I have identified the top 10 (network security policy management) NSPM solutions based on my & other users’ experiences and vendor features. Follow the links to see the reasoning behind these selections:
| Vendor | Focus | |
|---|---|---|
1. | Microsegmentation | |
2. | Datacenter management | |
3. | Microsegmentation | |
4. | Vulnerability management | |
5. | Intrusion prevention | |
| Show More (5) | ||
6. | Firewall audit | |
7. | Firewall audit | |
8. | Intrusion prevention | |
9. | Firewall audit | |
10. | Firewall audit | |
Feature comparison
| Name | Microsegmentation | IDPS |
|---|---|---|
✅ | ❌ |
|
Microsoft System Center | ❌ | ❌ |
AlgoSec | ✅ | ❌ |
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager | ❌ | ❌ |
Trend Micro TippingPoint | ❌ | ✅ |
Palo Alto Networks Panorama | ❌ | ❌ |
FireMon Security Manager | ✅ | ❌ |
CloudGuard Network Security | ✅ | ✅ |
Cisco Secure Network Analytics | ❌ | ❌ |
AWS Firewall Manager | ❌ | ❌ |
Security executives typically search for the following features in a (network security policy management (NSPM) solution:
- Microsegmentation to divide a network into granular segments, and apply segment-based policy controls.
- Intrusion detection and prevention system (IDPS) to monitor network traffic and block suspicious activity.
Market presence
| Name | Total reviews* | Average rating (out of 5) |
|---|---|---|
296 | 4.0 |
|
Microsoft System Center | 762 | 4.1 |
AlgoSec | 393 | 4.4 |
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager | 375 | 4.4 |
Trend Micro TippingPoint | 188 | 4.1 |
Palo Alto Networks Panorama | 177 | 4.3 |
FireMon Security Manager | 174 | 4.1 |
CloudGuard Network Security | 168 | 4.3 |
Cisco Secure Network Analytics | 163 | 4.3 |
AWS Firewall Manager | 120 | 4.2 |
*Based on the total number of reviews and average ratings on Gartner, G2, PeerSpot, and TrustRadius software review platforms as of 01/09/2024. Sorted by the total number of reviews in descending order.
Vendor selection:
- Number of reviews: 100+ reviews on Gartner, G2, PeerSpot, and TrustRadius.
- Average rating: Above 4.0/5 on Gartner, G2, PeerSpot, and TrustRadius.
Insights come from our experience with these solutions as well as other users’ experiences shared in Gartner 1 , G22 , PeerSpot3 , and TrustRadius4 .
Top 10 NSPM solutions deep-dive
Digital companies should use network security policy management solutions (NSPM) to govern, monitor, and execute policies throughout their network. See a review-based analysis for leading solutions:
Tufin
Tufin serves 50+% of the Forbes Global 2000 by leveraging its network security policy management technologies.5
Choose Tufin to control and automate policy management during your microsegmentation processes.
Key features
- Automated security policy management: Manage network enforcement points on internal networks and in the cloud.
- Firewall management: Streamline rule assessment for firewalls.
- Network segmentation: Leverage granular zones with microsegmentation and zero trust network access (ZTNA) capabilities.
- Network audit: Maintain control over AI audit activities to assure compliance.
- Vulnerability-based change automation: Use vulnerability-based change automation (VCA) to integrate with vulnerability scanners, and automatically test vulnerabilities.
Figure: Tufin’s products and services
Source: Tufin6
Pros
Network visibility: User reviews show that Tufin provides efficient visibility on configuration modifications in multi-vendor settings containing numerous firewalls.7
Setting firewall rules: Users address setting firewall rules based on traffic monitoring is simple to use; no expertise is required to utilize firewall tools.
Security auditing: Some users appreciate Tufin’s security auditing feature, noting that they can effectively examine and set rules over numerous gateways and firewalls.
Cons
Customer support: Some customers say that Tufin’s customer support continues to provide knowledge-based articles to help them solve the problem independently rather than suggesting a meeting where they might explore the problem.
Developing rules: Some users suggest that Tufin can take a more effective approach to developing and updating rules. There may be suggestions for rules that need to be changed to make them healthier.
Reporting: Some reviews show that Tufin’s reporting functionality could be improved.
Read more: Network security audit tools, SDP software.
Microsoft System Center
Microsoft System Center is a collection of IT management applications that includes network monitoring, updating and patching, endpoint security with anti-malware, data protection, and backup.
The product is offered in two editions: standard and datacenter. The datacenter plan offers data virtualization for high-density private clouds, whereas the standard plan is designed for slightly or non-virtualized private cloud applications.
Here is AIMultiple’s data-driven industry analysis on datacenter vs. residential proxies.
Pros
Ease-of-use: Some users emphasize that it is simple to use security groups while installing policies.
ITIL framework modules: Users appreciate the fact that all ITIL framework modules (incident response, service request, problem management, release, and change management) are effective and have no additional cost.
Customer service automation: Some users note that the product’s automation capabilities make it easier for their help desk to automate numerous manual tasks.
Ticket management via emails: Some users state that the exchange mail connector feature works effectively by adding the “mails to tickets” and allows users to create and handle tickets from one email platform.
Cons
Price: Some customers find the solution expensive in comparison to the services it delivers.
Internal documentation: Some reviewers say that the product can have more extensive documentation and wiki pages.
Patching: Some users indicate that patches* are difficult to apply and maintain.
Read more: Microsoft System Center alternatives.
AlgoSec
AlgoSec is a network security policy management (NSPM) platform that helps organizations implement network security rules and facilitates application connectivity throughout their network (on-premises, cloud, or hybrid).
AlgoSec leverages security visibility by tracking the network, integrating firewall rules into company applications, and identifying compliance discrepancies.
Pros
Granular visibility: Algosec’s granular visibility is said to be high quality by users, enabling them to have a full picture of security rules throughout the whole network.
Firewall analyzer: Reviews show that AlgoSec’s firewall analyzer enables users to effectively examine the connectivity between two separate location devices (source and destination).
Network security management: Some users say that AlgoSec effectively enables them to integrate firewalls, datacenter switches, web proxy servers, and load balancers.
See AIMultiple’s analysis on proxy services/servers and AlgoSec alternatives.
Cons
Reporting tools: Some security engineers suggest that reporting tools can be more intuitive and reachable.
Patching: Some users indicate that the patching in AlgoSec is not functioning accurately, frequently, when they address an issue, another arises.
Usability: Some user reviews document that certain functionalities cannot be executed via the graphical user interface (GUI) or command line interface (CLI). (For example, updating requires a download from the AlgoSec website before doing so via CLI).
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager
SolarWinds’s Network Configuration Manager (NCM) allows users to inventory their network devices by utilizing network scanning and identification to collect current data on all network devices.
Pros
Real-time fault detection: Some users report that the real-time fault detection feature is useful since it identifies changes made to a device’s configuration, which makes it simple to identify which settings were added or withdrawn.
Topology mapper: Some users allege that the “topology mapper” feature effectively works, and shows the connection of your network devices (e.g. detects when a cable is unplugged).
Scalability: Some users point out that the product is scalable, it can be leveraged on several projects with 1,000+ users.
Cons
Reporting: Some users report that the reports are confusing in terms of visibility, claiming that unnecessary data shows up on reports or alerts regarding configuration.
Customer service response time: The customer service response time might be faster.
Automation: Some users would like more automation capabilities in the product to add the settings by sentence rather than typing the command on the devices (e.g. when naming a router).
Read more: NCCM software.
Trend Micro TippingPoint
Trend Micro TippingPoint is a network security platform that provides threat and intrusion prevention (including advanced threats such as malware and phishing), against known and unknown vulnerabilities.
The TippingPoint detects and prevents network attacks by combining technologies such as deep packet inspection, threat reputation, URL reputation, and malware analysis.
Pros
User interface: The UI is considered user-friendly, and filtering and blocking malicious traffic is easy.
Intrusion prevention system (IPS): Some user reviews argue that Tipping Point’s network intrusion prevention system (IPS) can defeat the basic firewall effectively in multilayer security settings.
Stability: Users state that Trend Micro TippingPoint Threat Protection System is stable.
Cons
Performance: Some users consider the performance as poor; application resilience can be improved for better functioning.
Customer support: Some users affirm that there is room for better customer support.
User interface options: Users say that the user interface was created with Java and does not allow them to view all of their options on the screen, a new interface, maybe based on HTML 5, would be ideal.
Palo Alto Networks Panorama
Panorama is a network security policy management platform that allows users to control firewalls across the perimeter, datacenter, and cloud.
With Panorama APIs users automate policy operations that respond to changes, such as server modifications, transfers, or removals. Panorama can be deployed as a logical or physical technology, or both.
Pros
Ease-of-use (rule management): Some users note that the most useful part of Palo Alto Networks Panorama is its ease of rule management since both the device group and template administration are simple to use.
GUI settings configuration: Users who control five firewalls centrally from Panorama find the graphical user interface (GUI) easy to use for configuring settings.
Updates: Some users appreciate that the product raises updates quickly whenever a bug or issue occurs.
Cons
Reporting (preconfigured dashboards): Some users expect to see more preconfigured dashboards as features for improved monitoring and reporting capabilities.
Logs: Some users indicate that the logs could appear quicker in individual firewalls than in the panorama.
Customer support response time: Some users comment that there is room for improvement in response time for technical support.
FireMon Security Manager
FireMon is a real-time network security policy management (NSPM) system, designed for firewall and policy enforcement technologies across on-premises networks to the cloud.
There are integrations offered by FireMon that enable users to expand and integrate policy management with technologies such as SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network), SASE (secure access service edge), XDR (extended detection and response), and SOAR (security orchestration automation and response).
Business impact: FireMon customers see up to a 40% improvement in rule complexity while reducing frequent malfunctions that lead to intrusions and compliance violations.8
See Firemon alternatives.
Pros
Policy management: Users give positive credit to FireMon’s security policy management features, including the efficiency of cleaning policy sets, setting automation, and examining the policies.
Dashboard and centralized policy push: Some customers appreciate FireMon’s dashboard and centralized policy pushes combining all firewalls using a single administration.
Visibility of rules: Some users state that they can easily see the number of redundant/unused rules and logical rules in FireMon.
Cons
Risk detection and reduction: Some users emphasize that the accuracy with which risks are detected or reduced might be a limitation, adding that Firemon may be further optimized to decrease risk beyond 95%, which is now at 90% in their system.
The map feature: The map feature is considered to be complicated and nearly unusable.
Reporting on control failure: Users expect to have a feature that enables them to report control failures.
VPN tunnel activity: Some reviewers indicate that their active VPN tunnels may seem “unused” while they are in use.
CloudGuard Network Security
CloudGuard Cloud Network Security, an integral part of the CloudGuard Cloud Native Security platform, delivers threat prevention and automated cloud network security.
CloudGuard Cloud Network Security leverages these risk assessments through a virtual security gateway, with unified security administration across multi-cloud and on-premises environments in an organization.
Pros
Network security features: Users comment that the platform’s s features are powerful (e.g. identity awareness, URL filtering, intrusion detection system (IDS), content filtering, VPN, and application security controls). They protect against malware, ransomware, and DDoS attacks.
Scalability: Some users affirm that the software is flexible enough to scale from large centralized data centers to IoT/OT devices and local branches.
Integrations: Reviews say that the software integrates effectively with the cloud we use (Azure) and performs satisfactorily in local branches.
Cons
Visibility and setup: Users point out that the platform has downsides such as limited visibility and complicated setup.
Cloud updates: Some users contend the product lacks cloud updates, which makes it difficult (in terms of transparency) to replace licenses when migrating from on-premise to cloud environments.
Documentation and technical support: Some users agree that the solution lacks documentation and technical support.
Cisco Secure Network Analytics
Cisco Secure Network Analytics is a network security policy management platform that allows users to identify cyber-attacks by analyzing, controlling, and preventing current network data to maintain privacy and data integrity.
Cisco Secure Network Analytics can help companies by leveraging features such as:
- Policy management: Evaluate the efficacy of policies, and implement the ones for the user’s environment to support policy violation procedures.
- Dynamic network security notifications: Detects attacks in real-time throughout the dynamic network using high-fidelity notifications filled with historical data such as user, device, location, date and time, and application information.
- Network security analytics: Use analytics to discover unknown malware and insider threats such as data exfiltration and policy breaches.
Pros
Customer support: Users state that they can effectively get support with any questions regarding network design.
Traffic reporting: Traffic reporting is easy and manageable, and the reports are shown in graphs and charts that are easily grasped.
Mapping: Users say that the platform is considered efficient for mapping — determining which applications are active and who is communicating with whom is practical.
Cons
User interface: Some users note that the user interface and dashboard are complex, and extensive knowledge is required to manage them.
Performance: Some users report that the product consistently exhibits performance difficulties in high-load environments.
Pricing: Some users find software and additional tools costs high.
AWS Firewall Manager
AWS Firewall Manager is a security management tool that enables users to centrally set up and administer firewall rules across all accounts and apps in a network.
With AWS Firewall Manager users can delegate application-specific rules inside an account and may be alerted of potential risks to the company, allowing them to respond quickly to an attack.
Pros
Ease-of-use: Some user’s comments say that AWS Firewall Manager is easy to use (especially the APIs) compared to other competitors.
Custom rules: According to some users, the ability to build custom rules with several parameters is the best feature of utilizing the product, which helps applications remain secure by utilizing load balancers.
Resource tags: Some users affirm that AWS Firewall Manager helps them protect resources and personal data across several accounts effectively with user-friendly resource tags.
Cons
Pricing: Users report that while some AWS services are free, numerous vital security features are not, and the price structure can be complicated, making it difficult to predict and budget for security costs.
Tutorials: Some users expect to see more tutorials and training documents.
Unified threat management: Some users expect to see AWS include some unified threat management (UTM) functions within the firewall.
Different types of network security policy management (NSPM) features
NSPM software offers various network security features:
- Intrusion detection and prevention
- Firewall management
- Zero trust access
- VPN
- Role-based-access control (RBAC)
For guidance on choosing the right tool or service for your project, check out our data-driven lists of software-defined perimeter (SDP) software and zero trust networking software.
Further reading
- Top 10 Microsegmentation Tools
- Microsegmentation: What is it? Benefits & Challenges
- Role-based access control (RBAC)
- Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): Definition & Benefits
- Network Segmentation: 6 Benefits & 8 Best Practices
- 80+ Network Security Statistics
External links
- 1. Gartner | Delivering Actionable, Objective Insight to Executives and Their Teams.
- 2. Bewertungen von Geschäftssoftware und -diensten | G2. G2
- 3. Buying Intelligence and Reviews for Enterprise Technology.
- 4. TrustRadius: Software Reviews, Software Comparisons and More. TrustRadius
- 5. SIX Case Study | Tufin.
- 6. Network Security Orchestration with Tufin Orchestration Suite | Tufin.
- 7. Tufin Orchestration Suite Reviews 2025: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2.
- 8. ”FireMon“. FireMon. 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
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