Vigilance vs CrowdStrike FileVantage

What CrowdStrike FileVantage Does Well

Falcon FileVantage is the file integrity monitoring (FIM) product from CrowdStrike. It uses the same lightweight agent as the rest of the Falcon platform. It watches the creation, change and deletion of files, folders and registry entries, and it gives central dashboards for those changes. Source: the FileVantage data sheet.

FileVantage adds context from the Falcon platform. CrowdStrike says it joins file changes with detection data and threat intelligence. It also notifies you when similar changes happen on files across several hosts. Teams can use predefined or custom policies and groups to cut alert fatigue.

For a company that already runs Falcon, this is a short step. The agent is on the machines and the console is in use. FIM becomes one more module and not one more product to roll out. A security operations team gets file changes in the same place as its other alerts.

FileVantage dashboards show changes across the organisation in one place. A security lead can see which hosts changed which files and when, and can search that history during an incident.

Where It Falls Short

FileVantage tells you that a file changed and gives context about the change. It does not describe a check of what the changed file can now do. A normal update changes many files, so a change alert alone gives a long list to read.

The product depends on the Falcon agent and a Falcon subscription. A machine without the agent has no FileVantage. A shop that does not use CrowdStrike cannot adopt it by itself.

The Falcon pricing page does not list a FileVantage price. It lists per-device prices for the Falcon Go, Pro and Enterprise bundles, and says to contact sales for FileVantage. Per-device pricing also grows with every machine you add.

A file change alert also needs a baseline and a policy about which paths matter. Someone must decide what to watch. Vigilance needs no policy and no list of paths, because it records every file on its first run.

Feature Comparison

FileVantage reports file changes through the Falcon agent, and Vigilance reports new capabilities in files. The table shows how they differ.

When CrowdStrike FileVantage Is the Better Fit

Choose FileVantage if you already run Falcon on your fleet. The agent is there, and one console shows file changes next to your other detections.

Choose FileVantage if you need continuous watching of a live machine, including registry entries. Vigilance does not watch registry keys.

Choose FileVantage if your SOC wants change alerts joined with CrowdStrike detection data. That context is the strength of the product.

Choose FileVantage if your compliance work asks for continuous file monitoring evidence. A tool that watches live paths all the time gives a record of every change. Vigilance does not keep a live watch.

Reading a Change Alert Versus Reading a Capability

A change alert says a file is different. On a patch day many files differ, and each one raises an alert that someone must read.

A capability line says what the difference lets the file do. Take a library update that adds a hidden step to unpack and run a program. A change alert shows a file that changed. Vigilance shows that the file can now run hidden code. The xz example above is this case.

Vigilance shows nothing on a normal update. A file appears only when it gained a capability such as reaching the network, running a command or reading a secret.

Running Vigilance Next to Falcon

Vigilance needs no agent and no console. It is one binary. You can run it on a machine that already has the Falcon sensor, and the two do not depend on each other.

Use FileVantage for the live watch of important paths. Use Vigilance when a new version arrives. Compare the version you trust with the new one before you install it, or compare a machine against its earlier record.

Fleet owners can enrol a machine with one line from Intune, Jamf, a GPO or an image. Each machine writes its own signed receipt into a folder you already back up. One command turns that folder into one page that lists every machine that went quiet.

This is a different design from a cloud console. It suits a team that wants no new agent and no new login.

What to Ask Before You Choose

Ask whether the Falcon agent is already on every machine you care about. If it is, FileVantage is a short step. If not, you must roll out an agent first.

Ask whether you need registry monitoring. FileVantage covers registry entries. Vigilance does not watch the registry.

Ask how many machines you will cover. Falcon bundles are priced per device, so cost grows with the fleet. Vigilance prices flat for the company.

Ask how you will judge a changed file. A change alert shows that it differs. Decide who reads the change and how they learn what the file can now do.

Pricing

CrowdStrike does not list a FileVantage price on its pricing page. That page lists per-device prices for the Falcon Go, Pro and Enterprise bundles, and says FileVantage needs a call to sales. CrowdStrike offers a 15-day free trial of Falcon products. Source: CrowdStrike pricing.

Vigilance has a Free plan at $0 with the full scanner for up to 50 machines. Free needs a network and sends a signed report of hashes and capabilities only. A name, an email or a file is sent only if you opt in, and each one needs its own yes. Pro works with no network at all. It is flat for the whole company, starts at $999 CAD a month, and the price steps with company size, not with the machine count. Vigilance does not price by endpoint.

Which One Do You Need?

FileVantage fits a fleet that already runs Falcon. Vigilance runs on its own and shows the file that gained a capability.

Read how the two sit among other options in software supply chain security tools, or see real attacks that Vigilance replays.

Known Risk versus New Risk