Orca Security CNAPP Cloud Security Platform
Orca Delivers Clear Security Visibility Without Slowing Teams Down
Agentless Cloud Visibility That Keeps Security in Step with Fast Dev Cycles
Excellent Data Security Posture Management for Exposed PII Detection
Cloud security has improved as we identify vulnerabilities and address risks proactively
What is our primary use case?
I have used Orca Security for one year while working for a client where we set up Orca Security to scan our environment and identify vulnerabilities.
The main use case for using Orca Security is to identify vulnerabilities in our environment so that we can address them before any issues occur.
In one of our projects in GCP, we purchased Orca Security from the marketplace, which was enabled in our account at the organization level.
What is most valuable?
The main feature that I appreciated about Orca Security is that it is 100% agentless and context-aware, meaning it understands what it is doing.
The primary benefit is that it provides us with CVEs, through which I can identify the vulnerabilities in our security posture.
In the long run, as a security tool, it has helped us improve our security posture.
What needs improvement?
There is one issue that I encountered: when Orca Security provides CVEs and we attempt to implement its solutions, sometimes those solutions are not available on the cloud and cannot be implemented.
My main concern is the integration of Orca Security with generative AI for remediation inquiry.
Another concern I have is around the guardrails.
The primary improvement that Orca Security needs is to enhance its remediation steps based on the cloud platform being used.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working in my current field for the past five or more years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Orca Security has been stable in my experience.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Orca Security is internally based on cloud infrastructure and is 100% agentless, so it does not require significant scalability considerations.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is also good. I would rate it a 10 because they respond properly and communicate effectively.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, I used to install an open-source tool to understand my security posture, which required some additional infrastructure investment.
I was using the native GCP Security Command Center.
How was the initial setup?
We purchased Orca Security from the AWS Marketplace.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am aligned with the pricing, as it is not that costly.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did evaluate open-source tools, Orca Security, native open-source tools, and cloud-native tools as well.
What other advice do I have?
When Orca Security provides CVEs, clicking on them gives suggestions about what can be done to resolve the issue.
I would advise others to use Orca Security because of the rich features that it offers.
I would rate this review a 9.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Integrated cloud risks have been managed centrally and security posture improves continuously
What is our primary use case?
Of my three customers, one is using Orca Security, and two are not using it. There are plenty of use cases available for Orca Security, and I can provide more details.
Orca Security is very good for faster management due to their CNAP, which stands for Cloud Native Application Protection Platform. It consolidates CSPM, CWPM, CWPP, and CAEM, which includes entitlement management and vulnerability scanning. Orca Security consolidates these solutions into a single platform. If I buy Orca Security, I can check data-related security posture management across various domains, including security and multi-cloud compliance. We put security at the forefront rather than waiting until project completion to engage security. It is important to place security in the field, and Orca Security is a very good tool for that.
Orca Security is an agentless vulnerability scanner, meaning we do not need to run any agents. The first use case is for consolidating various solutions into one. The second use case is agentless vulnerability scanning, and the third use case is for multi-cloud security. Some customers might have different cloud environments that can lead to vulnerabilities if not carefully managed, especially in stringent scenarios like FedRAMP. Orca Security is quite effective in these aspects, particularly for government and semi-government scenarios.
Orca Security serves to analyze configurations against what is optimally used and identify gaps. It identifies when servers are underutilized. For example, if a server is supposed to be at least eighty-eight percent utilized and is running below one percent, that results in unnecessary costs. This gap analysis is something every synaptic tool, including Orca Security, supports for cost optimization.
How has it helped my organization?
Orca Security has improved our cloud security visibility, streamlined vulnerability management, reduced alert fatigue through risk-based prioritization, and helped us remediate critical issues faster while maintaining compliance across our cloud environments.
What is most valuable?
Orca Security excels in identifying risks. If posture management is configured well, the tool performs effectively in identifying risks. I appreciate the tool as it finds various issues. In today's AI era, we see many new challenges, including tool poisoning and broken paths, which Orca Security identifies effectively. The tool captures all the risks related to entitlement management as well, focusing on the segregation of duties to minimize risks.
We use AI across the cloud environment, which helps in automating and remediating issues while enabling organizations to connect fragmented data for faster investigations and prioritizing measurable risks. Orca Security has seven distinct positive risks, including token theft and command injections, which are vital for security posture management.
What needs improvement?
I think Orca Security should be more SMB friendly since I mostly work with enterprise customers who have more budget. Orca Security could include options for smaller businesses and improve on areas like agentless functionalities and cost efficiency for small-scale deployments.
I work in an SMB organization and find Orca Security quite expensive. They typically offer some credit periods to conduct proofs of value for various products.
For enterprises, I find Orca Security to be fairly priced, whereas it is a bit more expensive for SMBs.
For how long have I used the solution?
Everything is around five years, and I have been using it for the whole thing because I have been in this field since nineteen ninety-five. All these tools are five years old, maximum of five to six years old. In fact, they were born during my tenure.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Yes, Orca Security is generally considered a stable and mature enterprise-grade CNAPP (Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform) rather than an emerging startup product. However, stability can be viewed from three perspectives in my personal opinion, they are
1. Product Stability
2. Company Stability
3. Operational Stability
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Yes. Scalability is actually one of the strongest differentiators of Orca Security compared to traditional agent-based cloud security platforms.
1. Agentless Architecture Eliminates Deployment Bottlenecks
Traditional CWPP and EDR-style cloud security solutions require agents on every VM, Kubernetes node, or workload. As organizations grow from hundreds to tens of thousands of cloud assets, agent deployment, upgrades, troubleshooting, and performance management become significant operational challenges.
Orca uses its patented Side Scanning™ technology to scan cloud workloads directly from cloud-provider storage snapshots and APIs without deploying agents. This means:
- No agent rollout projects
- No agent lifecycle management
- No performance impact on workloads
- New assets are automatically discovered and assessed
This architecture allows organizations to onboard large multi-cloud environments much faster than agent-centric solutions.
2. Designed for Large Multi-Cloud Estates
Orca supports:
- AWS
- Azure
- Google Cloud
- Oracle Cloud
- Alibaba Cloud
- Kubernetes environments
A large enterprise running thousands of subscriptions, accounts, projects, containers, and serverless workloads can manage them from a single platform and unified data model.
For organizations like:
- Global banks
- Telecom providers
- Retail giants
- SaaS companies
this becomes important because security teams do not need separate tools for CSPM, CWPP, CIEM, DSPM, vulnerability management, and container security.
3. Automatic Discovery of New Resources
One common scaling problem in cloud environments is asset churn:
- New VMs
- New Kubernetes clusters
- Auto-scaling groups
- Temporary containers
- Serverless functions
Orca automatically discovers and monitors newly created cloud assets without requiring manual updates or security onboarding processes. This is particularly valuable in DevOps-heavy environments where infrastructure changes continuously.
4. Unified Data Model Reduces Operational Complexity
Many enterprises end up with:
all generating separate alerts.
Orca's Unified Data Model correlates:
- Vulnerabilities
- Misconfigurations
- IAM risks
- Sensitive data exposure
- Attack paths
into a single risk graph. This helps maintain operational scalability because the security team is not overwhelmed as cloud assets increase.
How are customer service and support?
Orca Security's technical support is very good, aligning with my consulting operations, and I have not received any escalations.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In identifying risks with previous products, there are notable pros and cons between agent-based and agentless solutions. Agentless tools eliminate orchestration concerns, while agent-based tools allow more granular control and calculations.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, but I find it a bit complex due to the learning curve involved, which requires thorough guidance during the first configuration.
What about the implementation team?
Yes, many organizations use either Orca Security Professional Services or partners such as Accenture, Deloitte, or Optiv for deployment. The feedback is generally positive, with customers highlighting fast onboarding, minimal operational overhead due to the agentless architecture, and strong implementation support. Orca Professional Services is often preferred for quicker deployments and product-specific expertise.
What was our ROI?
Regarding the time to value from Orca Security, if it is a SaaS setup, it is immediate. For larger solutions like ERP or MSSP setups, it can take more than six months. But for security scanning, it is shorter since we pay only for what we use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing was competitive for an enterprise-grade CNAPP platform, and the agentless architecture helped minimize deployment and maintenance costs. Licensing was straightforward, and the time-to-value was relatively fast compared to other cloud security solutions.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Among competitors like Trend Micro and Cisco, I compare Orca Security with offerings from those vendors based on features and costs.
In terms of objectives, I need functionality without paying a luxury price. The features offered by some competitors may be attractive, but what counts most is that Orca Security provides essential functions with lower costs.
What other advice do I have?
I cannot provide a straightforward answer about the time it takes to address cloud security alerts because different levels of alerts exist, and fixing each alert can vary depending on how alerts are configured. Policies play a crucial role in alert management.
If SaaS is available, customers prefer it due to low engagement compared to hybrid models. The cost savings on SaaS are quite attractive.
Orca Security's ability to combine functionalities of multiple tools into one platform is indeed one of its strongest points.
I would rate support at eight plus points. My personal rating for Orca Security as a service provider would be nine.