---
title: SolarWinds Security Event Manager Reviews
meta_title: 'SolarWinds Security Event Manager Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features
  | G2'
meta_description: Filter 76 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to
  find out how SolarWinds Security Event Manager works for a business like yours.
aggregate_rating:
  rating_value: 4.0
  review_count: 76
  scale: '5'
date_modified: '2026-07-13'
parent_category:
  name: System Security
  url: https://www.g2.com/categories/system-security
---

# SolarWinds Security Event Manager Reviews
**Vendor:** SolarWinds Worldwide LLC  
**Category:** [Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/security-information-and-event-management-siem)  
**Average Rating:** 4.0/5.0  
**Total Reviews:** 76
## About SolarWinds Security Event Manager
Security Event Manager (SEM) is a powerful, real-time Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution designed to act as a virtual Security Operations Center (SOC). It provides active monitoring and automated threat detection across multi-vendor network devices, servers, workstations, and applications. SEM is delivered as a downloadable virtual appliance for rapid deployment, and allows IT teams to centralize log data and enable real-time event correlation right out of the box. SEM goes beyond simple alerting by offering automated remediation actions. When suspicious behavior is detected, the platform can automatically block malicious IPs, disable compromised user accounts, kill unauthorized applications, or detach unmanaged USB devices via its integrated USB Defender. This immediate response capability significantly reduces the window of vulnerability during a cyber-attack. To ensure deep visibility, SEM features built-in File Integrity Monitoring (FIM), allowing you to track sensitive file changes, deletions, and registry modifications. The platform also streamlines audit preparation with hundreds of pre-built, out-of-the-box compliance reports for major regulatory frameworks, including HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, ISO, DISA STIGs, and FISMA. With its intuitive text-based searching and integrated threat intelligence feed, SEM normalizes disparate log data into a readable format. This enables faster forensic analysis and historical searching, helping your team identify patterns from known bad actors and strengthen your overall security posture. Whether you are managing internal threats or external breaches, SolarWinds SEM provides the essential tools to detect, respond, and report with confidence. For organizations seeking tailored security control, SEM is highly effective as a standalone SIEM tool, providing dedicated log management and incident response. However, for those looking to eliminate silos between security and IT operations, SEM can also function as a core component of SolarWinds Observability.



## SolarWinds Security Event Manager Pros & Cons
**What users like:**

- Users value the **high detection efficiency** of SolarWinds Security Event Manager, streamlining their security management tasks. (1 reviews)
- Users appreciate the **ease of use** for admins, finding device addition to be simple and straightforward. (1 reviews)

**What users dislike:**

- Users find the **licensing costs complex** , and support options limited, particularly in certain regions. (1 reviews)
- Users express frustration with **poor customer support** , noting limited expert assistance and unhelpful online resources. (1 reviews)

## SolarWinds Security Event Manager Reviews
  ### 1. Powerful Security, Clunky Interface

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** dennis s. | IT Supervisor, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** April 30, 2026

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

I appreciate the powerful rich correlation controls that can be used to define rules to help identify and detect many possible suspicious events. Its great performance stands out to me as well. I like how the correlation controls link related activities across many systems, which helps us detect threats that would otherwise look harmless on their own. They also reduce alert noise and speed up incident response.

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

The UI can be clunky as it has many features, and this would pose challenges in navigating around. It also has a steep learning curve. Very complex to setup.

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

I use SolarWinds Security Event Manager to monitor and correlate logs to detect suspicious activities in real time. It helps us identify threats like unauthorized access and policy violations, while also addressing compliance challenges with audit trails and reporting.

  ### 2. Solarwinds_Siem

**Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Verified User in Utilities | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** November 21, 2024

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

Easy to use by admins, adding devices is simple.

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

Licensing or commercial part is very complex.

Expert level Support is very limited specially in this region.


Online support is not very useful

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Monitoring Cyber Security enevts and alerts from all the connected servers, systems and network appliances

  ### 3. Network Monitroing Tools Software

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** AFTAB A. | IT Support Specialist, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** February 21, 2024

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

Solarwinds NPM provide automated networking tools to enables discovery and monitoring across network devices in which common devices like firewalls,switches and load balancers.

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

User Interface is bit confusing with lot of functionalities in a single window.

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

The ease of setup and getting started and Network Optimization features and the the various in-built templates makes it one of the best Monitoring Tool in the IT industry. Real Time Monitoring and Analysis of Past Issues with customizable reports

  ### 4. Useful and effective tool to improve detection and response to security threats

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Marina B. | Network support analyst, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** February 10, 2023

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

There are many benefits to implementing this tool in an organization.

Real-time threat detection and response.

System integration: it integrates with other security systems and solutions, allowing for more efficient management.

Process automation: automates many of the manual processes associated with detecting and responding to security threats, reducing time.

Incident management: provides a centralized platform for security incident management, facilitating coordination and resolution of security issues.

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

This platform may have several disadvantages, considering the following:

It is very expensive so it is not accessible to all organizations.
Its implementation and management is complex, requiring specialized technicians for its use.
It requires very specific and expensive hardware for its implementation.
The storage of the tool is limited.
And finally the integration with other tools or software is limited and very specific.

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

In my organization the implementation of SEM has allowed us to comply with information security standards as well as save time with the automation of processes.

  ### 5. verytool for proactive network performance monitoring, management & reporting

**Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Saadat Ali K. | Telecommunication Manager, Telecommunications, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** February 04, 2022

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

User friendly. 
Upsides is that can accommodate several accounts, IP addresses simultaneously

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

User guide and help should be more precise

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Complex and complicated Network related problems can be handled with ease via using solarwind acces rights manager.
Business performance increased & becomes productive.

  ### 6. Solar Winds System

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Verified User in Financial Services | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** January 27, 2022

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

SolarWinds offers many different features that can help improve your organization’s security posture and minimize insider threats from within the organization.

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

If you plan on having 1,001 to 4,000 users, then you will need 40 GB of Hard Drive space and 8 GB of RAM, which is a bit high for an old fashion office laptop

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

This application can improve your environment by showing you more details than what you are used to and making basic administration tasks even more accessible.

  ### 7. Solarwinds is a fantastic product to keep up with your security compliance

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Verified User in Government Administration | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** October 21, 2021

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

Solarwinds security is a ready to use affordable solution, you name it from network monitoring to your device monitoring. Alerts and analysis at one clear dashboard. The event manager is easy to understand and customised suited to your specific organisation needs.

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

If Solarwinds can take over some essential tools like asset management, inventory, and passive scans, it might become the most successful one-stop shop of all time that everyone needs, and IT Managers will be a little worry-free.

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

We are serving the information security needs of the organization and also performing audit compliance checks. The SIEM requirements are complex but thoroughly practical once you set the scope right.

  ### 8. Easy IT Ops

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Verified User in Hospital & Health Care | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** February 16, 2022

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

Users provisioning and de provisioning and performance issues

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

I dont see any downside of the product as of now

**Recommendations to others considering SolarWinds Security Event Manager:**

Solarwinds access manager is the best product and will make your life easier esp with Security Ops.

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Performance issues, Users onbaording and offboarding, network issues monitoring

  ### 9. High quality and proficient

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Jace P. | Sales Development, Computer Software, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** October 15, 2021

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

I love the load it lifted off of me as an admin.

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

There really wasn't anything that I really disliked about the product.

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Reduce security breaches and help desk tickets

  ### 10. Network Monitoring

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

**Reviewed by:** Qaisar N. | Executive - Desktop Support Engineer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

**Reviewed Date:** July 29, 2020

**What do you like best about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

it's about 7 years ago when I deploy the soler wind in our organization with the help of my senior. It has been very useful for us at that time. As far as I know, after deploying the solar wind we easily monitor the our entire network activity. Everything configured and draw a real-time map throughout the solar wind and was able to easily track/monitor all server and network points. it was great experience for us.

**What do you dislike about SolarWinds Security Event Manager?**

Still, it is a difficult decision for me to mention any dislike here because I can't find anything in the solar wind which indicates the following software decrease the repute.

**Recommendations to others considering SolarWinds Security Event Manager:**

I highly recommended it to others.

**What problems is SolarWinds Security Event Manager solving and how is that benefiting you?**

Network Monitoring, Bandwith analysis, Activity of servers, and WAP points.


## SolarWinds Security Event Manager Discussions
  - [What is Access rights Manager?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-access-rights-manager) - 1 comment

- [View SolarWinds Security Event Manager pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/solarwinds-security-event-manager/reviews/solarwinds-security-event-manager-review-977579?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-16+04%3A35%3A21+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=9bf823fe-e496-4752-aa76-7f206a1bb573&secure%5Btoken%5D=325477d77de82e5a805a7215636f0f709c6f60a116117c67def69dea541c094f&format=llm_user)

## SolarWinds Security Event Manager Features
**User Maintenance**
- Bi-directional Identity Synchronization

**Network Management**
- Activity Monitoring
- Asset Management
- Log Management

**Governance**
- Identifies and Alerts for Threats
- Compliance Audits

**Incident Management**
- Event Management
- Automated Response
- Incident Reporting

**Administration**
- Reporting

**Security Intelligence**
- Threat Intelligence
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Advanced Analytics
- Data Examination

## Top SolarWinds Security Event Manager Alternatives
  - [IBM QRadar SIEM](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-ibm-qradar-siem/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (282 reviews)
  - [Splunk Enterprise Security](https://www.g2.com/products/splunk-enterprise-security/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (223 reviews)
  - [Datadog](https://www.g2.com/products/datadog/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (713 reviews)

