We performed a comparison between Cisco IOS Security and Cisco Secure Firewall based on real PeerSpot user reviews.
Find out in this report how the two Firewalls solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
"FortiGate Secure SD-WAN includes best-of-breed next-generation firewall (NGFW) security, SD-WAN, advanced routing, and WAN optimization capabilities, delivering a security-driven networking WAN edge transformation in a unified offering."
"It works very well. It has a lot of different functionalities. Its cost is also fine for our customers."
"The security features that they have are quite good. On top of that, their licensing model is quite nice where they don't charge you anything for the SD-WAN functionality for the firewall."
"The solution is easy to configure and maintain remotely."
"Secure, user-friendly, stable, and scalable network security solution. Installation is straightforward."
"The stability of the solution is excellent, as it is with other Fortinet products."
"Whenever I need something, Fortinet improves and updates the software for me."
"Fortinet FortiGate is a scalable solution."
"There is a positive impact on security, particularly the intrusion feature, which helps keep the solution concealed and secure."
"The stability of this solution is excellent."
"Completely integrates branch offices with perimeter security."
"It covers everything we need it to without looking to secondary solutions."
"One of the main features is that the hardware is extremely reliable."
"The solution is easy to use."
"Cisco IOS Security increases the overall security of our network, performs authentication, and provides level 15 access and privileges."
"We use Cisco IOS Security mostly for routers to route off the firewall. It's a next-generation device."
"The whole firewall functionality, including firewall policies and IPS policies, is valuable. It has all kinds of functionalities. It has IPS, VPN, and other features. They are doing quite a lot of stuff with their devices."
"I haven't had any major problems so I haven't had to open a ticket with technical support."
"In v9.8 you are able to do active/backup HA with ASAv (Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance) deployed on MS Azure."
"The stability of the solution is very good. We can see that it gets even better with every release."
"The fact that we can use Firepower Management Center gives us visibility. It allows us to see and manage the traffic that is going through the network."
"Its VPN and ASN features are very stable."
"The stability is very good; there's no vagueness. Either it works or it doesn't, and it's also very easy to find out why."
"The most valuable feature must be AnyConnect. We have quite a few customers who use it. It is easy to use and the stablest thing that we have. We have experienced some issues on all our VPN clients, but AnyConnect has been the stablest one."
"Some of the web policy reports could be improved."
"Lacks training for new features."
"I haven't had a single issue since using Fortinet."
"The cloud management and automation capability could be improved."
"Its filtering is sometimes too precise or strict. We sometimes have to bypass and authorize some of the sites, but they get blocked. We know that they are trusted sites, but they are blocked, and we don't know why."
"There are mainly two areas of improvement in Fortinet FortiGate— the licensing cost and the timing of upgrading licenses for boxes."
"The command line is complicated, and the interface could be better."
"Fortinet could improve the windows opener or the virtual IP solutions for opening windows. The virtual IP settings need improvement as firewalls are trending in new development directions."
"While Cisco IOS Security is stable and scalable, I would like to see it improved to be even better."
"We need to pay for the license and it is expensive."
"We cannot directly upgrade the system. The tool's deployment is also very difficult in legacy environments. The tool needs to have bigger ports as well."
"Cisco is a scalable product, but it is expensive compared to other vendors."
"I think setup could be one area for improvement, because sometimes we don't have people inside so we have to move to the place."
"If they could increase the performance a little better because the device sometimes gets slow."
"The solution is not user friendly and it is hard to manage the GUI interface."
"Cisco IOS Security should improve its functionalities."
"It's not unexpected, but it's a common scenario where customers request dual layers of security. For instance, when dealing with regulatory compliance, especially in financial sectors regulated by entities like the Central Bank, having two distinct units is often mandated. If a client predominantly uses a solution like Palo Alto, they may need to incorporate another vendor such as Cisco or Forti. Importantly, there's a significant disparity in interfaces and management platforms between these vendors, necessitating careful consideration when integrating them into the overall security architecture"
"The user interface is too complex for people who are not trained to or certified to engage with the product. The interface should be easier to use."
"UTM features would be nice or some NextGen features."
"The one thing that the ASAs don't have is a central management point. We have a lot of our environments on FTD right now. So, we are using a Firewall Management Center (FMC) to manage all those. The ASAs don't really have that, but they are easy to use if you physically go into them and manage them."
"Its user interface is good, but it could be better. Currently, you have to know what to do before you can manage a device. If you don't know what to do, you can mess things up. There are some devices that are easier, such as FortiGate. The user interface of FortiGate is more intuitive. It is very easy to log in and configure things."
"I wouldn't give them a ten. Nobody is perfect. I'll give them a nine because they help me with any issues I've had."
"In my experience, a number of engineers get tunnel vision with devices. This is exacerbated by vendors fostering a silo mentality in disciplines."
"Technical support takes a long time to respond."
Cisco IOS Security is ranked 22nd in Firewalls with 47 reviews while Cisco Secure Firewall is ranked 4th in Firewalls with 404 reviews. Cisco IOS Security is rated 8.0, while Cisco Secure Firewall is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Cisco IOS Security writes "User-friendly and excels in documentation, making it easier to resolve issues". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cisco Secure Firewall writes "Highlights and helps us catch Zero-day vulnerabilities traveling across our network". Cisco IOS Security is most compared with Meraki MX, Fortinet FortiOS, Netgate pfSense, OPNsense and Palo Alto Networks URL Filtering with PAN-DB, whereas Cisco Secure Firewall is most compared with Palo Alto Networks WildFire, Netgate pfSense, Meraki MX, Sophos XG and Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. See our Cisco IOS Security vs. Cisco Secure Firewall report.
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We monitor all Firewalls reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.
