Although this program is simple to use, we found it took a little time to work with set-up and configuration. Set-up is guided by the main set-up wizard, which guides the user through installation and a bit of initial configuration. Once the main install is completed, there are follow-up steps of creating SSL certificates for IIS and possibly many other loose ends, depending on the environment.
However, the console interface is clean and intuitive, which makes this product relatively easy to work with once installed and configured.
With a user-friendly interface, topology maps for event tracking and easy-to-read reporting, this product encompasses all the main features of a large-scale security monitoring system. The eIQ Enterprise Security Analyzer (ESA) has the ability to do log file forensics for retracing log event patterns to isolate a security incident. This product also shows many detailed real-time charts of events and alerts that are shown on the dashboard.
With fully integrated real-time monitoring and alerting, easy-to- understand topologies, log forensics, log management and clear, organized reporting, we found eIQ’s offering is solid in the way of performance. All pieces of the ESA integrate and function well together.
This product is accompanied by a comprehensive set-up guide and a separate user guide. These guides are well organized, with clear language and illustrations of menus and wizards. Also included are full-color screenshots, which explain the various screens and menus of all aspects of the program. The company offers an excellent support program for users of ESA. This includes a year’s subscription of free product upgrades, priority email support and product newsletters. However, the support package does come with a price tag of 20 to 25 percent of the total price.
This product has a lot of value both in the way of investment and security. Since it is able to integrate onto any Windows server, it does not require the addition of a separate machine, which cuts down on overall cost of ownership. However, with an annual upgrade and support cost of up to a quarter of the price of the product, the extra fees are worth keeping in mind.
