10 Top Data Security Software & Solutions

Data security software and solutions help a company get more visibility and insight to discover and solve cyberthreats. The scope of these data security tools ranges from data centers, vulnerability scanners, data classification, firewalls, antivirus, auditing, and data encryption. 

In this article, Datamation reviewed the top data security software and solutions and ranked them with detail on the primary use cases for each. See below to learn all about the top software in the data security market.

For more information, also see: Why Firewalls are Important for Network Security

Top Data Security Software

• Acronis Cyber Protect: Best for Data Backup
  
• Cisco ACI: Best for Data Center Security
  
• VMware NSX: Best for Versatility
  
• HashiCorp Vault: Best for Encryption
• Acunetix by Invicti: Best for Automation
  
• Microsoft Defender VM: Best for Vulnerability Scanning
• Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security Enterprise: Best for Endpoint Protection
  
• Prisma Cloud Data Security: Best for Cloud Security
  
• Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite: Best for Customization
  
• Mimecast: Best for Price
  
• Important Features for Data Security Software
  
• How to Choose the Right Data Security Solution
  
• Bottom Line: Data Security Software
  

For more information, also see: What is Big Data Security?

Acronis Cyber Protect: Best for Data Backup

Acronis is a computer software company with over 5.5 million home users and 500,000 companies. Acronis products are available through 50,000 partners and service providers in over 150 countries and 40 languages. Acronis’s product, Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud, is known for its backup and protection all-in-one management system.

Their offerings include cyber protection using antivirus, backup, disaster recovery, endpoint protection management solutions, and AI-based anti-malware. Acronis solutions protect data, applications, and systems for any business.

Key Features

• Data protection: Acronis Cyber Protect protects important data with continuous protection, making recovery time shorter.
• Security to prevent reinfection: Acronis Cyber Protect gives customers the ability to restore older files and technology with the latest updates, security patches, and update anti-malware.
• Data reporting system: Acronis Cyber Protect gives the ability to track vital files and alert an enterprise if their files cannot be backed up. 

Pros

• Automated backup: Acronis Cyber Protect has a data protection map, compliance reporting, and continuous data protection. 
• Increased productivity: Acronis gives advanced management through patch management, health monitoring, software inventory collection, and cyber scripting making IT have less work to do with possible disaster recovery.
• Decreased operating costs: Acronis Cyber Protect only requires one integrated solution: one license, one agent, controlled and deployed through one console. 

Cons

• Cloud storage separate: To get Acronis Cyber Protect’s cloud storage, there is an additional cost.

Pricing

For pricing, go to the Acronis Purchasing page.

Cisco ACI: Best for Data Center Security

Cisco, based in San Jose, California, is a top software development company with 71,000 professionals working on software from IP telephony to wireless technology. Cisco’s product, Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), is a leading data center security solution. 

Cisco ACI is vital to a data center’s safety and security as data needs become more prevalent in business. Cisco ACI aims to give automation and consistency, multi-cloud acceleration, network protection, and centralized management. Connecting, building, and governing data centers and their data is a valuable part of Cisco ACI.

Key Features

• Improve network operations: Cisco ACI maintains a flexible and available network with deployments within, across, and across global data centers. Cisco ACI also gives customers better visibility and automation.
• Securely expand to the multicloud: Cisco ACI offers a cloud-ready SDN solution, provides smooth disaster recovery, and has a consistent security posture across an entire multicloud environment.
• Deliver positive experience: Cisco ACI is scalable offering common policy, management, and operation examples across applications, networks, and security resources. Container networking can also be enabled and integrated with VMware vRealize, Azure Pack, OpenStack, OpenShift, Kubernetes, and Cisco UCS Director.

Pros

• Monitors network health: Cisco ACI allows customers to see their traffic, possible vulnerable areas, and even offers troubleshooting to save the company time.
• Manage multiple devices: Companies from small to large both have multiple devices that need data security and updates to keep the information safe. Cisco ACI provides this for all of their customers.
• Uses micro-segmentation: Cisco ACI enables a logical division of distinct security segments in the data center to define security controls and deliver services for each segment.

Cons

• Application Policy Infrastructure: Cisco ACI’s application policy infrastructure can be hard for beginners to work with, due to its difficult setup.

Pricing

For pricing, go to Cisco’s how to buy page.

For more on Cisco’s software: Cisco DNA Center Review

VMware NSX: Best for Versatility 

VMware, based in Palo Alto, California, is a software development provider of services for apps and digital innovation with enterprise control. VMware aims to provide safety and security measures for their customers using edge computing, AI, machine learning (ML), and other new technologies. VMware’s data center security software, VMware NSX, is a leading data security software.

VMware NSX for data centers includes security components such as a firewall, network switch, route, and load balancer to streamline security. This grants the organization to utilize VMware NSX to reproduce security configurations over multiple clouds and physical servers. The security measures VMware NSX gives an organization the ability to change as the environment and threats change.

Key Features

• Provides container networking and security: VMware NSX provides container networking for VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid, VMware Tanzu Application Service, VMware vSphere with Tanzu, Red Hat OpenShift, and upstream Kubernetes.
• Advanced security capabilities:  VMware NSX offers security capabilities with security add-ons. Distributed IDPS, malware prevention, network traffic analysis (NTA), network detection and response, gateway security, and malware detection are offered through VMware NSX.
• Multicloud networking: NSX delivers a network virtualization solution that brings networking and security across sites to streamline multicloud operations. VMware NSX enables multicloud ranging from data center extension to multi-data center for rapid workload mobility.

Pros

• Versatile features: VMware’s enterprise networking portfolio offers many features within their portfolio.
• Cost savings: VMware has a cheaper enterprise networking portfolio than a lot of the competition. 
• Easy integration: VMware easily integrates with other tools in a company’s infrastructure.

Cons

• Difficult setup: Compared to other enterprise networking portfolios, VMware’s networking tools can be difficult to set up.

Pricing

For pricing, go to the get started page, and select what option works best.

For more information: VMware NSX Review

HashiCorp Vault: Best for Encryption Keys

HashiCorp is a software company with a freemium business model that provides open-source tools and commercial products that enable developers, operators, and security professionals to provision, secure, run, and connect cloud-computing infrastructure. HashiCorp’s product, Vault, is security software that works specifically with data centers.

Vault supports multi-data center replication to provide applications with high availability, gives high latency for remote businesses, and aims to prevent loss or outages during connectivity failures. Vault protects an organization’s important data and forms, along with having credential rotation and encryption key rolling.

Key Features

• Sealed/unsealed: When a user first starts the Vault is in a sealed state; while the Vault is in use, it is unsealed. The Vault creates sealed keys that encrypt all access to data. This adds a layer of security for a customer’s data.
• Token authentication: Another type of authentication of Vault is the token authentication method. Tokens contain a user’s ID, display name, metadata, number of uses, parent ID, policies, and source path.
• Vault replication architecture: The vault replication architecture is based on design goals and the use cases it will be used for. When clusters are created, a company can make them primary or secondary. For example, the primary cluster will have more access to the data than the secondary would.

Pros

• Scalability: Vault works well with growing companies with the ability to extend the room for data and any sensitive information.
• Prevents secret sprawling: Vault makes an effort to keep secrets safe, such as passwords, encryption keys, and client information by avoiding secret sprawling and keeping your company safe.
• Cloud and multicloud: Vault gives customers the ability to use cloud or multicloud with their information. 

Cons

• No user interface: While many data security tools have a user interface, Vault does not. Vault will still keep track and let customers see their information, but does not provide an interface.

Pricing

For pricing, join the HashiCorp Cloud Platform and start a free trial.

Acunetix by Invicti: Best for Automation

Malta-based Acunetix by Invicti is an IT service company that provides automated and manual penetration testing tools and vulnerability scanning to repair detected threats and improve data security software. Acunetix focuses on application security testing for their customers.

Acunetix by Invicti is a vulnerability scanner to help businesses keep their network safe. Acunetix can automatically create a list of the company’s websites, applications, and APIs to ensure it stays safe and updated. Acunetix can also detect over 7,000 vulnerabilities; it makes it easier for developers to find, fix, and prevent vulnerabilities; and let businesses automate regular scans.

Key Features

• Connect to CI/CD, issue tracker, WAF, and other tools: Connecting these tools improves the overall health of a network. Most scanners may not include this, but it is a proactive tool to support data security.
• Vulnerabilities are fixed with WAF virtual patching: Acunetix By Invicti prevents attacks on a known vulnerability in a company’s system by using a WAF patch on the company’s system.
• Coverage with blended DAST and IAST scanning: The Acunetix By Invicti has coverage using both DAST and IAST scanning to ensure full coverage for every web application, network, and all data.

Pros

• Supports importing state files: Whether applications, other software, or state files, Acunetix By Invicti offers open ways to import their files.
• Does more than scan for vulnerabilities: Acunetix By Invicti has tools that offer more cybersecurity help, so a company can improve in multiple ways.
• Complete dashboard: Acunetix By Invicti has a complete dashboard offering results and reports from vulnerability scans.

Cons

• Expensive: Compared to other data security tools, Acunetix By Invicti is noted to be more expensive.

Pricing

For pricing, go to the Acunetix pricing page.

Microsoft Defender VM: Best for Vulnerability Scanning

To address the need for data security software, Microsoft built Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management to help. 

Defender Vulnerability Management offers asset visibility, scan assessments, and built-in tools for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and network devices. Leveraging Microsoft threat intelligence, breach likelihood predictions, business contexts, and device assessments, Defender Vulnerability Management prioritizes the biggest vulnerabilities on a business’s critical assets and provides security recommendations.

Key Features

• Vulnerability and configuration assessment: Microsoft Defender VM wants their customers to understand and assess their cyber exposure with vulnerability and configuration assessment tools such as security baseline assessments, network share assessments, threat analytics and event timelines, browser extensions, and digital certificates.
• Risk-based prioritization: Microsoft Defender VM focuses on emerging threats to pinpoint active breaches and protect high-value assets. With Microsoft’s threat intelligence, breach predictions, business contexts, and device assessments, a company can quickly prioritize the vulnerabilities needed.
• Remediation and tracking: Microsoft Defender VM enables security and IT admins to collaborate and remediate issues with built-in workflows. Microsoft Defender VM will also block vulnerable applications, help gain insight into mitigations, and provide real-time statuses. 

Pros

• Deep threat monitoring and analysis: Every vulnerability Microsoft Defender detects is analyzed for the best solutions.
• Alert to remediation: When a vulnerability is found, Microsoft Defender immediately alerts the company and fixes the problem.
• Always active when security tools go down: In case other security software goes down, Microsoft Defender will stay active to continue protecting the infrastructure.

Cons

• Difficult offboarding: Currently, there is not a way for customers to delete devices. While they do eventually disappear, there is no manual way to delete a device.

Pricing

Microsoft offers a six-month free trial for the Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management tool.

For more on vulnerability scanning: 5 Top Vulnerability Management Trends

Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security Enterprise: Best for Endpoint Protection

Bitdefender is a software development company that is focused on cybersecurity, specifically threat prevention, detection, and response solutions in 170 countries. Bitdefender’s data security software, Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security Enterprise, is ranked as one of the best in the market.

GravityZone Business Security Enterprise has multiple security layers to provide the best data security solutions. There are four main layers: risk analytics and hardening; prevention; detection and response; reporting and integration. This includes functions such as patch management, tunable machine learning, anomaly detection, and MDR.

Key Features

• Effective Endpoint Protection: GravityZone uses multiple layers of security techniques to stop cyberattacks throughout the entire system, from the first contact, exploit, persistence, and malicious activity that might occur.
• Detection and Response Technology: The detection and response technology provides companies with threat visibility so the business can focus on investigating the vulnerabilities and see how to respond. 
• Risk Analytics-Driven Hardening: Bitdefender GravityZone’s risk analytics engine will assess security problems and user actions to provide a prioritized and classified list of security enhancements.

Pros

• Encryption key management: To ensure a company’s data and sensitive information is safe, Bitdefender GravityZone encrypts information.
• Alerts and notifications: Data security concerns or irregularities detected by GravityZone will be investigated while the company receives alerts about the concerns.
• Block untrustworthy websites: Bitdefender GravityZone will block websites on a company’s server that may cause security breaches.

Cons

• Only email support: Bitdefender GravityZone does not have phone customer support and can only be reached by email.

Pricing

For pricing, go to the Bitdefender contact us page.

Prisma Cloud Data Security: Best for Cloud Security

Palo Alto Networks is a cybersecurity company with headquarters in Santa Clara, California. Palo Alto Network’s Prisma Cloud Data Security enables a company to discover and classify data stored to protect against exposure, misuse, or sharing of sensitive data. Prisma Cloud Data Security is integrated with Palo Alto Networks’ Enterprise DLP service.

Prisma Cloud offers many different options for data security including cloud security posture management, threat detection, data classification, malware scanning, data governance, vulnerability management, runtime security, and secrets security.

Key Features

• Works with Azure Blob Storage and AWS S3: Prisma Cloud Data Security can integrate with Microsoft’s Azure Blob Storage and AWS S3 with cloud security. For companies that need to work with Azure or AWS, Prisma Cloud is a good option.
• Minimalistic user interface: Prisma Cloud Data Security allows companies to have one dashboard covering all information instead of multiple difficult tools. This makes dashboards easier to use, and they are more convenient for Prisma customers.
• Serverless functions: The company needs to make a connection, and then the tool will continue to monitor the traffic and other actions at all times and provide customers with alerts when there is a possible risk or something changes in their system.

Pros

• Auto remediation: Prisma Cloud Data Security has auto remediation to keep a company’s data safe from data breaches.
• Efficient and real-time monitoring: Prisma Cloud Data Security keeps the interface’s information accurate.
• Easy to use: Customers said the tool is easy to use and understand compared to other data security tools.

Cons

• Not customizable: Prisma Cloud does not give companies the ability to customize a dashboard with their preferences.

Pricing

For pricing, go to Prisma Cloud’s Request Your Trial page.

Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite: Best for Customization

Hitachi Vantara, under parent company Hitachi, Ltd, aims to apply their industrial and digital capabilities to their data and applications to benefit business. Their data security tool, Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite, is one of the top data security solutions.

Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite offers backup and recovery capabilities to help a company’s data stay safe. The tool offers data protection, copy data management software, operational and disaster recovery, business continuity, and data repurposing.

Key Features

• Works with customers: Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite can assess a company’s current data security situation, and works with customers to plan, design and implement a solution configuration that meets business requirements.
• Whiteboard-Like Interface: The web-based user interface makes designing policies and dataflows for local and remote employees and data repurposing. 
• Access control: Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite’s access controls the tasks, views, and resources that are for different employees.

Pros

• Reliable: Customers called Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite a reliable tool for their data security needs.
• Scalability: As data grows, Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite grows with it, allowing businesses to be flexible. 
• Data migration: Data migration is helpful with selecting, preparing, extracting, and transforming data for data security.

Cons

• Complicated tool: Hitachi Vantara Data Protection Suite can be complicated to set up and without experience, difficult to work with.

Pricing

For pricing, select the Contact Us page.

Mimecast: Best for the Price

London-based Mimecast is an advanced email and collaboration company that focuses on data security. Mimecast can combat common threats like viruses and malware and provides data security protection from advanced attacks like phishing, spear-phishing, and whale phishing that use dangerous links or attachments to trick users into sharing credentials, giving sensitive information, or transferring funds into cyberattacker accounts.

Mimecast offers cloud-based services for their security along with continuity and archiving, reducing the risk associated with email security. Mimecast allows organizations to avoid deploying dangerous tasks.

Key Features

• Prevents targeted attacks. Mimecast scans all emails in real-time to check for links, dangerous attachments, and more. If the emails have potential threats, they will be rejected or the employee will be sent a review through email.
• Data breaches and eavesdropping: With Mimecast’s tools employees can send messages without needing to download or have data encryption software.
• Third-party file sharing: Companies will sometimes use third-party services to send large files outside of inbox limits. Mimecast can send files up to 2 GB directly from their email.

Pros

• Able to maintain customer brand awareness: Mimecast’s solutions will ensure that the customers will maintain their image.
• Reliable: Customers of Mimecast said the software is reliable when it comes to data security.
• Useful management console: Customers had a positive experience with Mimecast’s management console.

Cons

• Complex product: Customer reports Mimecast as difficult to use without experience.

Pricing

For Mimecast pricing, go to the Get A Quote page.

For more information, also see: What is Firewall as a Service? 

Important Features of Data Security Software 

Data security software has a number of important features, including data activity monitoring, automated reporting and risk analysis.

Data discovery and classification tools

Sensitive information can reside in databases, data warehouses, big data platforms, and cloud environments. All need their data protected through automation by identifying  sensitive information and assessing and minimizing the risk of data loss.

Data activity monitoring

Monitoring tools can analyze users’ data usage patterns, so the security teams can see what user is accessing data and identify any possible risks. Data security software can block and alert customers in the case of abnormal activity. 

Risk analysis tools

Data security assessments used by data security tools make the process of detecting and solving risks such as misconfigurations, weak passwords, and the software identifies the most sensitive and at-risk data.

Automated reporting

Data security software with automated capabilities can provide an extra level of safety. By automating risk protection, companies can save time and company resources.

Physical security of data storage

Whether a company’s data is stored on-premises, in a data center, or in the public cloud, companies need to ensure that the data storage is secured against cybercriminals and has strong fire suppression measures. Cloud providers will likely supply extra security measures so the customers do not have to do it themselves.

Access management and controls

Data and sensitive information require control over who has access and who does not. Some employees may need one part while others need information separate from that part. This means granting access to databases, networks, and administrative account access must be thought out and put into a policy based on need.

For more information, also see: Data Security Trends

How To Choose the Right Data Security Solution for You

Choosing a data security solution can be based on the classification of data, industry, cost, and the company’s preference. Whether cloud, data center, or on-premise, a company needs tools to cover their infrastructure and data needs. 

This can be based on whether a company wants access management, a user dashboard, risk assessments, and where the data is stored. A company must gets what it needs. Small, medium, and large companies will have different needs, and different industries will need other tool capabilities.

On a related topic, also see: Top Cybersecurity Software

Bottom Line: Data Security Software

Data security software gives more insight to discover and solve any risk of a data breach. Features such as access management, a user dashboard, risk assessments, and where the data is stored should be part of data security software and what the company needs. 

From Acronis Cyber Protect to Mimecast, each tool has their own individual features and effects for the company using it.