Microsoft BitLocker vs Sophos SafeGuard vs Symantec Endpoint Encryption comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft BitLocker, Sophos SafeGuard, and Symantec Endpoint Encryption based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, McAfee, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Endpoint Encryption.
To learn more, read our detailed Endpoint Encryption Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"We have not seen any bugs or glitches, so the stability is good.""While it helps mitigate unauthorized data access by enhancing file and system protection through encryption, the tool is really enhanced with the combination of other Microsoft Security and Compliance features like data labeling.""The most valuable feature is the simplicity and integration with the Microsoft Clouds platform.""It holds significant value as it reduces the need for extensive IT management to handle security across networks and environments""Whole Disk Encryption is great. BitLocker runs seamlessly during boot up.""Integration with System Center Configuration Manager (C: and D: logical drives are encrypted before installing Windows via SCCM).""It's a straightforward solution for encryption.""One significant aspect is that without the BitLocker key, you can't log in to the user's laptop. I appreciate the capability to encrypt the user's hard drive, ensuring access only with the recovery key. In an enterprise setup, we store all BitLocker keys on our server. So, whenever a user attempts to log in, the architecture authenticates with the key. This ensures that our data is secure. Even if the user's laptop is lost, we have confidence that the data remains inaccessible. So far, our user data is well-protected."

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"It's a straightforward solution.""The intrusion detection system.""It is seamless and easy to install. We haven't encountered any recent issues.""The most valuable features of the solution are the fact that they are able to encrypt the hard disk and to encrypt USB sticks.""The setup process is straightforward.""The most valuable feature is the synchronized security. It's a unique feature on the market at this time only offered by Sophos. As a reseller, we often win bids and get clients because of this unique trademark feature.""The monitoring features are easy to use.""The product filters phishing emails."

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"We use it for protecting accounts, which is its most valuable feature.""The installation process is pretty straightforward.""The initial setup was easy.""It is fairly stable.""Its management is good, and it is also scalable and mostly stable.""Their cloud features such as Cloud Endpoint security, ransomware modules, malware, and other modules are very effective.""One notable aspect is the ability to customize alerts and other settings.""The management console gives us the ability to quickly control who sees what, ensures we are on the latest version, and up-to-date."

More Symantec Endpoint Encryption Pros →

Cons
"Some of the technical internal functions, such as encryption protocols or something similar, could be improved.""The solution could be improved if it was more user friendly.""The solution could improve by having a centralized GUI for management.""The solution needs to have better protection and improve its pricing.""The implementation of BitLocker is not simple. There are many prerequisites and hours of study and testing.""I would like to see improvement in the solution's central management of passwords. Currently, we install it separately.""The biggest one for us is revoking access. So, even though someone downloads something to a device, we want the ability to cloak that device or data and bring it back or make that data unusable for that person. Currently, BitLocker doesn't give us that ability. It basically encrypts it. We're seeing if identity management or IAM allows us to do that. We're kind of looking at third-party software that does that for us.""The solution lacks the ability to allow its user to provide limited access to someone."

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"It's a good product, but some are not happy with the boot BCN, and the point-to-point VPN requires the best protection.""The product's next release could have integration features with different internal and external systems.""An area for improvement in Sophos SafeGuard is the pricing. Pricing should be better when adding a new account or scaling the product.""It just needs a little bit more on the reporting side. Its reporting can be improved a little bit in terms of being able to know that things are in the right status. I should be able to pull a report to make sure that everything is all right. It could also have cloud integration. At the time I was using it, it wasn't a cloud product.""In the next release, I would like to see more automation with the endpoint logging, but it's a special feature that is quite complicated to explain.""You have to pay extra for some additional features, like data extraction. It would be nice if everything was available in one bundle.""Technical support could be a bit better.""The Office 360 integration could be improved."

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"They have too high of a price tag. That's why they're losing the market share.""What I didn't find helpful in the version we used is the fact that all devices had to be on the same network for us to push through the encryption.""Its remote deployment should be improved. Currently, there is no remote deployment for Symantec Endpoint Encryption. You have to install it manually. There are some issues with AD integration and the time taken to reflect a password on the Endpoint Encryption Manager when a new user has changed the password, but they are already working on these issues, and these will be resolved in the next release.""There are other solutions in the market that have new features. The feature could improve.""If for example, a user forgets the endpoint key, they cannot access their data. We need a support team that is a single point of contact for the IT entity to be trained and to have documentation for troubleshooting and managing the solution.""The program's disk encryption is not very friendly with Microsoft OS updates. We have a problem with updates failing unless we use a time-consuming work-around.""The agent can be improved on the solution. Right now, we have an Endpoint Protection agent as well as an encryption agent and another for the DLVs and other services. We would prefer a single agent for the entire product.""I think that they should improve the on-premises version to include the manageability and simplicity that is available on the cloud."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "BitLocker is already in Windows 10 and its price has already been "paid"."
  • "It is a totally free solution."
  • "This solution is included with Microsoft Server and my clients did not have to pay for anything extra."
  • "It's not about pricing, because we are working with Enterprise companies that already have Windows Enterprise, so BitLocker comes already included as a Windows feature. It's free for Enterprise users. The price is only for deployment. The customer will pay for McAfee, however."
  • "The cost of this solution is bundled in with part of the subscription for the Microsoft Cloud. We have users subscribed to Enterprise E5 and it comes with E5"
  • "The price of this solution should be more competitive."
  • "BitLocker is included in our license and doesn't cost us anything extra."
  • "It is free. It is enabled as part of the operating system. Once you have an operating system license, you're licensed for Bitlocker."
  • More Microsoft BitLocker Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The licensing costs depend on the series. For example, XG 85 can be around $200. If you go to ACC or to a four or five-year enterprise solution, you will find these devices can cost $10,000. It depends on the series."
  • "Licensing for this solution is on a yearly basis."
  • "The licenses are dependant on the number of users and computers you have to protect."
  • "We have a yearly license with Sophos which is around $1000-$1200 or so per annum. There are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee."
  • "Licensing is on a yearly basis and the pricing could be better."
  • "It would be great if the price of the solution was lower than the current price. If we are to sell this particular solution to smaller businesses and not just enterprise businesses it needs to be lower."
  • "We pay around $10 a year for each endpoint, including support."
  • "Pricing for Sophos SafeGuard could be improved because it could reach a thousand dollars depending on the product, edition, and software key purchased."
  • More Sophos SafeGuard Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "It can be expensive. However, if you plan to scale or are at a large enterprise company, this product could be what you need."
  • "The licensing costs yearly are $5000."
  • "They have two solutions for encryption including Symantec Endpoint Encryption and PGP Endpoint Encryption. With one PGP license, you can deploy the two solutions. The PGP license gives you two options."
  • "Depending on how many modules you will use (up to five) the licensing will be more expensive."
  • "The pricing is fair but there is variability in our area that needs to be addressed."
  • "The cost of this solution is a little on the higher side."
  • "The license is not very expensive."
  • "There is a license required for this solution."
  • More Symantec Endpoint Encryption Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Beware to make backup of useful data, then use reverse decryption policy from Symantec panel/McAfee ePO to decrypt the… more »
    Top Answer:Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive… more »
    Top Answer:Microsoft BitLocker is very intuitive and easy to maintain. It is basically the global standard solution for drive… more »
    Top Answer:The setup process is straightforward.
    Top Answer:The product's next release could have integration features with different internal and external systems. Sometimes, it… more »
    Top Answer:One notable aspect is the ability to customize alerts and other settings.
    Top Answer:We hold an annual license, and their pricing is competitive, falling into the affordable range. I would rate it around… more »
    Top Answer:The GUI could use some enhancement, particularly in making option sets easier to locate on client machines.
    Ranking
    1st
    out of 28 in Endpoint Encryption
    Views
    27,578
    Comparisons
    7,814
    Reviews
    27
    Average Words per Review
    366
    Rating
    8.7
    6th
    out of 28 in Endpoint Encryption
    Views
    1,079
    Comparisons
    807
    Reviews
    9
    Average Words per Review
    425
    Rating
    8.8
    7th
    out of 28 in Endpoint Encryption
    Views
    2,841
    Comparisons
    2,166
    Reviews
    9
    Average Words per Review
    341
    Rating
    6.9
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    BitLocker, MS BitLocker
    SafeGuard, SafeGuard Encryption
    Symantec Drive Encryption
    Learn More
    Overview

    BitLocker is a full disk encryption solution that protects your data from theft, hacking, and loss. BitLocker achieves this by encrypting the entire drive that hosts your operating system and all your data. BitLocker can work on all operating systems, drives, or devices, including portable storage devices.

    After BitLocker completes the data encryption, it generates a recovery key. Only those with the correct encryption key will be able to decrypt and access the encrypted files and information. Attempts to access secured data on premises or over the network will be met with either authentication prompts or error messages saying the data cannot be accessed.

    BitLocker provides its users with peace of mind by improving security and reducing risks of critical data loss and intrusions.

    Benefits of Microsoft BitLocker

    • Comprehensive data protection: BitLocker encryption provides increased security for data throughout its lifecycle, which starts with the creation and storage of the data and ends with its removal. Encryption prevents important data from being accidentally revealed or stolen. When data is encrypted, stealing data is more difficult, and hackers are often discouraged from instigating a cyberattack.

    • BitLocker is free with Microsoft Windows: Microsoft BitLocker is free to use and very easy to set up.

    • Good performance: BitLocker does not make the computer slow down or freeze when in use. You are free to work on other processes with BitLocker running in the background. BitLocker’s interface is very intuitive and the process of encrypting and decrypting data is straightforward and fast.

    • Prevent unauthorized data modification: BitLocker helps to keep your computing environment safe from any unauthorized changes. BitLocker regularly inspects your boot settings every time your PC is turned on. When BitLocker notices that modifications have been made to your boot environment, it forces the PC to enter recovery mode.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Microsoft BitLocker stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its powerful encryption capabilities and its user-friendly user interface.

    An ICT operations and security manager notes, “It is free and native to the OS. We don't have to worry about upgrades or maintaining the product. You encrypt the disk, and you save the recovery key. That's it. The person puts their password in, and after that, it is up to them. If they forget their password, they have to bring it in to get it unlocked.”

    Kevin C., a director at Pathfinder, writes, “Theease of use is the most valuable feature. The ability to import data to build your frontend on top of the data is very simple and very useable.”

    Protect your confidential information and comply with regulatory mandates safely and securely with SafeGuard Enterprise, Utimaco's comprehensive modular information protection platform. SafeGuard Enterprise is a modular information protection control platform that enforces policy-based security for PCs and mobile devices across mixed environments. SafeGuard Enterprise offers full transparency to end-users and is easy to administer from a single central console.
    Symantec Drive Encryption, powered by PGP technology provides organizations with strong full-disk and removable media encryption and the ability to integrate with Symantec Data Loss Prevention. Intuitive management enables enterprise scale deployments and features compliance-based, out-of-the-box reporting plus customizable reports. Management capabilities include support for native OS encryption (FileVault2) and Opal compliant self-encrypting drives.
    Sample Customers
    ACV, Proaxis Therapy, Choice Hotels International, adnymics GmbH, Intermedia, NMBS/SNCB
    Rushmoor Borough Council
    Citrix Systems Inc., City of Lansing, Commercial & Industrial Property, France T_l_visions, Fujian Mobile Co. Ltd., Group Lotus plc, Hall Booth Smith & Slover, P.C. (HBSS), Portugal Telecom, PostFinance, Public Pension Agency
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm22%
    Insurance Company13%
    Government13%
    Computer Software Company9%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company13%
    Government10%
    Financial Services Firm7%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm25%
    Insurance Company13%
    Manufacturing Company13%
    Marketing Services Firm13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Government11%
    Financial Services Firm10%
    Comms Service Provider8%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm56%
    Computer Software Company11%
    Aerospace/Defense Firm6%
    Construction Company6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company14%
    Financial Services Firm11%
    Manufacturing Company10%
    Healthcare Company7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business44%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise38%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business27%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise56%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business64%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise17%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business33%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise52%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business38%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise43%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise62%
    Buyer's Guide
    Endpoint Encryption
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, McAfee, Check Point Software Technologies and others in Endpoint Encryption. Updated: March 2024.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.