Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management comparison

Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management and Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management are both solutions in the Microsoft Security Suite category. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is ranked #33 with an average rating of 7.5, while Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is ranked #28 with an average rating of 8.0. Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management holds a 0.8% mindshare in Microsoft Security Suite, compared to Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Defender External...
Read 2 Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management reviews
  • 1,123 Views
  • 225 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
Microsoft Purview Insider R...
Read 5 Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management reviews
  • 1,853 Views
  • 537 Comparison Views
80% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management and Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Microsoft Security Suite solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management Report (Updated: December 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
December 2025
Download the complete report
Helped 881,114 peers since 2012

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

Microsoft Defender External...
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
33rd
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Attack Surface Management (ASM) (14th)
Microsoft Purview Insider R...
Ranking in Microsoft Security Suite
28th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
5.7
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
Insider Risk Management (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Microsoft Security Suite category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management is 0.8%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is 2.4%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Microsoft Security Suite Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management2.4%
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management0.8%
Other96.8%
Microsoft Security Suite
 

Featured Reviews

AndyChan3 - PeerSpot reviewer
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
Karthik Ekambaram - PeerSpot reviewer
Karthik Ekambaram
Director at Scybers
Have consistently built secure internal environments while implementing compliance tools for diverse customer needs
The customizable alerts system needs improvement. The detection rules are not extensive enough. There should be more possibilities for creating alerts based on additional criteria. While rules can be customized, the available criteria for creating detection rules should be expanded. Microsoft's pricing is very expensive. The Business Premium offering should be extended to enterprise customers, as it's currently limited to 300 users. There should be a tier below E5 that includes Microsoft Purview and other features. Currently, E5 licensing costs approximately 6,000 INR per user per month including taxes. Competitive solutions offer similar functionality at about 50% of Microsoft's cost. Email DLP is included in Business Premium or P1 licenses, while P2 licenses cover endpoint DLP and additional channels. Microsoft should introduce an intermediate tier below E5 that covers all P1 licenses, as customers often need coverage across the entire M365 suite.
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

"It seems to be better at protecting from cyberattacks."
"Microsoft External Attack Surface Management helps improve the visibility of my exposed vulnerabilities and provides an overview of my security posture across the globe."
"Microsoft External Attack Surface Management helps improve the visibility of my exposed vulnerabilities and provides an overview of my security posture across the globe."
"Insider Risk Management's graphing is highly specific and useful. You can see the last six months of data for the Microsoft tenant. You can easily find what you need. For example, you can filter for alerts about devices, emails, etc."
"The scoring mechanism is exceptional because it eliminates the need to reinvent criteria for identifying risks, misconfigurations, or vulnerabilities."
"Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management was helpful in performing investigations after alerts were received."
"An example of how these features from Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management have benefited my organization is that we recently discovered a foreign actor, someone from North Korea took a job at our company and was pretending to be an employee, and with Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management, they notified us of that problem and we were able to remediate the fact that we had a North Korean spy working for us."
"The best thing about Purview is that it's easy to integrate with our day-to-day environment. We have Active Directory, and Word and Excel. Using a third-party vendor and trying to integrate with our existing environment would be much more challenging."
 

Cons

"With Microsoft, support is always crazy, it's not easy to get support."
"The integration is not as seamless compared to competitors like Palo Alto."
"Further integration across different Microsoft products would be an improvement."
"My experience with the deployment of Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management was a fifty-fifty situation because we have a very diverse network, and not all of it is on Microsoft products."
"The user interface also isn't user-friendly. When we introduce Insider Risk Management to our clients, they often find it difficult to understand. There is too much information, and the UI is not scalable. Also, entry-level IT technicians are not always interested in learning something new. It should be clearer and easier to understand."
"Microsoft's pricing is very expensive. The Business Premium offering should be extended to enterprise customers, as it's currently limited to 300 users."
"For certain things, you need to install an agent. I understand it's for integrity, but if there could be a clientless solution for certain aspects, it would make life easier."
"The reporting capabilities sometimes leave a little to be desired. It could be improved in terms of producing reports to provide information to the C-suite or others."
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Microsoft Security Suite solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
17%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
6%
Energy/Utilities Company
6%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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?
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 ...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?
I feel Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management can be improved by being able to identify patterns and practices of users to determine whether or not they fit the normal use case of a developer, a...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?
My main use cases involve identifying issues related to problems with the current software deployments and whether or not it is being utilized correctly.
See all answers
What advice do you have for others considering Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?
My advice to another organization that is considering using Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management is to make sure they plan out their deployment very carefully because the biggest sticking poin...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
CrowdStrike Falcon vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 12% of the time
Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
Qualys CyberSecurity Asset Management vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 9% of the time
Darktrace vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
Darktrace vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 8% of the time
Bitsight vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
Bitsight vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 8% of the time
Mandiant Advantage vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Logo
Mandiant Advantage vs Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management
Compared 8% of the time
More Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management Competitors
Splunk User Behavior Analytics vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management Logo
Splunk User Behavior Analytics vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
Compared 31% of the time
Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management Logo
Microsoft Defender for Identity vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
Compared 19% of the time
Netskope Advanced Analytics vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management Logo
Netskope Advanced Analytics vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
Compared 16% of the time
Dtex Systems vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management Logo
Dtex Systems vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
Compared 6% of the time
Exabeam vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management Logo
Exabeam vs Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
Compared 5% of the time
More Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Attack Surface Management (ASM)
January 2026
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management reportDownload Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management product report
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
January 2026
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management reportDownload Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management product report
 

Also Known As

No data available
Microsoft Insider Risk Management
 

Overview

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

Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management helps organizations identify and manage potential internal threats by utilizing advanced analytics and insights to minimize risk.

With a focus on addressing internal threats, Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management employs sophisticated analytics to proactively detect and manage risks. It offers context-rich insights to protect data, helping businesses maintain compliance and safeguard their information. By implementing mechanisms to predict potential risks, it aids in preventing data loss and ensures that sensitive information remains secure.

What are the most important features of Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?
  • Advanced Analytics: Provides in-depth analysis to detect suspicious activities within the organization.
  • Data Protection: Ensures sensitive data security with robust preventive measures.
  • Risk Insights: Delivers actionable insights to help mitigate potential insider threats.
  • Compliance Support: Assists organizations in maintaining compliance with industry regulations.
What benefits should businesses expect from Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management?
  • Efficient Risk Mitigation: Streamlines identifying and addressing insider threats, saving time and resources.
  • Enhanced Data Security: Protects sensitive data, reducing the likelihood of data breaches.
  • Better Decision Making: Offers insights that help organizations make informed decisions about security protocols.

In industries like finance and healthcare, where data sensitivity is critical, adopting Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management can be crucial. For example, financial institutions utilize this tool to detect and mitigate fraudulent activities, while healthcare providers leverage its capabilities to protect patient data, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations. Its implementation varies across industries but consistently focuses on securing valuable information and reducing risk exposure.

Microsoft
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
December 2025
Free Report: Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
DOWNLOAD NOW
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our Microsoft Defender External Attack Surface Management vs. Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management report.
See our list of best Microsoft Security Suite vendors.

We monitor all Microsoft Security Suite reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.