Item: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
Rating: 5
Author: Derek Benson

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

ASA was being used as our perimeter firewall before being replaced by an NGFW. All traffic and client VPNs terminated at this device. It has addressed the most basic needs of firewalling and routing but does not address next-generation features.

Pros and Cons

Routing.
Port-based firewalling.

I would ditch the ASA in favor of an NGFW like a Palo Alto. Port-based firewalling doesn't have a place in today's world.
The interface is clunky.

Return on Investment

The ASA has provided 100% uptime to the organization. The failover mechanism is fast and seamless.

Support Rating

Cisco support has always treated me well. The engineers generally know the product well enough to help with issues that arise.

Key Insights

Do you think Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software delivers good value for the price?

Are you happy with Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software's feature set?

Did Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software again?

Other Software Used

Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series, Cisco Nexus

Likelihood to Recommend

Cisco ASA is good enough for basic firewalling when you know exactly what you need to allow or block, but today's threats are more complex than just the ASA alone can handle without bolting on other products like Firepower.

ASA is a good product, but there are better options for less money

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco ASA