Tech specs
1-8 of 308 reviews
What is our primary use case? One of the companies I'm working with is in the medical sector and medical vertical. What is most valuable? Some of the most valuable features of the Cisco Secure Firewall are that they are easy to deploy, which is a very important thing to highlight. Everybody says that about cloud, and I agree with that. If you have an account on AWS, for example, you can quickly deploy one of those devices. There are many benefits to that, and they don't require a lot of resources. They won't overwhelm your cloud, and they work very efficiently. I'm impressed with how they work on the cloud. They work as a real firewall. I don't see much difference. What needs improvement? The Cisco Secure Firewall product in general has room for improvement. I had a problem this weekend working with one of them, and I think it's very specific, though I'm going to be more general with my answer. Cisco has the FMC as a centralized tool, but sometimes they have too many dependencies. I faced a problem this weekend because while trying to solve an issue with one of the company's firewall management centers, I couldn't update or install an update on the platform due to a remote site being down. The device got stuck in my queue. I had to cancel my maintenance because of that. Everyone was expecting me to fix many bugs, but because of one device, I had to cancel everything. Sometimes the ID is nice around Cisco, but another area they need to improve is the capability to manage multiple devices. The FMC manages many devices, but if I put too many, around 300 devices, it becomes very slow, and the system becomes heavy. When you compare that with solutions such as Palo Alto, Palo Alto can manage many more devices on the same type of platform. Cisco is better at managing things such as RMAs. They do that exceptionally, even with the support. However, when we're talking about the FMC itself, sometimes they have some small issues; the platform is very slow and has too many bugs in the versions. We constantly need to update the platform to maintain stability. For how long have I used the solution? I have at least 3 years of experience with the Cisco Secure Firewall. What was my experience with deployment of the solution? If you have a problem and need to delete and re-add the device, it can cause an outage since it deletes all the configurations. There's no file generated for configurations, meaning you must screenshot everything and manually reconfigure that. I mention this because I do this often. What do I think about the stability of the solution? If I were to rate stability on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 6. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? As for scalability, I would rate it a 7. It's not that bad, but it could be better. My customer has many Cisco devices on the FMC. Cisco has various versions, from FMC 600 and 1600 to 4600s, but even with the highest one, the 4600, we still face issues, particularly when transitioning between screens; it becomes very slow, and it has difficulties managing all the logs and events. How are customer service and support? I reach out to support frequently, and I think their support is good. The engineers are very well-trained, and I would give it an 8. Cisco is always more expensive; it's actually more expensive than other brands. When you compare it to others such as Palo Alto or Fortinet, it's slightly more expensive. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? Regarding the initial setup of the Cisco Secure Firewall, if we're discussing setting it up from scratch, it's not difficult. I think it's acceptable. On a scale of 1 to 10 for ease of deploying FMC from scratch, I would rate it a 7. There's a wizard for the initial setup; you input the management IP, and that part is easy. Adding it to the FMC is also easy, but then you have to configure extensively from the graphical interface, and that's not very straightforward. You need to manually configure many items. They could allow more setup options in the wizard when connecting to the FMC. You can do things through APIs to facilitate, but if you're doing it manually, it can be challenging. Which other solutions did I evaluate? I would recommend the Cisco Secure Firewall to other businesses, but I suggest comparing it to other platforms. While I've been a Cisco specialist for a long time, experimenting with other platforms is valuable. Consider looking at Palo Alto or Fortinet, and make comparisons and benchmarks. If you have a full Cisco environment, it may be wise to go with Cisco due to benefits from enterprise agreements. But if you're starting anew, check out organizations such as Checkpoint or Palo Alto. What other advice do I have? If that's not a blocker or a big deal, I would provide that advice. I rate the Cisco Secure Firewall a seven out of ten. Which deployment model are you using for this solution? Public Cloud If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use? Amazon Web Services (AWS) Disclaimer: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
What is our primary use case? Regarding the use cases for the Cisco Secure Firewall, the Firepower is used in enterprise corporations, DMZ sites, perimeter security, and IPS applications. What is most valuable? The valuable features of the Cisco Secure Firewall include the unified console and compatibility with other solutions such as Duo Mobile with DAC and EDR. The single solution allows users to see one dashboard, and the compatibility solution provides better dashboard integration. What needs improvement? Areas that could be improved with the Cisco Secure Firewall include the ease of use with the product, and it needs to work better with NAC and integration. Cisco could improve their firewall by providing better support when issues arise, such as during an attack, to help resolve problems more efficiently. What do I think about the stability of the solution? The stability of the Cisco Secure Firewall is excellent, and I find it very reliable at this moment. What do I think about the scalability of the solution? Regarding the scalability of the Cisco Secure Firewall, it depends on the situation because in some cases, equipment changes are necessary when the size is very small. Equipment changes become necessary when companies upgrade with more devices and people, as the firewall becomes insufficient for different security requirements. How are customer service and support? The score for their support is eight. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch? I work only with Firepower and Palo Alto security solutions. How was the initial setup? The initial setup for the Cisco Secure Firewall is very easy, particularly during the initial start of the equipment. On a scale of one to ten, I would score the setup as eight. What other advice do I have? I have experience with Cisco Secure Firewall, specifically the ASA and Firepower solutions. I work in the education and retail industry, where Palo Alto firewall is commonly used in my country. For B2B business, I use the Firepower solution as a Cisco partner. We use Network Access Control with NAC, and we use Duo for solutions with easy integration. We also implement attack protection. I would rate this solution as ten out of ten. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:Partner
What is our primary use case? Until a couple of years ago, everything was fine regarding my main use cases for Cisco Secure Firewall. I didn't have any problems with the equipment, quality, or support. However, in the last couple of years, they started making our lives difficult. Trying to renew the partnership with them became challenging as they were requesting numerous things on our side, and since we are a very small business, it wasn't possible to get through that verification. Until a couple of years ago, everything was fine regarding my main use cases for Cisco Secure Firewall. What is most valuable? They are definitely reliable, and regarding positive features, once you get through with the purchasing of this equipment they offer their special support schemes, SmartNet support schemes, which are quite useful. They offer their own software, and regarding integration capabilities, it's not wise to have only one vendor. One might get Cisco Secure Firewall for the outside drone and then get some other software from other companies such as ESET or Panda for the PCs and the servers, and that's how it's typically done. What needs improvement? Regarding policies about partnership, they are losing, not us. There are other equipment options out there that don't require such strict requirements. What do I think about the stability of the solution? With the new systems that Cisco Secure Firewall is deploying right now, I don't have experience with downtimes. With older systems, it happened once with a big customer that they went through the repair and they actually hacked the whole thing. It wasn't actually the equipment's fault. It was a customer's fault because we were begging them to implement two-factor authentication mechanisms, and they never did it, and in the end something happened. That's understandable. You can't blame the equipment for that. How are customer service and support? The technical support for Cisco Secure Firewall once you have the SmartNet is very good. The people are always willing to help, they can even log on remotely on the devices and check things. They're very good with that. How would you rate customer service and support? Positive How was the initial setup? It depends on the customer, and regarding the deployment time of Cisco Secure Firewall, it depends on what you want to implement. To set it up just for getting out to the internet may take a couple of hours. However, to prepare a skilled network with site to site VPNs, it's going to take days. Which other solutions did I evaluate? There are other equipment options out there that don't require such strict requirements. What other advice do I have? They say that their new software for Cisco Secure Firewall is AI compliant, whatever that means. They have some kind of databases on the cloud, the system communicates with them in order to monitor the traffic getting through and clearing things and stopping attacks or whatever. Everybody does this, but at what level they do it, nobody really knows. The security policies that an organization has are also upon the IT people and the management to properly identify and implement. If they don't do these things, and they don't update the software of the servers, they leave all the usernames and passwords vulnerabilities there and they don't do something about that, you can't blame the equipment. It's the perimeter kind of firewalling you have with the equipment. But after that you have to do something on your own to help yourself. On a scale of one to ten, I would give Cisco Secure Firewall an eight. Disclaimer: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:reseller
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 Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.customer
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. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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 Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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. Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
