


Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response and Microsoft Defender XDR are competing products in the cybersecurity market. Microsoft Defender XDR seems to have the upper hand with its superior integration and proactive threat-hunting capabilities based on user feedback.
Features: Symantec is valued for its threat intelligence, automated incident response, and robust security features. Microsoft Defender XDR is recognized for its seamless integration with other Microsoft services, advanced AI-driven analytics, and proactive threat-hunting capabilities.
Room for Improvement: Symantec users note the need for better reporting tools, reduced false positives, and enhanced user interface. Microsoft Defender XDR users want improved alert accuracy, more detailed technical support documentation, and easier customization options.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Symantec users find the deployment process straightforward but desire quicker customer service responses. Microsoft users report a smooth deployment experience due to native integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and commend the responsive customer service.
Pricing and ROI: Symantec’s pricing is seen as reasonable with mixed ROI experiences depending on the organization size. Microsoft Defender XDR is perceived as costlier, but users feel the extensive features justify the price, leading to better overall ROI for larger deployments.
They appreciate the rich telemetry data from the solution, as it provides in-depth threat identification.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks helps to reduce my total cost of ownership significantly.
In Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks, most of the remediation is automated and the accuracy is quite good.
We can quarantine and isolate a device within minutes.
Microsoft Defender XDR has saved me at least 50% of my time.
It helped stop multiple intrusion points where we would have had millions in lost revenue if the attackers got in.
The technical support from Palo Alto deserves a mark of ten because they reach out within an hour whenever assistance is needed.
There is no back and forth, and they know what we are asking for and come up with the best resolution for a solution.
If any of these services are missed, it becomes a problem in terms of support tickets, follow-up, or special configuration that needs to be done in the system.
You get stuck in low-level support for way longer than you should, instead of them escalating the issue up the chain.
It's critical to escalate SEV B issues immediately to a domestic engineer.
Once issues are escalated to the second or third layer, the support is much better.
You can onboard 10,000 endpoints in just hours, which demonstrates the excellent scalability of this product.
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks can be expanded anytime by purchasing another license without any issues related to scalability.
I think scalability for Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is good.
My concern is about the scale of events and alerts being generated, and the product is doing a very good job of only surfacing the important items for us.
It has a very good integration system that integrates with all Azure services, all threat intelligence data models, and integrates very well with other systems such as Palo Alto.
Microsoft Defender XDR shows tremendous scalability, much more so than on-premises solutions.
Cortex remains fast and responsive, even with increasing data and alerts.
The thresholds we've seen on our firewall boxes at some instances reached 80% to 85%, but even at that level of utilization, we don't observe any latency or any issues reported with respect to accessing the application.
Cortex XDR is stable, offering high quality and reliable performance.
The service has remained consistently online, with any issues isolated to specific components, suggesting a well-designed and modular architecture.
The services within our ecosystem have been reliable, meeting their SLAs.
It provides high-fidelity signals.
Improving reporting and dashboard customization, along with the addition of real-time and exportable reports, would help SOC teams greatly.
The inclusion of this feature would allow the application of DLP policies alongside antivirus policies via a single agent and console, making it more competitive as other OEMs often offer DLP solutions as part of their antivirus products.
If the per GB data could be provided at a certain level free of cost or at the same cost which the customer is taking for the entire bundle, that would be better.
The licensing process needs improvement and clarification.
Improvements are needed in automated response capabilities.
If you have a central location where you perform one isolation method, all other potentially affected systems that have been touched may also be isolated simultaneously.
The pricing on SentinelOne is far more reasonable and cheaper than Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks.
I would say it is definitely not a cheap product, considering how mature it is and how scalable all Palo Alto products are together.
Cortex XDR is perceived as expensive by some customers, yet offers dynamic pricing.
There are certainly savings when using Microsoft Defender XDR, which can range from 30%, 40%, and even up to 50%.
I would rate the pricing as eight out of ten, indicating it is a reasonable cost for the product.
Microsoft purposefully obfuscates this through marketing ploys to hide costs.
It incorporates AI for normal behavior detection, distinguishing unusual operations.
The product provides automation responses in case of a threat attack, severity assessments, centralized manageability, and comprehensive compliance features, resulting in reduced costs.
It includes machine learning to easily analyze data and detect complex threats across endpoints, networks, or clouds.
With Microsoft threat intelligence information, it detects various types of threats, including insider attacks, malicious content, and data exfiltration.
This allows us to secure our systems in advance and proactively improve security, rather than waiting for incidents to occur.
Once we have it on the security dashboard, we can see a real-time storyline.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks | 3.4% |
| Microsoft Defender XDR | 2.6% |
| Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response | 0.7% |
| Other | 93.3% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 44 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 20 |
| Large Enterprise | 48 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 46 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 26 |
| Large Enterprise | 40 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 15 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 9 |
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks provides advanced threat detection with AI-driven endpoint protection and seamless integration, ensuring multi-layered security and automatic threat response.
Cortex XDR is designed to safeguard endpoints against malware and suspicious activities. It offers advanced threat detection and response capabilities using behavioral analysis, AI, and machine learning. It seamlessly integrates with security infrastructures, providing endpoint security, firewall integration, and enhanced visibility in both cloud-based and on-premises environments.
What are the key features of Cortex XDR?Organizations in diverse sectors deploy Cortex XDR to protect against malware, leveraging its advanced threat detection capabilities. Its integration with existing security infrastructures appeals to those seeking comprehensive protection in both cloud and on-premises environments, providing enhanced visibility and threat intelligence.
Microsoft Defender XDR is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect against threats in the Microsoft 365 environment.
It offers robust security measures, comprehensive threat detection capabilities, and an efficient incident response system. With seamless integration with other Microsoft products and a user-friendly interface, it simplifies security management tasks.
Users have found it effective in detecting and preventing various types of attacks, such as phishing attempts, malware infections, and data breaches.
Watch the Microsoft demo video here: Microsoft Defender XDR demo video.
Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a powerful security solution designed to help organizations proactively detect, investigate, and mitigate advanced threats across their endpoint environments. As part of Broadcom's cybersecurity portfolio, Symantec EDR provides comprehensive visibility into endpoint activities, enabling security teams to quickly identify and respond to threats that evade traditional defenses.
Symantec EDR leverages machine learning, behavioral analysis, and global threat intelligence from Symantec's vast network to detect sophisticated threats, including zero-day attacks, ransomware, and advanced persistent threats (APTs). This allows organizations to identify malicious activities early and respond swiftly to mitigate potential damage. The solution offers automated response options that enable security teams to contain and remediate threats quickly.
Symantec EDR provides detailed forensic capabilities, allowing security analysts to dive deep into endpoint data, investigate incidents thoroughly, and understand the scope and impact of attacks. Features such as timeline analysis, incident graphing, and the ability to isolate endpoints enhance investigative efforts and support effective remediation strategies.
With its centralized management console, Symantec EDR offers visibility across the entire endpoint environment, regardless of the operating systems or whether endpoints are on-premise or remote. Symantec EDR seamlessly integrates with other Symantec security solutions, enhancing its detection capabilities and enabling a unified approach to threat management. Its scalable architecture ensures that businesses of all sizes can benefit from its advanced security features without compromising performance.
Quickly discover and resolve threats with deep endpoint visibility and superior detection analytics, reducing mean time to remediation. Overcome cyber security skills shortages and streamline SOC operations with extensive automation and built-in integrations for sandboxing, SIEM, and orchestration.
Fortify security teams with the unmatched expertise and global scale of Symantec Managed Endpoint Detection and Response services.
Roll out Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) across Windows, macOS, and Linux devices using Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP)-integrated EDR or a dissolvable agent.
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