Varonis France

My main use case for Varonis Platform is to monitor access to sensitive data across file shares, Microsoft 365, and SharePoint. The main objective is to identify overexposed data, reduce access risk, and detect abnormal user behavior that may indicate insider threats or compromised accounts.

A specific example of how I used Varonis Platform to monitor and detect abnormal user behavior involved a file share on our network that contained terabytes of data. We did not have enough visibility to know if someone was stealing important information or if incorrect permissions were set on some information, which meant we had to protect the data available for the entire company.

The best features Varonis Platform offers include its visibility. Before using Varonis Platform, we had limited insight into who accessed sensitive files on this file share, whether permissions were excessive, and Varonis Platform helped us quickly identify stale data, permissioned folders, and unusual access patterns, significantly improving our data governance and security posture.

Varonis Platform's visibility feature helped us improve our data governance as we created a process that involved data classification and discovery over sensitive content. After that, we started contacting the owners to verify if the files and permissions were correct. If they were not, we moved the information to another folder or asked the owner to do that.

Varonis Platform positively impacted our organization by helping us identify sensitive data that was accessible to more users than necessary, thereby reducing unnecessary permissions.

Varonis Platform could be improved because when I used it, we had a significant issue related to the large volume of data on that file share. Although Varonis Platform helped us gain more visibility, it became really slow when handling a lot of information, which created some issues.

I have been using Varonis Platform for two years.

I noticed measurable outcomes from this, mainly the reduction of people reporting that certain information was available for everyone, which led to fewer tickets being raised about this information.

Varonis Platform receives a rating of seven out of ten. I chose seven out of ten because the user experience was easy, we could apply it and gain more visibility, but the performance of the solution needs more improvement.

I did not use much of the artificial intelligence capabilities on Varonis Platform regarding governance and security. I did not have experience with the accuracy and reliability of output regarding the artificial intelligence capabilities on Varonis Platform.

My advice for others looking into using Varonis Platform is that if you want to use it in a very large environment, you should think twice and conduct some proofs of concept first to check if it is a good fit. Otherwise, I would not recommend it.

I mainly use Varonis Platform to identify the overall security posture of an organization from a data security point of view. When you want to understand where exactly the critical data resides, it functions as a discovery tool. From an initial point, you can see where exactly the data resides. With that capability, it can also allow you to put a restriction if there is an open base. Overall, if you want to check your data from an initial point of view, Varonis Platform is the best use case you can consider.

The functions of Varonis Platform that I appreciate the most include the data transport engine, which is something I haven't seen in other DSPM tools. This engine allows you to move your stale data to an archive location in an automated solution that requires nothing from you. It is pre-filled and happens in the background, moving your data whenever required. This functionality has been coded into the platform itself.

I do use the data classification feature in Varonis Platform, and it is indeed useful because of the dictionaries, pre-built features, and custom classifiers it has, which is commendable. It also gives you the capability to write regex if you wanted. In comparison to Purview, I would rate it in second place, with Purview being the top one.

My opinion about the ML-based threat detection capabilities in Varonis Platform is that it doesn't have its own ML. What they did was integrate with Co-pilot as an extended feature. From the organization's perspective, organizations can simply do the scanning and everything from Co-pilot itself rather than going to the tool itself. From an AI use case, the threat intelligence covers more gaps and can detect an anomaly from a user perspective. If a person has regularly been using a particular folder, it detects those patterns. Earlier, an analyst would have had to write those rules, but now AI and ML in the system can actually detect those anomalies.

User behavior analytics in Varonis Platform is helpful for my company's security posture. UBA is an excellent feature and a classic example of integrating AI with the data security posture. There would be many actions done from a user end that you cannot treat manually. The AI capability and user behavior analytics understand how exactly a user is working on a day-to-day basis and how it normally goes. If there is anything abnormal, it should trigger an alert or an automated response action, which Varonis Platform has this capability inside the data alert module.

The potential areas of improvement I see for Varonis Platform are that it doesn't have a SIEM or SOAR console where you can see your incidents or a native style incident case management where you can see all your incidents and do the tracking of all those things. The endpoint part is also missing in Varonis Platform. It cannot inspect the DLP things. For example, when somebody is trying to print something, Varonis Platform cannot block that action. That is also one major use case that I see is missing from Varonis Platform.

I have been working with the solution for about seven years.

I would rate the technical support from the vendor between six and seven. I rate the technical support at this level because there are times when people are not skillful enough to understand the issue. You need to speak to them again and again and let them know about the process and what exactly the issue is. Then they understand and conduct what I would call an inside connect investigation. They do a lot of investigation and then come back to us. This takes a lot of time. The matter of how much time it will take is something I wish was faster, as sometimes you need a quick response. However, I do get my resolution every time.

Varonis Platform's initial setup is simple because whatever the requirements are for implementing a solution inside an organization, all those features are enabled. A service account is required to navigate through the platform, which I believe is ultimately the same for each tool for their agent to run on. The setup is not complicated.

The main benefits for me as an end user of Varonis Platform include its excellent performance from a security point of view. There is also a very good feature in its capability for basic IAM features where you can manage the ownership and file permissions. Earlier, you had to go into that particular folder to manage it, but now from Varonis Platform, you only have to go inside the console and see where exactly the open areas are and conduct those IAM activities rather than using a classical IAM tool such as Active Directory or an intranet. This means all you can do is just access it from Varonis Platform, which is a classical benefit I have received. I rate this product as an eight overall.

My main use case for Varonis Platform is for data classification on the user's machine, specifically for data visibility and protection.

A quick, specific example of how I use Varonis Platform for data classification and protection on users' machines is related to identifying and classifying sensitive data in one of the organizations, such as PR data or financial information, and monitoring user activities, including abnormal activities and risky behaviors.

Varonis Platform doesn't just classify and monitor the data; it also helps us understand user behavior, such as when users download or access large files of sensitive data, or share the same data outside the organization, allowing us to see real-time activities and take immediate action.

Varonis Platform has positively impacted my organization by providing clarity regarding data and permissions. Initially, we faced many issues related to data awareness among users. After implementing this solution, both the organization and users gained a clear understanding of managing sensitive and non-sensitive data, improving visibility, security, and compliance.

Using Varonis Platform for data classification has saved us time. With 1,000 users previously unsure about what files could be shared outside the organization, categorizing data enabled users to differentiate between public and sensitive data easily, thus saving time for both users and managers.

Varonis Platform offers multiple features for data protection, such as data discovery and classification. We can identify, discover, and classify sensitive data effectively, which is crucial given the DPDP law in India and GDPR. The platform also excels in access and exposure tracking, enabling us to monitor users, permissions, and reduce access to sensitive files. Additionally, it includes UEBA for behavior analytics and threat detection, making it valuable for compliance and audit readiness.

Varonis Platform has helped our organization primarily for DPDP compliance, although I currently don't have a specific example related to GDPR or HIPAA.

A unique feature of Varonis Platform that stands out to me is that, in the current market, it is one of the best data classification solutions available. Compared to others such as Forcepoint, Varonis Platform is agent-based and AI-driven for detection and response, identifying data based on its content and context, and it includes automated remediation and lifecycle automation, making it a leading product in the market.

While Varonis Platform is powerful, the initial data scanning and indexing can take significant time in large environments. However, this is not an issue in mid-level organizations.

I suggest enhancing tighter integration with third-party solutions, such as SIEM or SOAR platforms, for smoother incident response workflows. Standard compliance-related reports specifically tailored for the DPDP Act would also be beneficial.

I chose nine out of ten because, while it is an excellent solution, I would have given it a perfect score if there were standard reports for the DPDP Act and if the console were less complicated.

I have been using Varonis Platform for around 1.6 years.

Varonis Platform is stable.

Varonis Platform is highly rated for scalability. It operates effectively within our mid-sized organization and is adaptable as our data needs grow, supporting hybrid environments for future use.

Customer support for Varonis Platform is very good. I would rate the customer support for Varonis Platform at nine out of ten.

Before using Varonis Platform, we utilized the Titus data classification solution, specifically Forcepoint's solution, which was traditional and lacked many features and visibility, prompting our switch to Varonis Platform.

After using Forcepoint's data classification, we directly switched to Varonis Platform without evaluating other options.

I monitor the effectiveness of Varonis Platform using its built-in dashboard and weekly risk reports that display data exposures, alert volumes, and remediation progress.

Varonis Platform integrates with other security tools easily since it just requires APIs. For instance, we can forward Varonis Platform logs directly to our SIEM solution, integrate Active Directory for permission tracking, and also link it with cloud storage platforms such as O365, SharePoint, and OneDrive.

I have seen a return on investment mainly through time savings and improved security for sensitive data, making it a valuable investment.

My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Varonis Platform has been good, with competitive costs. I believe it offers one of the best solutions available at this price point.

I suggest enhancing tighter integration with third-party solutions, such as SIEM or SOAR platforms, for smoother incident response workflows. Standard compliance-related reports specifically tailored for the DPDP Act would also be beneficial.

I rate Varonis Platform at nine out of ten. Organizations serious about protecting their data should definitely consider Varonis Platform.

The main use case for Varonis Platform is data security, data labeling, and data classification, as we have integrated it with Microsoft Purview, which facilitates the labeling side, and it also enhances data security.

I can give a quick, specific example of how we use Varonis Platform for data labeling or security in our organization. We had all of our files with good permissions, but we needed to classify them into confidential, sensitive, and public categories to ensure nothing malicious was happening and that no one was sharing anything that they shouldn't be, which is very important for implementing AI in the future.

In my experience, the best features that Varonis Platform offers are data labeling, data classification, along with all the integrations and its easy-to-use platform. They have a really good setup, and their sales team and technical service are reliable; they hold monthly, weekly, and quarterly reviews, and they respond quickly to anything we need, which is not common among platforms.

Varonis Platform has a big variety of integrations, and they continuously work on new updates and integrations, such as ChatGPT Enterprise and Zoom, ensuring that they meet any new needs that customers have, maintaining a roadmap for features that they constantly bring out.

Since implementing Varonis Platform, we have noticed positive impacts in our organization. People are more careful when they go abroad, we have greater visibility, and it's very important for compliance to ensure we follow compliance rules, as we have some good reporting and the out-of-hours MDR service.

I would appreciate some improvements in reporting, specifically in PDF exports, although I think they are always working on new features.

It would be beneficial if the reporting in Varonis Platform could use PDFs instead of Excel for better graphs, as the dashboards are really good, and it would be nice to have simplified dashboards in PDF for business reporting purposes.

We have been using Varonis Platform for just over a year.

They have a really good setup, and their sales team and technical service are reliable; they hold monthly, weekly, and quarterly reviews, and they respond quickly to anything we need, which is not common among platforms.

For others looking into using Varonis Platform, my advice is that in terms of data security and everything associated with data, they are very good, and I think it's worth trialing. Their technical team excels in implementation, setup, documentation, and guiding you through the process while advising on what you need.

I wouldn't say audits are easier with Varonis Platform, but given that we're regulated by the FCA, we have rules to follow, and it's much easier now with the dashboards and everything we have integrated to ensure we always adhere to these regulations, especially regarding sensitive client data and to ensure no malicious activity or ransomware occurs, particularly because we integrated it with Microsoft Defender, which locks these devices straight away.

Varonis Platform is deployed in our organization with their dashboard in the public cloud, but we have all of their systems installed on-prem, which means it's mostly public.

We use Azure for our public cloud deployment.

We did not purchase Varonis Platform through the Azure marketplace, but rather through a third-party provider.

Our company has a business relationship with this vendor as a reseller; they are all resellers.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Varonis Platform a 9.