Top 9 Citrix’s Secure Access Alternatives in 2023

Citrix is a popular solution for cloud apps’ security for many organizations' IT landscape, but it has several drawbacks like the system can get slow, which can impact the users’ productivity. Thus, you need to look for more compatible and adaptable options.

Citrix's Secure Access provides real-time visibility and control over cloud application usage. With Citrix, IT managers can monitor all cloud-based activity and enforce security policies to ensure that sensitive data is not exposed to unauthorized users. 

The solution also provides advanced threat detection capabilities, allowing you to identify and mitigate potential security threats quickly.

However, certain drawbacks create a challenge in securing your cloud environment efficiently. A few of them have been listed below:

• The solution doesn’t refresh automatically, and you need to do it manually, which is time-consuming, and there are chances to miss any new updates 

• The inability to update the software can lead to connectivity issues. As a result, you may need to spend more time troubleshooting and fixing problems instead of focusing on more strategic tasks

• At times, the system is slow, due to which the users may experience delays in accessing critical applications, leading to decreased efficiency and potential downtime

In this post, we will discuss a list of suitable alternatives to Citrix’s secure access solution. 

But, before delving into the tools, allow us to introduce ourselves and showcase the ways in which Zluri can help safeguard your IT infrastructure. 

Take Your SaaS Apps Management to the Next Level with Zluri

Zluri assists you in managing the complete SaaS apps used within your organization. With our platform's assistance, you can quickly identify, track, and manage all SaaS applications in use across the organization using our advanced discovery methods.

Our platform uses five advanced discovery methods to ensure 100% coverage of all SaaS apps in use. Once identified, Zluri offers a range of security and compliance information solutions to ensure that your organization meets every compliance requirement. 

Our platform provides you with event and statistic tracking capabilities, shared data, and compliance and security probes for SaaS applications. This way, you can work towards achieving compliance while simultaneously meeting your security goals.

Events: Zluri finds any news related to the apps whenever they are in use. Zluri curates it from the internet and shows it in the Events Tab. E.g., Ransomware, data breaches, any patch, or security loopholes.

The risk score of each app is determined by analyzing the number of events. For instance, the higher the number of events, the lower the risk score the app will have.

Data Shared: When you connect an app with other apps, then these apps will have access to the content of the connected app. The apps can have different types of access: read, write, modify, and delete access. The more sensitive data the app can access, the higher the threat level will be.

For example, if an app can access Google Drive and modify or delete drive files, it is given a high threat level.

Compliance: Zluri gives compliance information for each app showing which compliance frameworks the app complies with. The higher the number of frameworks the app complies with, the higher the risk score will be.

Security Probes: It will give you a view of the technical scanning. The scanning is done every month. But this is customized as per the requirement of the organization.

Also, Zluri utilizes secure encryption algorithms to ensure that all sensitive data remains secure. Our platform offers a comprehensive and auditable log of key activities, enabling you to keep track of all app security-related activities.

All data collected, such as SaaS-app usage metrics, is retained indefinitely unless a removal request is made. Zluri stores all data in an encrypted state and backs it up for a period of 60 days.

Furthermore, Zluri provides you with a view of critical apps with high threat levels and risk scores. Our platform alerts users not to use critical apps that can impact data confidentiality and prevent data from cyber-attacks.

 In addition to security capabilities, Zluri offers other key benefits that help manage your SaaS apps effectively. Let us discuss these benefits.

Other Key Benefits:

• Zluri simplifies tracking, identifying, and reporting SaaS licenses for your organization by automating these tasks. It provides a 360-degree view of all your SaaS licenses in one place, enabling you to monitor SaaS usage, identify redundant apps, and protect against security breaches. 
  

  

  

  Additionally, it also gives you a view of subscriptions, contracts, and perpetual. This makes it easier for you to track and optimize all the SaaS licenses based on the insights.

• With our Renewal Calendar, you can avoid missed renewals and last-minute scrambling. It offers a complete view of all subscription renewals, helping you plan and ensure a seamless renewal process. 
  

  

  

  
  Additionally, Zluri sends automatic alerts for renewal updates, and you can manually set notifications to prioritize critical renewals and avoid service interruptions.

• Manually tracking app usage can result in errors, but Zluri automates the process and detects any unnecessary duplicates to save costs. With Zluri, you can efficiently manage SaaS applications and gain valuable insights into their usage.
  
  Zluri simplifies the process of tracking SaaS apps’ usage across your organization. By leveraging usage data, your IT admin can identify underutilized apps and optimize your organization’s SaaS stack for improved efficiency and cost savings.

• Zluri helps you reduce SaaS spend by identifying unused licenses, comparing prices across different vendors, and providing insights to negotiate better contracts.
  
  Zluri helps you optimize costs by right-sizing your SaaS licenses to suitable tiers based on usage and business requirements.

• Zluri's automated vendor management system provides all the necessary features to manage your entire SaaS stack. It offers better visibility and control over your evolving tech stack, integrating seamlessly with your core systems to maintain a SaaS system of record. 

Book a Demo Today!

9 Other Alternatives to Citrix’s Secure Access

Let us explore the various alternatives.

1. Netspoke’s CASB

Netspoke offers a CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) platform that benefits you by providing unparalleled visibility and control over cloud-based applications and data. 

With the increasing adoption of cloud-based technologies in the workplace, you face the challenge of securing sensitive data and maintaining compliance with regulatory standards. Netspoke's CASB platform addresses these challenges by providing a comprehensive suite of security features designed to help you safeguard your organization's data.

You can use the platform to set policies restricting access to certain applications or data based on user role, location, and device. This helps ensure that sensitive data remains secure and that employees can only access the applications and data they need to do their job.

Pros

• It provides you with greater visibility into cloud-based applications and data, allowing you to identify potential security risks and take action to mitigate them

• It is easy to deploy, allowing you to quickly start reaping the benefits of the platform without having to undergo a lengthy and complicated implementation process

Cons

• If you're a small-sized organization, this software won't fit your IT budget, as it has a high implementation cost 

• It has a steep learning curve, limiting the usage of the software at its full potential, and makes the learning of the complete tool is time-consuming

Customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/5

• Capterra: 4.8/5

2. Proofpoint’s Cloud Security

Proofpoint is a leading provider of cybersecurity and compliance solutions for enterprises. One of their key offerings is their Cloud App Security Broker (CASB), which would provide you with complete visibility and control over their organization's cloud environment. 

With so many employees working from home and accessing cloud applications from various devices, you need to know who is accessing what data and when. Proofpoint's CASB platform offers real-time visibility into cloud activity, providing you with detailed insights into user behavior and data usage. 

This can help them detect and prevent security breaches and identify areas where employees may need additional training or support.

Pros

• The tool provides the ability to create security rules as per your need and set up custom alerts, allowing you to stay flexible to meet your organization’s security requirements

• The platform helps you ensure that your organization is compliant with data protection regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, by providing visibility and control over cloud activity

Cons

• The tool gives false positives, where legitimate user activity is flagged as suspicious or malicious, resulting in an additional workload for your IT admin to investigate and remediate false alarms

• The tool is complex to implement and manage, requiring you to have a high level of technical expertise and additional training

Customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/5

3. Lookout’s Cloud Security

Lookout is a provider of mobile and cloud security solutions for businesses of all sizes. With their cloud security solution, Lookout helps you protect the organization’s cloud environments and data from cyber threats.

It continuously monitors your cloud environments for any potential security threats, using machine learning and advanced analytics to detect and respond to threats in real time.

Moreover, it helps you ensure your cloud configurations are secure by scanning your cloud infrastructure for misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and compliance issues.

Pros

• Lookout's interface is user-friendly, making it easy for you to navigate and manage your organization's security settings

• It offers mobile device management features, which allow you to monitor and manage the security of your employees' mobile devices

Cons

• The software can be expensive as only a premium price can give you full security features. As a result, you will need to weigh the benefits of Lookout's features against the cost of the software

Customer ratings

• G2: 4.2/5

• Capterra: 4.7/5

4. Cisco Cloudlock

Cisco Cloudlock is a cloud-based security platform that provides real-time visibility and control over cloud applications, including SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS. With Cloudlock, you can gain insights into how their data is accessed and shared and detect and respond to security threats in real time. 

Cloudlock provides your security teams with a centralized platform to manage all cloud applications and data, helping you to reduce risk and prevent data breaches.

Pros

• With Cloudlock, it is easy to investigate any security issues when an alert occurs, making it easy for you to resolve the issue and secure the organization’s IT environment

• The email sent to the users is straightforward and contains only the required information, allowing you to identify the problem and resolve it quickly

Cons

• As a premium cloud security solution, Cisco Cloudlock comes with a higher price tag compared to other similar solutions, impacting your organization’s IT budget

• The advanced capabilities of Cisco Cloudlock lead to a steeper learning curve for your team, requiring you to dedicate additional time and resources to training and implementation

Customer ratings

• Capterra: 4.5/5

5. Forcepoint’s CASB

Forcepoint is a provider of cybersecurity solutions designed to protect businesses against advanced threats and data theft. They offer a range of products, including cloud security, data loss prevention, and insider threat detection. 

Forcepoint's CASB solution is designed to provide you with real-time visibility and control over cloud applications, enabling them to detect and prevent security threats and data breaches.

Also, the solution provides DLP capabilities to enable you to identify and prevent data breaches. It can detect sensitive data and apply policies to prevent unauthorized access.

Pros

• The solution is easy to deploy and manage, allowing you to quickly start securing your organization’s IT infrastructure and manage it from a single console

• It provides insights into cloud usage and security risks, helping you to make informed decisions and improve their security posture

Cons

• The solution does not offer sufficient security capabilities when it comes to CASB integration and google cloud integration, limiting your ability to detect issues entirely

• Initially, the solution’s licensing is a challenge, leading you to waste time that could be used in focusing other important tasks

Customer ratings

• G2: 4.5/5

6. Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps is a security solution to protect an organization's IT infrastructure from advanced threats that target cloud-based applications. As more and more organizations move their operations to the cloud, the need for advanced cloud security solutions like Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps has become more critical than ever.

The solution detects and prevents threats in real time. This powerful security solution uses advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior and detect potential threats before they can do any harm. 

Pros

• Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps is included in Microsoft 365 E5 and Microsoft 365 Defender, making it a cost-effective solution for organizations that already have a Microsoft 365 subscription

• It provides complete visibility for managing security policies across multiple applications, making it easier for you to enforce security policies and stay on top of potential threats

Cons

• The alerts sent are delayed compared to the actual activity that occurred, resulting in a delay in detecting and resolving the problem

Customer ratings

• G2: 4.4/5

• Capterra: 4/5

7. iBoss Cloud Platform

iBoss cloud platform is a cloud security solution that helps you to secure cloud-based applications and data used in organizations. It provides cloud access security broker (CASB) capabilities that enable you to monitor and control access to their cloud-based applications and data, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive information. 

With iBoss, you can set policies and controls to ensure that data is protected, even if accessed from outside the organization's network.

Also, iBoss can identify and block potential threats in real-time, helping you stay one step ahead of attackers. This enables you to keep the cloud-based applications and data safe and secure, even in a major cyber attack.

Pros

• It offers a centralized management console, which makes it easy for you to monitor and manage their network security

• The reporting capabilities of the software are advanced, making it easy for you to get a complete picture of the security posture of their organization

Cons

• It is difficult to implement the granular security rules initially, which requires your team to have the technical expertise and leads to a rise in the overall IT budget due to additional resource

• It is expensive, especially if your organization has a limited IT budget. However, the cost can be justified if you avail of the advanced security features 

Customer ratings

• G2: 3.6/5

• Capterra: 4.2/5

8. Palo Alto Networks Next-gen CASB

Palo Alto Networks is a provider of cybersecurity solutions, and their Next-gen CASB is a powerful tool for securing cloud applications and data. It provides you with complete visibility into cloud usage, allowing you to track user activity, detect threats, and enforce policies across multiple cloud services.

Moreover, the software offers advanced data protection features such as encryption, data loss prevention (DLP), and access control to secure sensitive information.

Also, Palo Alto Networks Next-gen CASB uses advanced machine learning and behavioral analytics to detect and prevent cyber threats such as malware, phishing, and data exfiltration.

Pros

• With Next-gen CASB, you can apply granular policies to cloud services, including activity-level policies, data-level policies, and user-level policies, enabling you to protect sensitive data, enforce security protocols, and prevent data leakage

Cons

• The solution is complex to implement and configure, requiring significant time and resources, and may require specialized skills and expertise

Customer ratings

• G2: 3.5/5

9. Zscaler’s Data Protection

Zscaler is a leading provider of cloud security solutions, and their CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) solution offers powerful data protection capabilities. It combines traditional CASB functionality with advanced security features such as machine learning and behavior analysis.

Zscaler CASB provides you with complete visibility into cloud usage, allowing you to track user activity, detect threats, and enforce policies across multiple cloud services. It automatically classifies sensitive data and applies policies based on sensitivity, ensuring only authorized users can access it.

Further, it uses advanced encryption technologies to protect sensitive data at rest and in transit. It also uses machine learning and behavior analysis to detect and prevent cyber threats such as malware, phishing, and data exfiltration.

Pros

• It is easy to use and requires no special skills or training, allowing you to quickly set up policies and rules to protect your cloud applications

• It gives protection for cloud applications, whether they are sanctioned or unsanctioned, empowering you to be confident that your organization’s data is secure, no matter where it is being accessed

Cons

• If your organization is small or medium-sized, then this solution is not a suitable fit as it is expensive compared to other tools

• The solution’s reporting capabilities are not efficient, which makes it difficult for you to get insights into threat detection

Customer ratings

• G2: 4.7/5