Context behind the query
Connect database activity to human, application, and AI agent identities, so teams can investigate who accessed sensitive data.
A closer look at data security
Aurva vs IBM Guardium
Explore how the platforms approach database activity, data posture, AI access, and the operational needs of a security team.
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The Aurva approach
Bring runtime context into the picture.
Follow data as it moves
Combine runtime posture with live lineage across services to understand where sensitive data originates and exits.
Visibility into AI access
Inspect AI agent communications and link their data access to identities, alongside established database monitoring.
Capability by capability
Compare the details.
Explore coverage across data security, privacy, AI, and deployment.
FullPartialNot availableNot applicableNot specified
These comparisons reflect Aurva’s assessment. Coverage can vary by product edition, configuration, and deployment. “Not specified” means a rating is unavailable in this assessment. Infrastructure and commercial attributes are descriptive, not coverage ratings.
Data security posture
Discover sensitive data, assess exposure, and connect identities to data assets.
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| Structured & unstructured data discoveryDiscovery across databases, object stores, and warehouses. | Full | Partial |
| Data classification: regex, context & AISensitive data such as PII, PAN, Aadhaar, financial information, and custom types. | Full | Partial |
| Posture ScoringRisk score per asset: sensitivity, exposure, misconfig | Full | Full |
| Access Exposure AnalysisOverprivileged identities, dormant access | Full | Partial |
| Misconfiguration DetectionUnencrypted DBs, external snapshots, public buckets | Full | Partial |
| Shadow Data / Dark Data DetectionUnknown/unregistered data assets | Full | Partial |
| Identity-to-Data MappingHuman + NHI + AI agent access linked to data assets | Full | Partial |
Database activity monitoring
Compare query visibility, investigation context, and database controls.
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time Query MonitoringCapture database operations as they occur. | Full | Full |
| Identity-Aware MonitoringBind query to human / app / AI identity | Full | Partial |
| ML-based anomaly detectionBehavioural baselines, insider threat | Full | Full |
| Blocking across heterogeneous databasesQuery-level + IP-level blocking in real-time | Full | Full |
| Dynamic Masking / RedactionMask sensitive data for unauthorised users | Full | Full |
| Vulnerability AssessmentDB config, patch, privilege vulnerabilities | Full | Full |
| SQL context & sensitive response metadataContext about queries and the sensitive fields returned, such as date of birth or account number. | Full | Partial |
| Cloud database monitoring overheadQualitative CPU and memory impact; actual overhead varies by workload and configuration. | Low | High |
| IAM Permission AnalysisAnalyze identity and access management permissions. | Full | Not specified |
| Obfuscated Sensitive Data DiscoveryDiscover sensitive data that has been obscured or transformed. | Full | Not specified |
| Database schema scanningInspect database schemas. | Full | Not specified |
| Blocking in cloud environmentsApply database query blocking in cloud environments. | Full | Not specified |
| Overprivileged access identificationIdentify identities with more access than they need. | Full | Not specified |
Data flow & lineage
Understand how sensitive data moves between services and external destinations.
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| Live Data LineageReal-time flow: origin → movement → egress | Full | Not available |
| Cross-Service Flow MappingData movement between microservices/apps | Full | Not available |
| Third-Party / Egress VisibilityDetect PII flowing to external vendors | Full | Not available |
| API / network-level tracingRuntime tracing through OS-level telemetry. | Full | Not available |
| DPIA Support via Data MapsAuto-generated data maps for DPIA | Full | Partial |
Privacy & data maps
Compare support for Records of Processing Activities (RoPA) and Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA).
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| RoPA AutomationAuto-generate Records of Processing Activities | Full | Partial |
| DPIA SupportData Protection Impact Assessment reports | Full | Partial |
| Live Data MapsReal-time visibility for privacy officers | Full | Not available |
| Regulation coverageSupport across the regulations and standards assessed below. | Full | Full |
Data subject requests
Compare data discovery and workflow support for data subject access requests (DSARs).
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| DSAR FulfilmentLocate a data subject's data across all assets | Full | Partial |
| Automated DSAR WorkflowEnd-to-end DSAR request handling | Partial | Not available |
| Cross-Cloud DSAR CoverageStructured + unstructured + SaaS | Full | Partial |
AI security
Explore model telemetry, agent protocols, identities, and data access governance.
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| AI-SPMSecurity posture management for AI systems | Full | Not available |
| LLM / Model-layer MonitoringRuntime telemetry of LLM inputs/outputs/RAG | Full | Not available |
| MCP / ACP / A2A protocol visibilityVisibility into Model Context Protocol, Agent Communication Protocol, and Agent2Agent communications. | Full | Not available |
| AI Agent Identity BindingLink AI agent actions to real identities | Full | Not available |
| Shadow AI DetectionDiscover unauthorised AI usage of data | Full | Not available |
| Prompt Injection / Data Egress DetectionDetect PII leaking via AI prompts | Full | Not available |
| GenAI / LLM Access GovernanceControl which data AI can access | Full | Not available |
Compliance support
Compare support for compliance workflows and control templates. These ratings do not represent certifications.
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| GDPR | Full | Full |
| DPDPA (India) | Full | Full |
| PCI-DSS | Full | Full |
| SOX | Full | Full |
| HIPAA | Partial | Full |
| RBI / SEBI (India) | Full | Partial |
| Prebuilt compliance templates | Full | Full |
Deployment
Review architecture and deployment options against your environment.
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS / Cloud-native Deployment | Full | Partial |
| On-premises deployment | Full | Full |
| eBPF-based monitoring architecture | Full | Not available |
| Kubernetes / container-native support | Full | Partial |
| Monitoring without application API / SDK instrumentationWhether monitoring can be deployed without application API or SDK instrumentation. | Full | Not available |
Ownership considerations
Qualitative infrastructure requirements from Aurva’s assessment. Actual resource needs and costs depend on your deployment.
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware requirements for DAM | Low | Very High |
| Hardware requirements for high availability | Low | Very High |
| Application traffic collection approachSource assessment of application traffic collection; this is not a measure of feature availability. | Native integration | Uses CloudWatch |
Company & commercial context
Compare primary focus, India readiness, and commercial models.
| Capability / attribute | Aurva | IBM Guardium |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Market Focus | Cloud-native, AI-era security | Enterprise DB security |
| India / DPDPA ReadinessIndia-focused compliance support in this assessment. | FullBuilt-in | Full |
| Pricing Model | Subscription / SaaS | Enterprise License |
Why teams choose Aurva
Where Aurva stands apart from IBM Guardium.
Aurva gives security teams a more direct path from database activity to the identity, sensitive data, and downstream movement behind it.
- Deploy eBPF-based monitoring without database agents or application-side SDK instrumentation, across cloud and on-premises environments.
- Replace batch-oriented posture and audit-log reconstruction with runtime DSPM and live data lineage.
- See human, service, and AI agent access in one identity-aware view, including MCP, ACP, and A2A protocol activity.
Your environment. Your priorities.
See how Aurva fits your data stack.
Walk through the capabilities that matter to your team with an Aurva specialist.
