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Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager vs Symantec Protection Engine 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

Idira Endpoint Privilege Ma...
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
11th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Compliance (4th), Privileged Access Management (PAM) (7th), Application Control (6th), Ransomware Protection (5th)
Symantec Protection Engine
Ranking in Anti-Malware Tools
20th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Anti-Malware Tools category, the mindshare of Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager is 1.2%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Protection Engine is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Anti-Malware Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager1.2%
Symantec Protection Engine0.6%
Other98.2%
Anti-Malware Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Sumit Chavan - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Consultant at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Helps secure the infrastructure and control users with admin rights
There are many features that are currently missing. A customization option is required for certain policies. For instance, if we need to stop PowerShell scripting, we have to create a different policy for that. Being able to create a sub-level policy within a top-level policy would be good. Currently, no user-based policy option is available inside the EPM console. We can only create computer-based policies. The database is available, but there is a drawback in not being able to create local groups on the EPM console. We only have to depend on Active Directory. This limits infrastructure security as we depend on the Active Directory team to manage user groups. If they remove any users, we lose control. If we could create groups locally and block them or set specific policies, we would have more control. Local endpoint management is missing from the EPM site. Moreover, there is an issue with policies not running as expected when we make enhancements. We have to find multiple ways to whitelist applications or enhance policies.
Abhimanyu Das - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at Kyndryl
Real-time file security has reduced incident tickets and improves threat detection accuracy
The best features of Symantec Protection Engine include machine learning, file reputation, and real-time scanning. It efficiently handles heavy loads through ICAP and cloud-based processing, reducing the burden on endpoints compared to Trend Micro and other endpoint security solutions. Its centralized control is also noteworthy. Through machine learning, it detects both known and unknown malware and malicious URLs, in addition to performing signature-based scans that assist SOC teams in analysis. The solution is highly effective in leveraging both machine learning and file reputation. Regarding centralized control, it offers a unified management console for policy deployment and provides real-time visibility through dashboards, helping save significant administrative time. Symantec Protection Engine has had a positive impact on our organization by enhancing our overall security posture. It effectively blocks a high volume of file-based threats across more than 200 servers, saves SOC analysts time in endpoint remediation, and streamlines compliance processes. It further strengthens security through real-time scanning and machine learning-based quarantine, blocking phishing payloads in SharePoint uploads before they reach endpoints, thereby reducing incidents by 30–40% compared to signature-only tools.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"All of the features are valuable."
"CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is very easy to manage, which I like. The solution also has a dashboard where you can see which software is suspicious, which I find valuable."
"The solution is scalable."
"Their customer support was excellent."
"We have not had issues with CyberArk. It works very smoothly. We can do many things with CyberArk. It helps us to see exactly what is happening."
"The password rotation and the session recording are the most valuable features."
"CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager helped us reduce the time for regulatory processes to approximately two to four months, completing the solution and training."
"Product-wise we don't face that many issues, and basic integration of users and assigning them the rules and other stuff like that is, compared to other options, very straightforward."
"Symantec Protection Engine provides me with the option of both cloud and on-premise solutions, which stands out for both me and my clients."
"Symantec Protection Engine has improved my security posture by helping me identify potentially malicious files before they reach users or critical systems, and the automated scanning process has also reduced manual efforts for my team, allowing us to focus on other security tasks and respond to threats more efficiently."
"What I appreciate in Symantec Protection Engine is the Virtual Policy Manager (VPM) and the Application Name feature, which are really effective."
"The best features that I like the most include the threat intelligence network, which is effective in protecting against evolving threats."
"Symantec Protection Engine's been a game-changer for us at Kantar—blocks like 80-85% of file-based threats right at the gateway before they hit our 200 servers, cutting down endpoint incidents big time."
"The operational efficiency with the high-performance scanning of Symantec Protection Engine is very good."
 

Cons

"The installation process is pretty difficult."
"CyberArk is a pretty heavy solution."
"If you do not have certification, you cannot send a ticket; this makes dealing with technical support difficult."
"We have had some major issues with the tool, but we have worked with the R&D teams and we have worked with support. There is room for improvement, especially on response times. But they're working on it and they're doing the best they can."
"CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is a perfect solution, but CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager for Linux has many issues. Another area for improvement in CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager, specifically for Windows, is that there's no way for you to check credential theft from a text file, such as a notepad file."
"My recommendation for improvement is to add functionality for when users request access to an application. There's a pop-up UI, but it's not very customizable. I suggest creating a UI where we can write scripts or use SDKs to enhance it. This could automatically create tickets in a system like ServiceNow when users request an application. If a manager approves, we could automatically push policies to those users."
"CyberArk should consider whitelisting important applications like PowerShell and DLL that are currently not allowed due to some malicious content."
"One area that has room for improvement is in managing the credentials for network devices."
"To improve Symantec Protection Engine, I suggest simplifying its integration with other tools, as it is more complex compared to Trend Micro and CrowdStrike."
"I would like to see improvements in reporting and troubleshooting capabilities for Symantec Protection Engine, as more detailed insights and simplified diagnostics would make day-to-day administration easier."
"I have concerns about scalability."
"Price is a significant area for improvement. The pricing is quite expensive, and it is particularly high for regular customers."
"While I have mentioned many advantages of Symantec Protection Engine, there are areas for improvement, particularly the dashboard features."
"For the improvement of Symantec Protection Engine, the engine did not work with their basic engine when I was working, which was almost three or four years before."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Although I do not deal directly with the pricing, CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is costly compared to other solutions. However, it offers beneficial features."
"The tool's pricing is reasonable for customers."
"The price of CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is expensive. The solution is priced based on the number of accounts onboarded and the number of concurrent sessions. Everyone else is included in the price, such as support."
"licensing for this solution is based on the number of APV (privileged users), and the number of sessions that you want to record."
"The solution requires an annual license to use it. There can be some extra costs in some cases."
"The professional services for one eight-hour day would be $1,800."
"It's not at the lower end of the market. I think the price is reasonable considering the quality it delivers. It is a top-notch solution at a fair price point."
"I think that it was in the range of $200,000 that had to get approved."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Construction Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
12%
Construction Company
12%
Healthcare Company
12%
Outsourcing Company
12%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business18
Midsize Enterprise9
Large Enterprise19
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

Looking for recommendations and a pros/cons template for software to detect insider threats
This is an inside-out --- outside-in --- inside-in question, as an insider can be an outsider as well. There is no short answer other than a blend of a PAM tool with Behavioral Analytics and Endpo...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager?
I believe it's quite a reasonably priced solution. It's not very common to use CyberArk because it's a niche solution, but customers who are willing to control administrative accounts are willing t...
What needs improvement with CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager?
While CyberArk Endpoint Privilege Manager is a great tool, I believe the functionality could be wider. If it could work not only with permissions but also involve pure EDR tasks or User and Entity ...
What needs improvement with Symantec Protection Engine?
While I have mentioned many advantages of Symantec Protection Engine, there are areas for improvement, particularly the dashboard features. I find that some features are not available, leading us t...
What is your primary use case for Symantec Protection Engine?
Clients usually use Symantec Protection Engine primarily for protecting their computers from malware or any kind of attacks, which includes viruses or trojans, as a comprehensive security solution ...
 

Also Known As

Viewfinity
No data available
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about Idira Endpoint Privilege Manager vs. Symantec Protection Engine and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.