Luka Sibanda - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Technician at ICT Dynamix (Pty) Ltd
MSP
Not user-friendly and lacks integration with ICT, but provides adequate protection
Pros and Cons
  • "The best feature of Symantec Endpoint Encryption is the encryption itself. Encryption truly is the way to go because nowadays we are living in an era of widespread server threats, and you need to encrypt your emails and documents because you never know who might get hold of them."
  • "One feature that is lacking is integration with Symantec Information Centric (ICT). As it is now, I don't see how to integrate the encryption with ICT, and in my opinion this is an area that certainly requires encryption, even though it's no longer supported by Broadcom."

What is our primary use case?

We use Symantec Endpoint Encryption to encrypt either emails or files that a user might want to upload. We typically deploy the encryption on the client's network in order to encrypt their messages or documents before they send them, or after they've been received.

We have just under 20 staff in our company and most of the people working with Symantec Endpoint Encryption are Symantec engineers.

What is most valuable?

The best feature of Symantec Endpoint Encryption is the encryption itself. Encryption truly is the way to go because nowadays we are living in an era of widespread server threats, and you need to encrypt your emails and documents because you never know who might get hold of them.

None of our customers have complained about this solution at all, so I take it that everything is still working fine.

What needs improvement?

One feature that is lacking is integration with Symantec Information Centric (ICT). As it is now, I don't see how to integrate the encryption with ICT, and in my opinion this is an area that certainly requires encryption, even though it's no longer supported by Broadcom.

Another improvement that comes to mind is that it could be made much simpler. The user must be able to use it easily and without any hassle. At present, it's not user-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Symantec Endpoint Encryption for more than five years.

Buyer's Guide
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March 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

So far, we haven't seen any performance or stability issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't been through the process of scaling it as such, but we have plenty of experience in deploying it to the cloud. However, sometimes a customer who wanted to deploy it for the cloud won't get back to us, and I think in these cases it has to do with finances rather than more practical matters.

How are customer service and support?

If we have any problems, our best option is to go online and log a ticket, but we haven't yet encountered any issues. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We started with Symantec Endpoint Encryption and haven't used any other solutions of this kind before.

How was the initial setup?

It is complex to set up so you really have to know what you're doing. You must have someone with experience in it before you can deploy it on a customer's premises.

What about the implementation team?

We do the deployment in-house, and it takes a team of about ten people.

What was our ROI?

We don't directly make money when using this tool; instead, we are just using it for protection and security.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Although the performance and stability of this solution are good, our challenge is the price tag. You buy the solution once, but you also have to keep on buying the licenses yearly.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

In the future, if we decide to evaluate other products we will first compare the new product with Symantec and if it is more user-friendly and cheaper to use, then, naturally, we will go the route of the other product instead.

What other advice do I have?

One piece of advice I would like to share with anyone who'd like to use Symantec is that you need to dig deep into the product and learn it well.

Before you take it into production, you should study it within a simulated environment so that you can really understand how to use it and how you can convince other stakeholders of its value. This includes learning how to deploy it and integrate it with all the other servers that might be found on the customer's environment, especially when it comes to email and file storage, file servers, database servers, and application servers.

I would rate Symantec Endpoint encryption a five out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Amey Darekar - PeerSpot reviewer
Personal Banker at HDFC Bank
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Scalable, easy installation, and simple to use
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use."
  • "Symantec Endpoint Encryption can improve by being more secure."

What is our primary use case?

We use Symantec Endpoint Encryption for security.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Symantec Endpoint Encryption can improve by being more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Symantec Endpoint Encryption is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

We have approximately 20,000 people in my organization using this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not needed to contact support because we have not had any issues.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is easy.

What about the implementation team?

Our internal IT team of approximately 250 did the implementation of the solution. Additionally, they do the maintenance for the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license required for this solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution.

I rate Symantec Endpoint Encryption a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Symantec Endpoint Encryption
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Symantec Endpoint Encryption. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Project Engineer (Engineer II) at Sarawak Energy Berhad
Real User
Stable, but has a complex setup and it needs to offer seamless switching
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is pretty stable."
  • "The initial setup is a bit complex."

What is most valuable?

I don't manage the solution. I don't manage the console and everything. However, password recovery is the best, the easiest part. 

The solution is pretty stable.

What needs improvement?

If it could offer seamless upgrades to seamlessly do the switching that would be great. That's the pain point here now. The setup time takes quite a while sometimes. The encryption, once you install a new computer, takes a few hours to encrypt. From our testing, it feels like nothing is being restored, however, it's actually running in the background. 

We'd like to switch from Symantec due to the fact that the switching part is a pain. If we want to switch our Windows it will be a pain to do that. We have thousands of machines. It would be a hassle if you have to switch every time to do that.

The initial setup is a bit complex.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've worked with the solution for quite some time already. I was using it before I transferred to this current team. I'm not sure for how long it has been at this point. I've used it for some time already.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability seems to be okay. It works as it was designed to. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I can't speak to the scalability. We have about 2,000 people on the solution currently, however, I cannot speak to the scaling process or if we have ever attempted to scale it. We likely won't increase usage.

How are customer service and technical support?

In terms of technical support, we don't really engage with them. There are not many issues with it. It's just the Windows update that gives us issues. That's the only issue, the main issue. Other than that, there hasn't been a reason to engage with them directly and therefore I can't speak to their level of responsiveness or knowledgeability.

How was the initial setup?

The Symantec setup is a bit complex. It takes time. It is simple, but it takes time. It also takes a bit longer when creating the profiles at first.

What about the implementation team?

It is my understanding that we handled everything in-house. I do not recall using an integrator or consultant.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay on a yearly basis. The cost isn't much, however, if we switch to BitLocker there may be some cost savings there as well.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We are currently considering a switch to Bitlocker due to the issues we are facing with updates. It could potentially save us money as well. BitLocker has different types of cost charging depending on which model you choose. We are in the process of evaluation right now.

What other advice do I have?

We are a customer and end-user.

I'm not sure which version of the solution I'm using. It's not the latest one. I understand the latest one will be able to go page Windows - which we also partnered with. The problem is not all our machines are on the latest version. We are looking to see if we switch to the latest one. In a few years, Microsoft will likely change to a new version again. Then we will be having the same problem again.

It's best to align with Microsoft so that we do not have to do so many changes. Not catching up with Windows is also a risk currently due to the Microsoft Edge issue now. Without the latest Windows version, we cannot use the latest Edge version.

I'd rate the solution at a five out of ten overall. It works okay, however, the switching part and initial setup make it an undesirable option for us.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user1152534 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Senior Expert (Founding member, African Cybersecurity Center) at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Good performance for encryption that keeps your data secure and confidential
Pros and Cons
  • "We can extend it to all of the critical endpoints and the servers, and we can ensure the confidentiality of the data."
  • "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."

What is our primary use case?

We are using this solution to be compliant with CSP.

After the cyberattacks, that impacted the Swift platform of the Bangladesh Bank, the Central Bank, and another bank in Africa. They created a custom security program that contains twenty-seven controls. One of those controls is to encrypt the infrastructure in the Swift platform.

For the Swift operation, we acquired this solution for the servers and the Endpoints.

We can extend it to all of the critical endpoints and the servers, and we can ensure the confidentiality of the data.

This is a pilot project, deployed to be tested. After all of the testing is complete, we can cover the infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of this solution is encryption.

The reporting is very important for us. 

It's a well-known solution and the PGP Solution is a good solution with good performance.

Symantec has SONAR for the antivirus and ransomware behavioral analysis in the endpoints.

What needs improvement?

We need to develop a process for this solution. We can't deploy the solution without being assisted by or followed by a process. Also, we need to define the process for administrative responsibilities, and the help desk to be notified for every issue with the solution by the users.

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.

We would like the editors or solution providers to present us with a roadmap of the new features and their functionalities. If we were to have this roadmap, we could define our roadmap to integrate the new features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable.

It's efficient and we discovered that we can extend the perimeters to cover the entire infrastructure.

We have ten people, but we need three more for the succession plan, and a back up for someone who is not available so that there is continuity when managing the solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

We haven't had to contact technical support. The solution is very good for us and it responds to our needs.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used Check Point while I was in Citibank, which was in 2009 and 2010.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not complex, it's easy.

The deployment is easy. You enroll the users and the server, then go to the user and deploy it, reboot the system, then clarify that it is running. From there, you will have an operator to access it.

When the system is rebooted you will be asked for an encryption key. Everyone in the organization has to enter an encryption key.

We have five operators for this platform with four servers.

It is an obligation to deploy it. The scope of compliance, with the goal being to cover all of the infrastructures.

Currently, we outsource the managing of our infrastructure to another company, and we have a dedicated team for our bank. We have the help desk, all of the infrastructure, the networking, the security, and the systems.

What about the implementation team?

We had an integrator to assist us with the implementation and deployment.

Data protect, a Moroccan company that was created in 2009, are also data service providers in all of Africa. 

The created subsidiaries in France, Asia, and other countries. They're a good team that is very helpful and efficient.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is very good.

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.

What other advice do I have?

Checkpoint has better support. With Symantec, we have subsidiaries involved.

The performance is good and it's efficient.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Information System Security Manager at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Helps us put antivirus solutions in place and prevent malware from infecting our machines
Pros and Cons
  • "It helps us put antivirus solutions in place and prevent malware from getting to our machines."
  • "I can only patch monthly. I don't know what the solution is there, besides being vulnerable for three weeks out of four. But there's got to be an option somehow."

What is our primary use case?

We use it to patch information systems.

What is most valuable?

It helps us put antivirus solutions in place and prevent malware from getting to our machines. It's a pretty clear-cut solution.

What needs improvement?

Semantic is out there doing the work, identifying viruses and malware that come out weekly. That's the real-world landscape and they're pushing that stuff out as quickly as they can. But I can only patch monthly. I don't know what the solution is there, besides being vulnerable for three weeks out of four. But there's got to be an option somehow.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is 100 percent. We've never had a problem with downloading it or accessing it. It works as advertised. It's an extremely good product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I can put it on anything I want. It's 100 percent scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never had to use technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

The government requirement was to be using McAfee, and we're using Semantic and we just pushed back on it. I told them I have a solution, it's deployed, it's working. It's 100 percent. Why is the government specifying a solution for one particular vendor in an environment where there are many solutions out there? It actually got quite heated and they backed off on the requirement. I was really surprised at that. It's an argument I went into expecting to lose and they came back and said, "Okay, maybe you have a point." But it is a DoD requirement to use McAfee as the antivirus solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. We downloaded the software, put it on a disk, sneakernetted it over to an isolated network, dropped it in the drive, initialized it, and enabled it. It was pretty easy.

What was our ROI?

It's satisfying our requirements at a very high level. That's a return on investment. I don't have a metric, but the results are very good.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

This solution was chosen for me. I didn't make the decision.

Last year at RSA, Malwarebytes had a booth. I was talking to the vendor and he had some very interesting research. I won't go into too much here, but he had a graph on how many threats McAfee misses, how many Symantec misses, and how good Malwarebytes is, of course. He was trying to sell their software. He said Malwarebytes is a stopgap between the two. We could use it as he suggested. The problem with that is that when you have multiple antivirus engines installed on a machine, they identify each other's threats and cancel out each other's work. It doesn't really work that way. 

But I have to look at the results. We haven't had a malware incident as a result of the Semantic solution that we have on 95 percent of our machines. We actually have McAfee on two machines because they are for a different customer and it was easier to do that.

What other advice do I have?

If you make the investment in tech, in updated hardware and software, there are other tools - here we are at RSA 2019, those tools are all over the place. There are other tools that are not single-point solutions. You can solve a whole lot of problems for a lot less money if you're using updated hardware and software rather than old stuff, end-of-life, where you just have one other thing that you have to take care of it. You can put an umbrella over everything with a bigger, newer, better product. But you have to have your hardware and software up to date, rather than the situation that my organization is in.

Semantic an excellent product. It's really just the timing that I mentioned earlier that doesn't work well for us.

On the other hand, we haven't had a breach. We haven't had any issues. We haven't had any incidences of malware popping up. But that's more due to the isolated aspect of our networks. We're not touching the outside, so it's really hard for anything to get in. But disks can be sneakernetted in, hard drives can be brought in, USBs can be brought in, mistakes can be made. Not everything is malicious. Sometimes there is just incompetence involved where somebody hooks up something that they're not supposed to and you have exposure. But we haven't seen any threats related to any of that kind of behavior. I can't really say that we have had a case where anything has gone bad.

In terms of security maturity, we're "mature" in the sense that we're ancient, using old equipment that has reached end-of-life. It's really from the old-age home, it's so mature. We're in dire need of tech refresh and I don't have the budget to support that. But if you unwrap that and look at it from the other side, what would we do without it? 

But the real mitigator, the thing that's actually protecting us, is our isolation. We have isolated systems so nothing can get at us. If I get audited, I'd better have antivirus definitions loaded up, current ones. But it really has not affected our security maturity.

If it wasn't for the exception that I mentioned, Symantec Endpoint Encryption, would have been 100 percent successful and I would have to have given it a ten out of ten. With that exception, I have to knock it back to 90 percent, a nine out of ten because, as I said, we're exposed.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Rishad Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security Engineer at Exprezer Infotech
Real User
Top 5
An easy-to-install solution with a valuable dashboard, endpoint mobile and email encryption
Pros and Cons
  • "We find the dashboard, endpoint mobile encryption, and email encryption valuable."
  • "The solution does not have endpoint control."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for the solution is security encryption for email, mobile and important company documents. We install the solution on cloud and on-premises.

What is most valuable?

We find the dashboard, endpoint mobile encryption, and email encryption valuable.

What needs improvement?

The solution does not have endpoint control. It should be included so clients can easily uninstall their endpoints.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the solution for approximately eight months and are currently using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. I rate it a seven out of ten.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Sophos Intercept but switched to this solution because of its ease of installment, unique features, and antivirus protection from Symantec.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is not expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
Marlon Advento - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Consultant at Westcon-Comstor
Reseller
Top 20
A tool that is easy to install and useful for its data encryption functionalities
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution’s installation was easy."
  • "The solution presently doesn't let network folder encryption be done on Macintosh."

What is our primary use case?

Symantec Endpoint Encryption is used for data encryption to protect data on the local drive and the hard disk.

What is most valuable?

I haven't fully utilized the product because I am just in the first testing phase, so I haven't explored it.

What needs improvement?

In the future, the solution needs network folder encryption that can be done on Macintosh. The solution presently doesn't let network folder encryption be done on Macintosh.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Symantec Endpoint Encryption for a month. I have used it for testing purposes. I can't say if I am using the solution's latest version since I handle different modules with a top priority for encryption. As a distributor, we sell the product.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I am more familiar with the encryption functionalities provided by Trellix.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s installation was easy.

The solution's deployment could be done in a couple of minutes.

The solution is deployed on-premises.

What other advice do I have?

The solution requires maintenance, especially on the software update part.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
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Infrastructure Manager at Quaracrm
Real User
Top 10
Initial setup was easy but the UI is lacking
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup was easy."
  • "The UI could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

My use case is to protect my assets and information, and to have visibility over user activity.

What is most valuable?

The initial setup was easy. 

What needs improvement?

The UI could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for six months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable product but I have to search for anything I need.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support could be improved, it took a long time to get tickets resolved. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Negative

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy but we had an issue with the product. We used a consultant for implementation and deployment took around two months. The senior system engineer and the managing director used this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We paid an annual license fee. 

What other advice do I have?

We had approximately 600 users but we migrated to a different solution because of some issues. I can't recommend this product. 

I rate this solution six out of 10. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Download our free Symantec Endpoint Encryption Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Symantec Endpoint Encryption Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.