Top 7 RedSeal Alternatives for Network Security in 2024

RedSeal is a cybersecurity solution that provides security risk management and network visibility for cloud-enabled organizations. It provides security leaders with the data they need to prioritize risks and meet compliance goals with end-to-end visibility.

This approach is important for organizations with complex cloud deployments, but Redseal isn’t for everyone. Some vendors offer similar capabilities at lower prices, while others have superior risk management software for specific industry niches.

You may be interested in switching from RedSeal to another network visibility solution because you might need additional support for a multi-vendor cloud platform.

We’ve put together a comprehensive list of security policy management platforms that can provide insight into your organization’s attack surface and cloud security capabilities.

Read on to find out more about how the cybersecurity industry’s most important RedSeal competitors stack up. We’ll cover the features of each technology along with its pros and cons so you can make the best decision for your organization’s budget and security posture.

RedSeal gathers data about endpoints and network devices and analyzes that data in real-time. This gives network administrators the ability to conduct vulnerability assessments and endpoint security audits as needed, enabling security service providers to keep up with emerging threats.

Key features:

Security analytics and network visualization. RedSeal’s security platform prioritizes analytics and visualization, allowing network administrators to quickly gauge their overall risk profile and track down vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.
Intuitive dashboards and high-level reporting. Security leaders rely on RedSeal’s data visualization capabilities to decide where future security investments should be made. The platform is designed to make risk prioritization easy while allowing key stakeholders to communicate clearly about cyber risk.

Pros:

Ease of installation use. RedSeal is designed for enterprise users who need to gain visibility into their networks with minimal technical configuration requirements. As a high-level reporting tool, it provides programmatic API integration with a variety of third-party services without drowning users in unnecessary details.
Comprehensive network mapping. RedSeal ingests information about your network configuration, including your firewalls, switches, routers, and load balancers. It also connects to your public cloud and private cloud instances using APIs and builds a complete connectivity model of your network.
Agent-free low-consumption model. RedSeal’s connectivity model does not rely on agents, SPAN ports, or TAPs. It creates a comprehensive network model without compromising production traffic or using up NetFlow data.

Cons:

Costs do not scale well. RedSeal charges a subscription fee based on the number of layer 3 and layer 2 devices on the network, plus support and maintenance costs that include perpetual software licensing fees. These fees are calculated as a percentage of the overall subscription cost, which can present problems for growing organizations.
Lack of community support. While other solutions have thriving communities built around open source security solutions, RedSeal has almost no community to speak of. The company provides security teams with technical documentation, but top competitors have much more to offer.
Lack of advanced features. Beyond mapping and analytics, RedSeal does not actually provide a great deal of value compared to many other options. It should feature more in-depth capabilities for integrating incident response operations, threat intelligence, and malware remediation for cloud environments.

1. AlgoSec

2. FireMon

3. Tufin

4. Skybox Security

5. Cisco Defense Orchestrator

6. ManageEngine

7. Qualys Vulnerability Management

AlgoSec is the top-ranking RedSeal competitor because of its comprehensive set of features for managing network security policies while proactively protecting against cyber threats. The platform provides the same degree of end-to-end network visualization that RedSeal promises, but with additional capabilities. It provides secure application delivery across public and private clouds, containers, and on-premises hardware devices while supporting compliance and visibility.

Key features:

• Comprehensive coverage and compatibility. AlgoSec enables security leaders to automate asset discovery and policy management across the entire hybrid network. That includes public cloud infrastructure like AWS, on-premises hardware, and third-party software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions are all covered.

• Real-Time network mapping. Security teams can use AlgoSec to unlimited visibility into their network’s connectivity stream. Additionally, they can implement changes, reinforce policies, and update security controls directly from the interface.

• Simulated configuration modeling. AlgoSec allows security professionals to test network configuration changes and identify potential risks before committing those changes. This removes much of the guesswork and risk that goes into changing network and firewall configurations.

Pros:

• Automated change management reduces the errors that come from manual configuration.

• Firewall rule optimization automatically protects your organization from new and emerging threats.

• Regulatory analysis can help you demonstrate compliance with complex frameworks like NIST and PCI-DSS.

Cons:

• The platform could benefit from more in-depth integration support.

• Some patches and hotfixes arrive late when compared to competitors.

FireMon is a network security vendor that specializes in provisioning network security policies and managing them from a central interface. It provides hybrid organizations with a comprehensive set of tools for reviewing policies in real-time and making changes to those policies in response to new analysis. Like RedSeal, it provides end-to-end visibility into cloud-enabled networks and gives IT teams visibility into their security risk profile.

Key features:

• Distributed alarm and response capabilities. FireMon provides visibility into application connectivity and supports complex alarming configurations in multi-vendor environments.

• Out-of-the-box reporting tools. Security leaders who implement FireMon in order to gain fast access to in-depth reports are able to get these features working with minimal setup and configuration time.

• Customization tools included. Organizations that need customized reporting or policy management solutions can rely on FireMon to deliver.

Pros:

• FireMon’s policy error analysis is accurate, providing in-depth data about which policies get triggered the most frequently and which ones do not.

• The unified visibility and management tool provides a great starting place for standardizing security policy management, especially across complex multi-vendor environments.

Cons:

• FireMon’s licensing model can be inconsistent. Some customers report having their license terms changed over time.

• The platform’s automation capabilities are not quite as advanced as some other entrants on this list.

• Network mapping isn’t always accurate in certain network topologies, such as those that use asymmetric routing.

Tufin’s Orchestration Suite is a comprehensive network security management platform designed around automation and compliance. It supports multi-vendor networks, and runs on a variety of operating systems and devices. It enables security practitioners to audit firewall rules against a universal standard, providing in-depth insight into the organization’s overall exposure to risk.

Key features:

• High quality automation capabilities. Tufin allows security teams to cleanly automate low-impact tasks like policy duplication. It makes addressing unused objects, address groups, and service objects easy.

• Advanced scheduling. You can use Tufin to schedule policy modifications to take place overnight. Depending on your security needs, you can distribute resources where they are needed when they are needed most.

• Multiple tools. Tufin provides organizations with a variety of policy management tools. It can manage firewall policies, VPN policies, and perform compliance verifications via API.

Pros:

• Using Tufin to manage security policies is easy. Most security professionals will be able to quickly learn how the software works and begin using it right away.

• Tufin allows security teams to manage firewall policies and integrate change processes into their workflows.

• Security teams with multiple firewalls from different vendors can easily control and manage their firewall fleet through Tufin’s centralized interface.

Cons:

• The product is not particularly fast or user-friendly. It features a user interface that looks dated compared to many other entrants on this list.

• Tufin does not support advanced customization or reports. These limitations are even more pronounced for organizations with complex network management needs.

The cost of implementing Tufin can be high for growing organizations. It seems priced for the large enterprise market.

Skybox Security Suite is a suite of cybersecurity management solutions that helps organizations reduce data breach risks and improve their security ratings. It provides continuous exposure management, which means it continuously monitors and analyzes organizations’ networks for vulnerabilities and threats.

Key features:

Skybox Security Suite includes two main policy management tools:

• Network Security Policy Management: This tool helps organizations develop and enforce consistent security policies for their networks.

• Vulnerability and Threat Management: This tool helps organizations identify and prioritize vulnerabilities in their networks and mitigate the associated risks.

Pros:

• Automated firewall management helps organizations automate the provisioning, configuration, and management of their firewalls.

• Network visibility and vulnerability control enables security teams to prioritize the vulnerabilities Skybox detects in their networks.

• Threat Intelligence: Skybox includes its own threat intelligence service, which provides organizations with information about new vulnerabilities and active exploits.

Cons:

• Skybox can present a steep learning curve to new users, even if they’re experienced network security professionals.

• Skybox relies on an accurate inventory of devices and networks. If the inventory is not up-to-date, it may not provide accurate results.

Cisco Defense Orchestrator is a cloud-based security policy management service that helps organizations unify their policies across multi-cloud networks. It provides comprehensive asset discovery and visibility for cloud infrastructure, and network administrators can use it to manage security configurations and assess their risk profile. However, it only supports Cisco products and hardware.

Key features:

• Single reference point for policy management: Cisco Defense Orchestrator provides a pane of glass for managing and configuring Cisco security devices across the network.

• Cloud-delivered software: Cisco Defense Orchestrator deploys rapidly and quickly. The process is defined by scalability made possible through the product’s cloud-delivered SaaS format.

• Built-in compliance management: The solution lets security teams deploy policies to Cisco security devices and demonstrate that those policies are compliant with industry-wide frameworks like NIST, PCI-DSS, and others.

Pros:

• Administrators can easily manage the organization’s fleet of security devices and other network assets from a single location.

• Cisco’s cloud-delivered approach is cost-efficient and scalable, while remaining powerful enough to enhance security for large enterprises as well as growing organizations.

• Visibility is built into the software package, granting security teams the ability to map out network assets and identify vulnerabilities proactively.

Cons:

• The cost of implementing Cisco Defense Orchestrator may be too high for some organizations.

Cisco Defense Orchestrator only supports Cisco products. If your organization has to rip and replace its existing fleet of firewalls, switches, and routers, the cost of deploying this solution will rise dramatically.

ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer enhances network security by providing real-time insights into firewall traffic and rule configurations. It also enables administrators to generate comprehensive reports and alerts on security events and potential risks. It supports a wide range of hardware vendors and can provide vulnerability management solutions to security teams that need better visibility into their security posture.

Key features:

• Agentless deployment. Real-time monitoring is available without requiring endpoints and other assets to run client-side agents that can draw resources away from mission-critical business tasks.

• Out-of-the-box compliance management. Security teams can automate compliance management using ManageEngine without requiring additional configuration or painstaking customization.

• Network traffic monitoring. ManageEngine enables security teams to conduct behavioral analysis on network traffic, monitoring for unusual activity and getting detailed insights about how users are interacting with company assets.

Pros:

• The software allows administrators to monitor and respond to security threats quickly, and grants real-time information about how firewall rules are being used.

• ManageEngine helps administrators keep track of security incidents and vulnerabilities and provides compliance reporting ideal for popular regulatory standards like NIST and PCI-DSS.

• The user interface is easy to use and understand, making it suitable for IT professionals with different levels of skill and experience.

Cons:

• The software may be too costly for some organizations, especially growing organizations with a single shared budget for IT and security expenses.

• ManageEngine Firewall Analyzer may not work with all firewall vendors, so organizations should verify compatibility before deploying the software.

Installing ManageEngine requires a high level of technical knowledge and specialist talent, which increases the cost.

Qualys provides network administrators with a comprehensive suite of tools for defining and managing cyber risk. Its software package includes solutions that grant end-to-end visibility into networks and map network assets out so that security teams can prioritize them effectively. It also supports automation and network security policy management, all through a single interface.

Key features:

• Quantifiable cyber risk statistics. The product uses a proprietary system for tracking and quantifying cyber risk, giving security leaders an easy way to communicate the organization’s risk profile to executives and stakeholders.

• Automated no-code workflows. IT teams can use Qualys Vulnerability Management to orchestrate security updates and patching without writing complex scripts for the purpose.

• Comprehensive network discovery and mapping. Qualys detects all IT assets on the network, and also extends its discovery to operating technology and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It enriches asset inventories with vendor lifecycle data and additional information.

Pros:

• Risk-based prioritization puts critical vulnerabilities first. Security leaders can allocate resources to the most important tasks and manage less-critical vulnerabilities later.

• The product supports integration with existing IT management tools, making it easy for network administrators to use effectively. It also connects with security platforms like SIEM, support ticketing tools, and other third-party software.

Cons:

• Qualys is not compatible with some modern enterprise data architectures. It has trouble reading containerized files and may not work correctly in organizations with a microservices architecture.

• Customer support often experiences delays, making it hard for customers to get immediate help solving time-sensitive security issues.

• The product’s built-in reporting capabilities are outdated compared to many other entrants on this list. Producing custom visualizations and combining data from multiple sources can be more difficult than it needs to be.