Battle Card for ArcSight ESM Q4 FY 2012
- Pavan Raja

- Apr 8, 2025
- 4 min read
Summary:
The HP ArcSight Enterprise Security Manager (ESM) is a sophisticated cybersecurity tool that efficiently detects complex attacks and manages millions of events across enterprises, handling up to 20x more data than traditional systems. Key features include rapid detection through patented correlation techniques, real-time threat awareness for identifying even the most obfuscated attacks, comprehensive visibility into incident details, streamlined management interfaces, optimized performance for big data use cases, simplified installation and configuration, and compliance with various control frameworks. The ArcSight ESM offers enhanced log correlation, efficient storage solutions, and a competitive advantage in addressing evolving threats through borderless data collection, real-time security awareness, complete context visibility, and simplified management processes.
The document compares HP ArcSight ESM to its competitors Q1 Labs and NitroSecurity, highlighting their weaknesses such as limited correlation capabilities, focus on specific technologies, difficulty in scaling for enterprise needs, and lack of comprehensive features. The ArcSight ESM is designed for IT/Security Analysts and administrators responsible for information security and data protection who require a solution capable of handling increasing numbers of technologies, providing real-time threat analysis, and meeting compliance challenges with stringent regulations.
In summary, the HP ArcSight Enterprise Security Manager is a robust cybersecurity tool that simplifies overall management processes through its comprehensive set of features designed to address evolving threats effectively, enhance log correlation, provide efficient storage solutions, and simplify management interfaces for users in various sectors including government and energy utility. Despite some limitations like immature technology and cumbersome data extraction, the solution has been recognized as an industry leader with more than 23% market share according to IDC, despite limited development and innovation over several years since its acquisition by HP.
Details:
HP ArcSight ESM (Enterprise Security Manager) is a sophisticated cybersecurity tool designed to effectively detect complex attacks and manage millions of events generated by systems across enterprises. Key features include its ability to handle up to 20x more data than traditional systems, rapid detection of security incidents through patented correlation techniques, real-time threat awareness with advanced heuristics for identifying even the most obfuscated attacks, comprehensive visibility into incident details, and streamlined management interfaces for users, storage, applications, networks, and devices. The system is optimized for big data use cases and offers enhanced log correlation, efficient storage solutions, and a simplified installation and configuration process through its "intelligent wizard."
This solution not only provides robust security but also simplifies the overall management processes, making it easier to maintain compliance with various control frameworks such as SOX, PCI, HIPAA, FISMA, NERC, IT Governance, and others. The HP ArcSight ESM, with its CORR-Engine enhancements, offers a competitive advantage in addressing the evolving threats in today's information marketplace by providing borderless collection of data from anywhere, real-time security awareness, complete context visibility for incidents, efficient storage solutions, and simplified management processes.
The provided text discusses a solution for managing user logs, network data, and real-time analysis in a single platform called ArcSight ESM (Enterprise Security Manager). Key features of this solution include enterprise scalability, flexible deployment options, the ability to collect data from any device or application, optimized performance on systems with more core processors, sophisticated correlation algorithms that provide context across users, logs, and network activity, real-time analysis for identifying complex threats, and compliance reporting to help pass audits.
The ArcSight ESM offers a competitive differentiation by providing a comprehensive set of features designed to address the weaknesses of competitors such as Q1 Labs and NitroSecurity:
**Q1 Labs Weaknesses:**
Limited correlation capabilities between technologies.
Lack of normalization and categorization of event data, leading to loss of granularity and security intelligence.
Complex deployment architecture with disparate devices.
Difficulty in scaling to meet enterprise needs.
**NitroSecurity Weaknesses:**
Limited correlation capabilities between different point technologies.
Strong emphasis on network analysis but limited security focus.
Inability to scale effectively for complex environments.
The ArcSight ESM is designed to be used by IT/Security Analysts and administrators responsible for information security, data protection, who are looking for a solution that can handle increasing numbers of technologies, provide real-time threat analysis, and meet the challenges of compliance with increasingly stringent regulations.
The summary of this text can be stated as follows: The evaluation concerns a specific technology used in certain government and energy utility sectors, particularly for security purposes. It mainly addresses the role of Security Analysts and IT Administrators who use this appliance with a particular form factor to monitor compliance and meet audit requirements. However, there are limitations such as immature correlation technology compared to other market leaders like ArcSight, limited expertise in handling sophisticated threats, and a cumbersome data storage architecture that makes extracting information difficult. The company identified as a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for RSA EnVision SIEM has been recognized for eight years in a row despite some drawbacks mentioned. Despite being an industry revenue leader with more than 23% market share according to IDC, the product lacks significant development and innovation over several years since its acquisition by HP.

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