Forcepoint NGFW vs. Symantec Encrypted Traffic Management

If you are looking for a smaller network/security team, the ease and low complexity create an easy to manage environment. One engineer can easily manage 100 nodes/locations. If you are just starting to get security conscious and predict regular adjustments to policy, routing, and access, this is a very good system for making easy to understand and low impact changes on a regular basis without operations interruption.

Incentivized

The Blue Coat encrypted traffic management system is still one of better tools to control, monitor, and secure internet use by employees on a company's network.

Incentivized

• Easy to manage and make changes on - ACL's are done with ease.
• Easy USB initial configuration - The easy initial setup of a new location and firewall saves massive time. Settings are automatically pushed to new nodes upon contact with the controller.
• Low Complexity - This system does not have a lot of complexity requiring extra hours, training, or personnel to manage.

Incentivized

• It can control, monitor and secure internet use by employees
• It can be used to provide user groups accessing necessary web resources.
• Identify the possible violations or troubleshooting

Incentivized

• Poor Reporting - It exists but even when calling in to support for assistance, they have no idea how to tackle customizing reports or searching for specific data.

Incentivized

• Categories changes more specified or detailing
• Some categories are confused to cause access denies
• Some functionalities can be simplified

Incentivized

The Graphical User Interface is very easy to read, understand and work with. The usability of this product is very high.

Incentivized

Support has varied over the history of the company. Terro is a name that comes up often with the best of service from this company.

Incentivized

There are similar hardware and license costs between the two products. The Forcepoint NGFW product is by far easier to use and manage.

Incentivized

Blue Coat Encrypted Traffic Management gives you a means to layered control internet accesses to differentiate teams or groups accordingly.

Incentivized

• Efficiency/Productivity increase. The company moved from Cisco firewall and routing hardware to Forcepoint NGFW. It now takes fewer people and fewer hours to manage the new product. This has allowed the company to put the man-hours to use on other projects and tasks.
• Long term viability. This has been a concern in the past when the company started as Stonegate, merged to become Stonesoft then got purchased by McAfee, then McAfee got purchased by Intel. However, with Forcepoint the product seems to have found a stable home.
• Low complexity. The Web GUI based system for management has reduced the cost of personnel and training required. There is no longer a need for the company to have higher trained and higher salary cost employees to manage the system. Mid-level admins at lower salaries are capable of managing the GUI based system with ease.

Incentivized

• Definitely the tools give us a better means to manage internet usage.
• With other network tools/appliances, it protects company's assets.

Incentivized