We compared Cisco Umbrella and Palo Alto Networks DNS across several parameters based on our users' reviews. After reading the collected data, you can find our conclusion below:
Features: Cisco Umbrella is highly regarded for its seamless integration with existing infrastructure, extensive range of security features, and ability to centrally manage security. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is commended for its autofocus functionality, robust defense against emerging DNS threats, and proactive detection of cybercriminal activities.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Umbrella could enhance security by adding a transferring proxy feature and improving its Linux agent for Linux-based companies. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security has the potential to improve app detection and offer higher levels of security and scalability.
Ease of Deployment: Cisco Umbrella's setup is simple and can be completed in around 30 minutes. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security also has a straightforward setup, but it may be more complex than some solutions due to its unique security approach. The deployment time for Palo Alto Networks DNS Security varies depending on the individual requirements of each customer.
Service and Support: Customers have praised Cisco Umbrella's support, describing it as excellent and superior to the customer service of other vendors. Customers find Palo Alto Networks DNS Security's customer service team knowledgeable and helpful but note that there may be some challenges when seeking support outside regular working hours due to time zone differences.
Pricing: The cost of Cisco Umbrella differs based on the specific needs and approach of the customer, with flexible pricing and transparent charges. It is seen as both reasonable and competitive by some, but a few perceive it as costly. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is affordable for educational establishments, although one user noted that it isn't the least expensive solution.
ROI: Cisco Umbrella has proven to be a valuable investment by addressing maintenance concerns, reducing expenses associated with hardware updates, and effectively thwarting threats. It offers enhanced visibility and aids in remediation efforts. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security has enhanced visibility and protection in previously deficient areas.
Comparison Results: Users appreciate Cisco Umbrella for its easy setup, extensive security features, and ability to centrally manage security. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security stands out for its autofocus capability, proactive identification of cybercriminal threats, and versatility as an antivirus and inspection tool. Cisco Umbrella could improve its Linux agent, while Palo Alto Networks DNS Security could enhance its app detection and provide a higher level of protection. Both products are considered to be reasonably priced, but some users find Cisco Umbrella to be costly. Both products earned high marks for customer service and support.
"If it didn't have a single pane of glass, we would not be using it. The single pane of glass gives you a one-stop shop. It's like going to Home Depot. You find all your stuff there. You can see all your threats and your endpoints. It's a very important feature and makes things very simple."
"I think recently with many people working from home, Cisco Umbrella has been very useful. For example, we can manage the device and the network when the employee is not working on the local host. Cisco Umbrella is very valuable for this kind of infrastructure."
"Umbrella has helped my IT staff in two ways. First, our security team was able to get more insights into the users, their devices, and the sites they browse. Second, our system administration team was able to manage DNS resolutions in a way that is more accessible and less intrusive to our domain system."
"The primary advantage of Cisco Umbrella is its ability to safeguard our users no matter where they are working from - whether it's in the office or remotely, as per the new work model that has emerged globally. This integrated security solution has simplified our lives by combining all the necessary security measures in one product. Additionally, deploying the product is all it takes to protect all our users."
"I have found the malware protection feature valuable. It is helpful and deliverable and is able to protect my entire organization from getting compromised. It also prevents us from visiting any malicious sites which are not visible to the users."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is its reliability."
"It makes it really easy to accomplish content filtering. We don't have to do a lot of customization. You just click the box for the content category and it's up to date."
"It has the ability to quickly block new threats."
"DNS sinkhole is a valuable feature."
"DNS security is required to filter out the DNS traffic, any DNS-based attacks, DNS DDoS attacks, and DNS amplification attacks."
"When comparing other cloud-based DNS security solutions to this one I have found the main beneficial feature in this solution to be we do not need to change our architecture."
"We now have insight into our DNS requests and we can actively see how many thousands of malicious requests have gotten knocked down in the last day or week that we didn't have before. There's more insight for both security and more insight."
"So, in general, it's very stable because the process to deliver new features and new releases in not so long...I rate the scalability a nine out of ten."
"The most valuable features of the solution are DNSSEC and the domain generation algorithm."
"The product is easy to install."
"I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten."
"If you wish to inspect all the traffic and it's integrated with Cisco AnyConnect, all the traffic basically goes through Cisco AnyConnect, which is not a good idea. That means you need to have more internet capacity as a data sampler, so in the case of a split tunnel, we cannot inspect the traffic that is being migrated through the local internet. I'm not sure whether there is a possibility wherein Cisco Umbrella can also inspect the traffic that is outside the AnyConnect tunnel."
"It has happened in the past that Cisco Umbrella has denied us access to secure websites."
"It's easier for us to have support features with companies who are Cisco representatives, but sometimes, it's hard for us to get the help we need without having to use our contacts within Cisco."
"The pricing changes too fast. We get the license and we need to relicense it because they already made changes to it. We always need to be on top of the licenses because they're always changing."
"If we're trying to deploy it to a Mac through Meraki, it's impossible. The method of deployment for a Mac, and the features available in Meraki, are not compatible at all."
"I would like to see more integration between Cisco Umbrella and Cisco DNA Center."
"It would be useful if they had a malware protection engine running inside their own VM."
"There is room for improvement in the dashboard. It could stand to be a bit more detailed. I would also like to be able to customize the dashboard to focus more on what is important for my company."
"The scalability can be improved."
"We would like to have cloud-based management."
"With Palo Alto Networks DNS Security, sometimes the DNS clients don't work well, and they get disconnected, making it an area where improvements are required."
"Pricing is one of the areas of concern in Palo Alto Networks DNS Security since it is an expensive product. I feel that the product's pricing is an area that could be improved."
"Every vendor that sells DNS or firewalls needs to be able to protect against DNS look-up attacks and DNS naming hacks. This is true of Palo Alto as well as others."
"The installation is more complex because the solution has another approach to security."
"The solution can capture more market if made more cost-competitive than Infoblox or Cisco Umbrella."
"The product should provide email protection."
More Palo Alto Networks DNS Security Pricing and Cost Advice →
Cisco Umbrella is ranked 1st in Domain Name System (DNS) Security with 108 reviews while Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is ranked 4th in Domain Name System (DNS) Security with 12 reviews. Cisco Umbrella is rated 8.8, while Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is rated 8.6. The top reviewer of Cisco Umbrella writes "Protects endpoints wherever they are, always pushing people to the right locations to avoid malicious intent". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Palo Alto Networks DNS Security writes "A highly stable and cost-effective DNS solution". Cisco Umbrella is most compared with Zscaler Internet Access, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet FortiGate SWG and Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection, whereas Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is most compared with Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection, Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense, EfficientIP DNS Firewall, DNSFilter and Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise. See our Cisco Umbrella vs. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security report.
See our list of best Domain Name System (DNS) Security vendors.
We monitor all Domain Name System (DNS) Security 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.