Qualys - Detailed Review

Security Tools

Qualys - Detailed Review Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    Qualys - Product Overview



    Qualys Overview

    Qualys is a leading provider of cloud-based IT, security, and compliance solutions, particularly renowned for its vulnerability management tools. Here’s a brief overview of its primary function, target audience, and key features:

    Primary Function

    Qualys is primarily used to identify and quantify software security vulnerabilities across various IT assets. Its flagship product, the Qualys Cloud Platform, enables organizations to consolidate their IT, security, and compliance solutions onto a single platform. This platform provides continuous vulnerability management, helping to identify threats and monitor changes in the network that could lead to data breaches.

    Target Audience

    Qualys serves a wide range of customers, including enterprises, government agencies, managed service providers, consulting organizations, and merchants across multiple industries. Notable customers include Adobe, BMW, GoDaddy, Infosys, Lufthansa, Michelin, Motorola, NetApp, Swisscom, and UPS. The solution is particularly valuable for industries with advanced IT infrastructure and security needs, such as technology, financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, transportation, government, and telecommunications.

    Key Features



    Vulnerability Scanning

    Qualys continuously scans and identifies vulnerabilities with high accuracy, protecting IT assets on premises, in the cloud, and on mobile devices. It includes the Qualys Web Application Scanner (QWAS), which targets web application vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

    Hybrid Vulnerability Management

    Qualys supports vulnerability management for hybrid IT environments, including on-premise, cloud, and mobile deployments. This ensures comprehensive coverage across all types of IT assets.

    AI-Driven Insights

    Qualys TruRisk AI applies artificial intelligence to help security practitioners better identify critical assets, detect suspicious activity, and prioritize remediation actions. This AI-powered predictive analysis helps organizations anticipate and prepare for emerging threats by highlighting the most critical vulnerabilities.

    Reporting and Compliance

    The platform generates custom, role-based reports for multiple stakeholders, including automated production of security documentation for compliance auditors. It also provides a single-pane-of-glass user interface for all applications, allowing organizations to customize dashboards and drill down into critical details.

    Accuracy and Updates

    Qualys maintains a comprehensive list of critical security vulnerabilities, updating its databases three times a day to ensure customers are protected from the latest vulnerabilities. It has virtually eliminated false positives and false negatives through continuous improvement and monitoring.

    Ease of Implementation and Maintenance

    Qualys operates as a pure SaaS model, allowing for quick deployment and minimal training. Updates and maintenance occur automatically, making it easy to implement and maintain without significant IT resources. Overall, Qualys offers a comprehensive and accurate vulnerability management solution that is highly scalable and easy to use, making it a valuable tool for organizations seeking to enhance their cybersecurity posture.

    Qualys - User Interface and Experience



    User Interface



    Overview

    Qualys features a modern, context-based Web 2.0 interface that integrates various security and compliance applications into a single, cohesive platform. This interface includes interactive dashboards, streamlined workflows, actionable menus, and filters with improved visual feedback. This design makes it easier for users to utilize the comprehensive services offered by Qualys, such as vulnerability management, policy compliance, web application scanning, and malware detection.

    Customization

    The interface is highly customizable, allowing users to create useful, customizable reports and views. It also provides a panoramic, graphics-rich view of the network, enabling users to filter alerts by category, date, and other criteria. This helps in closely monitoring security posture, issues, and trends.

    Ease of Use

    Users have consistently praised the ease of use of Qualys. The platform is described as “easy to use” and “user-friendly,” even for new users, although there may be a slight learning curve when first getting started. The intuitive interface helps users quickly identify and address security issues, and the detailed reports are clear and helpful for fixing security problems.

    Setup Assistance

    Qualys also offers a step-by-step wizard for setting up its Continuous Monitoring tool, guiding users through configuring rulesets, monitoring profiles, and notifications. This makes the initial setup process more manageable.

    Overall User Experience

    The overall user experience with Qualys is highly positive. Users appreciate the comprehensive scanning capabilities, low false positives, and seamless integration with other tools and platforms like Jenkins and AzureDevOps. The customer support is often described as “flawless,” and the certification programs offered by Qualys are seen as beneficial.

    Real-Time Insights

    The platform’s ability to provide real-time visibility and immediate insights into network irregularities and vulnerabilities enhances the user experience. Users can quickly and easily identify problem areas, create customizable reports, and make informed decisions about appropriate actions to take.

    Challenges

    However, some users have noted that the initial setup and configuration process can be time-consuming, and the pricing is on the higher side, which may be a barrier for smaller organizations. Despite these points, the general consensus is that Qualys offers a highly effective and user-friendly solution for web application security and vulnerability management.

    Qualys - Key Features and Functionality



    Qualys Overview

    Qualys, a leading provider of cloud-based IT, security, and compliance solutions, integrates advanced AI capabilities into its security tools to enhance vulnerability management, threat detection, and compliance. Here are the key features and functionalities of Qualys’ AI-driven security products:

    Qualys TotalAI



    AI Workload Discovery and Vulnerability Assessment

    Qualys TotalAI is a new solution aimed at securing generative AI and large language models (LLMs). It enables organizations to discover, inventory, and classify all AI and LLM assets, including GPUs, software, packages, and models, both in production and development. This feature correlates the exposure of these assets with the attack surface, providing comprehensive visibility.

    Prevention of Model Theft and Data Leaks

    TotalAI assesses, prioritizes, and remediates AI software vulnerabilities using over 650 AI-specific detections. These detections are correlated with threat feeds and asset exposures to prevent model and data theft, as well as other risks such as prompt injection and sensitive information disclosure.

    Qualys TruRisk AI



    Asset Classification and Threat Detection

    TruRisk AI enhances the classification of critical assets by injecting asset data with predictive analysis. This helps security teams detect previously overlooked suspicious activity and take preemptive action to block attacks before they result in a breach. The AI-powered approach improves collaboration between cybersecurity professionals and IT teams by providing more threat context, thus streamlining incident response and threat mitigation processes.

    Advanced Threat Insights

    TruRisk AI integrates with CyberSecurity Attack Surface Management (CSAM) and External Attack Surface Management (EASM) to bolster workflow operations. It adds more threat context to improve asset hygiene and enhances bi-directional integrations with Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs).

    Qualys TotalCloud™



    AI-Driven Cloud Security

    Qualys TotalCloud™, a Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) solution, leverages deep learning AI to deliver advanced threat detection across cloud environments. This includes detecting complex threats such as ELF malware in Linux containers without relying on signature-based tools. The AI capability analyzes network traffic and detects sophisticated techniques like beaconing attacks, providing a comprehensive view of the entire cloud kill chain. The dashboard offers immediate remedial actions, strengthening cloud environments against pre- and post-deployment threats.

    Continuous Vulnerability Management



    Hybrid Environment Support

    Qualys Vulnerability Management (VM) provides continuous vulnerability management for hybrid IT environments, including on-premise, cloud, and mobile deployments. It continuously scans and identifies vulnerabilities with high accuracy, protecting IT assets across various environments.

    Prioritization and Remediation

    Qualys VM prioritizes vulnerabilities based on severity levels (minimal, medium, serious, critical, and urgent) and supports remediation workflows. It also includes zero-day threat analysis and alerting in the Enterprise and Express editions. This ensures that the most critical vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.

    Reporting and Compliance

    The platform generates custom, role-based reports for multiple stakeholders, including automated production of important security documentation for compliance auditors. This feature helps in maintaining compliance and providing a clear overview of the security posture.

    Conclusion

    In summary, Qualys’ AI-driven security tools are designed to provide comprehensive visibility, advanced threat detection, and efficient remediation capabilities. These features are integrated into the broader Qualys platform, ensuring that organizations can securely adopt and manage various technologies, including AI and cloud environments.

    Qualys - Performance and Accuracy



    Performance and Accuracy of Qualys in AI-Driven Security Tools



    Accuracy and Reliability

    Qualys is known for its high accuracy in vulnerability and configuration scanning. The company’s Enterprise TruRisk Platform has achieved a Six Sigma accuracy of 99.99966%, which is the industry standard for high quality. This level of accuracy is crucial for identifying and addressing security risks efficiently, as it minimizes false positives and negatives.

    Predictive Analysis and Threat Detection

    Qualys leverages AI-powered predictive analysis through its TruRisk AI solution, which uses granular asset and threat intelligence data to identify and prioritize vulnerabilities. This system can automatically highlight the most critical vulnerabilities, streamlining the process of risk mitigation and ensuring that the most significant threats are addressed first.

    Comprehensive Scanning Capabilities

    Qualys combines Internet-based scans with internal scans from remotely managed scanning appliances and Cloud Agents, providing a comprehensive view of an organization’s systems. This approach ensures that all devices, whether on the internet, in the corporate network, or in the cloud, are accurately scanned and assessed for vulnerabilities.

    AI-Powered API Security

    In the context of API security, Qualys uses deep learning and AI-assisted clustering to perform efficient vulnerability scans. This approach achieves a 96% detection rate with an 80% reduction in scan time, making it highly effective for large applications. The TruRisk scoring system integrates multiple factors such as severity, exploitability, and business context to prioritize risks.

    Integration and Collaboration

    Qualys solutions integrate seamlessly with existing CI/CD tools and IT ticketing systems, supporting both shift-left and shift-right security practices. This integration facilitates automated security testing and real-time threat detection without disrupting development workflows, enhancing collaboration between security and IT teams.

    Limitations and Areas for Improvement

    While Qualys demonstrates strong performance and accuracy, there are some limitations and areas to consider:

    Lack of Contextual Understanding

    AI systems, including those used by Qualys, can struggle with contextual nuances that humans readily grasp. This reliance on patterns and correlations within the training data can sometimes lead to misinterpretation of information, resulting in inaccurate decisions or false positives/negatives.

    Bias and Fairness

    AI algorithms are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on. If the training data contains biases, the AI systems can perpetuate or amplify these biases, leading to unfair outcomes. Ensuring diverse and representative training data is crucial to mitigate these issues.

    Interpretability and Explainability

    Some AI algorithms, particularly deep learning neural networks, lack transparency in their decision-making processes. This can make it challenging to understand why an AI system arrived at a particular conclusion or prediction, posing challenges in building trust and verifying reliability.

    Adversarial Attacks

    AI systems can be vulnerable to adversarial attacks, where adversaries manipulate input data to deceive the algorithms. Continuous efforts are needed to develop robust defenses against such attacks and enhance the security of AI-driven cybersecurity solutions.

    Human Oversight

    While AI can automate and augment cybersecurity processes, complete reliance on AI without human oversight can be risky. Humans are essential for interpreting complex situations and making judgment calls that AI systems may not be capable of.

    Conclusion

    In summary, Qualys demonstrates high performance and accuracy in its AI-driven security tools, particularly in vulnerability scanning, predictive analysis, and API security. However, it is important to be aware of the potential limitations, such as the need for diverse training data, the risk of adversarial attacks, and the importance of human oversight to ensure reliable and accurate security operations.

    Qualys - Pricing and Plans



    Qualys Pricing Structure

    Qualys offers a versatile and flexible pricing structure for its security tools, catering to a wide range of needs and budgets. Here’s a breakdown of the different plans and features:

    Subscription Plans

    Qualys’ primary pricing model is based on subscriptions that vary depending on the selection of Cloud Platform Apps, the number of network addresses (IPs), web applications, and user licenses.
    • Cloud Platform Apps: Access to various apps such as Vulnerability Management, Policy Compliance, File Integrity Monitoring, and Patch Management is included with all subscriptions.
    • Unlimited Scans: All subscription plans come with unlimited scans, which allows for continuous monitoring without additional scan costs.
    • Cloud Agents and Sensors: Subscriptions include unlimited Cloud Agents for inventory and real-time monitoring, as well as other sensors like Passive Scanners and Virtual Scanners.
    • Additional Features: Other features include asset management, certificate inventory, cloud security assessment, and SaaS detection and response, depending on the specific apps chosen.
    For specific pricing, it is recommended to contact Qualys directly, as the costs vary widely based on the selected services and scope of the deployment.

    Pricing Tiers

    While the exact pricing tiers are not publicly detailed, here are some general insights:
    • Monthly Subscriptions: Premium plans start from $500 per month, but this can vary based on the services and scope of the subscription.
    • Custom Quotes: For more precise pricing, customers need to request a quote from Qualys, considering factors like the number of IPs, web applications, and user licenses.


    Free Options

    Qualys offers several free services and tools:
    • Qualys Community Edition: This is a free version of the Enterprise TruRisk Platform, designed for the security community. It allows users to discover IT assets, manage vulnerabilities, scan web apps, and inventory cloud assets. There is no software to download or install, and it provides a comprehensive security assessment platform.
    • Global AssetView (GAV): This is a free service that detects all IT assets on the network, providing a complete and categorized inventory.


    Trial Options

    Qualys also offers a free trial for its premium services, allowing users to try the solution before opting for a paid subscription. No credit card is required for the trial. In summary, Qualys provides flexible subscription plans with various features, along with free services like the Community Edition and Global AssetView, and a free trial option for its premium services. For precise pricing, contacting Qualys directly is recommended.

    Qualys - Integration and Compatibility



    Qualys Overview

    Qualys, a leading provider of cloud-based security and compliance solutions, integrates seamlessly with a wide range of tools and platforms to enhance its functionality and provide comprehensive security intelligence.



    Integrations with Other Tools

    Qualys integrates with various systems that organizations commonly use, including:

    • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems: Qualys shares data to improve the accuracy and usefulness of SIEM solutions.
    • Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) tools: Integrations help in policy compliance and risk management.
    • IT Service Management (ITSM) and Configuration Management Databases (CMDBs): Qualys syncs with systems like ServiceNow to operationalize IT asset inventories.
    • Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems and Web Application Firewalls: Qualys data enhances the effectiveness of these security tools.
    • Public Cloud Providers: Native integrations with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other cloud providers offer full visibility of cloud assets.
    • DevOps Tools: Qualys Cloud Apps integrate within DevOps pipelines, ensuring security is part of the development process.


    Compatibility Across Platforms and Devices

    Qualys supports a broad range of platforms and devices:

    • Virtualization Platforms: The Qualys Virtual Scanner Appliance is compatible with various virtualization platforms such as VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, and others. It supports multiple formats like OVA, TAR.GZ, ZIP, and more.
    • Cloud Platforms: Qualys integrates with major cloud providers including Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, and IBM Cloud.
    • Operating Systems: The Qualys Agent Scan supports a wide array of operating systems including Amazon Linux, CentOS, Debian, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Ubuntu Server, Windows Server, and macOS. It also supports different architectures like x86, x86_64, and ARM64.
    • Devices: Qualys covers a variety of IT assets such as devices, virtual machines, mobile devices, IoT devices, servers, mainframes, and more.


    API and Custom Integrations

    Qualys provides easy-to-use REST APIs that allow developers to integrate Qualys security and compliance data into their own enterprise applications. This flexibility enables seamless integration with various environments and tools, making it a versatile solution for diverse security needs.



    AI-Driven Security Solutions

    Qualys has also integrated AI/ML technologies into its platform, particularly with the introduction of Qualys TotalAI. This solution integrates AI fingerprinting, vulnerability scanning, and OWASP attack simulations into the existing vulnerability management infrastructure, providing a holistic view of AI/ML security posture and feeding into the TruRisk risk assessment initiative.



    Conclusion

    In summary, Qualys offers extensive integration capabilities with various security tools and platforms, ensuring broad compatibility across different devices and environments, making it a comprehensive solution for security and compliance management.

    Qualys - Customer Support and Resources



    Qualys Customer Support Options

    Qualys offers a comprehensive array of customer support options and additional resources, particularly for their AI-driven security tools, to ensure users can effectively manage and resolve issues.

    Customer Support Portal

    The Qualys Customer Support Portal (CSP) is a central hub for all support needs. You can access it either through your Qualys Cloud Suite account by going to the “Help” section and selecting “Contact Support,” or via the Qualys Community website.

    Integrated Support Content

    • Integrated Support Content: The portal integrates various resources such as discussion forums, training courses, video libraries, documentation, and support technical articles. This allows users to perform a unified search across all these sources to find relevant information quickly.


    Case Management

    • Case Management: Users can create, track, and update their support cases and feature requests directly within the portal. To view and manage cases, the Customer Support Portal must be enabled for your subscription.


    Troubleshooting Guides

    • Troubleshooting Guides: The portal provides troubleshooting guides and common solutions, as well as platform status updates and support knowledge articles. This helps users resolve common issues efficiently.


    Creating Support Cases

    If you cannot find the answer to your issue through the search function, you can create a new support case. When creating a case, you need to provide details such as the case title, a detailed description of the issue, the relevant product and component, business impact, and platform information. This helps the Qualys support team to address your issue promptly.

    Support Service Level Agreement (SLA)

    Qualys offers 24×7 support via a web-based ticketing system or by telephone. Each support request is assigned a ticket number and can be tracked until it is resolved. The response times are outlined in the SLA, which ensures that users receive timely assistance.

    AI-Powered Resources

    Qualys leverages AI in several of its security tools to enhance support and risk management:

    Qualys TotalAppSec

    • Qualys TotalAppSec: This AI-powered application risk management solution integrates API security, web application scanning, and malware detection. It helps organizations assess and prioritize critical application risks and streamlines remediation efforts.


    Qualys TruRisk AI

    • Qualys TruRisk AI: This AI technology is used for predictive analysis, helping organizations anticipate and prepare for emerging threats. It highlights the most critical vulnerabilities and provides a comprehensive view of cloud environments, detecting complex threats quickly.


    Additional Resources



    Qualys Community

    • Qualys Community: The community section includes discussion forums, training, documentation, and blog posts, all accessible through a unified search. This community resource is valuable for finding answers and engaging with other users.


    Documentation and Guides

    • Documentation and Guides: The portal includes detailed guides, release notes, online help, and API documentation, making it easier for users to find the information they need.
    By utilizing these resources, users can effectively engage with Qualys support, manage their cases, and leverage AI-driven tools to enhance their security posture.

    Qualys - Pros and Cons



    Advantages



    High Scanning Accuracy

    Qualys is renowned for its extremely high accuracy in vulnerability scanning, exceeding Six Sigma standards with a 99.99966% accuracy rate. This minimizes false positives and ensures reliable results.



    Comprehensive Coverage

    Qualys provides broad scanning capabilities, covering a wide range of assets including on-premises servers, workstations, network devices, web applications, cloud assets, and IoT devices. It also supports various operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux, and more.



    Automated Remediation

    The platform automates many tasks such as vulnerability scanning, patch deployment, and report generation, which significantly reduces the workload of IT security teams. It also offers no-code workflows for rapid remediation.



    Centralized Management

    Qualys offers a unified platform that integrates various security functions like vulnerability management, asset discovery, network security, web app security, and compliance monitoring. This streamlines operations and fosters smoother collaboration between security and IT teams.



    Ease of Use and Support

    Qualys is known for its ease of use and high-quality support. It features a clear and engaging interface that makes navigation and remediation easy, even for less experienced users.



    Cloud-Based Efficiency

    Being a cloud-based platform, Qualys eliminates the need for customers to purchase, set up, or maintain servers, databases, or other software. This reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) and enhances scalability.



    Disadvantages



    Intermittent Slow Scans

    One of the notable drawbacks is the occasional slow scanning of endpoints, which can be inconvenient for real-time security assessments.



    Technical Glitches

    Users have reported frequent technical glitches that require support tickets, which can be time-consuming to resolve.



    Complex Permission Management

    The permission management system in Qualys can be complex, which may lead to administrative challenges.



    Limited Reporting and Documentation

    Some users have noted that the reporting and documentation provided by Qualys are not as detailed as they would like, which can make it harder to analyze and act on the data.



    Pay-Per-Asset Pricing

    Qualys operates on a pay-per-asset subscription model, which can be costly for organizations with a large number of assets.



    No Manual Pentest Capabilities

    Unlike some other tools, Qualys does not offer manual penetration testing capabilities; it relies solely on automated scanning.

    Overall, Qualys is a powerful tool for vulnerability management and security monitoring, offering high accuracy and comprehensive coverage. However, it also has some limitations, particularly in terms of technical support, reporting, and pricing.

    Qualys - Comparison with Competitors



    Qualys TotalAppSec

    Qualys TotalAppSec integrates API security, web application scanning, and AI-driven malware detection into a single risk-based approach. Here are some of its unique features:
    • Comprehensive Visibility: It enables security teams to discover known, unknown, and shadow web applications and APIs for complete visibility.
    • Advanced Threat Detection: Using deep learning algorithms, it detects critical vulnerabilities, including the OWASP Top 10 for web applications and OWASP API Top 10, as well as sophisticated malware threats like zero-day exploits.
    • Risk Prioritization: Qualys’ proprietary TruRisk score helps in prioritizing risks, and it integrates with CI/CD pipelines and ITSM workflows with ServiceNow and JIRA to automate vulnerability remediation.
    • Cloud Security: Qualys TotalCloud™ extends AI to cloud security, providing advanced threat detection across cloud environments, including containers, and analyzing network traffic to detect sophisticated threats.


    Competitors and Alternatives



    Vectra AI

    Vectra AI is known for its patented Attack Signal Intelligence technology, which detects suspicious behaviors, including customized malware or zero-day attacks, across public cloud, SaaS applications, identity systems, and enterprise networks.
    • Behavioral Analysis: Vectra AI uses behavioral models to analyze and understand hidden attacker behaviors, reducing time-consuming investigations into false positives by up to 90%.
    • Hybrid Environment Support: It provides unmatched threat visibility and detection across hybrid environments, making it a strong alternative for organizations needing comprehensive threat detection.


    Balbix

    Balbix offers a ground-breaking AI-based security solution that provides unmatched visibility into the attack surface and security vulnerabilities.
    • Continuous Analysis: It continuously analyzes over 100 billion signals across the enterprise IT environment to discover assets, identify vulnerabilities, model breach risk, and predict cyberattacks.
    • Quantifying Risk: Balbix quantifies breach likelihood and potential business impact at the asset level, enabling risk-based decision-making and prescribing prioritized actions to fix issues.


    SentinelOne

    SentinelOne is recognized for its fully autonomous cybersecurity powered by AI.
    • Advanced Threat Hunting: It offers advanced threat-hunting and incident response capabilities, making it a top choice for organizations needing proactive threat detection and response.
    • Endpoint Security: SentinelOne provides AI-driven endpoint security and threat prevention, ensuring comprehensive protection at the endpoint level.


    Darktrace

    Darktrace is known for its autonomous response technology that interrupts cyber-attacks in real-time.
    • Novel Threat Detection: It excels in neutralizing novel threats, using AI algorithms to detect and respond to threats that other tools might miss.
    • Real-Time Response: Darktrace’s ability to respond in real-time makes it a strong alternative for organizations requiring immediate threat mitigation.


    Key Differences and Considerations

    • Integration and Automation: Qualys TotalAppSec stands out with its integration with CI/CD pipelines and ITSM workflows, automating vulnerability remediation processes. In contrast, tools like Vectra AI and Balbix focus more on threat detection and risk quantification, though they also offer integration capabilities.
    • Threat Detection Scope: While Qualys TotalAppSec is strong in web application and API security, Vectra AI and Darktrace offer broader threat detection capabilities across various environments, including cloud, SaaS, and enterprise networks.
    • Risk Quantification: Balbix is unique in quantifying cyber risk exposure in monetary terms, which can be particularly useful for CISOs needing to communicate risk to boards and executives.
    In summary, Qualys TotalAppSec is a powerful tool for web application and API security with advanced AI-driven threat detection and automation. However, depending on the specific needs of an organization, alternatives like Vectra AI, Balbix, SentinelOne, and Darktrace may offer additional or complementary capabilities that could better suit their security requirements.

    Qualys - Frequently Asked Questions



    Frequently Asked Questions about Qualys



    What is Qualys and what does it do?

    Qualys is an advanced cybersecurity tool used to identify and quantify software security vulnerabilities. It provides continuous vulnerability management, helping organizations to identify threats and monitor changes in their network that could lead to data breaches. Qualys scans for vulnerabilities in IT systems, web applications, and cloud environments, ensuring comprehensive security protection.

    What are the key features of Qualys Vulnerability Management (VM)?

    Qualys VM continuously scans and identifies vulnerabilities with high accuracy, providing protection for IT assets on premises, in the cloud, and on mobile devices. It offers a dashboard for an overview of security posture, generates custom reports for multiple stakeholders, and supports compliance by automating the production of important security documentation. It also manages hybrid IT environments, including on-premise, cloud, and mobile deployments.

    How does Qualys handle web application security?

    Qualys Web Application Scanner (QWAS) targets web application vulnerabilities, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and URL redirection. It uses the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Top 10 list to categorize and prioritize the most dangerous risks faced by web applications. Additionally, Qualys has introduced AI-powered API security features to address the challenges of securing web applications and APIs in modern digital environments.

    What are the new AI-powered API security features in Qualys?

    The new features include real-time discovery and monitoring of API risks, providing a unified view of API security across diverse environments. It uses over 200 prebuilt signatures to detect critical vulnerabilities, including those listed in the OWASP API Top 10. The AI-assisted clustering achieves a 96% detection rate and reduces scan time by 80%. It also helps identify documentation drifts and prioritizes risks using the TruRisk scoring system to ensure the most critical vulnerabilities are addressed first.

    How accurate is Qualys in detecting vulnerabilities?

    Qualys detects vulnerabilities with Six Sigma (99.99966%) accuracy, eliminating alert fatigue and reducing the risk of breaches. It achieves this high accuracy by leveraging insights from over 180,000 vulnerabilities sourced from 25 threat sources and continually updating its knowledge base of vulnerability definitions to address new and evolving threats.

    Does Qualys support cloud security?

    Yes, Qualys provides comprehensive cloud security solutions. It offers quick, continuous, and comprehensive assessment of vulnerabilities for all workloads, manages the security posture and risk for SaaS applications, and uses AI to detect active exploits and malware at runtime. Qualys TotalCloud delivers a unified view to prioritize cloud risks and ensures effective security across diverse cloud environments.

    What pricing models does Qualys offer?

    Qualys offers both per-usage pricing and annual subscription pricing. The per-usage pricing allows customers to pay for vulnerability assessment services by the scan, providing flexibility and cost savings. Annual subscription packages offer unlimited network scanning, catering to different customer needs.

    How does Qualys help with compliance?

    Qualys helps organizations comply with various regulations by generating custom, role-based reports for multiple stakeholders, including compliance auditors. It automates the production of important security documentation, ensuring that all necessary compliance requirements are met. Additionally, its continuous vulnerability management and real-time monitoring help maintain a compliant security posture.

    Can Qualys integrate with different IT environments?

    Yes, Qualys supports hybrid vulnerability management for IT environments that include on-premise, cloud, and mobile deployments. It provides broad scanning capabilities and flexibility, ensuring that all aspects of an organization’s IT infrastructure are covered.

    How does Qualys facilitate collaboration between IT and security teams?

    Qualys integrates workflows that support both Shift-Left and Shift-Right practices, bridging the gap between IT and security teams. This promotes seamless collaboration and improves operational efficiency by ensuring that the most critical vulnerabilities are tackled first and that all teams are aligned in their security efforts.

    What kind of support does Qualys offer for identifying and mitigating API risks?

    Qualys provides a unified view of API risks, effective communication of API vulnerabilities, and elimination of API risks. It uses AI-assisted clustering to detect vulnerabilities with high accuracy and reduces scan time significantly. The platform also prioritizes risks using the TruRisk scoring system to ensure that the most critical vulnerabilities are addressed promptly.

    Qualys - Conclusion and Recommendation



    Final Assessment of Qualys in the Security Tools AI-Driven Product Category

    Qualys stands out as a formidable player in the AI-driven security tools market, offering a comprehensive suite of solutions that address a wide range of cyber security challenges. Here’s a detailed assessment of who would benefit most from using Qualys and an overall recommendation.

    Comprehensive Risk Management

    Qualys’ latest offerings, such as TotalAppSec and TotalAI, demonstrate a strong commitment to providing holistic risk management solutions. TotalAppSec integrates API security, web application scanning, and AI-driven malware detection, enabling organizations to discover and secure known, unknown, and shadow web applications and APIs across various environments.

    AI-Powered Security

    The use of AI in Qualys’ solutions is a significant strength. The TruRisk AI Learning model and deep learning algorithms help in predictive analysis, identifying blind spots, and pre-empting known attacks. This AI-powered approach ensures accurate vulnerability detection and prioritization, allowing organizations to focus on the most critical risks first.

    Vulnerability Detection and Remediation

    Qualys’ solutions excel in vulnerability detection and remediation. TotalAppSec uses risk-based prioritization with the TruRisk score to streamline remediation efforts, integrating seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines and ITSM systems like ServiceNow and JIRA. This automation significantly reduces the attack surface and ensures faster response times.

    Generative AI and LLM Security

    With the introduction of TotalAI, Qualys addresses the unique security challenges associated with generative AI and large language models (LLMs). This solution helps organizations discover, inventory, and secure AI workloads, preventing model theft, data leaks, and other critical risks.

    Compliance and Regulatory Adherence

    Qualys ensures ongoing compliance with regulatory standards such as PCI-DSS, GDPR, and HIPAA through continuous compliance monitoring. This feature is particularly beneficial for organizations that need to maintain strict regulatory adherence.

    Who Would Benefit Most



    Large Enterprises

    Given the comprehensive nature of Qualys’ solutions, large enterprises with complex IT infrastructures and multiple cloud environments would greatly benefit. These organizations can leverage Qualys to manage vulnerabilities, secure web applications and APIs, and ensure compliance across their entire enterprise.

    Organizations Using AI and LLMs

    Companies integrating AI and LLMs into their products and services will find Qualys TotalAI particularly valuable. It helps in securing these technologies against emerging cyber threats.

    Development and Security Teams

    Development and security teams can benefit from the integrated CI/CD pipelines and ITSM workflows, which streamline vulnerability remediation and enhance DevSecOps practices.

    Overall Recommendation

    Qualys is highly recommended for organizations seeking a comprehensive and AI-driven security solution. Its ability to provide clear visibility into application and API risks, coupled with advanced AI-powered scanning and remediation capabilities, makes it an invaluable tool for managing and mitigating cyber risks. The seamless integration with various systems and the focus on compliance ensure that organizations can maintain a secure and compliant IT environment. In summary, Qualys offers a powerful suite of security tools that are well-suited for organizations looking to enhance their security posture, particularly those with complex IT environments or those leveraging AI and LLM technologies. Its AI-driven approach and comprehensive risk management capabilities make it a strong choice in the security tools market.

    Scroll to Top