Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual - PAYG
Cisco Systems, Inc.External reviews
128 reviews
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Strong threat protection improves server reliability and needs better management
What is our primary use case?
We use Cisco Secure Firewall for our servers, protecting data centers, and limiting the ports and threats. We have various web servers hosted in our data center, and to protect them from external threats, we use the firewall.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Cisco Secure Firewall include the next-generation firewall and its strong anti-malware capabilities. These features protect internal servers from external threats, such as denial of service threats, viruses, and malware. Additionally, Cisco checks and stops traffic containing new threats, taking steps to mitigate them. When our servers are secure, their speed is very good using Cisco Secure Firewall. We do not face any kind of delay or issues, allowing more users to connect seamlessly.
What needs improvement?
Cisco Secure Firewall is difficult to manage as it lacks a web interface for management, requiring installation of management center software on a dedicated computer or server. Should the management software be removed, it needs to be reinstalled, consuming time and resources. Moreover, the configuration commands are not user-friendly, especially when compared to Fortinet's interface. The process of licensing is complicated, involving many steps to obtain and enter the license key. This process should be simplified.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been working with Cisco Secure Firewall for about five to six years.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is not very good because when support is requested, assistance often takes a few days to arrive as they are quite busy.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used software firewalls running on Linux. We switched because they were not next-generation firewalls and did not provide antivirus and malware protection.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing process for Cisco Secure Firewall is convoluted, involving many steps to request and enter a license key. In contrast, Fortinet or other firewalls offer a simpler process where you just need to enter the key quickly.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco Secure Firewall could improve in areas like user-friendliness and cost-effectiveness, as it is very costly and difficult to manage. I would rate it seven out of ten, but I would recommend other firewalls due to its high cost and complexity.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Delivers strong threat prevention and good VPN but has configuration complexity
What is our primary use case?
The solution is used in a normal enterprise-level configuration. It has effectively worked as a perimeter firewall. Our VPN was also configured on it.
What is most valuable?
The threat prevention is better than FortiGate, but it is less effective than Palo Alto. The VPN functionality is consistent, and the performance is good.
What needs improvement?
Cisco Firewall is not user-friendly. They complicate simple configurations, requiring multiple steps. Compared to Palo Alto and FortiGate, it is not as effective. Cisco Firewalls require FMC for management.
If you have a small to medium-sized office with only a few firewalls, you can deploy and manage them without FMC. However, without FMC, it is not fully functional, limiting the features available. You cannot use the asterisk value in address objects in Cisco.
In other firewalls, hovering over an object displays details like the IP address. With Cisco, you need to access the object to see inside details. Cisco should improve this aspect. The NAT process is handled differently, which I do not like. Obtaining support is challenging compared to FortiGate and Palo Alto.
Although knowledge-wise they are good, obtaining technical support and involving an engineer in a troubleshooting call is a challenge.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used the solution for almost two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalable performance is good, however, the voice communication is not effective. Compared to FortiGate and Palo Alto, it lags in configuration and other aspects.
How are customer service and support?
Knowledge-wise, they are good, however, obtaining technical support and involving an engineer in a troubleshooting call is a challenge.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
How was the initial setup?
The deployment was a normal activity, similar to how enterprises operate. It worked as a perimeter firewall, and our VPN was configured on it. The installation took approximately half a day.
What other advice do I have?
For mid-sized organizations, I do not recommend it. For ISPs or data centers, I would recommend it due to its good performance and hardware capabilities. Their hardware can handle substantial amounts of data without causing latency. I recommend it for ISP or data center. For enterprise purposes, I do not recommend it.
I rate the overall solution seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Enhances security with precise access control but has integration challenges
What is our primary use case?
I implemented the product which provides end-to-end networking and security features. It starts with secure tunneling, and I performed micro-segmentation in the firewall specific to a particular customer environment. It offers comprehensive security as well as networking features that I have enabled.
What is most valuable?
The software was mainly the highlight. Most firewalls have a challenge of identifying keywords and providing restricted access, which I encountered. However, Cisco Firewall has very good features, like trusted applications and restricted access for users based on keywords. I could access it appropriately, unlike some firewalls where this is a challenge. Essentially, the restricted access to websites has been exceptional. I was in the life science industry, focusing heavily on compliance. This product meets compliance requirements, and the security process has improved. Stability and consistent performance are critical components of Cisco's product.
What needs improvement?
The integration, especially for APIs or with other firewall products, is a challenge for me. In some satellite sites where large firewalls are not involved, I used Cisco Meraki. The integration between Cisco products themselves presents difficulties, such as SD-WAN configuration. Managing centralized networking with Cisco is challenging for me in terms of integration with other firewall products.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used the solution for almost four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and performs well.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability presents a challenge. There is commercial involvement and several factors, making it complex for me. I would rate scalability seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is unsatisfactory for me. There might be restructuring within Cisco India or with the partner's capability. Whenever I encounter a technical support challenge, it is not an easy process. Even with premium support, it is a struggle. I have to provide many logs, yet problems remain unresolved, often requiring workarounds rather than solutions.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not simple as it is all based on my requirements. If the requirement or site is predominantly complex, specialist involvement is necessary. However, for a vanilla installation, it is fine - just not easy.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have assessed and decided to move on to Sophos. Sophos's support is excellent compared to Cisco and other products, with their technical support team based in South India. I have received a lot of good feedback about it.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the product six out of ten. Because of the support and cost, I moved away from Cisco, but otherwise, it is a good product. Recommendation depends on the requirement. If lacking a proper team and being dependent on the OEM and partner, Cisco is not suitable.
However, if the team is qualified with Cisco-certified people and the requirement is a big network, it can be considered. In today's hybrid work world, having an expanded gateway is more typical than having a single one. Thus, Cisco is unlikely to be recommended for a hybrid requirement unless in-house skills align. Otherwise, depending on partners and Cisco, it can be a risk.
I rate the overall solution six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Great performance with advanced features yet management system needs updating
What is our primary use case?
I am a system engineer, and I've been looking for some details and competitive information regarding the standards of this firewall and similar technologies.
What is most valuable?
There is a good relationship between real throughput, meaning the root performance, and the data sheet performance. When comparing it to other vendors, the data sheet performance is often more than expected and more than the real performance. It includes features like IPS, malware protection, and other security features.
What needs improvement?
The management usability and security of Cisco Firewall are based on Firepower Management Center, which is quite out of date compared to other vendors.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used this solution for more than ten years.
How are customer service and support?
The SLA is great, and the escalation process is also great. For example, if I have a priority one case, I am able to call the manager to raise the severity, etc. So the SLA is very good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
When compared with other competitors like Palo Alto or Fortinet, Cisco stands in a good position regarding the firewall environment. Compared to Fortinet, Cisco is a bit higher. When comparing with Palata and Juniper, Cisco has the same price level.
How was the initial setup?
I am well prepared, and it is quite easy. Cisco has really great documentation, like a deployment guide and a quick start guide, etc.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
What other advice do I have?
If engineers are well prepared, it is good to note that Cisco has really great documentation. I have been working with AI features in the Cisco environment with Cisco Firewall, etc. I have been hearing and reading a lot about the integration of AI capabilities into Cisco devices, but I have not worked with that yet.
Overall, I would rate this an eight out of ten.
Cisco firewall review
What do you like best about the product?
Simplified management which enables us to manage policies and rules from single console
What do you dislike about the product?
SNMP configuration is too complex. HA broke once when we performed the upgrade.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Flags specific network traffic patterns which is helpful and ease
Has an easy installation process, but the integration capabilities with various applications need improvement
What is our primary use case?
Cisco Secure Firewall is a next-generation firewall that can be used for various security applications.
What is most valuable?
The advantage of using Cisco is its integration within the Cisco fabric, which allows for effective threat detection and mitigation.
What needs improvement?
Cisco could improve its score by developing more features that integrate seamlessly with various applications and investing in hardware acceleration to enhance performance.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable with minimal glitches or latency issues.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is easy to install, requiring minimal expertise. Deployment time varies, but it can take about two days for a medium-sized company with 200-300 users to configure and install.
What was our ROI?
After five years of product usage, the high return on investment and low total cost of ownership can be observed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing depends on partnerships and certifications. The engineering team's certifications can qualify it for seven to eight percent discounts.
What other advice do I have?
The platform's integration capabilities depend on the project context. In some cases, integrating Palo Alto may provide better performance, but Cisco can still be effective.
However, its classification in industry comparisons, such as those from Gartner, is lower than that of competitors like FortiGate and Palo Alto.
Overall, I rate it seven out of ten.
Provides IPS intrusion prevention, anti-malware, and anti-spam
How has it helped my organization?
Cisco Secure Firewall has impacted our cybersecurity cost efficiency.
What is most valuable?
The important features are IPS intrusion prevention, anti-malware, and anti-spam.
What needs improvement?
Cisco firewall needs experience with hardware. They should also enhance security antivirus, application detection, user detection, and ID detection.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Secure Firewall for three years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
300 users are using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
The support is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy, but it takes some time to push the configurations. Also, it's a little complicated and not friendly to use. It is good only for IT and experienced people.
The deployment took two months and a team of two to three people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is average.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution to medium and enterprise customers since it is expensive.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Used for deep packet inspection, Internet Edge functionality, IDS, and IDP
What is our primary use case?
I deployed the Cisco Secure Firewall at the Internet Edge for the most part.
What is most valuable?
We use the solution for deep packet inspection, Internet Edge functionality, IDS, and IDP.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s GUI could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Secure Firewall for six years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Secure Firewall is a scalable solution that allows you to add capacity.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution’s pricing is competitive.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution's ease of management and configuration an eight out of ten. I would recommend Cisco Secure Firewall to other users based on what they want it for and a combination of price point and supportability.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Enables us to have network segmentation
What is our primary use case?
Our use for Cisco Secure is for the firewall.
What is most valuable?
Network segmentation is the most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
The dashboard can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Secure Firewall for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. A thousand-plus users are using the solution in my company.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing is high.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.
Offers good reliability and great integration capabilities
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution in my company for some internal testing purposes, so I don't use it in a real environment. I use it in my dummy lab environment.
What needs improvement?
The product's user interface is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required.
From an improvement perspective, the product's price needs to be lowered.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Secure Firewall for three years. I am a customer of Cisco.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have faced no issues with the stability of the product. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product offers good scalability.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have experience with Sophos.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase is a little difficult.
The product's deployment phase is a good and easy process.
The solution is deployed on the cloud.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I can't describe a particular scenario where the product has improved security, but I can say that the devices from Cisco are much more trustworthy and reliable compared to other devices in the market.
The most effective feature of the product for threat prevention stems from the granularity of the control that the devices from Cisco provide to its users.
The product offers great integration capabilities.
For our company's daily operations, the user interface provided by Sophos is much better and interactive compared to the one offered by Cisco.
You can choose Sophos if you want a low-budget or budget-friendly product. You can choose Cisco if you want a high-end and highly scalable tool with great integration capabilities, especially if budget is not an issue.
I rate the overall tool an eight out of ten.
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