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Cisco Secure Web Appliance vs. Plixer Scrutinizer

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cisco Secure Web Appliance

    Score8 out of 10
    N/ACisco Secure Web Appliance (formerly Cisco Web Security Appliance [WSA]), powered by Cisco Talos, protects by automatically blocking risky sites and testing unknown sites before allowing users to link to them, helping with compliance. It is available models S690, S390, and S190.N/A

    Plixer Scrutinizer

    Score6 out of 10
    N/APlixer is a developer of network management software with a focus on network traffic analysis, network security, threat detection and network optimization, headquartered in Kennebunk, Maine. Plixer Scrutinizer collects, analyzes, visualizes, and reports on data from every network conversation and digital transaction to deliver security and network intelligence.N/A
    Pricing
    Cisco Secure Web AppliancePlixer Scrutinizer
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
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    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cisco Secure Web AppliancePlixer Scrutinizer
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Best Alternatives
    Cisco Secure Web AppliancePlixer Scrutinizer
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Forcepoint SWG
    Score8 out of 10
    SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA)
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Skyhigh Secure Web Gateway
    Score8 out of 10
    SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA)
    Score8.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cisco Secure Web AppliancePlixer Scrutinizer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    6.8
    (9 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.4
    (2 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cisco Secure Web AppliancePlixer Scrutinizer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Cisco
    We have both scenarios where we can describe that. For example, in the HQ, where we have about 3,000 users, Cisco IronPort Web Security Appliance is the ideal solution, because we can consolidate all the Internet access, policies, rules, etc. in the same box. However, if you have small offices with a few users, it's hard to justify one big and expensive box that could cost more than the whole office infrastructure.
    Incentivized
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    Plixer International
    If you need a network security forensic tool, this is a great fit. Scrutinizer collects everything you have configured as a target without losing data. If you need an in-depth analysis of your network flows, as in who is doing what with what this is a good fit. Scrutinizer translates a massive about of data into readable tables and reports.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Cisco
    • SMA gave us central control over multiple servers, simplifying management.
    • Performance of the Appliance VM exceeded that of our old physical appliance-based solution.
    • Convenient licensing for virtualized environments that allows easy scaling.
    Incentivized
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    Plixer International
    • Once configured, Scrutinizer gives an accurate overview of network activity.
    • Scrutinizer is able to collect flows from a variety of devices, you are not limited to Cisco.
    • DSCP based reporting, which is helpful when attempting to determine how good your wireless network is from a QoS perspective.
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    Cons
    Cisco
    • I think that the interface could need updates to adapt it to a much more current system, achieve quick access to necessary tools and adapt the platform to a much more customizable and comfortable system to work with.
    • It is undoubtedly a platform that is worth having, however, the license costs could be better adjusted to small businesses so that it can be accessed more easily.
    • It could be a bit complex to use, the use of codes is quite extensive, it could be adjusted to something much more practical but just as efficient.
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    Plixer International
    • The free version has some limitations that make an accurate evaluation difficult, every day at midnight the data is flushed and you start over.
    • If you are purchasing the appliance, you won't have admin access to it.
    • Reporting could use some polished graphics and advance filtering features.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Cisco
    Because it's one of those products you almost don't realize it exists from the end user. From the administrator perspective, you can do everything on its web interface and it's very intuitive to manage, once you know the concepts behind identities, acls, etc. Also, once you build the control structure, I mean, you link 'local' groups with your own Active Directory groups, as we did here, you don't need to be managing those things on the appliance itself.
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    Plixer International
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Cisco
    Our experience with Cisco's support was terrible. Other than the fact that they don't respond to service-related emails with urgency, they also keep on changing the policies that affected us. Recently, they came up with a new look for the same software, which was insanely slow. Renewal of keys for the old interface took months. Overall, the support was not very friendly from the users' point of view.
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    Plixer International
    Support is support, they are either there or they are not. Scrutinizer support has been there every time I've needed them. They rely a bit too much on email correspondence, sometimes I want a voice to tell me what to do, and fast
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    Alternatives Considered
    Cisco
    At home I have a McAfee service that does similar tasks and helps manage the users of my internet. McAfee seems more user friendly and easier to set exceptions.
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    Plixer International
    Scrutinizer is a faster and simpler deployment while still delivering the tools and reports needed to gain accurate view traffic and network usage. Its cheaper than most alternatives and daily use is focused on understanding data, not making config changes so you can understand data. Risk reduction and elimination is the primary focus, Scrutinizer helps you do that.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Cisco
    • Security! Security! Security! We are financial company that work with very sensitive information. A lot of unsafe traffic was blocked on the Cisco IronPort WSA over years of using it. We did not earn on it but absolutely sure that we did not lose 'gazillion' of dollars being infected or scammed.
    • Easy to configure and use, no need to teach new personnel how work with this product (hopefully saving time = saving money).
    • Unfortunately the price of license subscription made financial managers push IT dept. to look for something cheaper.
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    Plixer International
    • Scrutinizer is a great tool, extremely easy to implement, it lets you see your NetFlow without a large outlay.
    • WAN traffic monitoring gives you the ability to accurately predict the necessary bandwidth volume, you can now stop over buying.
    Incentivized
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