Skip to content

Privileged Session Management: How to Go Beyond Basic Monitoring

In this guide, you’ll learn:

  • Why legacy session monitoring isn’t enough

  • How advanced Privileged Session Management (PSM) works in real time

  • What to look for in modern PSM tools

  • How AI-driven session analysis reduces risk

  • Where advanced PSM delivers the most value

‍

Privileged Session Management (PSM) often just records and files away privileged user sessions for compliance checks. But since privileged accounts drive the bulk of breaches, organizations are realizing that passive session capture isn’t enough.

‍

The 2024 IBM Cost of a Data Breach study pegs the average breach at $4.88 million, up by 10% from before. Malicious insiders, typically abusing privileged credentials, rack up an even heftier $4.99 million price tag on average. 

‍

Meanwhile, attackers love targeting these high-value accounts. According to Verizon’s 2024 DBIR, 83% of confirmed breaches involve privilege misuse or system intrusion. Segura’s 2025 Threat Landscape Roundup reinforces this, citing that 74% of breaches trace back to a human factor, where admins and developers commit the bulk of mistakes.

‍

If you’re only relying on after-the-fact footage, you’re basically paying millions just to watch replays of your own security failures. It’s time for modern PSM to move beyond basic “video capture” and embrace real-time, AI-driven protections that detect and interrupt breaches within the session itself. 

‍

In this post, we’ll uncover how advanced PSM strategies continuously watch privileged sessions, letting security teams stop malicious behavior on the spot, rather than sifting through damage once it’s all over.

‍

What Are the Limitations of Basic Session Monitoring?

Basic session monitoring, often included in legacy PAM systems, isn’t built for the frenetic pace of most modern breaches. Traditional PSM tools quietly capture everything a privileged user does, like keystrokes, commands, on-screen changes, but they don’t interrupt anything. 

‍

It’s a silent recorder that just observes and saves mountains of footage. If an attacker masquerades as a legitimate admin, the system will dutifully log the intruder’s every move but never raise a red flag.

‍

Even worse, the collected data is enormous. Large companies like financial institutions generate hundreds of thousands of hours of session footage every month – far too much for manual review. By the time anyone notices alarming actions, the window for preventing damage is long gone.

‍

This gap between observation and intervention highlights why basic PSM falls short. Attackers quickly exploit elevated privileges to roam the network, exfiltrate data, or deploy malware. Monitoring alone can confirm a breach in retrospect, but it rarely stops one in progress. 

‍

Given that privileged accounts are implicated in most intrusions, organizations must shift gears from recording for compliance to actively foiling suspicious activity during sessions.

‍

What Is Advanced Privileged Session Management?

Advanced Privileged Session Management takes the concept of PSM beyond any “VCR-like” playback model. Rather than simply cataloging every keystroke, advanced PSM continuously scrutinizes ongoing sessions, mapping user actions to normal baselines and known threat signatures. If something looks abnormal or risky, the system can trigger alerts or countermeasures on the spot.

‍

This approach hinges on proactive security, not passive documentation. Advanced PSM solutions layer analytics, AI, and dynamic enforcement to detect malicious intent or policy violations the moment they occur. 

‍

For instance, if an admin initiates suspicious scripts to bulk-copy sensitive databases, the system could freeze the session or demand re-authentication. It’s all about prevention, real-time awareness, and minimal attacker dwell time.

‍

Leaders in the PAM space increasingly embed real-time controls within privileged sessions, equipping security teams with immediate oversight. Basic PSM merely gives you the “what happened” story after the fact. Advanced PSM, in contrast, gives you the power to intervene in that story as it unfolds, turning each privileged login into a guarded checkpoint.

‍

Advanced Privileged Session Management vs. Basic Monitoring: A Feature Comparison

What Are the Core Features of Advanced PSM?

The building blocks of advanced privileged session management revolve around live analysis, AI-driven behavioral checks, and automated policy enforcement. Let’s explore them one by one.

Real-Time Session Analysis and Threat Detection  

Sophisticated advanced PSM platforms continuously examine the live session feed, whether that’s text-based command lines or GUI interfaces. They look for high-risk commands, unexpected data access operations, or unusual usage patterns. If trouble arises, security teams get immediate alerts and can even watch the session in real time. Administrators might choose to kill the session outright if the activity is conclusively harmful.

AI and Machine Learning for Behavioral Analysis  

Machine learning is a powerful differentiator. These algorithms assess user habits, everything from command choice and system interactions to subtle signals like typing intervals, then build a baseline for each account. 

‍

When new activity diverges from the norm, the system flags it. Think of it as user behavior analytics tailored for privileged logins. Whether the divergence comes from an impersonator or an insider suddenly going rogue, these anomalies don’t go unnoticed.

Automated Policy Enforcement and Response Actions  

Speed matters when you’re facing a credentialed enemy. Advanced PSM integrates automated responses into policy frameworks, letting the system react the second it deems something risky. It might deliver immediate alerts to the SOC, demand a fresh multi-factor authentication prompt, block specific commands, or cut the entire session. 

‍

Here’s a real-world example: in 2022, a Lapsus$ hacker tricked an Uber contractor into approving an MFA prompt, ultimately accessing admin credentials. With automated response policies, the system would have flagged the suspicious login, locked down the session, and cut off the attacker before they could burrow deeper.
‍

 

How Is AI Transforming Privileged Session Monitoring?

AI has drastically changed how organizations watch privileged sessions, moving from simple after-the-fact recordings to proactive, data-driven analysis. 

‍

Basic monitoring might churn out mountains of recorded footage, making manual review nearly impossible on a large scale. By contrast, AI sifts through live data fast and spots trouble in real time.
‍

Command Analysis

AI-powered privileged session monitoring uses different techniques to analyze privileged commands in a live session, Here are some of the most common ones:

  • Entropy Detection: The system measures how random or obfuscated command-line inputs are. Attackers often try encoded or scrambled scripts to avoid detection, and high entropy can be a huge red flag.  
  • Pattern Recognition: Machine learning solutions memorize each user’s normal command usage, then flag anomalies, especially important for privileged actions like adding admin accounts or changing system policies.  
  • Privileged Command Classification: Advanced PSM correlates high-risk commands with known attack techniques (like those documented in MITRE ATT&CK), scanning for possible privilege escalation or system exploitation.
  • ‍

Keystroke Analysis

AI also monitors how users type, looking at each person’s distinctive rhythm, speed, and key hold times. 

‍

If there’s a sudden shift, like the user is typing too fast, too slow, or in a completely different pattern, the system suspects something’s wrong, possibly a hijacked session.

‍

Application Usage Monitoring

Since security teams don’t have time to review thousands of session hours manually, AI can record app usage, then automatically highlight any out-of-the-ordinary actions. This includes identifying unauthorized or suspicious software launches within privileged sessions.

‍

Setting Behavioral Baselines

Over time, AI and machine learning engines learn what’s normal for each user (and each peer group). They track typical commands, logins, or usage times and refine their models continuously. When new behavior drifts too far outside the established bounds, the system instantly flags it.

‍

Identifying Deviations and Risks

Once those baselines are set, the software compares live activities like commands, access patterns, file transfers to the user’s usual behavior. If it sees odd actions (like a jump from logging in locally to suddenly connecting from another continent), it raises alerts or blocks the session automatically. These measures stop intruders and malicious insiders in their tracks.

‍

Of course, AI-based monitoring can be tricky to fine-tune. If you set thresholds too tight, your security team might drown in false positives; too loose, and real threats can hide in the noise. And building trust in automated session termination takes time—no one wants to shut down legitimate work unnecessarily.

‍

How Can You Automate Threat Response in Privileged Sessions?

When you integrate automated threat response into privileged session monitoring, you move from chasing threats after the fact to cutting them off right away. The instant the system recognizes a red flag, it clamps down and halts malicious behavior before it can spread.

‍

Here is how to implement automated threat response for privileged sessions.

‍

Defining Triggers  

Triggers are like digital tripwires that cause an automated response once certain conditions are met. 

‍

Start by figuring out which behaviors or anomalies should ring the alarm. You might monitor for odd command lines, unexpected geolocations, or times when a user tries to download a large volume of data at record speed. 

‍

Known attack signatures like privilege escalation attempts or credential theft fit the bill, along with suspiciously random commands (suggesting obfuscation).

‍

To keep false positives in check, consider using machine learning models that learn regular admin habits and spot the odd one out. That way, you’re not bombarded with useless alerts but are still quick to detect genuine anomalies when they pop up.

‍

Configuring Response Actions  

Once you know what sets off the tripwire, match each trigger with the right level of response. 

‍

Here’s a threat matrix to illustrate:

Ensuring Fail-safes  

Even though automated responses are powerful, you don’t want to accidentally slow down real work. 

‍

Build in manual overrides so an admin can step in when needed, or implement temporary hold times for less urgent alerts. Consider maintaining an allowlist of trusted accounts or tools to prevent routine tasks from setting off your alarm.

‍

Integrating with Incident Response Workflows  

Finally, make sure your privileged session management (PSM) isn’t working in a silo. Hook it into your existing SIEM so you can combine session data with bigger-picture threat intelligence. Tie it to SOAR systems that can auto-generate playbooks for deeper investigation and update threat feeds accordingly. Trigger your ticketing platform, like ServiceNow or Jira, to assign tasks and keep track of any follow-up. 

‍

By blending PSM into your incident response program, you handle privileged threats as just one piece of a larger security puzzle, rather than an isolated nuisance.

‍

What Are the Benefits of Real-Time Privileged Session Management?

Upgrading from passive session logs to real-time advanced PSM yields a sweeping range of advantages:

  • Proactive Threat Containment: Attacks are intercepted mid-flight, not in a post-breach cleanup session.  
  • Reduced Dwell Time: Attackers hate being exposed quickly. When suspicious behavior triggers immediate scrutiny, intruders lose their usual leeway.  
  • Speedier Incident Response: By notifying security teams or initiating defense tactics right away, advanced PSM sets immediate containment in motion.  
  • Stronger Compliance and Evidence: You still maintain thorough logs for audits, but now they’re paired with intelligence explaining why certain actions were flagged and how they were handled.  
  • ‍

Use Cases: When Should You Use Advanced PSM?

Where does advanced PSM shine the most? Let’s skim a few real-world scenarios:

  • Insider Threat Detection: Malicious or pressured insiders who stray from their normal workflow get flagged when they run atypical commands or attempt outsize data exfiltration.  
  • Ransomware Prevention: Many ransomware operators target privileged accounts. Advanced PSM spots mass encryption attempts in real time, sounding alarms before there’s widespread damage.  
  • Compromised Credentials: Attackers who swipe passwords rely on the legitimate user’s access scope. If they behave differently,log in at strange hours, use unfamiliar systems, or show unusual typing patterns,AI analytics will notice.  
  • Third-Party Access Controls: External vendors or contractors with admin privileges can pose risk if their session gets hijacked or if they maintain poor security hygiene. Advanced PSM ensures that even these outside logins are subject to immediate oversight.

‍

How Do You Integrate Advanced PSM into Your Security Stack?

Advanced PSM works best when it’s woven into the rest of your security ecosystem.

  • PAM and Identity Integration: Often, advanced PSM plugs directly into a Privileged Access Management suite. This provides seamless credential vaulting, session brokering, and real-time monitoring all in one pipeline.  
  • SIEM Feeds: Sending your PSM’s session data, threat alerts, and anomaly scores to your SIEM centralizes correlation, letting analysts see all security events in a single pane.  
  • SOAR and IR Linkages: Automated triggers in the PSM can drive playbooks in your Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response platform,like quarantining a user’s machine if high-risk actions are detected.  
  • Threat Intelligence: Supplement your advanced PSM with external indicators of compromise. Block known malicious domains, or sound the alarm if your privileged session attempts to contact a blacklisted IP range.

‍

By fusing advanced PSM with your broader security toolkit, you establish a holistic defense. Attackers are forced to slip past multiple layers of detection and real-time enforcement,an increasingly difficult feat.

‍

What’s the Future of Privileged Access Security?

The era of basic session recording is over. Modern threats require real-time visibility, AI-based behavior detection, and automated enforcement.

‍

Segura®’s Complete Identity Security Platform delivers advanced Privileged Session Management with instant credential lockdown, AI-driven detection, and deployment in days, not months. Trusted by over 1,000 companies and top-rated on Gartner Peer Insights (4.9/5), Segura® simplifies session security without adding friction or cost.
‍

Book a personalized demo today and see what intelligent PSM looks like…before your next audit or incident puts it to the test.

‍

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Privileged Session Management (PSM)?
Privileged Session Management is a cybersecurity practice that records, monitors, and controls the activities of users with elevated access privileges. It helps detect and prevent unauthorized or risky behavior in real time.

Why isn’t basic session monitoring enough?
Basic monitoring typically records sessions for later review but doesn’t stop malicious activity in progress. By the time a threat is reviewed, the damage is often already done.

How does advanced PSM work?
Advanced PSM tools use real-time session analysis, AI-driven behavioral baselines, and automated responses to detect suspicious activity as it happens and interrupt sessions before harm occurs.

What features should I look for in a modern PSM solution?
Key features include real-time threat detection, AI and machine learning for behavioral analysis, automated policy enforcement, command classification, session termination capabilities, and seamless integration with SIEM and SOAR tools.

How can PSM help with compliance?
Advanced PSM maintains detailed audit trails, records privileged user behavior, and logs response actions, making it easier to meet requirements from standards like NIST, ISO 27001, and GDPR.

Where is PSM most useful?
Advanced PSM is especially effective for preventing insider threats, ransomware attacks, misuse of stolen credentials, and risky third-party access.

About Segura®
Segura® strive to ensure the sovereignty of companies over actions and privileged information. To this end, we work against data theft through traceability of administrator actions on networks, servers, databases and a multitude of devices. In addition, we pursue compliance with auditing requirements and the most demanding standards, including PCI DSS, Sarbanes-Oxley, ISO 27001 and HIPAA.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Manage physical document copies securely with NordPass Documents

 

Managing documents can be annoying. You have to make sure they’re kept secure, lest someone steals your private information, but you need them just accessible enough that you can access them in a pinch when you’re finalizing travel plans or handling taxes. Not to mention the hassle of staying ahead of renewals – who knew six months could go by so quickly when a passport renewal is in question?

NordPass is here to help you leave manual management struggles behind with Documents. This new item type, available with Premium and Family plans, allows you to store and manage digital copies of printed sensitive data.

What is Documents?

Documents is the new addition to the NordPass vault, offering a smart and secure way for users to store and manage up to 3 GB of digital personal documents, such as passports, IDs, and driver’s licenses.

Before the launch of Documents, NordPass Premium users were able to attach files to their stored credentials, secure notes, or contact information. However, it didn’t offer an option to manage digitized documents specifically. The introduction of dedicated document storage simplifies secure management of sensitive personal information by allowing NordPass users to find all their documents in one place.

Why Documents?

Personally identifying documents are still largely physical – you can store a plane ticket in your phone wallet, but you can’t do the same for your passport. Nevertheless, having digital copies of documents is often a necessity. If you’re applying for a visa or a job, filing for taxes, or sorting out college applications online, you need to provide a digital proof of identity or other relevant documentation that was issued in print.

Handling physical and digital documents requires care and sensitivity. Some physical identity documents are issued once and are difficult to replace. Losing access to them can put your sensitive information at risk. Creating a digital copy simplifies online procedures and can be useful if you ever need to replace the original.

A physical document can end up lost, stolen, or shredded. A person can accidentally spill a glass of water on it, and the ink on the paper can fade over time. Digitizing and encrypting personal documents creates a secure alternative form of storage and helps preserve your sensitive information for longer. Like any credentials or sensitive information kept in your NordPass vault, digital documents are protected by the XChaCha20 encryption algorithm and zero-knowledge architecture.

How does Documents work?

Secure document storage is available on the NordPass browser extension, iOS and Android apps, as well as desktop for all NordPass Premium users. It’s as easy as storing your credentials, with the added bonus of quick access to file uploads, adjustable reminders, and custom fields for additional information.

A smarter and safer way to store documents

Don’t waste any more time trying to remember where exactly you’ve saved the digital copy of your ID. With NordPass, you can find them all in your vault. You can select if you want to add an ID card, driver’s license, or passport. You can also store other unlisted documents, such as birth or marriage certificates, warranty cards, or insurance agreements, and customize the information you add. Each file attachment you upload can be up to 40 MB. You can set an adjustable reminder for expiration dates or other events. You can find all saved documents under the “Documents” tab or by entering their name in the search bar.

End-to-end-encrypted privacy

NordPass uses end-to-end encryption to protect all sensitive data in your vault, and document storage is no exception. Each document you upload is encrypted on your device and can only be accessed with your Master Password or biometrics.

Accessible on all devices

Don’t worry about keeping the flash drive with your digitized documents in your bag or forwarding attachment-only emails to your inbox. NordPass synchronizes your files across all devices, ensuring that your documents are on hand and available to download whenever you need them.

Flexible file storage

NordPass doesn’t limit the formats in which you store your documents. Anything goes, from standard files like JPG, PNG, or PDF, to specific formats issued with built-in security features. However, ensure your file is under 40 MB and your overall document storage doesn’t exceed 3 GB.

personal documents

How to upload personal documents to NordPass

To start uploading a file in your document vault, simply go to the “Documents” tab and select “Add document,” or use the “Add” button in the “All items” tab on your NordPass extension or mobile app.

Upload from your device

Uploading a document to your NordPass vault is quick and easy. Simply drag and drop or tap to upload a file attachment directly from your phone or computer. You can attach multiple files to a document, as long as they’re under the size limit.

Add additional info in the custom fields

Need to leave an important note, external link, or take note of specific details in your document? Use custom fields to fill in the blanks. Personalize with important details, like date of issue, serial numbers, or names of relevant institutions, without downloading the attachments, and copy them directly from the vault. If you’ve added multiple attachments, you can use custom fields to keep track of which file contains what information.

Set reminders for key dates

Got an upcoming passport renewal, a pending payment, or a planned meeting you need to bring your document to? Set a reminder and get an alert via email and as an in-app notification once the time is up. Tap the notification to see more details about the related document. You can easily adjust or delete the reminder in the vault.

What are the benefits of storing personal documents in NordPass?

All your important records in one place

It’s not just documents that make your digital life easier. With NordPass, you can generate and store unique passwords for all your accounts or keep your credit card details secure. So if you need to log in to a governmental website to upload your sensitive information, you can kill two birds with one stone and use NordPass to protect your login credentials. It’s a flexible way to keep personal records protected – from passwords to passports.

Easy family document management

Preparing everything you need to obtain your and your partner’s marriage certificate? Getting visas sorted for the big family vacation? NordPass saves time by letting you store all the documents you and your family need in the same vault. Sort documents into folders for quicker vault management. Documents is available with the Family plan, allowing each person in your circle to manage their digitized personal information.

Please note that you can’t share documents with other NordPass users.

Access when you need it

Once you have your secure document vault set up, you can manage it to your preference. Keep your documents synced, remove outdated files to replace them with new versions, and download them on your device for quick and secure transfer.

If you switch to the Free plan, your previously uploaded documents will remain available in your vault until you delete them, and you will still receive reminder notifications.

Physical storage vs. online document storage: Finding a balance

At the crossroads of physical and digital, the latter has become a reliable way to preserve sensitive information. It adds a layer of reassurance that even if your physical documents are lost, you have a backup to fall back on. It’s not just the papers you use daily, either – digitization helps preserve historical information that can be lost to the passage of time. Thanks to digital document storage and encryption, physical document management can be handled more securely and reliably.

NordPass eliminates some of the complex steps of document storage. Storing digital documents in an encrypted vault lets you declutter your device and offers higher security than unencrypted internal or external storage. Documents on NordPass lets you manage digital-only files and make it easier to keep track of updates and renewals.

Documents is available now with NordPass Premium and NordPass Family.

About NordPass
NordPass is developed by Nord Security, a company leading the global market of cybersecurity products.

The web has become a chaotic space where safety and trust have been compromised by cybercrime and data protection issues. Therefore, our team has a global mission to shape a more trusted and peaceful online future for people everywhere.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Why Your AI Strategy Hinges on the Right On-Premises Platform for the Edge

As AI adoption accelerates, most strategic conversations have focused heavily on models, data pipelines, and training methodologies. But a critical element is too often overlooked: the platform selected to deliver compute, virtualization, orchestration, deployment, and management at distributed enterprise edge locations.

Without the right on-premises infrastructure in place, even the best AI initiatives will struggle to scale, sustain, or succeed.

The Edge Challenge: Operational Reality vs. AI Ambition

While cloud and core data centers have traditionally been the home of artificial intelligence development, real-world AI applications are increasingly moving to the edge. From retail environments and manufacturing floors to healthcare clinics and logistics hubs, decision-making must happen closer to where data is generated.

However, edge environments are fundamentally different:

  • Limited space, power, and IT staffing
  • Inconsistent network connectivity
  • Need for ultra-low latency and high resiliency
  • Massive operational scale across hundreds or thousands of locations

To meet these challenges, enterprises need an on-premises platform at the edge that goes beyond traditional servers or simple virtualization—it must combine compute, storage, containerization, and orchestration in a single, highly automated system. That’s where Edge AI comes into play.

Key Platform Requirements for Edge AI Success

Deploying and managing AI across edge environments at scale demands platforms built with specific capabilities in mind:

    1. Unified Virtualization and Containerization

The ability to seamlessly run both legacy applications (VMs) and modern AI workloads (containers) on a single system is critical to bridging the gap between existing operations and new AI innovation.

    1. Zero-Touch Deployment and Lifecycle Management

Manual deployments and updates across hundreds of locations are not scalable. The platform must support remote orchestration, automated updates, and centralized control—ensuring consistency and minimizing site visits.

    1. Resilience and Self-Healing Infrastructure

Downtime at the edge can cripple operations. AI platforms must be self-healing, highly available, and capable of operating autonomously when connectivity is lost.

    1. Scalability Without Complexity

Edge environments need platforms that scale horizontally with minimal configuration—without the complexity and overhead typical of legacy systems.

    1. Centralized Visibility and Management

Whether overseeing 5 or 5,000 locations, centralized management ensures operational control, security enforcement, and real-time insight into system performance and AI workload health.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Organizations that underinvest in the edge platform layer often encounter the same roadblocks:

  • AI pilots that can’t scale to production
  • Rising operational costs from manual maintenance
  • Extended downtime from fragile or disconnected systems
  • Lost competitive advantage as AI initiatives stall

Choosing the wrong infrastructure can derail AI initiatives before they even get off the ground.

Build an AI Strategy That’s Ready for Everywhere

Success with AI is not just about the right models or algorithms. It’s about deploying those innovations reliably and scalably where business happens—at the edge.

Selecting the right on-premises platform to power distributed AI is no longer a backend decision—it’s a strategic imperative. Build your AI infrastructure for the realities of the edge today and set your enterprise up for innovation, resilience, and competitive advantage tomorrow.

About Scale Computing
Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Scale Computing HC3 software eliminates the need for traditional virtualization software, disaster recovery software, servers, and shared storage, replacing these with a fully integrated, highly available system for running applications. Using patented HyperCore™ technology, the HC3 self-healing platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing HC3 is the ideal infrastructure platform. Read what our customers have to say on Gartner Peer Insights, Spiceworks, TechValidate and TrustRadius.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

ESET Named a 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice for Endpoint Protection

BRATISLAVA — June 17, 2025 — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, is proud to announce its recognition as the Customers’ Choice in the 2025 Gartner® Peer Insights™ “Voice of the Customer” report1 for Endpoint Protection Platforms, in the category of Organizations with Annual Revenue between 50M – 1B USD. This distinction reflects the positive feedback and high satisfaction ratings from verified end users who rely on ESET´s solutions to defend against evolving cyber threats.

According to the report, 95% of Gartner Peer Insights reviews received for ESET indicated a 5-star (60%) or 4-star (35%) rating. Overall, our customers have given us a rating of 4.9 out of 5 during the last 180 days, with 98% of them concluding they would recommend our product. “In our view, ESET’s placement in the report underscores our commitment to delivering reliable, effective, and user-friendly endpoint protection platforms solutions to organizations worldwide,” said Zuzana Legáthová, Director of Test, Analyst Relations and Market Research at ESET.

The “Voice of the Customer” report aggregates peer reviews and ratings over an 18-month period, offering valuable insights into customer experiences with leading cybersecurity vendors. ESET´s recognition is based on reviews from 187 verified end-user professionals, and we believe that it focuses on their direct experience with operating the ESET PROTECT Platform.

“Being named a Customers’ Choice by Gartner Peer Insights is a powerful validation of the trust our users place in ESET. It reflects our ongoing mission to deliver cybersecurity that’s not only powerful and reliable but also intuitive and tailored to the real-world needs of modern organizations,” said Pavol Balaj, Chief Business Officer at ESET.

ESET PROTECT is a comprehensive cybersecurity platform designed to meet the evolving needs of modern organizations. Built on decades of expertise and continuous innovation, it delivers a Prevention-First approach to security, integrating advanced technologies and security services into a single, scalable solution.

At its core, the platform features ESET LiveSense, a multilayered security engine powered by over 30 years of human expertise, machine learning, and ESET LiveGrid, a global cloud-based reputation system. This foundation enables balanced breach prevention, detection, and response capabilities, ensuring robust protection across all digital environments.

Key features include:

  • Modern, multilayered endpoint security for desktops, servers, and mobile devices
  • Extended protection for cloud applications, email systems, and servers
  • Comprehensive vulnerability assessment and patch management
  • AI-native detection technologies and advanced threat protection
  • Globally sourced telemetry and threat intelligence
  • Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services with local support and a fast 20-minute response time

The report is based on over 5,400 reviews collected over an 18-month period ending January 31, 2025. Only vendors with a minimum of 20 eligible reviews and 15 ratings for “Capabilities” and “Support/Delivery” were included.

Discover more about the ESET PROTECT Platform. For more information about ESET’s awards and recognized excellence, click here.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and PEER INSIGHTS is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc., and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner® Peer Insights™ content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences and should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About ESET
For 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint security to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give individuals and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D facilities worldwide, ESET became the first IT security company to earn 100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

IBM MQ vs. Kafka vs. ActiveMQ: Comparing Message Brokers

When it comes to modern messaging systems, choosing the right message broker can make or break your system’s performance and reliability. Whether you’re dealing with large-scale data streaming or enterprise-grade messaging, comparing IBM MQ vs. Kafka vs. ActiveMQ is essential in determining the best fit for your architecture.

Each of these technologies has unique strengths, capabilities, and use cases — but how do they differ, and which is right for your organization? In this blog, our expert compares the major differences between IBM MQ, which is proprietary software, and Kafka and ActiveMQ, which are both open source technologies.

Comparing IBM MQ to Open Source Alternatives 

In the modern enterprise IT landscape, messaging systems form the backbone of application integration, inter-process communication, and event-driven architecture. As an enterprise architect focused on integration patterns and messaging brokers, selecting the right messaging platform is a crucial decision that has long-term implications for system performance, reliability, and maintainability. Among the many choices available, IBM MQ is a commercial, enterprise-grade legacy solution, while Apache Kafka and Apache ActiveMQ represent popular open source alternatives. This blog post explores how these systems compare and where each fits within the enterprise messaging ecosystem, helping you choose the best message broker for your enterprise and business needs.

What is IBM MQ?

IBM MQ, formerly known as WebSphere MQ, is a robust, enterprise-grade messaging middleware developed by IBM. It implements a message queue paradigm and is designed for asynchronous, reliable, and secure message delivery across diverse systems, platforms, and environments. IBM MQ supports a range of protocols and APIs, including JMS, MQTT, REST, and AMQP, making it suitable for hybrid cloud and legacy environments alike.

IBM MQ excels in scenarios that require guaranteed once-and-only-once delivery, transactionality, and high reliability. Its advanced features include message persistence, XA transactions, message sequencing, high availability, and built-in security controls, making it a common choice in highly regulated industries like banking, insurance, and healthcare.

What is Kafka?

Apache Kafka is a distributed event streaming platform originally developed at LinkedIn and open-sourced through the Apache Software Foundation. It is designed to handle real-time data feeds with high throughput and low latency. Kafka operates more like a distributed commit log than a traditional message queue, with topics partitioned and replicated across brokers to provide fault tolerance and scalability.

Kafka is widely adopted in modern data pipelines, microservices architectures, and real-time analytics platforms. It supports publish-subscribe and event streaming semantics and integrates seamlessly with big data tools, stream processing frameworks like Apache Flink and Kafka Streams, and data lake technologies. While Kafka supports transactional messaging and message retention policies, its architecture prioritizes performance and durability over strict message ordering and delivery guarantees.

What is ActiveMQ?

Apache ActiveMQ is a popular, open source message broker that supports a wide range of messaging patterns and protocols. It implements the JMS (Java Message Service) API and supports point-to-point, publish-subscribe, and request-reply messaging models. ActiveMQ is suitable for applications that require traditional enterprise messaging capabilities but prefer an open source alternative.

ActiveMQ can be easier to set up and configure than Kafka depending on deployment patterns, and offers solid integration with Java EE applications and Spring-based systems. Along with its newer sibling, ActiveMQ Artemis, it offers highly scalable performance and includes protocol support for AMQP, MQTT, STOMP, and OpenWire. ActiveMQ’s focus is on simplicity and interoperability rather than high-volume event streaming.

Back to top

IBM MQ vs. Kafka vs. ActiveMQ: Key Differences

In the following section we will look at some key consideration points that differentiate these messaging packages. This list is not exhaustive but includes some of the prime data points that should be considered for your use case.

Throughput

Kafka outperforms both IBM MQ and ActiveMQ in raw throughput, making it ideal for use cases involving large volumes of real-time data ingestion and processing. Kafka’s design is optimized for sequential disk I/O and parallelism, allowing it to handle millions of messages per second with minimal latency.

IBM MQ offers solid throughput for traditional messaging workloads, especially when transactional guarantees and durability are required. However, it is not optimized for the kind of high-throughput event streaming scenarios that Kafka is designed to handle.

ActiveMQ is suitable for moderate-throughput use cases but does not scale as well as Kafka. It performs adequately for enterprise application integration but is not built for high-volume, real-time data streams.

Performance

Kafka delivers exceptional performance due to its zero-copy architecture, efficient use of disk storage, and distributed nature. It is particularly strong in scenarios that involve large message sizes, persistent logs, and long message retention periods.

IBM MQ’s performance is optimized for transactional consistency and reliability. While it may not match Kafka in throughput, it provides predictable latency and excellent quality of service, especially in high-availability and failover scenarios.

ActiveMQ’s performance is sufficient for small to mid-sized applications. ActiveMQ Artemis offers improved performance compared to its predecessor but still falls short of Kafka’s capabilities in large-scale deployments.

Enterprise Integrations

This is one category where IBM MQ is a stand out, particularly within the IBM ecosystem of enterprise products and legacy systems. It integrates natively with a wide range of enterprise systems including mainframes, SAP, Oracle, IBM iSeries, and other legacy platforms. It supports a wide array of messaging APIs and is deeply embedded in many financial and government institutions.

Kafka provides integrations via Kafka Connect, a framework for connecting Kafka with external systems such as databases, key-value stores, and cloud services. While integration options are growing, Kafka is less suited to legacy environments and better suited to greenfield applications and modern microservices.

ActiveMQ supports standard protocols and integrates well with Java applications and middleware platforms. It is a solid choice for JMS-based integrations and works well in SOA-style architectures.

Scalability

Kafka is inherently designed for horizontal scalability. Adding more brokers and partitions allows Kafka to scale almost linearly, which is one of its key advantages. It supports geo-replication and multi-region clusters using tools like MirrorMaker.

IBM MQ can be scaled vertically and horizontally, but its clustering and scaling strategies are more complex and license-dependent. It offers features like queue-sharing and workload balancing across queue managers, but scaling out requires careful planning.

ActiveMQ supports clustering and high availability, but its scaling model is less mature than Kafka’s. While ActiveMQ Artemis improves on this, large-scale scalability remains a challenge in comparison.

Security 

IBM MQ offers enterprise-grade security features, including TLS encryption, pluggable authentication, role-based access control, and granular permissions at the queue and topic level. It meets compliance requirements in industries where security is paramount.

Kafka supports TLS, SASL authentication, and ACL-based authorization, but its security model requires careful configuration and is often managed externally. Enterprise distributions enhance these features with GUI-based tooling and and OpenLogic’s Kafka Service Bundle includes reusable security configuration templates, as well as security patches and updates that can be implemented on your team’s schedule. 

Read more about Kafka security best practices >>

ActiveMQ supports basic security mechanisms including JAAS-based authentication, TLS, and authorization policies. It is adequate for most applications but may lack the depth of security features needed for highly regulated environments.

Support

When evaluating support models, total cost of ownership (TCO) becomes a significant factor in choosing a messaging platform.

IBM MQ comes with full commercial support from IBM, which includes service-level agreements (SLAs), proactive patching, and access to enterprise-grade consulting services. However, this comprehensive support model comes with a premium price tag. Licensing, maintenance, and operational costs can add up quickly, especially in large-scale or multi-environment deployments. Organizations that require strict compliance, long-term vendor relationships, or relies heavily on legacy environments can justify the higher TCO.

Kafka, while open source, offers more flexible support options. It has a large, active community and benefits from strong backing by commercial vendors like OpenLogic. OpenLogic provides SLA-backed, enterprise-grade Kafka support, Kafka-as-a-Service deployment models, and operational tooling — all at a lower overall cost compared to proprietary distributions of Kafka sold by Confluent and others. The modular nature of Kafka’s support ecosystem allows teams to tailor their support levels to actual usage and business risk, reducing unnecessary overhead.

ActiveMQ is also open source with support available from the community and from vendors like OpenLogic if organizations need more reliable 24/7 support. For organizations with modest requirements, ActiveMQ presents a low-cost support model with a correspondingly lower TCO.

Ultimately, IBM MQ’s commercial support offers reliability but at a very high cost, while Kafka and ActiveMQ provide excellent performance and more flexible support options with a much lower TCO.

Back to top

IBM MQ vs. Kafka Use Cases and Deployment Considerations

Choose IBM MQ When:

  • Your applications span legacy and mainframe environments
  • Regulatory and reporting requirements justify the higher licensing costs
  • You require long-term vendor support and formal SLAs in single vendor ecosystem

Choose Kafka When:

  • You are building modern event-driven architectures or real-time data pipelines
  • Scalability, high throughput, and low latency are top priorities
  • You need long-term data retention, replayability, and message durability
  • You are integrating with Big Data tools or stream processing frameworks
  • You want cost-effective open source flexibility with commercial enterprise support options

Choose ActiveMQ When:

  • You are developing Java-based applications with JMS requirements
  • You prefer lightweight, open source message queuing with minimal cost
  • Your integration needs are moderate and do not require extremely high throughput
  • You need simple, standards-based messaging with fast time-to-value

Deployment considerations also vary. IBM MQ is often deployed in traditional data centers, hybrid environments, or on IBM Cloud. Kafka is popular in containerized and Kubernetes-native environments, often using operators like Strimzi. ActiveMQ is lightweight enough for embedded use or as part of application servers.

Watch webinar about deploying Kafka on Kubernetes >>

Back to top

Final Thoughts

When it comes to IBM MQ vs. Kafka vs. ActiveMQ, understanding their core differences and key decision-making factors is essential to selecting which one to deploy. Hopefully you are now equipped with the knowledge to confidently select the messaging system that supports your goals while ensuring maximum reliability and performance. However, should you need more guidance, you can always consult with OpenLogic experts who can make unbiased recommendations based on your specific business requirements. 

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Outdated Software – A Ticking Bomb in Backups

Updating software is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect data. Unfortunately, many companies postpone or ignore this task.

In recent months, many vulnerabilities have been discovered and actively exploited in storage and backup solutions. These include tools such as Veeam Backup & Replication, MinIO, Veritas Backup Exec, Arcserve UDP, Rubrik CDM, Nakivo, QNAP QuTS Hero OS, and Pure Storage FlashArray and FlashBlade. Notably, some of the vulnerabilities in the latter were rated as a CVSS 10—requiring immediate action. Yet many companies still don’t take update warnings seriously.

Protecting sensitive and confidential data is a top priority for most CIOs. TLS encryption for internet-transmitted messages, AES-256 for data at rest, multi-factor authentication, and zero trust policies are commonly used. However, regular software updates and patching vulnerabilities are discussed far less. Experts agree that outdated software is a ticking bomb. Hackers closely monitor security patch release dates to exploit vulnerabilities in older system versions. Many users fail to follow vendor recommendations or delay updates, creating ideal attack conditions. The best-known example is WannaCry, one of the largest ransomware attacks in history. In May 2017, it infected over 300,000 computers in 99 countries, despite Microsoft releasing a patch two months earlier.

Think of software updates like car maintenance—even the best vehicle will break down without regular oil changes, and worn brake pads will eventually damage the braking system.

Similarly, not updating applications will sooner or later lead to data security breaches and reduced performance. For businesses handling sensitive customer data—such as accounting firms or financial institutions—this could mean financial losses, reputation damage, or even bankruptcy. According to research by NinjaOne, 57% of data breaches could have been prevented with regular updates.

Hitting the Last Line of Defense

While there has been progress in updating OSes and antivirus tools, storage systems and backup software are still neglected. Why? For years, backups weren’t a primary target for hackers. That changed with the rise of ransomware. IDC reports that over half of ransomware attacks target backup systems, and 60% succeed. Veeam’s 2024 Ransomware Trends Report reveals that backup repositories are attacked in 96% of cases, and cybercriminals successfully interfere in 76% of them.

Hackers know that backups are a company’s last resort. That’s why they increasingly encrypt or delete them—limiting recovery options and forcing victims to pay ransoms. Compromising backups threatens business continuity. And ransomware attacks aim not just for extortion, but also to disrupt operations and cause financial harm. Victims with compromised backups are in a weaker negotiation position. According to Sophos, companies whose backups were encrypted paid on average twice as much—a median ransom of $2.3M vs. $1M for those with intact backups.

Ransomware uses various infection vectors: phishing, remote access (RDP), and exploiting software vulnerabilities—often due to missed updates. Whether it’s a backup application or an operating system, unpatched software is a gateway. For example, Veeam CVE-2024-40711 was exploited by groups like Monti and Yanluowang. Similarly, CVE-2023-27532 was used by EstateRansomware to attack corporate environments.

Real-world impact stories stick

Example: In 2023, a mid-sized logistics firm lost all customer data after its backup server running an outdated version of Nakivo was compromised. Despite having backups, the encryption rendered recovery impossible—and the company paid over $1.5M in ransom.

Updating Backup Software = More than Just Security

The backup and disaster recovery (DR) market is evolving rapidly. Vendors regularly release new solutions or update existing ones. While security is key, it’s not the only reason to stay current. Over time, backup tools become incompatible with newer OSes, hardware, and applications.

Updated backup software often includes performance improvements—faster backups and restores, better resource usage, and support for large datasets. These enhancements reduce downtime and boost operational efficiency. Updates may also bring new data recovery features, like instant VM recovery or cross-platform restores.

While backup expenses can be high, proper updates can help reduce costs. New versions often include deduplication, compression, and other optimizations—cutting storage needs and data transfer times. This reduces storage expenses and speeds up backup processes, lightening the load on IT infrastructure.

Another major challenge for IT departments is regulatory compliance. Many industries are bound by strict data protection laws. Updated backup software often includes features that support compliance—such as data retention policies, audit logs, and reporting capabilities.

Summary Table

Threat FactorImpact% of Cases
Backup targeted in ransomwareHigh data loss risk96%
Successful attack on backupCompany forced to pay ransom76%
Data breaches preventable by patchingCould have been avoided57%

A Dozen Security Gaps on Average

The average enterprise storage or backup device has 14 security vulnerabilities, including three rated as high or critical. These findings come from Continuity’s State of Storage and Backup Security Report 2023, based on an analysis of 245 environments covering 8,589 devices from vendors like Dell, NetApp, Veritas, and Hitachi Vantara. Most participating organizations were in banking, but also included healthcare, telecom, and IT services.

Properly securing storage systems will soon be a core component of organizational cyber resilience strategies. Business users should not only wait for vendor updates but also adopt proactive practices, such as vulnerability scanning. That’s why interest is growing in Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) tools, which provide real-time system security monitoring. Industry regulations increasingly require automated vulnerability management. For instance, PCI DSS v4.0 mandates the use of automated vulnerability scanning tools.

In short, protecting storage and backup systems is no longer just about security—it’s also about compliance and operational efficiency.

Practical Checklist: How to Secure Your Backup Systems Today

  • Audit all backup and storage software versions ✅
  • Apply the latest vendor patches and security updates ✅
  • Implement multi-factor authentication for backup access ✅
  • Regularly test backup restore procedures ✅
  • Enable immutability and encryption ✅
  • Use vulnerability scanners on backup infrastructure ✅
  • Isolate backup systems from the main production environment ✅

Consequences of Not Updating Backup Software

  • Increased risk of cyberattacks – unpatched systems are open doors for hackers to access sensitive data and critical resources.
  • Decreased system performance – outdated software often runs slower, driving up operational costs.
  • Incompatibility with new technology – older apps may not work with modern hardware or OSes, causing functionality issues.
  • Regulatory non-compliance – many industries have strict data protection laws. Using outdated software can result in fines or loss of certification.

Updating your backup software isn’t just a matter of maintenance—it’s a critical element of business continuity, compliance, and cybersecurity resilience. Don’t let outdated tools be your weakest link.

About Storware
Storware is a backup software producer with over 10 years of experience in the backup world. Storware Backup and Recovery is an enterprise-grade, agent-less solution that caters to various data environments. It supports virtual machines, containers, storage providers, Microsoft 365, and applications running on-premises or in the cloud. Thanks to its small footprint, seamless integration into your existing IT infrastructure, storage, or enterprise backup providers is effortless.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.