Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security comparison

IBM and Imperva are both solutions in the Database Security category. IBM is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.7, while Imperva is ranked #2 with an average rating of 7.5. IBM holds a 32.0% mindshare in DS, compared to Imperva’s 30.7% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Imperva users who would recommend it.
IBM Security Guardium Data ...
Read 78 IBM Security Guardium Data Protection reviews
  • 4,738 Views
  • 2,295 Comparison Views
85% willing to recommend
Imperva SecureSphere Databa...
Read 55 Imperva SecureSphere Database Security reviews
  • 3,520 Views
  • 2,286 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Imperva SecureSphere and IBM Security Guardium Data Protection compete in the database security market. Imperva holds an edge due to its comprehensive security alerts and real-time monitoring capabilities.

Features: Imperva SecureSphere provides advanced threat alerts, a robust Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) module, and seamless data classification. It also includes a web application firewall and offers integration with third-party systems. IBM Guardium excels in vulnerability assessments, supports a wide range of databases, and integrates well with IBM's own security suite. It is renowned for its accurate vulnerability assessments and comprehensive database protection.

Room for Improvement: Imperva SecureSphere could improve integration with mainframe environments, reporting capabilities, and support for cloud-hosted databases. Users report challenges with its user interface and scalability. IBM Guardium should enhance its file activity monitoring, refine its user interface, and improve deployment flexibility for complex environments. Both solutions need more intuitive licensing models and better support experiences.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Imperva SecureSphere is mainly deployed on-premises, though it offers some cloud integrations, necessitating advanced administrative knowledge for setup. Customer support experiences vary, from prompt assistance to inconsistent service. IBM Guardium supports on-premises, private, and hybrid cloud deployments, generally receiving positive feedback for its customer service, though technical assistance could improve in responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: Imperva SecureSphere is seen as expensive but offers flexible licensing that can suit different enterprise needs, ensuring a high ROI through reduced losses and compliance risk. IBM Guardium traditionally has complex pricing due to PVU-based licensing, although new server-based models aim to simplify this. Organizations appreciate its ROI for robust security insights and compliance, though need to evaluate budget constraints for cost-effectiveness.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Imperva SecureSphere Database Security Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
April 2025
Download the complete report
Helped 850,491 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

IBM Security Guardium Data ...
Ranking in Database Security
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
78
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Imperva SecureSphere Databa...
Ranking in Database Security
2nd
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Database Security category, the mindshare of IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is 32.0%, up from 30.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Imperva SecureSphere Database Security is 30.7%, down from 32.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Database Security
 

Featured Reviews

Ahmer Faisel Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers mature agents, compliance reporting and reliable database security
The solution should allow the data to shift to a centralized repository with elastic servers and big data infrastructure. If a customer searches for old logs for retention purposes, there are limitations on appliances once they are set with specific hardware, so they can only be changed by uninstalling or reinstalling the hardware. The solution's aggregator feature allows data aggregation, but for instance, if a customer wants a project ready in two years, having an Elasticsearch in DB or the capacity to store huge amounts of data would be beneficial in data investigation or evaluation at an affordable cost. Some AI features should be added to IBM Security Guardium Data Protection. For example, the AI features implemented in the solution can be anomaly detection or suspicious activity identification.
Read full review
Andrew_Kampolo - PeerSpot reviewer
The fine-grained auditing available on the platform makes life easier and helps explain anything happening in your database
Imperva's most valuable features are ease of use and log correlation. I also like the ability to trace activity from the host machine to the server access, the user details, and the exact query that they executed. If a database administrator or application process executes a query on the database, people know exactly what was executed, including all the variables. For example, it will tell you how many rows they were trying to select on which table, and you get the OS information, network details, IPs, and the user. That fine-grained auditing available on the platform makes life easier and helps explain anything happening in your database.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The most valuable feature of the solution for the customers is the monitoring and full log of the database activity of privileged users."
"It protects sensitive data and blocks unauthorized access to the data."
"Our internal audit is keeping an eye out, and making sure that we're in compliance. Having the Guardium solution and its reporting helps us get through that process a lot more quickly and efficiently."
"It has automated a bunch of manual tasks, giving us insights into activities that we would not otherwise be able to capture."
"It provides a comprehensive security for databases, both on-prem and on the cloud. Among the advanced features we use automatic backups, DR."
"Its ability to find data."
"The most valuable features are the reporting and data-level access control."
"Gathering ​the data works very well. ​"
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection pros
"The functionality is very useable and easy to understand."
"It has a lot of different components that cover the needs of our customers."
"They have very good documentation and knowledgebase resources that add to the depth of their support."
"This solution has helped secure our Internet-based services, protecting us against DoS and other types of web-based attacks."
"The solution is very stable."
"There are three major main use cases of this solution. The first one is to fulfill compliance regulations. Customers—especially the banks, health sector, and manufacturing—need to comply with the regulations in different countries. They have to fulfill compliance regulations around the privacy of data. In order to fulfill those requirements, they're using Imperva. It helps them to fulfill these requirements, and they are not fined by the regulators. That is the first use case why people buy Imperva."
"The integration with CounterBreach is great."
"Flexible reporting allows for customization that keeps the admins from having to interact with system automation."
More Imperva SecureSphere Database Security pros
 

Cons

"Sometimes the connectors to the databases need to be manually updated and we have to configure them again, which is something that should be improved."
"Initially it did not have support external applications like, say, Tableau, ServiceNow, Remedy, and the like. They have started growing into it, but I would like to have more and more integration with outside applications."
"More predictive, using Watson AI would be good."
"Right now, we're in the development phase for IBM Guardium Data Protection, so I don't have any recommendations about additional features and room for improvement in the solution. We're very excited to work on IBM Guardium Data Protection because we are new to the solution, and we're still exploring product features. We're very excited about integrations and use case creation, and it's only after six to eight months that I'll be able to share my recommendations in terms of additional features the solution should have. We did find some difficulty in deploying IBM Guardium Data Protection here in Pakistan because of the lack of resources."
"One of the limitations that everyone who uses Guardium knows is its ability for back-end reporting. The ability to collect it sometimes is easier than the ability to retrieve it, use it, or give a good representation of it for incidence response or questions which come from the different people who want to use the data."
"I'd like to see a smoother GUI interface for the CAS agent - CAS does configurations on the database - to interface better with the vulnerability assessments."
"We've had some issues recently that we're working through, on the agent software that runs on the databases."
"The main issue I have with IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is the support. It's not good."
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection cons
"The solution is expensive."
"Performance can be slow under heavy loads, but this should be adjusted by scaling."
"Reporting could be improved."
"The platform doesn’t support some newer databases."
"They can maybe look at its pricing model. Its pricing could be cheaper for the African countries or developing economies."
"It would be more efficient if we could manage the consoles of management servers from a single location"
"I would like to see integration such that there is support for different kinds of environments, such as on-premises versus cloud."
"Sometimes the reports are cumbersome, and you have to drill down to get more information."
More Imperva SecureSphere Database Security cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I would suggest to review the type of data, need for security, and if the organizational structure needs the options IBM Guardium provides."
"Guardium won mostly because of our scope and scale. It was able to perform at the scale that we wanted to use it. ​"
"We haven't talked much about pricing and licencing. But it is not cheap for sure"
"It's an expensive solution"
"The biggest challenge is the cost associated with the product, and the cost of maintaining. Everything is not translated directly to the benefits we see. There are benefits, yes, but if I were writing the check, would I buy Guardium? No."
"Guardium has not saved us time or money."
"My company purchased IBM Guardium Data Protection in a package, so I'm unable to give its exact licensing cost, but for the package of three IBM solutions, it wasn't very expensive. I'd rate the pricing for all three solutions three out of five. When my team deployed IBM Guardium Data Protection, all features were included."
"Reasonable cost but could be lower."
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection pricing and cost advice
"The setup and license are quite expensive."
"Imperva SecureSphere Database Security was quite expensive several years ago, but now they provide a subscription plan for licensing. It is available now for smaller and medium-sized companies, not only large enterprises."
"We have all the licenses, which we pay for annually. The price is a little high, but the product is good."
"They have introduced new price models, which makes the product more affordable now."
"Licensing fees are on a yearly basis, and it is a good value for the money."
"Imperva is too expensive for small and medium-sized enterprises. They're missing out on technology that helps them manage their data security better. Data security is essential because even the strongest network may be attacked from the inside without it."
"There is an annual licensing fee for upgrading the device."
"The product’s price is reasonable compared to other products."
More Imperva SecureSphere Database Security pricing and cost advice
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Database Security solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
850,491 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
30%
Computer Software Company
11%
Insurance Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
28%
Computer Software Company
15%
Insurance Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does IBM Guardium Data Protection compare with Imperva SecureSphere Database Security?
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection is a solution for database security from IBM that gives complete visibility, control, and analysis to secure sensitive data and comply with regulations. IBM S...
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Guardium Data Protection?
I don't remember the exact prices, but Guardium is an expensive tool because it is targeted towards corporate enterprises.
See all answers
What do you like most about IBM Security Guardium Data Protection?
The features I like are the robust policies, which allow us to create customized monitoring based on specific activities.
See all answers
Which is the best DDoS protection solution for a big ISP for monitoring and mitigating?
My recommendation is Imperva.
See all answers
What do you like most about Imperva SecureSphere Database Security?
The tool's pricing is flexible and affordable for small and medium enterprises.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Imperva SecureSphere Database Security?
It is not cheaper, but based on the feature, it is okay.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Oracle Audit Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
Oracle Audit Vault vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 18% of the time
DataSunrise Database Security vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
DataSunrise Database Security vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 5% of the time
Trustwave DbProtect vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
Trustwave DbProtect vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 3% of the time
IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
IBM InfoSphere Optim Data Privacy vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 3% of the time
Voltage SecureData Enterprise vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Logo
Voltage SecureData Enterprise vs IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
Compared 3% of the time
More IBM Security Guardium Data Protection Competitors
Oracle Audit Vault vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security Logo
Oracle Audit Vault vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
Compared 21% of the time
DataSunrise Database Security vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security Logo
DataSunrise Database Security vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
Compared 8% of the time
Trustwave DbProtect vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security Logo
Trustwave DbProtect vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
Compared 5% of the time
jSonar vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security Logo
jSonar vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
Compared 2% of the time
Imperva DDoS vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security Logo
Imperva DDoS vs Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
Compared 1% of the time
More Imperva SecureSphere Database Security Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection
April 2025
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection reportDownload IBM Security Guardium Data Protection product report
Buyer's Guide
Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
April 2025
Imperva SecureSphere Database Security reportDownload Imperva SecureSphere Database Security product report
 

Also Known As

InfoSphere Guardium, Guardium, IBM Guardium
No data available
 

Overview

IBM Security Guardium Data Protection automatically discovers and classifies sensitive data from across the enterprise, providing real-time data activity monitoring and advanced user behavior analytics to help discover unusual activity around sensitive data.

Deploy the solution to help discover regulated data in your data stores and use pre-built templates for regulations such as PCI, SOX, HIPAA, CCPA and many more, to streamline and automate compliance workflows.

IBM

Imperva SecureSphere Database Security:

  • Audits all access to sensitive data.
  • Alerts or blocks database attacks and unauthorized activities, in real time.
  • Detects and virtually patches database vulnerabilities.
  • Identifies excessive user rights and dormant users, and enables a complete rights review cycle.
  • Accelerates incident response and forensics investigations with advanced analytics.
Imperva
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
BlueCross BlueShield, eHarmony, EMF Broadcasting, GE Healthcare, Metro Bank, The Motley Fool, Siemens
Buyer's Guide
IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
April 2025
Free Report: IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Imperva SecureSphere Database Security
Find out what your peers are saying about IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Imperva SecureSphere Database Security and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
DOWNLOAD NOW
850,491 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our IBM Security Guardium Data Protection vs. Imperva SecureSphere Database Security report.
See our list of best Database Security vendors.

We monitor all Database 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.

OSZAR »