Cisco Web Security Appliance vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway comparison

Cancel
You must select at least 2 products to compare!
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary
Updated on Jun 11, 2023

We performed a comparison between Cisco Web Security Appliance and Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway based on real PeerSpot user reviews in five categories. After reading all of the collected data, you can find our conclusion below.

  • Ease of Deployment: The setup experience for Cisco Web Security Appliance can be complicated and time-consuming, with potential limitations and restrictions for users. In contrast, Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is generally straightforward and easy to implement, thanks to its SaaS solution. Netskope can also be implemented in-house with external help, whereas Cisco requires a team of engineers.
  • Features: Cisco Web Security Appliance has impressive features including user-friendly scalability, anti-malware protection, and SSL decryption. It also boasts of a highly valued policy framing and UI, and integrates with Active Directory. On the other hand, Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway falls short in offering comparable features.
  • Pricing: Cisco Web Security Appliance and Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway both have licensing fees based on the number of users. Cisco is known for being pricey, while Netskope is considered above average in cost for this type of solution. However, Netskope's total cost is less expensive than other standard web security options.
  • Service and Support: Cisco Web Security Appliance has excellent customer service with responsive and helpful support. On the other hand, Netskope's support team is knowledgeable but can be slow to respond.
  • ROI: The ROI for Cisco Web Security Appliance is unclear as it is part of a bigger package, but it does offer important security advantages. On the other hand, Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway's ROI primarily comes from the security benefits it provides.

Comparison Results: The Cisco Web Security Appliance is the preferred choice over the Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway due to its more comprehensive features, including SSL decryption, policy framing, and integration with Active Directory. Users praise the technical support for both products, but the Cisco product is considered more stable and user-friendly. The pricing structure of the Cisco product is also seen as more reasonable, with a one-time licensing fee and subscription-based options available, while the Netskope product is deemed expensive and requires the purchase of physical appliances.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"On the outside, the main differentiation is because Lookout ingest. They have ingested basically all of the apps for the last ten years and all the versions of all the apps, and we have that in a corporate database that allows us to do very large-scale machine learning and analysis on that data set. That's not something that any of the competitors really have the capability to do because they don't have access to the data set. A lot of the apps you can no longer get them because that version of the app is five or six years old, and it just doesn't exist anywhere anymore, except within our infrastructure. So, the ability to have that very rich dataset and learn from that dataset is a real differentiator.""The most valuable features are the antivirus as a whole, the anti-malware, and all of the protection features that scan our enterprise devices.""The solution is stable.""The protection offered by the product is the most valuable feature. It detects vulnerabilities or traps on our users' phones and then prompts them to clean up their devices. Tools we used previously would only discover, which required us to gather information on the backend, so Lookout is a welcome upgrade."

More Lookout Pros →

"Cisco is the best in giving technical support. There is no doubt about that.""The solution provides good web reputation and anti-malware protection.""I would recommend this solution to others.""Cisco regularly upgrades features for the customer's security requirements.""The product is stable.""The technical support is good. It is reactive and the documentation is very specific and very useful.""The tool has good Umbrella DNS security.""What we liked best about it was the ability to apply policy to either a user ID or an IP-based network."

More Cisco Web Security Appliance Pros →

"The solution has some useful features, such as microservices. They have sandboxing that allows the prevention, encryption, and remote browser isolation.""There are a lot of features, but the groups that are created for the policy groups available with Netskope are already relevant to any industry. So grouping the policies is the easiest part and a valuable feature.""One of the valuable features of the solution is that everything is on the cloud. It has no on-premise hardware to deal with.""It is for secure web trafficking, and it is doing what it needs to do. It allows customers to consolidate and eliminate multiple technologies onto Netskope and just kind of turn the dial and use more features, such as CASB, VPN. SWG is another feature. You can monitor and govern all the traffic.""The solution offers good security functionality.""As Netskope is a cloud-based application, it is possible to analyze and distinguish personal and enterprise instances.""Prevents data leakage and protects data.""The solution's CASB, DLP, and threat protection features are very good."

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway Pros →

Cons
"Lookout was moving into the SSE space. And so their work on SecureWeb Gateway and SD-WAN is still sort of evolving.""We just submitted an enhancement request reflecting the main area we want to see improvement in; the APIs. Currently, we're able to build dashboards, but it's somewhat backward because we use our MDM API to create them. Lookout should provide API to customers so we can query our data and use it in our cloud, and this is the only outstanding area for improvement with the product right now.""From the analysis that we've done, they do seem to be maybe a step behind in trying to enter the market with a new solution. But when they do pick up, they do come out with some good products.""The stability depends on the service from where you access it. Because sometimes, the place you are in, you have Gateway. You don't have Gateway. The gateway is overutilized. At the end, you need to go through their gateways. And this is the key point here. You have a tracking point. If it's not well orchestrated, and it scales up as you add more to the existing team, you will suffer"

More Lookout Cons →

"Setting up Cisco Web Security Appliance is highly complex and it takes about a week. We have to connect it to the Active Directory and configure all the policies for end users. It takes a long time to configure rules for our company data like port forwarding and separating the public and local components.""Customer support is good but could be improved.""The one thing I don't like about Cisco is that they are very much fragmented in terms of providing the complete solution. They keep on breaking their different feature sets into different boxes.""There are certain shortcomings related to the product's management capabilities, where improvements are required. The solution needs to provide better management of the category of web pages.""They need a better graphical interface, and they need a better ISE mechanism.""The solution could improve the graphical user interface. It is not up to the regular standard of what we would expect from Cisco. Additionally, they need to improve the categorization when blocking in the settings. The CLI could have a better view than the graphical user interface but I did not investigate further.""WSA is lacking firewall features.""The tool needs to provide logs. They need to improve firewall threat defense."

More Cisco Web Security Appliance Cons →

"Improvement in the solution is required in certain areas where the product does not provide access to its direct end users, who use the portal as an administrator.""Netskope can only provide the high level related to threats.""The solution could improve the features for Zero Trust Network Access. They should add more security components to that module.""The solution lacks a good reporting feature.""The solution needs to improve its on-premise detection technique.""They should work on marketing material to put out their work with a little more effort.""The initial setup is a bit complex in that it takes a lot of time. In order to get the product to work as you need it to, there is a lot of configuration required.""The accuracy could be improved."

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The pricing is fair; it's comparable to our previous solution, and we carried out multiple POCs and POVs (proof of value). The product is worth the money we pay for it."
  • "Lookout is definitely on the lower end when it comes to price point and that seems to be the only differentiator. The technology is in place in this space and it's really about who is coming in at the better price point now."
  • "In terms of feature performance versus cost, they're a good value."
  • "The licensing costs are good. Prisma has much more options and support for security, but it has a higher cost. For example, Lookout costs 2/3rd of Prisma's licensing price."
  • More Lookout Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The pricing is too high."
  • "When you compare the price of this solution to the price of FortiGate, it's high."
  • "I know from the manager that the price is too high and that other solutions offer the same features for less."
  • "Licensing fees are based on the number of users."
  • "Regarding Cisco price-wise, it is always on a bit on the higher side."
  • "Cisco Web Security Appliance is not the cheapest solution on the market, but it's well worth it."
  • "This is an expensive solution."
  • "The solution's cost depends on how many users you purchase. It was maybe $3 or $5 per user, which is a bit expensive."
  • More Cisco Web Security Appliance Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "We pay a licensing fee of $10,000 on a yearly basis."
  • "The license model is based on the number of users. You have the possibility to have 10,000 users if you wish."
  • "The price is average. Because the license is user-based, you can increase it as per the user quantity."
  • "The solution's overall cost is cheaper than regular web security solutions."
  • "The product is cheap."
  • More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway Pricing and Cost Advice →

    report
    Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Secure Web Gateways (SWG) solutions are best for your needs.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The licensing costs are good. Prisma has much more options and support for security, but it has a higher cost. For… more »
    Top Answer:The solution could improve identity integration as well. Zero trust, it's a good start as a zero-trust solution… more »
    Top Answer:The most valuable features of the solution are the functions of proxy for the users who use the internet and the… more »
    Top Answer:I rate the product price a ten on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price.
    Top Answer:There are certain shortcomings related to the product's management capabilities, where improvements are required. The… more »
    Top Answer:There are a lot of features, but the groups that are created for the policy groups available with Netskope are already… more »
    Top Answer:I would rate the pricing a four out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is very expensive. It is a cheap licensing fee… more »
    Top Answer:There is room for improvement in streamlining policies. If I compare it with other products, the groups and are a little… more »
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    CipherCloud
    Cisco WSA, Cisco Web Security
    Learn More
    Overview

    Lookout is a well-established and powerful secure web gateway (SWG) solution that protects more than 200 million users from threats that can result from the penetration of unsecured web traffic into their networks. Lookout is designed to enable organizations to work remotely while maintaining a tight blanket of security over their confidential business data. It provides administrators with security that extends from their endpoints to the cloud service that they are using to run their organization’s network. 

    Users of Lookout are able to proactively detect threats and keep themselves secure from a field of threats that constantly evolves. IT teams can protect their organizations without having to rely on any other security solutions. This singular solution can run on multiple kinds of mobile devices. The privacy of individuals is preserved while keeping compliance rules intact. Additionally, users gain access to a number of tools that enable them to prevent security breaches from taking place.

    Lookout Benefits

    Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by deploying Lookout include:

    • Ease of deployment. Lookout is a solution whose design makes it easy for users to deploy it. It provides users with simple, step-by-step instructions that remove the need for organizations to devote extensive amounts of time to make sure that it is properly set up. Anyone can quickly set up the solution without undergoing technical training. 
    • Built-in support. Users of the Lookout application have access to built-in demos that can teach them how to use various solution features. Instead of spending time trying to figure out the application, users can watch the demo that is most relevant to them and see for themselves how that particular feature is used.
    • Easy-to-use user interface. Lookout’s user interface is laid out in an intuitive way that makes it easy for administrators to navigate. This interface is present in both the mobile and desktop versions of this solution. 
    • Settings customization. Lookout has a built-in settings customization menu. This makes it possible for administrators to easily customize their settings so that they best conform to their needs. 

    Lookout Features

    • Activity monitoring and activity tracking. Lookout’s activity monitoring and activity tracking capabilities enable users to keep a close eye on the activities that are taking place in their networks. IT teams and administrators have the ability to watch their networks for any unusual activity. These features ensure that organizations can keep ahead of any potential threats. They provide the kinds of insights and warnings that make the jobs of those IT teams and administrators much easier and more streamlined. 
    • Encryption. Organizations that employ Lookout can encrypt their networks and keep crucial business data from being read by unauthorized parties. This feature keeps the secrets organizations are trying to keep out of the wrong hands.
    • Anti-virus tools. Lookout provides users with tools to block threats from harming their networks. These tools can successfully block 99.6 percent of threats without raising false alarms. 

    Cisco Web Security Appliance (WSA) is a web security solution provided by Cisco Systems. It is designed to protect organizations from web-based threats, enforce acceptable use policies, and provide secure access to the internet for users within the organization.

    Cisco Web Security Appliance Benefits:

    • Easy to use
    • Comprehensive security features
    • Blocks malicious websites and prevents data loss
    • Efficient reporting and analytics capabilities
    • Scalable and integrates with other Cisco security products

    Cisco Web Security Appliance Features:

    • Web Filtering: WSA offers web filtering capabilities to control and enforce policies for web access.
    • Malware Protection: The solution incorporates advanced threat intelligence and security technologies to detect and block web-based malware, viruses, spyware, and other malicious content.
    • URL Filtering and Reputation: WSA leverages URL filtering and reputation services to categorize and assess the reputation of web domains and URLs in real-time.
    • SSL/TLS Inspection: The appliance supports SSL/TLS decryption and inspection, allowing organizations to examine encrypted web traffic for threats and enforce security policies.
    • Data Loss Prevention (DLP): WSA includes DLP capabilities to prevent the exfiltration of sensitive data through web channels.
    • Application Control: The solution enables organizations to control and manage web applications and protocols.
    • User Authentication and Access Control: WSA integrates with existing identity providers and authentication mechanisms to enforce user-based policies and provide secure access to the internet.
    • Reporting and Analytics: The appliance provides comprehensive reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing organizations to gain insights into web traffic, user activities, security events, and compliance violations.

    Cisco Web Security Appliance is typically deployed as a physical or virtual appliance within an organization's network infrastructure. It can be integrated with other Cisco security products and solutions to provide a layered approach to web security and network protection.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by Cisco Web Security Appliance users.

    Md Manirul Islam, Deputy General Manager Pre-Sales at Beximcocomputers, states that "The most valuable feature of Cisco Web Security Appliance is the provided anti-malware functionality and URL categorization. I can block access to malicious websites. 99 percent of the cases are related to a malicious website. If I cannot browse those malicious websites, then we are 99 percent protected."

    Surendar Ganesan, Technical Lead, writes that "The best feature of Cisco Web Security Appliance is its policy framing. It also has a good UI and it can handle traffic well. Cisco Web Security Appliance is a good product."

        Atdhe Zyhranaj, Network Security Consultant at NSCON Network Services & Consulting GmbH, says that Cisco Web Security Appliance is "Easy to set up with scalable virtual machines and good reliability."

        Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is a comprehensive cloud-based security solution that provides advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and web filtering capabilities. It offers real-time visibility and control over web traffic, enabling organizations to enforce policies and protect against web-based threats. The solution uses machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect and block advanced threats, including malware, phishing, and ransomware. It also provides granular control over web access, allowing organizations to block or allow specific websites and applications based on user, group, or location. With Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway, organizations can ensure compliance with industry regulations and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or exfiltration. The solution is easy to deploy and manage, with a user-friendly interface and centralized policy management.

        Sample Customers
        New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Caixa Seguradora
        Arrow, Cloudrise, Sainsbury, Evalueserve, Stroock, Apria, Ather Energy, CSA, AVX Corporation Nuna, City of San Diego Case, Genomic Health Case Study, Oak Hill Advisors, MaRS Discovery District.
        Top Industries
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Computer Software Company19%
        Financial Services Firm10%
        Manufacturing Company10%
        Government7%
        REVIEWERS
        Comms Service Provider23%
        Financial Services Firm23%
        Government15%
        Healthcare Company15%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Computer Software Company23%
        Financial Services Firm12%
        Government8%
        Non Profit8%
        REVIEWERS
        Computer Software Company29%
        Financial Services Firm14%
        Transportation Company14%
        Non Profit14%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Computer Software Company12%
        Manufacturing Company11%
        Financial Services Firm9%
        Comms Service Provider6%
        Company Size
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Small Business22%
        Midsize Enterprise16%
        Large Enterprise62%
        REVIEWERS
        Small Business42%
        Midsize Enterprise23%
        Large Enterprise35%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Small Business20%
        Midsize Enterprise16%
        Large Enterprise63%
        REVIEWERS
        Small Business62%
        Midsize Enterprise15%
        Large Enterprise23%
        VISITORS READING REVIEWS
        Small Business21%
        Midsize Enterprise12%
        Large Enterprise67%
        Buyer's Guide
        Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway
        March 2024
        Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
        765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

        Cisco Web Security Appliance is ranked 10th in Secure Web Gateways (SWG) with 28 reviews while Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is ranked 13th in Secure Web Gateways (SWG) with 13 reviews. Cisco Web Security Appliance is rated 7.8, while Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is rated 8.8. The top reviewer of Cisco Web Security Appliance writes "Flexible, robust, easy to install, and the technical support is helpful". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway writes "Offer capability to create policy groups aligned with specific requirements for users, groups, and locations". Cisco Web Security Appliance is most compared with Cisco Umbrella, Zscaler Internet Access, Fortinet FortiProxy, Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway and Symantec Proxy, whereas Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is most compared with Symantec Proxy, Fortinet FortiGate SWG, Cisco Umbrella, Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks and McAfee Web Gateway Cloud Service. See our Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway report.

        See our list of best Secure Web Gateways (SWG) vendors.

        We monitor all Secure Web Gateways (SWG) 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.