Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Azure Security Center VS Qualys

Compare Azure Security Center VS Qualys and see what are their differences

Azure Security Center logo Azure Security Center

Turn on Azure Security Center to gain unmatched hybrid cloud security management and threat protection for your workloads.

Qualys logo Qualys

Qualys helps your business automate the full spectrum of auditing, compliance and protection of your IT systems and web applications.
  • Azure Security Center Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-26
  • Qualys Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-23

Azure Security Center features and specs

  • Unified Security Management
    Provides a central management dashboard for securing hybrid cloud environments, enabling comprehensive visibility and control over security settings across cloud resources.
  • Advanced Threat Protection
    Utilizes advanced analytics, threat intelligence, and machine learning to detect and prevent security threats, delivering robust threat protection.
  • Compliance Management
    Offers built-in compliance assessments with more than 35 regulatory standards, enabling organizations to continuously monitor and meet compliance requirements.
  • Integration with Azure Services
    Seamlessly integrates with other Azure services such as Azure Sentinel and Microsoft Defender, providing enhanced security orchestration and incident response capabilities.
  • Automated Response and Remediation
    Automates responses to detected threats and vulnerabilities, helping to quickly mitigate risks with minimal manual intervention.
  • Free Tier Availability
    Provides a free tier that offers basic security management and threat detection for customers who do not require advanced features.

Possible disadvantages of Azure Security Center

  • Cost
    Premium features and extensive deployments can be costly, particularly for smaller organizations with limited budgets.
  • Complexity
    The platform can be complex to configure and manage, requiring specialized knowledge and expertise to fully utilize its capabilities.
  • False Positives
    Like many security tools, it may occasionally generate false positives, which can lead to unnecessary alerts and require time to investigate.
  • Performance Impact
    Certain security monitoring and logging activities might have an impact on the performance of cloud resources, potentially affecting application performance.
  • Limited Hybrid Environment Support
    While it supports hybrid environments, some users may find the integration with on-premises systems less robust compared to native cloud deployments.
  • Learning Curve
    There can be a significant learning curve associated with mastering all features and best practices associated with Azure Security Center.

Qualys features and specs

  • Comprehensive Security
    Qualys offers a wide array of tools and functionalities, including vulnerability management, policy compliance, and web application scanning, providing comprehensive security coverage.
  • Cloud-based Platform
    Being a cloud-based solution, Qualys is easily accessible from any location, reducing the need for heavy, on-premise infrastructure.
  • Automated Scanning
    Automated, continuous scanning helps keep security measures up to date without requiring constant manual intervention.
  • Detailed Reporting
    Qualys provides detailed and customizable reports that help in understanding the security posture and in complying with regulatory requirements.
  • Integration Capabilities
    The platform easily integrates with other tools and systems, allowing for a streamlined workflow and enhanced security ecosystem.
  • Scalability
    Qualys scales easily from small businesses to large enterprises, providing flexible solutions that can grow with the organization.

Possible disadvantages of Qualys

  • Cost
    While offering comprehensive features, the cost can be high, which may not be feasible for smaller organizations or those with limited budgets.
  • Complex Setup and Configuration
    Initial setup and configuration can be complex and time-consuming, often requiring expert knowledge to get the most out of the platform.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Given its extensive feature set, the platform may have a steep learning curve for new users, necessitating substantial training and familiarization.
  • Performance Impact
    In some instances, on-premise scanners and agents can cause performance degradation of the systems they are monitoring.
  • Support Response Time
    Some users have reported slower response times from Qualys support, which can be an issue during critical situations.
  • Limited Customizations
    While Qualys provides many features, some users have found limitations in the ability to customize certain tools and workflows to fit specific needs.

Analysis of Azure Security Center

Overall verdict

  • Azure Security Center is generally regarded as a good option for organizations seeking robust security services within the Azure ecosystem. Its wide array of tools and continuous updates helps mitigate risks and manage compliance effectively.

Why this product is good

  • Azure Security Center is considered effective due to its comprehensive security management and threat protection capabilities. It provides continuous assessment of security posture, advanced threat protection across hybrid workloads in the cloud, and integration with Azure Defender to extend these capabilities to on-premises environments. The tool also benefits from Microsoft’s extensive threat intelligence and integrates seamlessly with other Azure services, making it a robust choice for organizations using Azure.

Recommended for

    Azure Security Center is particularly recommended for organizations that are heavily invested in the Azure cloud environment and need seamless integration with existing Azure services. It's also suitable for hybrid cloud environments and businesses that require strong threat protection and compliance management services.

Analysis of Qualys

Overall verdict

  • Qualys is generally regarded as a highly effective and reputable solution in the cybersecurity industry. Its continuous updates and innovative features ensure that it remains a top choice for businesses seeking robust security and compliance tools.

Why this product is good

  • Qualys is considered good due to its comprehensive suite of cloud-based security and compliance solutions. It offers services such as vulnerability management, threat protection, and compliance monitoring, which are essential for businesses looking to secure their IT infrastructure. Its platform is known for being reliable, scalable, and user-friendly, making it suitable for organizations of varying sizes.

Recommended for

    Qualys is recommended for businesses of all sizes that need a cloud-based, scalable, and comprehensive security solution. It's particularly beneficial for organizations that require vulnerability management, compliance monitoring, and those operating in highly regulated industries where security is paramount.

Azure Security Center videos

Azure Security Center Overview

More videos:

  • Review - Protect your cloud workload from threats using Azure Security Center | BRK3188
  • Review - Microsoft Azure Security Center for IoT

Qualys videos

Qualys Review by SecNetlab

More videos:

  • Review - Introduction to QualysGuard Vulnerability Management
  • Review - Qualys Security Assessment Questionnaire

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Azure Security Center and Qualys)
Monitoring Tools
21 21%
79% 79
Security
17 17%
83% 83
Web Application Security
17 17%
83% 83
Machine Data Analytics
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Azure Security Center and Qualys. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Azure Security Center and Qualys

Azure Security Center Reviews

We have no reviews of Azure Security Center yet.
Be the first one to post

Qualys Reviews

7 Best Container Security Tools & Solutions 2022
Qualys Container Security is one of 21 applications that fall under the Qualys Cloud Platform umbrella. The Cloud Platform is available for the cloud and on-premises container deployments. Qualys’ Container Runtime Security (CRS) feature is an add-on that allows enterprises to monitor container runtime; administrators set policies that govern container behavior, and CRS...
10 Best Tenable Nessus Alternatives For 2021 [Updated List]
Qualys is a cloud-based application security scanner that is known for its ability to crawl every corner of your IT network’s portfolio to detect all types of web assets. It grants users full 24/7 visibility of their entire network. It can automatically detect and catalog those assets based on how important they are. This helps security teams prioritize their response to...
Best Nessus Alternatives (Free and Paid) for 2021
Qualys is a cloud platform that continuously detects and protects against attacks anytime, anywhere. It is next-generation vulnerability management for hybrid IT environments. Qualys’ integrated approach to IT security and compliance enables organizations of all sizes to successfully achieve both vulnerability management and policy compliance initiatives cohesively.
16 Tresorit Alternatives
Qualys’s Guard has also deployed security on-demand platforms in the world, performing more than 150 million IP audits per year with no software to install and maintain. It is a simple yet powerful security solution that comes with a powerful dashboard where you can easily access all features, tracks threats, analyses data, and generates reports, etc. It also has a list of a...

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Azure Security Center and Qualys, you can also consider the following products

Nutanix Beam - Nutanix Beam is a multi-cloud optimization service

Nessus - Nessus Professional is a security platform designed for businesses who want to protect the security of themselves, their clients, and their customers.

Google Cloud Platform Security Overview - Cloud Workload Protection Platforms

AlienVault USM (from AT&T Cybersecurity) - AlienVault USM Anywhere delivers powerful threat detection, incident response, and compliance management for cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments.

Tenable.io - Tenable.io Cyber Exposure platform helps to protect any asset on any computing platform and eliminate blind spots.

Cloudfogger - Easy and secure encryption for the cloud. Provides security for all cloud storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive.