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Microsoft Defender for IoT vs Tenable OT Security comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 for IoT
Ranking in Operational Technology (OT) Security
6th
Average Rating
7.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
5
Ranking in other categories
IoT Security (5th), Microsoft Security Suite (27th)
Tenable OT Security
Ranking in Operational Technology (OT) Security
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Operational Technology (OT) Security category, the mindshare of Microsoft Defender for IoT is 5.6%, up from 3.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tenable OT Security is 11.5%, down from 13.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Operational Technology (OT) Security
 

Featured Reviews

William Tuleja - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration with existing tools boosts management efficiency
The only improvement I see is that some detection explanations are vaguely provided by Microsoft, resulting in generic IoT detections that alert me to an issue yet don't specify what's wrong. Often, it just links back to a generic KB article without additional information. When it happens, it requires extra detective work. This issue doesn't occur often but can be annoying.
PapadAnandKumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Helps identify vulnerabilities and risks for IT and OT assets
Tenable OT Security is fine, but I find it more language-based rather than structured. It feels like something is on a web page, and the dashboards and data representations are not cool. First of all, I said that the tool view should be improved. It looks pretty old. Second, the details Tenable OT Security provides regarding the metadata they work with should be more in-depth. Its main focus is vulnerability management, which is fine, but what about threat actors? What about attack vectors and OT vulnerabilities? There are major areas, baselines, etc. that need attention.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Mainly, it is manageable and integrates with other Microsoft products, which is crucial for me."
"I believe it is best suited for cloud services and is unmatched by other cloud security solutions."
"Some advantages of Microsoft Defender for IoT are that it's easy to install on any OS, and you can create any custom use cases easily."
"The graphics and analysis in Microsoft Defender for IoT are very representative."
"It is manageable and integrates with other Microsoft products, which is crucial for me."
"I find Microsoft Defender very effective in vulnerability management and it provides good attack reduction, making it a next-generation protection solution."
"As a cybersecurity consultant, the best part of Microsoft Defender for IoT is the capability to integrate with other tools such as Microsoft Sentinel and receive real-time alerts from the product."
"The product’s price is its most valuable feature."
"The clear distinction between IT and OT that Tenable OT provides is its most valuable feature."
"The initial setup was very easy, and I would rate it a ten out of ten."
"The active query inventory is the most valuable feature."
"It's for securing the vulnerability of the OT solutions they are using. We mitigate those through patch management activities and find vulnerabilities easily with this security solution."
"The biggest advantage is that with good infrastructure, you can utilize asset planning when using Nessus along with Tenable OT Security."
"The product has easy-to-manage features and components."
"I like Tenable OT Security for two main reasons. Firstly, it helps identify vulnerabilities and risks for IT and OT assets, which is crucial for our operations. Secondly, it performs external port scanning, including vulnerability scans for open ports. Compared to the Claroty Platform, the tool offers detailed asset discovery capabilities."
 

Cons

"Customer service and support from Microsoft are costly. The execution by engineers is expensive, and the service is neither free nor toll-free, making it less accessible for customers."
"The documentation for Microsoft Defender for IoT is lacking. There are no clear steps or guidance, and updates are frequent, which adds to the confusion."
"Microsoft Defender for IoT is not scalable. If you want to monitor another industrial network, you need an additional server, making it less scalable."
"The only improvement I see is that some detection explanations are vaguely provided by Microsoft, resulting in generic IoT detections that alert me to an issue yet don't specify what's wrong."
"The primary area that needs improvement is compatibility with the latest IoT technologies."
"There are a few limitations with Microsoft Defender for IoT. We raised concerns with the product team because they don't capture all the information regarding command execution or processes executed on certain endpoints."
"The only improvement I see is that some detection explanations are vaguely provided by Microsoft, resulting in generic IoT detections that alert me to an issue yet don't specify what's wrong."
"Tenable.ot's integration with one of the products needs improvement."
"The solution should provide more features to prevent attacks."
"Tenable OT Security is fine, but I find it more language-based rather than structured. It feels like something is on a web page, and the dashboards and data representations are not cool. First of all, I said that the tool view should be improved. It looks pretty old. Second, the details Tenable OT Security provides regarding the metadata they work with should be more in-depth. Its main focus is vulnerability management, which is fine, but what about threat actors? What about attack vectors and OT vulnerabilities? There are major areas, baselines, etc. that need attention."
"As an IT security professional, I would like to see automation improvements in the response part of Tenable OT Security. However, I understand that implementing automation in OT environments can be quite challenging."
"As an IT security professional, I would like to see automation improvements in the response part of Tenable OT Security."
"During upgrades, the previous configuration may be lost, creating support issues."
"The solution could detect changes in reading variables. The support of IoT devices can be improved."
"Tenable OT product is good, but OT security itself is still maturing."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"The product is inexpensive."
"The tool's pricing is fair enough."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Energy/Utilities Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Manufacturing Company
15%
Energy/Utilities Company
14%
Computer Software Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for IoT?
I don't think I have any recommendation on improvements for Microsoft Defender for IoT because we don't use it too extensively. There are a few limitations with Microsoft Defender for IoT. We raise...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender for IoT?
Clients mainly use Microsoft Defender for IoT for unfamiliar sign-in attempts and Microsoft Defender EDRs. We are using use cases for unfamiliar sign-in and malicious activity, such as user sign-in...
What do you like most about Tenable OT Security?
The product’s price is its most valuable feature.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Tenable OT Security?
Considering the cost and that it is affordable, I would rate it at seven.
What needs improvement with Tenable OT Security?
The time it takes to train itself is a concern. Initially, it will not identify many assets, as it needs time to read the information before finding the assets. Some detections can go wrong, and it...
 

Also Known As

Azure Defender for IoT
Tenable.ot
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Nesher Cement Enterprises, City of Raleigh
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Defender for IoT vs. Tenable OT Security and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.