OpenSCAP vs Symantec IT Management Suite

OpenSCAP is a free collection of open-source tools for applying and enforcing the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) standard. It provides customizable policies for security compliance and automated vulnerability assessment. OpenSCAP Base includes a library and the oscap command-line tool for parsing and evaluating SCAP content, scanning systems and producing documents. It supports XCCDF benchmarks and OVAL definitions, with SCAP 1.2 support and backward compatibility for SCAP 1.1 and 1.0. SCAP Workbench can tailor content, run local or remote scans, and export results; OpenSCAP Daemon schedules assessments of machines and containers. Policy variables and rules can be changed, and customized policies saved separately for reuse. Integrations listed include Red Hat Satellite, RH Access Insights, Preupgrade Assistant and orcharhino. With Red Hat Satellite 6, the site describes centralized policy management, scheduled audits and audit-result collection and search. OpenSCAP Base is available on Linux distributions including Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora and Ubuntu; the project also reports Windows support since version 1.3.0. Policies may include automated remediation, but some rules cannot be remediated automatically, and remediation may disrupt infrastructure functionality.

Symantec IT Management Suite manages application and operating-system configurations across desktops, laptops, and servers. It combines Asset Management Suite, Client Management Suite, and Server Management Suite, which can be licensed together or separately. Management features include automated patching, on-demand assessments, Patch Now actions, and CVE-based reporting. Deployment supports operating-system rollout, bare-metal provisioning, hardware-independent imaging, and software distribution. CMDB-backed discovery tracks hardware, software, virtual assets, contracts, warranties, and license usage. Cloud-Enabled Management collects inventory and delivers patches or software updates to Windows and Mac devices outside the corporate network without VPN. Users can request approved software through a self-service portal. The suite supports Microsoft, Red Hat, CentOS, and SUSE updates, plus Windows and Mac workstations. ITMS 8.8.1 and later provide REST API data exchange. Microsoft SQL Server is required for ITMS 8.7.x and 8.8.x; other listed database platforms are unsupported. Pricing is on request.