My main use cases for Qualys VMDR are for server vulnerability and missing patches.

External reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Strong report clarity and efficient deployment but customer support needs faster resolution
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most helpful and useful features of Qualys VMDR are its user-friendly design.
Qualys VMDR is easy to understand and provides detailed reports.
It impacts my workflow overall, with the patch management features as it has the missing patches listed in detail, making it easier to get a comprehensive report and providing some dashboards that offer visual representation.
What needs improvement?
There were some issues later with Qualys VMDR regarding security, specifically with numerous false positive reports.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
It doesn't take much time to deploy Qualys VMDR. There is a process mentioned already on the website about how to proceed with the installation, so we followed that process.
How are customer service and support?
I am satisfied with the support of Qualys VMDR as they are supportive. However, there are sometimes issues where we cannot talk to customer support directly, and we have to raise tickets, which sometimes takes a lot of time to resolve issues because it goes through their own phase. We cannot change the SLA or the priority of the tickets, so that is an issue.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Our organization changed to something else due to a higher management decision, and that might be the reason for the change regarding the pricing.
What other advice do I have?
We are not using any AI features with Qualys VMDR.
Overall, I would rate Qualys VMDR as good, giving it an eight.
User-friendliness and effective prioritization improve remediation efforts
What is our primary use case?
We use Qualys VMDR for daily vulnerability management, scanning vulnerabilities, identifying vulnerabilities, reporting, creating dashboards, and the whole vulnerability management process. We also use it for patch management.
What is most valuable?
What I find valuable about Qualys VMDR is the capability of the tool and its user-friendliness. It is easy to use and provides accurate results, which is exactly what we are looking for. The prioritization of vulnerabilities has improved our remediation efforts by around thirty to thirty-five percent. The tool's integration between Patch Management and other Qualys products is also indispensable.
What needs improvement?
They can tweak their UI since the new version seems a bit jumbled up, and the old UI was more user-friendly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Qualys VMDR for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We find Qualys VMDR quite stable and have not faced any performance issues with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I believe the solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We usually get on calls with tech support, and they are very helpful. I would rate the technical support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We worked with Nessus and Rapid7 before switching to Qualys VMDR. Qualys offers better pricing and more features compared to other tools. We did not find anything particularly missing from previous tools.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward and easy. We deployed scanners and agents on all our devices, configured the network, whitelisted policy scanners, and public URLs. Testing was conducted before deploying, and it went smoothly.
What about the implementation team?
We had a team of five to six people involved in the deployment aspect due to the large number of assets.
What was our ROI?
Qualys VMDR helps us be compliant, and vulnerability management is a crucial part of maintaining our organization's security, significantly contributing to ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Qualys offers better pricing and is feature-packed compared to other tools.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Nessus and Rapid7 before choosing Qualys VMDR.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend getting both VMDR and the Cloud Agent to ensure comprehensive asset coverage. Understanding the network architecture is crucial to ensure no segments are missed under Qualys. Overall, I rate Qualys a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Real-time responses and reporting streamline vulnerability management
What is our primary use case?
We mostly use Qualys VMDR for vulnerability management and compliance practices. Every week, my team and I run automated scans that are scheduled, and we share whatever vulnerabilities are found with the infrastructure team to remediate them.
What is most valuable?
Qualys VMDR provides a real-time response and reporting feature, which is excellent. It allows us to see real-time graphs and reports for every asset, server, and more, which is very user-friendly.
Our clients have given good feedback, and they are satisfied with the tool. We use it daily to fix vulnerabilities by connecting with infrastructure to remediate. The feedback from the client side is very good.
What needs improvement?
Regarding improvement, compliance features haven't been utilized much. I anticipate more benefits in this area in the future. Integrating other teams, such as GRV, with Qualys would be very beneficial.
Additionally, if AI features were integrated, it could enhance the capabilities significantly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Qualys VMDR for about six months. I started working in vulnerability management with my company in the SOC.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't experienced any downtime during my working hours. However, there might be times when it could go down. I would rate stability around 8.5 or nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Qualys VMDR can handle scalability, although increasing the inventory can raise the licensing costs. However, it can escalate and adapt to many needs if required.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is satisfactory. When reaching out via email, they reply quickly. I would rate their customer support eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used another vendor for a different client, which is Rapid7. However, I found Rapid7 not as user-friendly as Qualys. The console is less user-friendly, and running sample templates or scans is more complex compared to Qualys.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not aware of the exact pricing, as it comes as an MSP model from the client. However, I have a notion that Qualys might be more expensive than Rapid7.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated Rapid7 along with Qualys. In a rating out of five, I would give Qualys four and Rapid7 two, as Rapid7 is more complex and not as user-friendly.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Qualys VMDR to others comparing it with other VM tools, due to its valuable features, including real-time responses and detailed reporting.
Overall, I would rate Qualys eight out of ten. With potential improvements and AI integration, it could offer even more.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Efficient and helpful vulnerability management enhances team collaboration
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of Qualys VMDR was to monitor around two hundred users, servers, and VMs weekly. We needed to ensure that all vulnerabilities were tracked and addressed. Our users were mainly developers using various applications, and we needed to ensure compliance with client requirements. The goal was to keep our systems up-to-date and secure.
How has it helped my organization?
Before using Qualys VMDR, we used OpenVAS, an open-source solution. It was challenging to find a direct solution for vulnerabilities.
With Qualys VMDR, it became simple to understand the severity of issues and prioritize fixes. We could ensure our top management was satisfied, knowing issues were visible and addressed.
It allowed us to divide tasks easily among teammates, significantly improving efficiency. We saw a return on investment in time, money, and resources.
What is most valuable?
Qualys VMDR offers a one-stop solution for monitoring and reporting. The UI is straightforward and user-friendly, and even beginners can master it in a day.
It allows for simplicity in understanding issues and generating reports for clear visibility. The benefits of task division among teammates and the ability to work together without delays were significant.
What needs improvement?
Qualys VMDR identifies vulnerabilities and suggests fixes. However, it does not automate patching unless the patch management module is purchased separately.
Automating features could reduce manual efforts and make the process less lengthy. Integration of AI could enhance benefits, especially in handling false positives.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used the solution for around three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We did not experience any bugs, glitches, or downtime. I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability depends on the license and the number of assets being monitored. I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support provided by Qualys is pretty good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Qualys VMDR, we used Greenhorn’s OpenVAS. It was open-source, but it offered no direct solutions. Reports were only available with scheduled scans, which made immediate issue resolution difficult.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. The deployment was up and running in a day with assistance from the support team.
What about the implementation team?
Only one person was involved in implementing Qualys VMDR.
What was our ROI?
We saw a return on investment through significant savings in time, money, and resources. The solution allowed for efficient task management among team members.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For smaller enterprises, the pricing is on the pricier side. However, for larger enterprises, it's considered okay. I would rate the pricing between seven to eight out of ten.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We previously used OpenVAS.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, the solution is highly rated because of its simplicity and efficiency. I would rate it a nine out of ten.
Automated reporting enhances vulnerability management capabilities
What is our primary use case?
We use it for vulnerability management and report generation mostly. I am trying to solve the issue wherein the stakeholders can get automated vulnerability reports to their mailbox.
How has it helped my organization?
Using this product, we now have a vulnerability management cycle wherein VMDR plays a major role. It has greatly increased the capability on the detection aspect of the vulnerability and improved our scope and visibility on all other endpoints.
What is most valuable?
I like the automated report generation and vulnerability report generation.
What needs improvement?
I don't have any improvement requests on top of my mind right now. The response time of technical support takes a while.
For how long have I used the solution?
It's been more than two years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability as nine out of ten. It's quite stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
My rating for the technical support for Qualys is six out of ten. The response time takes a while.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I personally didn't use a different solution before Qualys.
How was the initial setup?
Although I was not present during the initial deployment process, it's pretty straightforward. It's just an agent installation, which automatically connects it to the cloud platform, so the implementation won't take as long.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Qualys VMDR to the other stakeholders because it already has its place in the market, and it's very reliable.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Effortless asset management, fast support, and an easy setup
What is our primary use case?
The use cases would be for scanning purposes, for identifying assets, identifying and viewing assets, and setting up scan schedules. I use it primarily as a vulnerability management and scanning tool.
How has it helped my organization?
When you have everything in one place, the job is very easy. Qualys VMDR having a Russian nesting doll sort of environment does take a steep learning curve, but having everything in one place is quite neat.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the asset view where I can find individual assets and take a deeper dive into their information gathering section, potential vulnerabilities, and confirmed vulnerabilities. I also value the scheduling of scans and reports as per the desired timeframes.
What needs improvement?
The reporting section needs improvement as running reports can take several hours. A more intuitive way to configure reports settings to reduce run time would be helpful. Improvements are needed for sorting QIDs and findings during the reporting section without downloading the entire report.
Additionally, there is a need to address the issue of retaining report sections when they exceed one or two GBs. For asset management, adding a notification for unscanned assets or those missing CVE ratings would help.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for close to three and a half to four years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are rarely any stability issues. Discrepancies are usually anticipated due to the downtime and maintenance window provided in advance. It's a technological tool, and random anomalies may happen, but they are manageable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Qualys offers one of the best scalability capabilities for large-scale deployments. Its tools and solutions work effectively with large corporations. VMDR helps club multiple vulnerabilities into one QID, which assists with remediation cycles.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is fast, although there can be a lot of back and forth. However, the overall service is satisfactory and of great quality.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Nessus and Burp Suite, however, Burp Suite isn't in close proximity with Qualys for scanning purposes. Microsoft Defender offers some advantages with real-time, agent-based scanning that consumes fewer resources.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was quite simple and straightforward. Setting up Qualys was fairly easy with clear documentation and guidance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not familiar with the pricing side as I am not a part of that aspect. However, it is on the higher side, but it provides large-scale scalability for vulnerability management.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated Nessus and Microsoft Defender for vulnerability management.
What other advice do I have?
Users should go through the training offered by Qualys for all VMDR modules and take an introductory call on how to use and schedule tasks. Setting up one thing at a time and testing the desired results before moving on is advised.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Efficient risk assessment with critical vulnerability prioritization and an easy setup
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case for Qualys VMDR is for infrastructure vulnerability management. It assists devices, including all infrastructure devices like serverless network devices and development environments.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has improved the organization significantly because it helps in assessing and prioritizing risk. Based on the results from Qualys, I can prioritize remediations with the remediation teams, thereby reducing the volume of vulnerabilities.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the QID part, especially of CentralList, which makes it easy to assess new critical vulnerabilities. It saves a lot in assessing and prioritizing risks to the organization.
What needs improvement?
Support could be improved since the response can be slow. There is always room for improvement to align with the latest content and technologies.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used the solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. Anytime there is downtime or maintenance, Qualys ensures that we are well-informed with priority communications.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability would be rated nine or nine point five out of ten. We have high satisfaction with this aspect.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support response can sometimes be slow, leading to a rating of eight or nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used a different tool. I switched to Qualys as it didn't have the same feature set.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. Deployment took two to three days.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment was done by a different team, so I do not have specific details about the implementation team size.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have used RapidSky before Qualys.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Qualys VMDR because it ensures comprehensive coverage, including aspects like vulnerability management and PCI, providing good inputs and improvements over time.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Efficient automated scans and good reliability with room for vulnerability detection improvement
What is our primary use case?
We use continuous monitoring to schedule scans for all the applications in our organization. We create a parent tag and sub-tags for each application and schedule scans based on our requirements, such as every alternate day, weekly, or monthly. This helps us identify vulnerabilities in the web applications, especially those that are public-facing.
How has it helped my organization?
Since implementing Qualys, we have seen a reduction in the time required to scan applications, as it automates the process. This efficiency is one of the key improvements we have noticed. Additionally, the tool is effective compared to others, particularly for automated scans.
What is most valuable?
In Qualys VMDR, there are multiple valuable features such as Continuous Monitoring, SFU Connector, and WebVPN. Continuous monitoring is a crucial feature that we use more frequently.
What needs improvement?
There are scenarios where a vulnerability is reported once yet not in subsequent scans, even if we have not fixed it. Sometimes, Qualys is unable to crawl certain URLs due to unspecified issues. Additionally, the report download option occasionally has problems.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Qualys for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability as nine out of ten, indicating no significant issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Qualys is rated as eight to nine out of ten, and there are no problems with scalability.
How are customer service and support?
The customer support system could be improved. While they respond, it takes them two to three days to address a concern, which is an issue. Overall, I would rate customer service as five or six.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The setup process was not within my involvement, as it was part of the project I had joined and it was already set up.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Qualys VMDR as it effectively reduces the time required for vulnerability management and operates well with fewer people.
I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Enhanced vulnerability detection and scanning with valuable asset management options
What is our primary use case?
We use Qualys VMDR for vulnerability management and operations, such as scanning assets to identify vulnerabilities and updating the reports for different teams.
How has it helped my organization?
We identified and resolved many vulnerabilities by using Qualys VMDR. It has been helpful in detecting externally facing asset vulnerabilities and coordinating patching or remediation with different teams.
What is most valuable?
I find the scans portion of VMDR to be valuable. Authenticated scans provide different options, including those using or not using the FactSet and adding option profiles. Another good feature is the Knowledge Base, which provides detailed information on vulnerabilities, period scores, solutions, issues, and mitigation.
What needs improvement?
I'd suggest improvements in asset management. It would be helpful to have features for better tracking, including options for adding relevant owners or supporting groups for each asset.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Qualys VMDR for about three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. I would rate it eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is rated at 7.5 out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
When you raise a report, it will be generated in VMDR and shared with the respective team. Depending on client requests, reports can be in PDF or Excel format.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not use any previous vulnerability solutions; I started directly with Qualys.
How was the initial setup?
The setup for Qualys VMDR is easy since it's a cloud tool. Access is provided through different inboxes, and deployment is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not aware of the actual cost or pricing as it is managed by the client.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Compared to other solutions like Nexus, Qualys provides more options and is a better tool.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend using Qualys as it offers many valuable features and options. It is better compared to solutions like Nexus.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Enhancing security with precise vulnerability assessments and remediation steps
What is our primary use case?
I am working for an IT firm where I use Qualys VMDR for my clients. I specifically use it for vulnerability detection and vulnerability remediation as part of our vulnerability assessment team. We scan all the assets for vulnerabilities, both servers and client-side, and then share the vulnerability reports with the relevant teams for remediation planning.
How has it helped my organization?
The continuous scanning for vulnerabilities, especially the notifications for zero-day vulnerabilities, greatly aids in keeping our systems secure. The accurate vulnerability assessments and the remediation plans they provide enhance our workflow and effectiveness in vulnerability management.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the vulnerability assessment. Qualys VMDR is precise in its assessments and categorizes vulnerabilities by severity from one to five. Additionally, they provide detailed reports and possible remediation steps, such as updating from Java version 3.4 to a more secure version.
What needs improvement?
Qualys VMDR could improve in reducing the occurrences of false positive vulnerabilities. Enhancing this aspect would make the tool even more effective.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Qualys VMDR for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are no issues with stability. They notify us of any scheduled downtime a week in advance, usually planning it for weekends to avoid disrupting business operations.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Qualys VMDR handles scalability very well. It offers extensive features and facilities to create groups for assets or servers, making it easy to add new environments or data centers for scanning.
How are customer service and support?
I have heard that their technical support team is very responsive and takes quick action when needed. However, I have never interacted with them personally.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used ZixSense, also known as Ivanti Neurons. ZixSense is more user-friendly than Qualys, however, the latter provides more comprehensive and accurate vulnerability assessments.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Qualys VMDR was easy. We just had to open the Qualys tool, add the IP addresses of the respective servers or hostnames, and start scanning. Access to vulnerability assessment is only provided via IP addresses, not hostnames.
What about the implementation team?
Any changes or maintenance required are managed by the Qualys team following change requests from our upper management.
What other advice do I have?
New users should complete two training programs from the Qualys training center: Qualys Foundation and Qualys VMDR. These certifications provide the necessary knowledge to set up and use Qualys effectively. Qualys also provides a demo trial account for new users.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.