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IBM Security zSecure vs Idira Privileged Access Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 2, 2026

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

IBM Security zSecure
Ranking in Mainframe Security
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
8.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Idira Privileged Access Man...
Ranking in Mainframe Security
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
230
Ranking in other categories
User Activity Monitoring (1st), Enterprise Password Managers (3rd), Privileged Access Management (PAM) (1st), Operational Technology (OT) Security (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Mainframe Security category, the mindshare of IBM Security zSecure is 15.0%, down from 23.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Idira Privileged Access Manager is 5.3%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Mainframe Security Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
CyberArk Privileged Access Manager5.3%
IBM Security zSecure15.0%
Other79.7%
Mainframe Security
 

Featured Reviews

it_user635553 - PeerSpot reviewer
Mainframe Systems Programmer with 51-200 employees
Provides administration of the RACF database. We can identify and remove old security database records.
* The zSecure Admin provides us with a much more user-friendly administration of the RACF database. * TopSecret and ACF2 are also supported (if they were ordered). * The Database Cleanup utility feature: Used for identifying and removing old security database records that are no longer relevant or being used.
Atul-Gujar - PeerSpot reviewer
CyberArk manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Secures critical infrastructures with essential user session audit records
A potential area for improvement is enhancing support for cluster environments and distributed Vaults. Clients in multiple countries that need central access have different challenges that require better solutions from CyberArk. For financial services, CyberArk can improve incident response by ensuring fast support for critical priority tickets to meet compliance requirements. Providing more documentation on CyberArk is recommended for new team members to enhance their troubleshooting capabilities. I understand it's up to the client, but 99% fail to change the demo key, so it's crucial for CyberArk to emphasize changing the key and documenting it as part of the installation process.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Technical support is optimal."
"The productivity and consistency in our organization has been improved by the ability to easily generate reports and a common interface for the security administrators."
"The zSecure Admin provides us with a much more user-friendly administration of the RACF database."
"The DNA scan is very helpful and provides a security baseline for your environment."
"This product has placed a new culture in my company by making employees more aware of IT compliance and cyber security."
"When we started with RPA, there was a requirement that every credential and the bots themselves be protected through the PAM system. From the get-go, we've had CyberArk in the middle... We've got a pretty robust RPA implementation with our PAM platform. Users, bots, the credentials — everything is managed via our PAM solution."
"One of the benefits of using CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is we have an audit trail that fits the requirements of our organization and we are more secure using the features of the solution, such as investigating and tracking."
"It does what it promised, it secures our platforms, has the scalability, and it is just a solid product."
"CyberArk's GUI is user friendly."
"On the EBB user side, we were able to secure all the server root passwords and admin for Windows. This was a big win for us."
"It helps our customers in their software requirement imports."
 

Cons

"There should be more supplied reports and CARLa samples."
"I would like to see improvements in the certification (SSL). It must be less complicated."
"The reporting feature needs to improve."
"Better search functionality in the EPM console. It becomes difficult to search lengthy policies for specific items."
"My concern and area for improvement revolves around reporting."
"Functionality to enable drive mappings to platforms and default connectors without the need to use AutoIt."
"There is room for improvement, particularly with Vendor PAM."
"There is a lot of room for improvement in the report section. I also work on other tools, such as Thycotic, which allows you to create customized reports for your organization's needs. In CyberArk, there are limited reports, whereas in Thycotic or some of the other PAM tools, because the database is different, you can customize the report based on your needs through SQL queries."
"Technical support is average. They are not so great, because the first level support partner or distributor has to provide the support and customers cannot contact CyberArk support directly."
"In CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, the UI has room for improvement, as does the dashboard reporting, which could be made better or easier to use."
"I'd like it to be a little more granular. I want a little bit more control over exactly what we do. I know if you do that, you add more knobs and dials to deal with, but that's just my personal approach: granular access."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is more expensive than its competitors, such as BeyondTrust, Delinea, and ManageEngine PAM360."
"In comparison to other products on the market, CyberArk is a more costly product."
"Pricing is quite high and it could be improved."
"The price of this solution is quite reasonable."
"The price of the solution is reasonable."
"CyberArk Privileged Access Manager is perceived to be somewhat overpriced compared to similar market products. It is a little bit overvalued. It could come down a little bit for my liking. However, the industry-leading reputation and the quality of service justify the high price point to some extent."
"The solution is cost-effective for the features."
"It is not a cheap solution. It is expensive as compared with other solutions. However, it is one of the best solutions in their domain."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
19%
Computer Software Company
17%
Insurance Company
9%
Media Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
6%
Computer Software Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise42
Large Enterprise175
 

Questions from the Community

How does IBM Security zSecure handle encryption and secure transmission of data?
zSecure, a suite of products, simplifies security management on z/OS and z/VM with an intuitive interface, surpassing ISPF panels and RACF commands. It focuses on enhancing technology management, n...
How does Sailpoint IdentityIQ compare with CyberArk PAM?
We evaluated Sailpoint IdentityIQ before ultimately choosing CyberArk. Sailpoint Identity Platform is a solution to manage risks in cloud enterprise environments. It automates and streamlines the m...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CyberArk Privileged Access Manager?
My thoughts on the pricing of CyberArk Privileged Access Manager depend entirely on the vendors' requirements. If they want their things to be secure, they have to spend accordingly. We have four t...
What needs improvement with CyberArk Privileged Access Manager?
I believe account discovery and rolling support need to be improved. Account discovery is important when integrating with other systems, as other PAM solutions can perform account discovery and onb...
 

Also Known As

No data available
CyberArk Privileged Access Security, CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Swiss Re
Rockwell Automation
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security zSecure vs. Idira Privileged Access Manager and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
899,645 professionals have used our research since 2012.