Tech specs
1-8 of 40 reviews
What is our primary use case? This solution should be implemented for most enterprise-level customers. It ensures that users accessing the corporate network or wireless network with their own devices are authenticated and authorized. As a network administrator, I can track who is accessing the network, what devices they are using, and their device profiling. What is most valuable? This solution, called Network Access Controller, handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for devices accessing the network. It includes device profiling and various other features. I focus primarily on the MAC part for access control, but there are other features available. What needs improvement? While I do not have specific recommendations for improvement, pricing can be reduced. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco IOS Security for more than four to five years now. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I find Cisco IOS Security to be a very stable product. I would rate its stability around seven point five out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I think Cisco IOS Security is a scalable solution. How are customer service and support? Customer service and support are responsive and helpful. How was the initial setup? The initial configuration of Cisco IOS Security can be completed in three to four days. That said, onboarding devices depends on the customer's environment and number of devices. What about the implementation team? The implementation is typically done by one person who has experience with AI technology and the necessary protocols, rules, and policies. However, the number of people can vary depending on expertise. What was our ROI? I estimate that the return on investment is at least 30%. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Pricing can be reduced. I rate the current price for the product a four out of ten. What other advice do I have? I recommend Cisco IOS Security for other organizations. The overall rating for the product is eight out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
What is our primary use case? I deal with Cisco Secure Firewall, especially when dealing with zero-day attacks, and known and unknown malware, both inbound and from within the network. So, it includes IOS Security and IDPS functionalities. How has it helped my organization? Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It offers good network visibility, which helps in rapid response through the Rapid Threat Containment feature. Its deployment and configuration are straightforward. From a networking perspective, for instance, Cisco IOS incorporates time-tested security features. The zone-based firewall feature has significantly influenced our network security management. For instance, when managing multiple geolocations, it's essential to apply geographically appropriate policies. If a customer operates within the UK zone, I need to implement UK-specific policies. This approach is also applicable to customers in the Asia Pacific and UK regions. It enables me to tailor security policies based on the geographical location of my customers, such as adjusting policies for customers in China or Japan. This flexibility helps in creating a comprehensive zone list. Additionally, this feature allows for seamless service agreements between all zones from headquarters, providing access to all zones within the firewall we create. Essentially, it facilitates the creation of zones within the firewall. What is most valuable? It's hard to pinpoint a single feature as the most crucial for threat detection because threats can penetrate the network in various ways. However, securing email is vital as it's often the primary vector for threats globally. Therefore, monitoring what the user accesses and applying necessary restrictions is paramount for maintaining security. What needs improvement? In the security portfolio from Cisco, the issue is marketing. Cisco is still seen primarily as an enterprise network player rather than being acknowledged as a security vendor. Cisco offers a vast array of potent security products, yet the global market hasn't fully accepted Cisco as a top security provider. Palo Alto, for instance. They have made their mark in the global market, leading in firewalls and building robust security portfolios. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The product is very stable. We receive a proper attack response service, and it is a good product. When we compare the results, the product is quite stable, and they continually improve it. It's not that they stop improving; they keep enhancing the product. I am in the system integrator industry, we deal with Cisco products, with a customer base of 2,000 plus. All of my customers, whether from an enterprise network or a security standpoint, are engaged with Cisco. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The scalability is good. It's very accommodating. How are customer service and support? The technical support is fast and knowledgeable. It depends on the SLA and priority, but they always give proper attention to the ticket. The technical team is very knowledgeable and they extend their support effectively. How was the initial setup? The products from Cisco Security are easy to deploy, monitor, and configure. There are no complications in configuring them. The documentation is perfect, with recommendations that are crystal clear for reading and building. It is easy to configure and it is easy to deploy. Compared to other OEMs, like Fortinet, for instance, they might be well-recognized in the market, but from an engineer's standpoint, configuring their products can be challenging. Cisco's approach, however, is pretty straightforward, making it easy to deploy, configure, and monitor. Configuring VPNs with Cisco Security is very user-friendly. Cisco is number one in documentation, making it easier to resolve issues. As a partner, we have access to partner portals that offer excellent study materials. This enables my team to learn about configuring the firewall, understanding essential configurations, and identifying priorities within the firewall setup. The documentation is pretty neat and comprehensive. What about the implementation team? We assist a customer in setting up a new branch office, and we evaluate and recommend the necessary security solutions. This includes firewall deployment, user and device security, and endpoint protection to ensure secure access to sensitive data. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The challenge often comes down to pricing for SMB customers or those below enterprise level. It's tough for them to invest in Cisco Security products, not because the products lack quality—on the contrary, they recognize the products' are good. As consultants, we do convince customers of the product's value. However, it's crucial to consider the customer's budget. The cost is a significant factor for them. So, the pricing structure should be improved. It is expensive. You can get a better price if you commit to a longer-term license. Three years, five years, or even seven or ten years will be cheaper than a three-month or one-year term. So, a longer term, like three or five years, is definitely recommended for cost savings. What other advice do I have? When it comes to the product, I would rate it a ten out of ten. It's very good. For end customers looking to evaluate vendors, my advice is not to focus solely on one vendor. Instead of comparing features directly, consider your use case. For instance, I might recommend Cisco, while another might suggest Zscaler or Fortinet. Customers should base their decisions on whether a specific use case is better served by Cisco or another vendor, rather than a feature-by-feature comparison. It should be a use case-driven comparison. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Integrator
What is our primary use case? Primarily, we were looking for security solutions for a specific project and another one after that. What is most valuable? Compared to other products I've used, it offers greater stability and performance, along with a wider range of features. Plus, the VPN connection portal scan works flawlessly, which was a big plus for us. What needs improvement? Some GUI modules have extended prices compared to other vendors, which isn't ideal. Cisco is a scalable product, but it is expensive compared to other vendors. Huawei, Netgear, and FortiGate all offer scalable solutions at a lower cost. There is room for improvement in licensing. For how long have I used the solution? I've been using Cisco IOS security for quite some time. Everything worked smoothly without any issues. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I would rate the stability an eight out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is a scalable product. We have about 15 devices implemented across the company. How are customer service and support? We can get technical support from Cisco directly or the support community. It was customer-friendly. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? It has easy installation. I didn't face any complex configurations, whether in the program itself, firewalls, routers, or switches. Our current firewall isn't cloud-based, so we rely on both standalone firewalls and independent ones. Some features have cloud-based deployment options, but that's not our main concern. What about the implementation team? Deployment time really depends on the specific project scope. Let's say you have a project with 100 users and need the full installation implemented. That might take around a week, including design, installation, and finalizing the project. However, if you only need specific changes or process implementations, it could be as quick as two days. We need one architect, two engineers, and one technician for this project. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? Cisco comes with a premium reputation, and while it's certainly not the cheapest option. Compared to other products like Huawei, Netgear, or even Fortinet, which are cheaper than Cisco. We pay yearly for the license. What other advice do I have? I would recommend this product if it fits the budget. Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
What is our primary use case? We use Cisco IOS Security for security functions like firewalls and IPS in specific remote branches. How has it helped my organization? Cisco IOS Security enables communication between our network nodes. The solution provides authentication like policy enforcement, QOS, and intelligent routing. We use Cisco IOS Security for administration purposes. What is most valuable? Cisco IOS Security increases the overall security of our network, performs authentication, and provides level 15 access and privileges. What needs improvement? Cisco IOS Security should improve its functionalities. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco IOS Security for more than four years. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I rate Cisco IOS Security a nine out of ten for scalability. How are customer service and support? The solution's technical support is good. I rate the solution's technical support eight and a half out of ten. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? The solution's initial setup is straightforward. What was our ROI? We have seen a return on investment with Cisco IOS Security. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The solution's pricing is very good. What other advice do I have? Overall, I rate Cisco IOS Security a nine out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
What is our primary use case? We use the solution for the security of the network. What is most valuable? The stability is fine. The technical support is good. What needs improvement? The updates take time and cost. For how long have I used the solution? I have been working with the solution for five to six years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? I rate the tool’s stability a nine out of ten. When there is an issue, it takes more time than expected to resolve it. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? I rate the product scalability an eight to nine out of ten. More than 100 people, including event managers, use the solution in our organization. How are customer service and support? The customers come to us first. They raise a ticket to us, and if we don’t find a solution, we go to Cisco. There is no major issue between our support and Cisco’s support team. How was the initial setup? The initial setup is complicated. We took one to two days only for dispatch. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The product is expensive. We pay a yearly licensing fee for it. What other advice do I have? Overall, I rate the tool an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
What is our primary use case? The solution is used for security purposes. What is most valuable? The Intrusion Firewall is a valuable feature. What needs improvement? Cisco is an expensive firewall, so the pricing can be improved. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco IOS Security for more than five years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability can be improved. I rate the stability an eight out of ten. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is a scalable solution. Presently, two hundred users are using the solution. How are customer service and support? The technical support team is good. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? The initial setup is not very difficult. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? The pricing is expensive. What other advice do I have? I will recommend it if your entire infrastructure is Cisco-based, because the compatibility is good. I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
What is our primary use case? The solution is the core of our network to implement, for example, Cisco Eyes, since we have Cisco Eyes on our network. At the core and access layers, we also use the solution for all our configurations concerning admission control into the network. What is most valuable? The solution is easy to use. It provides hotkeys that help you remember commands you've forgotten about. What needs improvement? I would like upgrading iOS to be a bit easier. If you want the old version to continue running, that should be a bit easier. People have made many apps to do that online, but if Cisco could have that at the click of a button to quickly download or upload it, after which everything starts to work, that would be good. Sometimes, setting up your TFTB is difficult even though there are tools now. There should be something that would make it much easier where I just have to download, upload it into the iOS, and start it up. For how long have I used the solution? I've used the solution for about eight to ten years. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The solution is very stable. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? The solution is very scalable. We have about 500 users on this solution. How was the initial setup? The solution is easy to set up if you know what to do. You can copy all the content and slam it into the switch if you have a configuration. After five to ten minutes at most, the switch is ready. What about the implementation team? The initial setup is not much of a problem if you have an existing configuration. You just need to copy and paste. But if you're designing things, you might need a consultant. We mostly need technical people for the solution to support users. Most of the issues we have are the Mac and our Cisco Eye. Sometimes, the user's password will expire, and the user must be called to connect them back. Sometimes, Eye does not allow the users to work, and we need to clear the ports and things like that. That's a bit of the experience where we have one challenge after another, but we are finding our way around it. Regarding the number of technical staff, we need a password administrator who does the configuration and then support guys who ensure that all the endpoints have access to the network. What other advice do I have? You might need some level of support depending on what you're doing. Because even if it is in a cloud environment, as long as you understand the setup of what you want, you're good to go. I rate the solution an eight out of ten. Before now, there were things that you could log in and get them to do for you. Because we have Smart Net for our devices, that's the way to go most of the time because you are sure that at the click of a button, Cisco will always be there to help. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Hybrid Cloud Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
What is our primary use case? We employ a firewall to safeguard our secret clusters within our infrastructure. Additionally, we utilize panels such as Internet panels, which handle a substantial amount of security traffic, including handheld products. This setup extends to our routers and connector switches as well. What is most valuable? There is a positive impact on security, particularly the intrusion feature, which helps keep the solution concealed and secure. It's a valuable aspect of the solution that we find favorable, and it enhances overall security across the board. What needs improvement? We’ve implemented the Cisco firewall along with additional security licenses. These licenses have been configured and the system is adequately protected. The entire process takes some time, but the most time-consuming part is creating the region and applying the necessary security policies to it. For how long have I used the solution? I have been using Cisco IOS Security for some time. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? It is a scalable solution. How are customer service and support? The technical support is good. How was the initial setup? I find their configuration somewhat complex, which has led to some challenges on our end. Additionally, there's an issue with false positives. While they aren't major, they do have a significant impact and contribute to higher costs. We aim to minimize or optimize these aspects of the solution. It takes less than one day to deploy the solution. What was our ROI? It is worth it. What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing? We need to pay for the license and it is expensive. What other advice do I have? If you want to improve our infrastructure, you should consider implementing Cisco with appropriate configuration, along with a software-defined network and architecture. I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? On-premises Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
