Choosing an identity and access management solution is no trivial task. CyberArk and BeyondTrust use best-in-class technologies to protect systems, manage passwords and otherwise control and protect the use of sensitive data.
SEE: How to recruit and hire a Security Analyst (TechRepublic Premium)
Featured partners
What is CyberArk?
CyberArk is an information security company that provides IAM, PAM and security solutions. These solutions prevent unauthorized access to essential systems, manage passwords and track the use of sensitive data.
Some key features offered by CyberArk include password vaulting, session monitoring, file integrity monitoring, secure remote access and threat detection.
What is BeyondTrust?
BeyondTrust is a security company that provides vulnerability management, privileged account management and data protection solutions. Its products aim to help organizations secure their systems and data from internal and external threats.
Some key features offered by BeyondTrust include asset discovery, vulnerability assessment, patch management, password and credential management, and privileged access control. They also offer solutions for cloud and virtual environments and mobile devices.
CyberArk vs. BeyondTrust head-to-head chart
Both CyberArk and BeyondTrust are powerful, highly rated systems trusted by users. Both will provide best-in-class IAM management and they have also both been labeled leaders within the industry by the Gartner Magic Quadrant.
| CyberArk | BeyondTrust | |
|---|---|---|
| Security focus | Accounts | Assets |
| Password vault | ✅ | ✅ |
| Multi-factor authentication | ✅ | Two-factor |
| Password management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Account management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Session recording | ✅ | ✅ |
| Privileged access management | ✅ | ✅ |
| Proxy/VPN | ✅ | ✅ |
| Organization | Account | Host |
| Gartner classification | Leader | Leader |
CyberArk vs. BeyondTrust features
In general, CyberArk is account-focused, whereas BeyondTrust is asset-focused. This difference in philosophy represents two notably different security paradigms.
CyberArk’s account-focused approach relies on privileged access management, account user behavior and account privileges. For companies whose users carry accounts across multiple devices, CyberArk’s approach may be more appropriate. The agentless asset discovery can quickly identify all assets (including devices, operating systems and applications) within an organization’s network. CyberArk will recognize as accounts sign on to new systems or devices, to quickly manage access.
BeyondTrust’s asset-focused approach relies on environmental scanning to secure the organization’s digital assets. This platform, which supports remote access, offers agentless asset discovery to help organizations inventory their systems and understand where vulnerabilities may exist. BeyondTrust is asset-based—concerned with the security of individual assets.
Otherwise, both CyberArk and BeyondTrust have similar feature offerings and advantages. Which solution is best for your organization depends mainly on the assets you need to protect, the size of your organization and your organization’s potential security risks.
Simplicity and ease-of-use
For beginners, CyberArk has a substantial learning curve. Many small- to mid-sized organizations may find themselves hiring a professional to deploy the solution rather than deploying it internally. While documentation is available, it can be incomplete and inconsistent. A managed services provider may be needed for an organization to transition to CyberArk.
Comparatively, BeyondTrust’s solutions are fairly straightforward to use and deploy. BeyondTrust has a variety of features such as Smart Rules, Smart Groups and Direct Connect, all intended to make the overall user experience of BeyondTrust easier, thereby improving overall productivity.
Audience
Although CyberArk can theoretically manage up to 100,000 endpoints, the maximum implementation in the real world is 57,000. Nevertheless, CyberArk is more likely to be used by enterprise-level organizations, whereas BeyondTrust is more popular with small businesses and mid-market enterprises.
CyberArk’s features, functionality and complexity lend themselves better to an enterprise-level organization. Meanwhile, BeyondTrust’s simplicity, ease of use and painless deployment make it a better option for smaller companies and mid-sized organizations.
Interfaces
CyberArk’s web interface is wanting and the features and functions provided through the web interface are not always the same functions that are provided elsewhere—potentially leading to confusion, especially in terms of API configuration.
BeyondTrust provides a clean, attractive HTML5 interface, although some users find it lacking in more advanced features, such as group approval. While the BeyondTrust interface may not have as robust a feature set as CyberArk, it’s easier to use.
Choosing between CyberArk vs. BeyondTrust
CyberArk and BeyondTrust are fairly evenly matched IAM solutions that have a lot going for them. Today, BeyondTrust is the leading competitor within the field, but CyberArk is close behind.
Choose CyberArk if:
- You need a comprehensive IAM solution that can support on-premises, hybrid and cloud environments.
- You need an IAM solution with built-in privileged access management capabilities.
- You’re interested in an IAM solution that puts account management and account security first.
- You aren’t afraid of an IAM solution with complexity.
Choose BeyondTrust if:
- You need an IAM solution focusing on secure remote access and compliance with regulatory standards.
- You need an IAM solution with robust vulnerability assessment and patch management features.
- You’re interested in an IAM solution that puts asset management and asset security first.
- You need a solution fast and easy to deploy.
Ultimately, CyberArk and BeyondTrust are powerful IAM solutions that can help organizations manage their critical assets and protect against data breaches. When choosing between CyberArk and BeyondTrust, consider your organization’s needs, requirements and resources first.
Leading IAM Solutions
1 Semperis
For security teams charged with defending hybrid and multi-cloud environments, Semperis ensures integrity and availability of critical enterprise directory services at every step in the cyber kill chain and cuts recovery time by 90%. Purpose-built for securing hybrid Active Directory environments, Semperis’ patented technology protects over 50 million identities from cyberattacks, data breaches, and operational errors. Expose blind spots. Paralyze attackers. Minimize downtime. Semperis.com
2 Cloud Risk Complete
Cloud Risk Complete delivers real-time visibility into your entire environment with the new Executive Risk View: a unified dashboard that provides the comprehensive visibility and context needed to track total risk across both cloud and on-premises assets and better understand organizational risk posture and trends. See it in action via our virtual product tour and discover firsthand how Rapid7 helps you assess and reduce risk faster across your hybrid environment.
3 ManageEngine ADManager Plus
ADManager Plus is a unified AD, Exchange, Teams, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365 management solution to simplify tasks such as provisioning users, cleaning up stale accounts, and managing NTFS and share permissions. It offers 200 built-in reports, including reports on inactive user accounts, Microsoft 365 licenses, and users' last logon times. You can build a custom workflow for ticketing and compliance, delegate tasks to technicians, automate AD tasks such as restore and backup AD objects.
4 NordLayer
IAM is a framework of policies, processes, and technologies used to manage digital identities and access rights of users within an organization. It includes various tools and techniques for identifying and authenticating users, as well as for authorizing access to resources based on the user's role and permissions. IAM ensures that only authorized users can access the organization's resources, and helps to prevent security breaches and data theft.
5 Twingate
Twingate helps fast-growing companies easily implement a Zero Trust secure access solution without compromising security, usability, or performance. We believe that “Work from Anywhere” should just work. Twingate’s secure access platform replaces legacy VPNs with a modern Identity-First Networking solution that combines enterprise-grade security with a consumer-grade user experience. It can be set up in less than 15 minutes and integrates with all major cloud providers and identity providers.
Subscribe to the Daily Tech Insider Newsletter
Stay up to date on the latest in technology with Daily Tech Insider. We bring you news on industry-leading companies, products, and people, as well as highlighted articles, downloads, and top resources. You’ll receive primers on hot tech topics that will help you stay ahead of the game.
Delivered Weekdays
