When organizations expand, they will require to procure endpoint discovery and response solutions to oversee activity and safeguard endpoint devices. VMware’s Carbon Black EDR and CrowdStrike’s Falcon offerings are two prominent EDR solutions that come with functionalities to enhance an organization’s security readiness.
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This article delves into determining the superior EDR solution for your team and organization.
Feature Comparison: Carbon Black vs. CrowdStrike
Pricing Details of Carbon Black and CrowdStrike
VMWare does not openly disclose pricing for its Carbon Black EDR products. It currently presents three software bundles for EDR: Endpoint Standard, Endpoint Advanced, and Endpoint Enterprise.
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Here’s an outline of each:
- Endpoint Standard: Advanced antivirus and behavioral EDR; optional managed alert and monitoring triage.
- Endpoint Advanced: Includes all Standard functionalities; risk-assessed vulnerability assessment and rectification; real-time device assessment and rectification; optional managed detection.
- Endpoint Enterprise: Encompasses all Advanced tools; enterprise EDR comprising threat hunting and incident response; choice for managed detection.
It would be beneficial if VMware offered a trial version or limited access to the product for interested parties to test their software. This could potentially be an offering in the future, considering that CrowdStrike provides a trial.
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Regarding CrowdStrike, its EDR solution is available through Falcon Enterprise or Falcon Elite subscriptions. Below is an overview of pricing and feature inclusions for each CrowdStrike Falcon plan.
- Falcon Enterprise: $184.99 per device; incorporating antivirus, EDR, XDR, and managed threat hunting.
- Falcon Elite: Reach out to sales for pricing; involves EDR, XDR, integrated endpoint and identity protection, and threat hunting.
As iterated, Falcon Enterprise provides a free trial for enterprises or individuals who desire to conveniently test their solution without an initial commitment.
Direct Comparison: Carbon Black vs. CrowdStrike
Threat Detection and Resolution
Both Carbon Black and CrowdStrike offer robust threat detection and resolution capabilities. Nevertheless, CrowdStrike stands out as a more comprehensive solution based on MITRE Engenuity evaluations. Its association with the MITRE Framework earned it the title of Leader in Gartner’s 2023 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platform. The product also excelled in the Completeness of Vision category.
When tested against the MITRE Framework from 2022 to 2018, Broadcom or VMware (Carbon Black) failed to detect some threats and were ranked lower in the 2023 Magic Quadrant findings.
Unified-agent architecture
The ability to manage multiple endpoint devices through a single agent allows teams to swiftly deploy and address security threats.
CrowdStrike utilizes a universal agent design where the Falcon platform deploys a lightweight agent on endpoint devices to gather and transmit data for cloud-based analysis.
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Conversely, Carbon Black is a sophisticated security tool that comes with a steep learning curve, requires extensive customization, and involves complicated threat detection procedures along with manual alert and remediation management.
Adaptive learning
EDR software can adopt either signature-based or signatureless approaches. Signature-based EDR tools rely on known threat databases, while signatureless programs use machine learning and behavioral analysis to pinpoint suspicious activities.
Both CrowdStrike and Carbon Black offer behavioral analytics and machine learning features to identify anomalies and suspicious behavior within systems and endpoints.
However, CrowdStrike stands out for delivering advanced, signatureless protection through integrated threat intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral analytics, while Carbon Black includes a signature-based AV engine. Consequently, CrowdStrike provides superior defense against emerging and unidentified threats.
Implementation
CrowdStrike presents a unified platform suitable for all workloads, offering comprehensive coverage across Windows, Linux, and macOS servers and endpoints without the need for on-premises infrastructure maintenance or complex integrations.
In contrast, Carbon Black is available as both an on-premises and cloud-based solution, potentially requiring device restarts, including critical servers, and exhibiting feature discrepancies between the two versions.
Endpoint and network control
Carbon Black’s EDR software offers device regulation without firewall management, specifically for Windows OS and USB drives, enabling custom security policy creation to meet regulatory or operational standards for businesses.
On the other hand, CrowdStrike’s Falcon Firewall Management allows transitioning from traditional endpoint platforms to their advanced EDR software, ensuring robust protection, enhanced performance, and effective host firewall policy enforcement. It features effortless cross-platform firewall management from the Falcon console, enabling security teams to efficiently reduce risk exposure.
Additionally, Falcon Device Control offers secure USB device usage, integrating endpoint security with endpoint protection designed to monitor and manage device usage effectively.
API connectivity
API integration enhances the functionality of EDR software. Carbon Black’s EDR solution offers over 120 pre-built integrations.
In contrast, CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform is architected as an API-centric platform, providing API functionalities to facilitate automation and control as new features are introduced.
Carbon Black pros and cons
Advantages
- Simple to operate and user-friendly interface.
- Compact and not demanding on resources.
- Abundant integrations available.
Drawbacks
- Need to reach out to sales for pricing details.
- Might require advanced expertise for optimal utilization.
CrowdStrike strengths and weaknesses
Advantages
- Protection without the need for signatures.
- Effortless deployment on endpoints.
- Strong reputation in security.
Drawbacks
- Interface could be more intuitive.
Is Carbon Black or CrowdStrike the right choice for your organization?
If your organization requires comprehensive protection against emerging threats that can be deployed on Windows, Linux, and macOS servers and endpoints, CrowdStrike is the preferred option. However, if you are seeking an on-premises solution for defense against known threats, then Carbon Black might be more suitable.
Ultimately, the decision will hinge on your risk profile and specific needs.
Approach
My comparison of VMware’s Carbon Black EDR and CrowdStrike’s EDR solution entailed a detailed evaluation of their security attributes, pricing, and overall value.
Specifically, I assessed critical EDR functions like threat analysis and resolution, deployment simplicity, behavioral learning, firewall management, and API integration.
The appraisal of both solutions included thorough examination of official product resources, included features, and potential applications for various business models. Additionally, authentic user feedback and external reviews from credible platforms were considered to enhance the final assessment.
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