"Vicarius' pricing was reasonable compared to the other systems we evaluated."

"Vicarius vRx is priced competitively within the market."

"I do not use other solutions, so I cannot compare its pricing to others, but its price seems okay."

"The pricing was very reasonable and fair compared to other products. I liked that there was no tiered system. One price gave access to everything, which is nice. It is not something you get too often with enterprise IT."

"The price of vRx seems fair. None of our clients complained about the pricing. They all thought it was reasonable. Once people understood what it does, it didn't take much to get them to sign up."

More Vicarius vRx pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

38%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Computer Software Company

15%

Media Company

11%

Non Profit

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zafran Security?

The current pricing of Zafran Security is fair overall. They were good to work with to accommodate our organization w...

What needs improvement with Zafran Security?

The dashboarding and reporting functionality of Zafran Security is an area that definitely could use some improvement...

What is your primary use case for Zafran Security?

Zafran Security is helping reduce the amount of critical vulnerabilities in our environments that require prompt reme...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Vicarius vRx?

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I do not use other solutions, so I cannot compare its pricing to others, but its price seems okay.

What needs improvement with Vicarius vRx?

I would be happy if the patch update could be downloaded to the Vicarius server and then implemented on the client. C...

What is your primary use case for Vicarius vRx?

We use Vicarius vRx to manage all third-party software updates. Previously, we could manage Windows updates, but thir...

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Compared 30% of the time

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Compared 28% of the time

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Compared 26% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud vs IBM Guardium Vulnerability Assessment

Compared 16% of the time

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Tenable Nessus vs Vicarius vRx

Compared 24% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

Microsoft Configuration Manager vs Vicarius vRx

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services vs Vicarius vRx

Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Product Reports

Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM)

Download Zafran Security product report

Vulnerability Management

Download IBM Guardium Vulnerability Assessment product report

IBM Guardium Vulnerability Assessment report

Download Vicarius vRx product report

Vicarius vRx

May 2025

Overview

Zafran Security integrates with existing security tools to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities effectively, proving that most critical vulnerabilities are not exploitable, optimizing threat management.

Zafran Security introduces an innovative operating model for managing security threats and vulnerabilities. By leveraging the threat exposure management platform, it pinpoints and prioritizes exploitable vulnerabilities, reducing risk through immediate remediation. This platform enhances your hybrid cloud security by normalizing vulnerability signals and integrating specific IT context data, such as CVE runtime presence and internet asset reachability, into its analysis. No longer reliant on patch windows, Zafran Security allows you to manage risks actively.

What are the key features of Zafran Security?

Threat Exposure Management: Utilizes existing tools to prioritize vulnerabilities and manage threats.
Integrative Analysis: Combines security data with IT context for precise vulnerability management.
Real-time Risk Reduction: Enables immediate risk management without waiting for patches.
Hybrid Cloud Compatibility: Functions across diverse cloud environments for comprehensive security.

What benefits can users expect from Zafran Security?

Improved Security: Enhances protection by efficiently identifying and mitigating risks.
Cost Efficiency: Reduces unnecessary patching expenses by confirming non-exploitable vulnerabilities.
Time Savings: Frees developers to focus on root causes by handling immediate threats.
Comprehensive Insight: Offers a holistic view of security threats and vulnerabilities.

In industries where security is paramount, such as finance and healthcare, Zafran Security provides invaluable protection by ensuring that only exploitable vulnerabilities are addressed. It allows entities to maintain robust security measures while allocating resources efficiently, fitting seamlessly into existing security strategies.

Zafran Security

IBM Guardium Vulnerability Assessment scans data infrastructures (databases, data warehouses and big data environments) to detect vulnerabilities, and suggests remedial actions. The solution identifies exposures such as missing patches, weak passwords, unauthorized changes and misconfigured privileges.

IBM

Vicarius vRx supports managed service providers and partners with compliance packages, vulnerability management, and patching for PCI, HIPAA, and cybersecurity needs, focusing on third-party and OS patching, especially on Microsoft Windows.

Vicarius vRx automates patching, virtualized patching, and severity prioritization through its cloud-based, agent-based approach which enhances consistency and flexibility. It includes patchless protection to block malware in unpatched software and features simplified dashboards for integrated vulnerability discovery and remediation. Users appreciate the user-friendly scripting engine, efficient third-party software patching, and real-time cybersecurity updates. Community support and customizable deployment options further add value. However, users find name changes and login difficulties confusing and report tediousness when configuring multiple reports. Desired improvements include virtual environment for patch testing, enhanced network device vulnerability scans, and better Microsoft Endpoint Manager interactions.

What are the key features of Vicarius vRx?

Automated patching: Streamlines the process of patching applications and operating systems.
Virtualized patching: Enables patching in a virtual environment to prevent disruptions.
Severity prioritization: Helps prioritize vulnerabilities to address the most critical issues first.
Patchless protection: Blocks malware in software that hasn't been patched yet.
User-friendly scripting engine: Simplifies the creation and execution of scripts for automation.
Integrated vulnerability discovery: Combines detection and remediation in a single dashboard.
Real-time updates: Provides immediate cybersecurity updates and notifications.
Community support: Offers robust support from the user community.
Customizable deployment options: Allows tailoring to fit specific requirements.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Time-saving: Reduces the time required for software patching and management.
Vulnerability reduction: Decreases the number of vulnerabilities through automated processes.
Enhanced security: Provides patchless protection and real-time updates to improve security postures.
Flexibility: The cloud-based, agent-based approach adapts to various environments and needs.
Simplified management: User-friendly interfaces and streamlined processes offer easier administration.
Improved compliance: Helps meet PCI, HIPAA, and cybersecurity regulatory requirements.

Among managed service providers, Vicarius vRx is implemented for updating systems, showing capabilities to customers in lab environments, and securing endpoints through agent-based patching. These providers use vRx to efficiently manage third-party software patching and to maintain cybersecurity standards across industries.

Vicarius

IBM Guardium Vulnerability Assessment vs. Vicarius vRx