McAfee Network Security Platform M-3050 Sensor - security appliance
Mfg # IAP-M35K-ISAI
CDW # 1829728
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McAfee Network Security Platform M-3050 Sensor - security appliance is rated
4.70 out of
5 by
7.
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1431189 from
Stable with an easy implementation and pretty good scalability
What is our primary use case?
Our clients primarily use the solution for security purposes. We have it deployed on the endpoints.
What is most valuable?
The entire IPS is excellent.
It's pretty good at protecting our endpoints.
The implementation was pretty straightforward.
The solution can scale.
The product is stable.
It's an excellent solution for enterprise-level businesses.
What needs improvement?
I can't think of any area of improvement. It works pretty well for us.
The pricing could be improved.
The product offering could be enhanced a bit. I'm on the second-biggest offering and I have mostly common packets and features. They could offer a bit more to higher tiers. They also seem to mix and match other products within their suite of offerings and change those. There needs to be more consistency overall with what they offer.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a few years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
As an enterprise-level solution, it's quite stable. We haven't found any bugs or glitches on the solution. It works well and we have no complaints.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution scales well for enterprises. A company can expand it if they need to. There aren't too many limitations.
How are customer service and technical support?
We're actually the first line of support for our customers, so we are able to troubleshoot. However, the solution works quite well. We don't have too many issues where we would have to reach out to their support to assist us. Therefore, I can't really speak to their level of service. Reaching out to them is quite rare.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation is not complex. It's quite straightforward. We find the entire process to be rather easy.
What about the implementation team?
We're integrators. We can handle the implementation for our clients.
What other advice do I have?
We're integrators. We're not customers.
We'd recommend the solution to other organizations. It works very well overall, and is excellent for enterprise-level businesses.
Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I'd rate it at an eight. No solution is perfect. However, this one is pretty close.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Integrator
Date published: 2020-10-13T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1386480 from
Good protection and good network overview with great stability
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution as a level of security for our organization. It can show us what's happening on our network so that we are able to monitor events effectively. We end up having to deal with many events and this helps us detect where a virus or malware is coming from. It helps buy us time so we can fight off the attack.
What is most valuable?
Overall the solution is very good. It offers great protection and gives us a good overview of what is on the network.
What needs improvement?
We would like to have a similar version that offers a bit less complexity. Currently, the settings and confirmations on the McAfee console are complex and complicated for our branches. I wouldn't describe this solution as easy to use.
The management console needs to be less complex and easier to navigate.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for less than a year at this point. It's been about six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Overall, the solution is quite stable. That said, newer versions often cause the network to move quite slowly. However, it's stable. We don't find there to be bugs or glitches. It doesn't freeze. It's pretty reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale. We have about 500 users on the solution currently. It's a pretty big number, and we're able to manage everything quite well.
We do plan to continue to use this product into the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've used technical support in the past and have found them to be quite good. They're better than other competitors. They're knowledgeable and responsive. I've been satisfied with their support so far.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not straightforward. It was a bit complex in our case.
I can't recall how long deployment took for us.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the implementation myself. I didn't use an integrator or reseller to assist in the process. I was able to do it independently.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There aren't any licensing costs associated with this solution.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Although we're not currently planning on switching, if we had to, we'd probably switch to Cyber Protection. Their support is very good.
What other advice do I have?
Our company does not have a business relationship with McAfee. We're just customers at this time.
We are using the latest version of the solution, however, I'm not sure of what the version number is.
I'd recommend this solution to other organizations. It's worked well for us and we've been quite happy with it.
On a scale from one to ten, I'd rate it at a nine. It's quite effective.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-09-10T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1386480 from
Great monitoring feature and timely detection of malware
What is our primary use case?
We use a lot of the functions this solution provides such as the firewall and the ability to check aliases. We can monitor and show the traffic that's moving in and out. When we detect malware, we scan for the virus on the PC and we can decide whether to delete or block the malware. I'm a junior product consultant and we are customers of McAfee.
What is most valuable?
I like the monitoring feature where you can see all the traffic.
What needs improvement?
It's a very good solution but we would like to have a simpler version. The management component could be simplified.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable although in the latest version I've noticed that the network traffic can be quite slow. We have 500 users in our company.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is very good.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment was a little difficult, I did it myself.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution a nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-09-09T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1497594 from
Good stability with a straightforward setup but could improve upon its detection capabilities
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for security purposes. It allows our organization to detect a variety of malicious attacks such as malware and viruses, et cetera.
What is most valuable?
The signature-based content is very powerful.
I like the fact that we have the ability to write our custom signatures based on McAfee-made signatures.
The Malware engines are very powerful. These engines are getting information from the McAfee global intelligence services,
It offers good mobile intelligence services. On the behavioral side of the signatures are very good.
The initial setup is straightforward.
We've found that the solution to be quite stable.
What needs improvement?
The system isn't fool-proof. Sometimes, based on the network or other reasons, McAfee cannot detect the actual attack. This rarely happens. It's only been the case maybe one or two times.
The solution could improve some aspects of detection. If they implemented some machine learning technique, they might be able to better detect abnormal occurances.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for six years or so. It's been a while at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. It's reliable. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
While we haven't needed to expand the product yet, it's my understanding that the new features of McAfee will be easy to expand. It shouldn't be a problem to scale.
We have around six people in our organization using the solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
We're partners. We often give support to our clients.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite straightforward. It's not complex. A company should be able to implement it easily.
The deployment doesn't take too long. It's pretty quick. This is especially true if you have an abundance of experience.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of the solution is okay.
Licensing is paid on a yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
We are McAfee partners. We have a business relationship with the company.
We tend to use a variety of different versions. The solution tends to have a lot of versions.
I would recommend the solution to other organizations. For the most part, we have had positive experiences. However, it's a good idea for those considering the solution to do their own research to see if the product would suit them. There are advanced levels of the solution. It can be a fit for many companies.
In general, I would rate the solution at a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-02-11T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
AHmadMhedat from
Attack analysis shows who tries to exploit my vulnerabilities
What is our primary use case?
I look at the attack analysis, which shows me which attackers try to exploit my vulnerabilities. I can check the ticket to see if it's blocked or whether it's a false positive. Whatever the case, if it already exists, I will block it. McAfee IPS has a benign engine, so this may not be a target in your environment. If you just prevent attackers from using it, they will try another vulnerability.
I have physical routers, but they try to make some novel vulnerabilities. This is not applicable to my environment, so when I see this alert I know it's a false positive not related to my environment. In some cases, I change the action of these alerts or attacks to block. This is what happened in one of the use cases I take advantage of from IPS. I got an alert about some attacks in my environment, regarding the SPAN port and server traffic. I saw it and I detected the source point of this attack.
How has it helped my organization?
It improved my security by stopping an attack to the signature base, or the behavior base. This is what I use Network Security Platform for.
What is most valuable?
The feature I found most valuable is the network threat analyzer in the security platform. It also integrates with GTI, or Global Threat Intelligence. Otherwise, I just use the basic features.
What needs improvement?
Integration with Global Thereat Intelligence could be better. Also, I think management solutions are end of life now at McAfee. Network threat analyzer may be used for endpoint quarantines. Integration between these sides, as well as endpoint APO, will help you quarantine the risky endpoints.
Maybe they should add a feature to block all high severity threats. You cannot block all of them now. I would like to select them all and block then in one action. In crunch data situations, you need to go through every attack one at a time and change the action.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for around two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable. Network security manager previews might have some bugs, such as compiler or vulnerability issues. I did upgrade two or three times because of these issues. The first time I did it for a services issue. I opened a case with the McAfee support team and they allowed me to upgrade it to another version.
After I upgraded it, I faced a compiler issue. That was with version 9.2.7.22. Maybe this was a bug in the software or something else, but just they recommended for me to upgrade to version 9.2.9.12. That is what I did. Those were the issues I faced with McAfee Network Security Platform.
In terms of high-security attacks, not all of them are developed. You cannot do a rule that includes all high severities. In this aspect, I am confused about McAfee.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's easy to scale with this solution. After two years of experience, I'm responsible for the Network Security Platform. I think it's easy.
My customers are huge. They are banking size or enterprise. The biggest one has around 5,200 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
If we would rate technical support from one to ten, they would be an eight.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I haven't used another product, but we have a built-in feature with Palo Alto. They have a built-in IPS, professional anti-spyware, and anti-virus. That is also the case with FortiGate. It is built in. In terms of standalone network security platforms, I only have experience with McAfee. I know there are some other vendors working as a standalone IPS, like Cisco Sourcefire and Trend Micro TippingPoint, but I don't work with them either. I think the business firewall has a good chance of dealing with any threats without an IPS.
How was the initial setup?
For the initial setup, you should be using the database. Enter the user name and password for these databases. Make a management IP for core components between Network Security Manager and IPS sensor. After you enter the CLI for the setup, there is a wizard view to enter the IP address of the management interface for the IPS sensor. The gateway, manager IP address, and peer manager IP address share secret keys, which should exist in the manager before you set up your IP sensor. After that, you have a left channel and packet channel between IPS sensor and network security manager over port 8501, 8502, and 8503. Another port should be opened for your firewall if there is a firewall or layer three devices between these two components to be managed from Network Security Manager. This is the first general installation of Network Security Manager after making the configurations. This is the initial setup. After that, you will have to try to make the policies: ITS policies, mindware policies, condition limiting policies, firewall policies, and advanced policies. This is what will happen. Then there is also customizing dashboards and tuning.
I worked as a system integrator and deployed it for the customer. Most of these customers are in critical areas, so downtime needs to be low and they might want the deployment time to be improved, but overall the time during all the setup takes me between two and three days.
From my company's side, I work alone to deploy. From the customer side, maybe two or three engineers are involved. Then there might be one or two people to handle maintenance, but McAfee is responsible for their product maintenance most of the time.
What other advice do I have?
Don't be afraid to deploy this solution. It is very simple and easy to deploy. I think there is no issue. I tested on the McAfee Network Security Platform. You just need to thinking carefully about attacks to decide if it's a sole attacker or two specific attacks. Use that information to create a decision about what action to take against the attack. Consider whether you want to lock off or block the action.
Maybe I can improve myself in some of my web analysis. I read articles to improve my knowledge in this area. This is what I do to improve my experience.
I would rate this solution as nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-12-15T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Marlon Advento from
Effective, with an easy setup and a good dashboard
What is our primary use case?
The solution is used mostly for perimeter protection. It's to protect the client and server site. It offers basic but effective Smart Blocking. We've tested it in a product environment and it performed rather well.
What is most valuable?
The solution is quite easy to set up. You can just do everything online and then do some basic configurations. It's easy.
The solution, in general, is pretty effective.
The product has a good reputation.
The sensors and signatures can be updated.
There's a good dashboard you can drill down into. It helps you easily locate intrusions and the source of attacks.
What needs improvement?
We have encountered some glitches from time to time.
Some of the documentation is not as straightforward as it could be. It's much too general - especially in areas related to updates. They need to do a better job of explaining things. If you need a specific configuration, they should be able to provide the necessary details. It's something they can really improve upon if they wanted to.
What I would like to see more on the roadmap for McAfee is the compatibility of high availability in terms of the virtual machine.
They could make an interchangeable model that could serve the throughput requirements of the client. Right now, if you are not under the same mold there, although you have the same version, you are not able to do a proper deployment on it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I'm not continuously working with the product. It depends on the demands of the customers for the most part. It's on and off. It's likely been about one to two years or so.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. The performance is reliable. There are no bugs or crashes or anything of that nature.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I haven't done any HA on it. I'm trying to make an HA on my Lab, however, due to my busy schedule, I haven't made the time. That said, the product appears very scalable. You can cascade the product and it does support a big number of throughput.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've reached out to technical support in the past. You can email them and make a ticket or you can call them by phone. It depends on the severity of the assistance you need. However, they seem to be quite responsive and knowledgeable. We've been happy with their level of support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite straightforward. It's not complex. You can manage the process online, and the configuration of the solution is easy. It doesn't take long at all.
That said, I have not fully deployed the product into a client environment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay for licensing on a yearly basis.
I'm not sure of the exact pricing, however, it's my understanding that they are competitive. When it comes to security, the more you need, the higher the costs tend to run.
What other advice do I have?
We are a distributor of McAfee. We're partners.
We don't have a customer right now. We just have a version we use for inquiries. We have a demo server on-premises.
I'd recommend the solution to other organizations.
It's stable and scalable. It's definitely more effective compared to the next-generation firewall that has a built-in IPS. However, they really do need to reform their documentation. We'd also like to see a bit more of their roadmap.
Overall, I would rate the solution at a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
Date published: 2021-03-14T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1386480 from
Comes with a lot of functions and has good support and scalability
What is most valuable?
It has a lot of functions, such as firewall. We are administrators, and we create some rules to protect our network. We also monitor the traffic in and out and have disk encryption on-premises. When we detect malware, we scan for the virus on the PC. We can then delete or block the malware.
What needs improvement?
We would like to have a simpler version. Some settings and functions on the McAfee console are complex and complicated. I want the management console to be simpler.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for about six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is quite stable, but we have some issues with the latest version. When we install the latest version, the traffic of the network is quite low.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We have around 500 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is good. It is better than Symantec.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using Symantec. We switched because Broadcom bought Symantec, and their support was not very good.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented it myself.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others. It is a very good solution.
I would rate McAfee Network Security Platform a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2020-12-08T00:00:00-05:00