Abnormal Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comparison

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Abnormal Security Logo
2,243 views|1,609 comparisons
100% willing to recommend
Microsoft Logo
12,858 views|10,247 comparisons
97% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Mar 15, 2024

Abnormal Security offers comprehensive email security with advanced threat detection, focusing on its behavioral AI engine to analyze email activity and identify anomalies that deviate from normal user behavior. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 stands out for its robust threat protection capabilities, seamless integration with Microsoft applications. Both need to enhance integration with other platforms to reduce email delays and other issues associated with email forwarding.

  • Features: Abnormal Security stands out for its behavioral AI engine, advanced threat protection and easy integration with email platforms. In comparison, Microsoft Defender stands out for its robust threat protection, advanced email filtering, anti-phishing measures, URL detonation, and safe attachment features.
  • Pricing and ROI: Abnormal Security's initial setup cost is minimal and straightforward, with reasonable pricing and competitive licensing. Microsoft Defender offers good value and easy implementation, with flexible licensing options. Abnormal Security delivers increased value with improved security and reduced threats, while Microsoft Defender for Office 365 focuses on phishing protection, and productivity improvements.
  • Room for Improvement: Abnormal Security has room for improvement in better integrating with other email platforms, reducing delays in email delivery, improving reporting and analytics features, and enhancing customer support services. Microsoft Defender can improve by offering more customization options, better integration with non Microsoft applications,and enhancing reporting and analytics capabilities.
  • Deployment and customer support: Reviews for Abnormal Security indicate a potentially more efficient process, with some users only needing a week for both deployment and setup. Reviews for Microsoft Defender for Office 365 suggest a more consistent timeframe for implementation. Abnormal Security and Defender excels in providing thorough customer service, with attentive and knowledgeable support staff.

The summary above is based on 43 interviews we conducted recently with Abnormal Security and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 users. To access the review's full transcripts, download our report.

To learn more, read our detailed Abnormal Security vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Report (Updated: March 2024).
768,886 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
"It does some really cool stuff that other tools aren't doing. We found it to be really effective, and the AI/ML functionality is really what differentiates them.""The features that appeal to me most are the combination of auto-remediation and Detection 360.""I have never encountered any stability issues with Abnormal.""What I like about Abnormal Security is that it notifies me if any of my partners or suppliers are experiencing a security breach by analyzing their database and identifying potential cyber threats.""Initial auto-remediation allows us to auto-remediate before the email lands in the end user's inbox for a split second.""Their ability to take things out of the mailbox and catch things much faster than users is excellent.""One of the things that I love about them is that the setup and installation are super easy. All you do is give them access to your Microsoft 365 tenant, and through APIs, they are able to do their work. They are doing all this through APIs, so you do not have to install the software and take a month to get it all set up to even see the value of the solution. You could be up and running in less than an hour.""Ease of use is undoubtedly one of the most valuable features of Abnormal Security."

More Abnormal Security Pros →

"Safe attachments, safe links, policies, and the ability to protect from zero-day threats are the most valuable features.""It gives us visibility into threats and, for endpoints, it helps us to prioritize threats. We used to have a lack of visibility, but now our time to detect and respond has decreased.""Defender helps us prioritize threats across our organization.""The good part is that you don't have to configure it, which is very convenient.""Microsoft Defender has a feature to protect each and every attachment. Even if it's an encrypted attachment, it will check for any potential threats.""The initial setup was easy.""The risk level notifications are most valuable. We get to know what kind of intrusion or attack is there, and we can fix a problem on time.""Microsoft Defender for Office 365's most valuable features are safe attachments and safe links."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Pros →

Cons
"The pricing for academic institutions and student mailboxes is challenging.""The biggest pain point for us is the lack of support for on-premise email systems.""When we're working on something as engineers, and we find an idea or a method of doing something that would be greatly improved by doing it another way, there should be an ability for me to click the ideas button, type in an idea that I have, and submit it to a product review team or developers to have them think through the process a little bit more.""There could be room for improvement in enhancing integration with other cybersecurity tools.""The ideal scenario would be for Abnormal Security to work in tandem with Microsoft to analyze incoming emails.""I would like to have the ability to customize the auto-remediation feature.""One feature I'd love to see is outbound scanning.""I, as such, do not have anything that I do not like or would like to add, but you could argue that because they are doing it API-based, there is a chance that something could slip through temporarily before they are able to pull it out. In theory, it could happen just because of the nature of the system. They are not in line with the delivery of the mail. They are kind of asynchronous, which is a pro as well as a con. If it is synchronous, then I know it would always stop them, but because it is asynchronous, things could get through temporarily or because of some system issues on the Microsoft side or their side. It is the nature of the beast, but it is a little bit of a con."

More Abnormal Security Cons →

"This product's effectiveness could be improved, in terms of detecting unwanted spam or even malware between the emails, compared to other products.""They can improve their security in a way where a customer can know if all their attachments are safe or not to open through a report. The solution does its job perfectly, but it never reports to the customer whether those attachments have been stopped before or not.""One area for improvement is support, in terms of being able to reach them and, especially, technical support for configuration.""In one of the reports I can get the exact place where a vulnerable file resides. But for that, I need to explicitly go into the device and check. If they could include that file part in the report, without my having to go to the device itself, that would help.""About eight months ago, we started to measure the quantity of phishing and spam that we have been receiving, and it has been increasing a lot. That means that protection for our email is not as good as we were expecting.""The certification training for Defender for 365 needs to be deeper and incorporate Sentinel. I took all the security courses except one, and Sentinel isn't included.""They have moved features from one console to another. Things have been moved around in the interface and it takes me time to find where certain features are.""The phishing and spam filters could use some improvement."

More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The license is based on the user count, so the number of users that have an email address in the organization."
  • "Overall, we'd certainly prefer lower pricing, but Abnormal Security doesn't seem unreasonable compared to similar offerings in the market."
  • "The pricing appears fair, and they demonstrate a genuine willingness to work with us on it."
  • "Abnormal Security, on the other hand, provides the same level of functionality for just over $60,000 – that's half the price!"
  • More Abnormal Security Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "It's a user-base subscription."
  • "From the pricing point of view, like any other product in the market, there is scope for negotiation."
  • "Defender is a little bit more expensive as compared to others. We are in the manufacturing environment. So, we don't have a high budget for all of our endpoint devices. Its cost is a major concern for us."
  • "For licensing, it's usually a yearly package for customers who are subscribed to Office 365, but they can also pay on a monthly basis."
  • "Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an add-on to the Office license. Many customers are purchasing this solution."
  • "Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comes with Microsoft Windows. It is free with the operating system."
  • "The solution saves money so we have seen a return on investment."
  • "Defender for 365 comes in various plans and licenses, along with other Microsoft security solutions. Purchasing this kind of package or security bundle gives good value for money, and that's what I recommend."
  • More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The features that appeal to me most are the combination of auto-remediation and Detection 360.
    Top Answer:The pricing appears fair, and they demonstrate a genuine willingness to work with us on it. The media and entertainment industry has been impacted by recent strikes. They were quite understanding of… more »
    Top Answer:One feature I'd love to see is outbound scanning. Currently, the system detects malicious outbound messages originating from my end. For example, if someone hacks into an account on my network and… more »
    Top Answer:Threat Explorer is an invaluable tool for me, and it plays a crucial role in helping me discern the origins of various email campaigns, pinpointing where they emanate from, and identifying the… more »
    Top Answer:The product must provide better malware detection. The detection algorithms don't perform the way I hope they would.
    Ranking
    9th
    out of 107 in Email Security
    Views
    2,243
    Comparisons
    1,609
    Reviews
    8
    Average Words per Review
    1,620
    Rating
    9.5
    1st
    out of 107 in Email Security
    Views
    12,858
    Comparisons
    10,247
    Reviews
    28
    Average Words per Review
    653
    Rating
    8.4
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    MS Defender for Office 365
    Learn More
    Overview

    Abnormal Security is a cloud-based email security platform designed to protect organizations from advanced targeted attacks, such as phishing and business email compromise (BEC), and account takeovers. Their approach is centered on using artificial intelligence (AI) and behavioral data science to detect anomalies in email activity.

    Abnormal Security is specializes in protecting email communications, detecting and preventing threats, filtering out spam and phishing emails, and blocking malicious attachments. Users rely on Abnormal Security to enhance their email security, identify and stop sophisticated attacks, safeguard sensitive information, and improve overall cybersecurity measures.

    Abnormal Security targets sophisticated attacks that traditional email security measures might miss. Their system analyzes various data points to build an understanding of email behavior within your organization. This includes emails themselves, sender and recipient information, and even business context. By understanding these patterns, they can identify anomalies that might indicate a malicious attempt. Their solution is designed for the cloud, offering quick deployment and minimal configuration. This eliminates the need for complex setup processes often associated with security software.

    Abnormal Security customers appreciate the ease of use in setting up and managing the platform, along with its ability to accurately filter out suspicious emails and prevent potential cyber threats. Abnormal Security has been praised for streamlining processes, boosting productivity, improving communication within teams, providing valuable analytics for informed decision-making, and driving success in various projects. Experience the robust security measures and benefits of Abnormal Security to safeguard your sensitive information and maintain a secure email environment.

    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect organizations against advanced threats in their email, collaboration, and productivity environments. It combines the power of Microsoft's threat intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral analytics to provide real-time protection against phishing, malware, ransomware, and other malicious attacks.

    With Microsoft Defender for Office 365, organizations can safeguard their email communication by detecting and blocking malicious links, attachments, and unsafe email content. It employs advanced anti-phishing capabilities to identify and prevent sophisticated phishing attacks that attempt to steal sensitive information or compromise user credentials.

    This solution also offers robust protection against malware and ransomware. It leverages machine learning algorithms to analyze email attachments and URLs in real-time, identifying and blocking malicious content before it reaches users' inboxes. Additionally, it provides advanced threat-hunting capabilities, allowing security teams to proactively investigate and respond to potential threats.

    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 goes beyond email protection and extends its security features to other collaboration tools like SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. It scans files and documents stored in these platforms, ensuring that they are free from malware and other malicious content. It also provides visibility into user activities, helping organizations detect and mitigate insider threats.

    Furthermore, this solution offers rich reporting and analytics capabilities, providing organizations with insights into their security posture and threat landscape. It enables security administrators to monitor and manage security incidents, track trends, and take proactive measures to enhance their overall security posture.

    Sample Customers
    Foot Lcoker, Xerox, Liberty Mutual, Mattel, Boston Scientific
    Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is trusted by companies such as Ithaca College.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Energy/Utilities Company13%
    Educational Organization13%
    Real Estate/Law Firm13%
    Construction Company13%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government7%
    REVIEWERS
    Manufacturing Company16%
    Computer Software Company16%
    Comms Service Provider13%
    Government6%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Government7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Midsize Enterprise25%
    Large Enterprise75%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business21%
    Midsize Enterprise24%
    Large Enterprise55%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business42%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise42%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business30%
    Midsize Enterprise19%
    Large Enterprise51%
    Buyer's Guide
    Abnormal Security vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Abnormal Security vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    768,886 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Abnormal Security is ranked 9th in Email Security with 8 reviews while Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is ranked 1st in Email Security with 41 reviews. Abnormal Security is rated 9.6, while Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Abnormal Security writes "Provides comprehensive email security management, effective in detecting a wide range of email threats". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 writes "Allows for easy reporting of problems, valuable anti-phishing, and anti-malware support". Abnormal Security is most compared with Mimecast Email Security, Egress Intelligent Email Security, Cloudflare Area 1 Email Security, Cisco Secure Email and Avanan, whereas Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is most compared with Proofpoint Email Protection, Mimecast Email Security, Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP), Barracuda Email Security Gateway and Cisco Secure Email. See our Abnormal Security vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 report.

    See our list of best Email Security vendors.

    We monitor all Email Security reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.