ExtraHop Reveal(x) vs. Darktrace: Choosing an NDR Tool

Network detection and response (NDR) platforms like ExtraHop and Darktrace enable companies to prevent data security breaches. While these two security vendors are similar in some ways, crucial differences exist between them.

Some background: most businesses today choose to deploy their data and run applications on the cloud. But with cyberthreats increasing daily across the globe, it has become essential for these companies to take additional precautions and measures to safeguard their network. This is where ExtraHop and Darktrace play a key role.

Overall, these two solutions compare in the following ways:

• ExtraHop: ExtraHop is the best NDR solution for knowing where intruders are going and where they’ve been; it can be deployed with a more modest budget.
• Darktrace: Darktrace is best for providing effective solutions to prevent the most sophisticated cyberattacks, and can be more costly.

While these NDR solutions may be the best at what they offer, businesses must choose between the two. With this in mind, let’s shed some light on a few vital pointers to assist you with choosing the right NDR platform for your business.

ExtraHop vs. Darktrace Comparison Chart

ExtraHop vs. Darktrace: Portfolio

ExtraHop offers many solutions in terms of security, cloud, and IT ODS (operational data store). It enables users to leverage Dynamic Stream Processing along with data center migration services in a hassle-free manner. Businesses also use the platform’s Hybrid Cloud Monitoring feature and data exploration services.

Darktrace offers varied products like Darktrace PREVENT, Darktrace DETECT, and Darktrace RESPOND. The platform assists organizations in a multitude of aspects, including cloud, network, email, and applications.

ExtraHop vs. Darktrace: Partners

ExtraHop partners are an extension of the team, so to speak, working with government agencies to improve security and performance with high visibility, definitive insights, and immediate answers. The company partners with channel partners and technology partners.

Similarly, Darktrace collaborates with channel partners and technology partners to enhance their product reach and technologies. As is true throughout the tech industry, greater interoperability leads to greater adoption.

ExtraHop vs. Darktrace: Use Cases

ExtraHop

Asante Health: Asante Health is an Oregon-based health care provider, with 200,000 customers and 6,500 employees across six hospitals. Maintaining a strong security posture is a big challenge with such a wide range. ExtraHop Implemented continuous packet capture to log network data. The company offered solutions that seamlessly integrate with existing SOAR and SIEM products to gain increased visibility and higher fidelity of detection.

bet365 is one of the world’s leading online gambling groups with over ten million customers in 200 different countries. bet365 needs visibility to ensure the delivery of mission-critical applications and detect anomalous behavior in their environment. ExtraHop executed a correlation between changes made with improvements/degradations in application performance.

Darktrace

Duferco: Ruth Amui, Duferco’s IT Manager, oversees her organization’s IT and OT security needs with only a small team, meaning time constraints have long been a limiting factor. The team turned to Darktrace’s Self-Learning AI to protect their business. The technology learns ‘normal’ for every user and device from the ground up to spot and stop anomalous, threatening activity. Autonomous Response can be set up in human confirmation mode to only take action on the request. However, having seen it operate across the digital estate, Amui trusts AI decision-making.

Boardriders: Boardriders has a global footprint compromising over 700 retail locations across six continents, 20 e-commerce sites, and multiple warehouses worldwide. From a security perspective, the greatest challenge was protecting a truly global business with only a small team. The company turned to Darktrace’s Self-Learning AI and Autonomous Response to gain comprehensive visibility and protection over its network and cloud environments. The technology immediately began learning the normal ‘patterns of life’ for every user and device in the organization, revealing subtle deviations that indicate a potential threat.

Top 5 Alternatives to ExtraHop and Darktrace

In addition to ExtraHop and Darktrace, here are a few other alternative NDR platforms that offer similar solutions:

• IronDefense: A network detection and response software that leverages AI and ML technologies to identify, analyze, and respond to cybersecurity threats.
• Gigamon ThreatINSIGHT: Cloud-native NDR platform that helps security teams find potential network threats.
• Vectra Platform: An AI-driven cybersecurity platform that can detect attacks in real-time and help security teams perform incident investigations.
• Symantec Security Analytics: NDR solution with advanced network traffic analysis and a host of features that offer complete visibility into enterprise security.
• Plixer Scrutinizer: A security solution that helps manage network traffic and offers detailed network insights and security issues.

Bottom Line: ExtraHop vs. Darktrace Vulnerability Scans

While ExtraHop has a robust portfolio due to its varied use cases, and can integrate well with existing security applications like SOAR and SIEM, Darktrace offers a multitude of services with advanced technology, included targeted use of artificial intelligence. As noted above, ExtraHop can be more modestly priced.

Ultimately, whether Darktrace or ExtraHop is the best choice for a business is determined by that company’s unique cybersecurity needs and budget.