Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software

Overview

What is Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software?

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software is the core OS for the ASA suite. It provides firewall functionality, as well as integration with context-specific Cisco security modules. It is scaled for enterprise-level traffic and connections.

Read more
Recent Reviews

Cisco ASA Review.

4 out of 10
August 05, 2022
Incentivized
We have used ASA to interconnect branch offices and also as a gateway. It's been a good product over the past years. Nowadays a lot of …
Continue reading

CiscoASA Firepower

8 out of 10
December 09, 2021
Incentivized
Our business uses ASA'a as firewalls and for routing. We route 2 incoming connections and route them to allow our customers to come in on …
Continue reading

Cisco ASA

7 out of 10
November 24, 2021
Incentivized
We use Cisco ASA as an internal firewall where we configure rules for internal communications and communications between servers also it's …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 11 features
  • VPN (48)
    9.4
    94%
  • Firewall Management Console (47)
    8.7
    87%
  • Active Directory and LDAP (47)
    7.8
    78%
  • Reporting and Logging (48)
    6.2
    62%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing
N/A
Unavailable

What is Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software?

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software is the core OS for the ASA suite. It provides firewall functionality, as well as integration with context-specific Cisco security modules. It is scaled for enterprise-level traffic and connections.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting / Integration Services

Would you like us to let the vendor know that you want pricing?

48 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

What is Azure Firewall?

Microsoft's Azure Firewall is a managed cloud-based network security service that protects Azure Virtual Network resources.

What is Untangle NG Firewall?

Untangle NG Firewall is an open-source firewall and gateway security platform. It offers a free core firewall platform with paid add-ons, and a cloud-based management platform with a variety of deployment options for smaller teams.

Return to navigation

Features

Firewall

A firewall is a filter that stands between a computer or computer network and the Internet. Each firewall can be programmed to keep specific traffic in or out

8
Avg 8.5
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software?

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software is the core operating software for Cisco’s ASA suite. It supports a variety of specialized network security and firewall options, allowing users to modularize to their business needs. It is scaled for enterprises through “clustering” ASAs, enabling 128 Gbps processing load and 50 million concurrent connections.

Cisco ASA provides a robust VPN setup process and integrates with other Cisco security offerings, including Cloud Web security and Trustsec. CWS provides cloud-based systems security across public and private clouds, and Trustsec is a software-defined segmentation product that mitigates the scope of network threats and data breaches. The platform also supports IPv4 and IPv6, enabling a smoother evolution in Internet Protocols for users.

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software Technical Details

Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) software is the core OS for the ASA suite. It provides firewall functionality, as well as integration with context-specific Cisco security modules. It is scaled for enterprise-level traffic and connections.

Reviewers rate VPN and High Availability highest, with a score of 9.4.

The most common users of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(223)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 87)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • We typically just use it to block traffic. It does what it is supposed to.
  • We just use it to monitor, block, allow. Blocks at the layer three.
  • Management, I would say a single pane of management that works would be good. Similar to the FTD, the FMC, being able to manage objects and security group objects in one pane. That would be good for the firewall versus having to manually create objects and monitor them across several different firewalls across several different contexts.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • centralized management via a web based interface
  • easy , one time license setup
  • easy yearly software maintenance renewal process and easy access to tech support when renewed
  • adaptable and performance driven to protect networks
  • excellent analytics engine to detect malware and security events and block them
  • rather expensive to get into for many models
  • working with cisco acct management is not easy and getting into a streamlined renewal process can be problematic
  • some software upgrade require other security changes which mean its a continual upgrading process to stay current. and can be cumbersome
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Secure the perimeter
  • Secure remote users
  • Secure network from unauthorized connections initiated from outside
  • Secure from zero day attacks
  • Cisco ASA can have better GUI compared with other firewall vendors.
  • Cisco can make its security cloud better.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • ASA is our VPN concentrator. The client and server are very stable and very easy to use
  • ASA also offers Intrusion Prevention, to an extent. This is also very useful for an improved security posture for a small company
  • ASA allowed us to scale very quickly. We could onboard clients, partners, and consultants and give them a great onboarding experience as well
  • Administrative costs with ASA are low. It's very easy to administer.
  • For small companies that require DLP, ASA could add a basic DLP system
  • ASA has an easy web administration screen. It's look-and-feel could be improved
  • ASA could develop and/or promote agentless VPN access
August 05, 2022

Cisco ASA Review.

Score 4 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Vpn
  • Natting
  • Av scan.
  • Web filtering.
  • Definitely when troubleshooting. It should be made simpler.
  • AV scan engines should be improved.
  • Configuration can be made simpler.eg: Fortigate.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • Easy deployment[.]
  • High availability by deploying a pair[.]
  • Make changes without having to reboot[.]
  • Supports firepower services for IPS and IDS[.]
  • The ASDM software is at times a nightmare to install because of different java versions[.]
  • [The firewall] could do with a power button, just to be able to do a hard reboot when needed[.]
  • It would be nice to manage the firewall via the web on port 443[.]
Mst Rahima Khatun | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Easy to configure and edit Access rules, allowing users to connect to our office network from anywhere.
  • NAT rules and network access protection keep our network safe from unauthorized connections from the outside. We can set them up quickly and easily.
  • Customer service and technical assistance are top-notch with Cisco for this product. User web and application traffic can be easily accessed and monitored.
  • Infrequent rule/setting changes and an outdated Java plug-in for the Web interface.
  • When some appliances and apps don't work, the rules and settings are complex, so GUI-based configuration is not always a better option.
  • There is a lack of a learning curve for the full potential of the ASA and Central management features.
November 24, 2021

Cisco ASA

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Firewall rules.
  • Internal communication.
  • Integrate with other vendors.
  • Pricing.
  • Additional license.
  • Encryption feature.
Kevin Medeiros | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Configuring of basic firewall rules is easy
  • Easy to use
  • Reliability is good for these 5505 and 5545 Cisco ASAs
  • Cisco ASA is aging and Cisco wants you to migrate to FirePower, which I think is still awful
  • Java clients are still needed to access [Cisco] ASA functionality
  • Hardware is all EOL
sitaram gurjar | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • You can easily configure a site-to-site VPN to connect multiple sites securely and also configure a remote VPN for home users.
  • You can easily deploy the firewall in your existing network.
  • You can easily manage and troubleshoot the issue.
  • 24/7/365 technical support helps you to configure the new firewall.
  • Lots of technical support documentation available on site.
  • You can configure the ASA through ASDN. It is very difficult to configure and manage.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Access rule, it's easy to edit them.
  • NAT rules, very easily to quickly set up.
  • Upgrading, you just point to the new image. It's a fairly simple process.
  • It only inspects traffic passing through it. Some other next-gen firewalls are able to inspect internal/lateral traffic as well.
  • While the ASDM GUI is great to use, it's a little finicky in terms of the version corresponding to what ASA version.
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Connectivity of branches with HO, over MPLS, P2P, and IPSEC with failover configuration.
  • Easily able to monitor user web and application traffic.
  • Prevention of intruders and attacks from the Internet to harm users' systems in the branch network.
  • Stability
  • Simple GUI is required
  • Reporting
Michael Kerzner | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • AnyConnect Remote VPN
  • NAT functionality
  • Site-to-Site VPN tunnels
  • DHCP
  • LDAPS support
  • ASDM is still based on Java, not easy to install on newer operating systems
  • Not very user friendly for beginners
  • ASDM can be difficult to navigate
Arpit Singh | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Unified communications capabilities
  • Support both IPSec and SSL VPN
  • Multi-node clustering
  • High-performance
  • IPV6 support
  • Support advaced routing protocols
  • Support policy based routing
  • Easy packet flow
  • Command line is very simple
  • Cisco AnyConnect
  • Beginner can't configure ASA through ASDM
  • Very slow GUI
  • Lots of vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS
Aryan chahal | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Cisco provides a lot of options and ways in the Network Address Translation (NAT), so you can modify it as per your requirement
  • Cisco blocks all of the untrusted connections from outside of the network
  • Cisco supports AAA
  • Cisco supports both IKEv1 and IKEv2
  • Site to Site VPN
  • Cisco can connect to any remote VPN
  • Stateful firewall
  • Cisco support quality of service
  • Cisco supports modular policy framework
  • ACL
  • Routing protocols
  • Cisco should work on the GUI platform.
Richa Chahal | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Site-to-site VPN
  • SSL VPN
  • NAT functionality
  • Reverse proxy
  • High availability
  • Routed and transparent mode
  • Static and dynamic routing protocols
  • DHCP
  • Fwo factor authentication
  • Cisco any connect remote vpn
  • Less security feature available for layer 7
  • ASDM is not user friendly
Bhupesh Pant | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Network address translation
  • IPSec support
  • Cisco AnyConnect remote vpn support
  • QOS
  • Policy based routing
  • Support all routing protocols
  • Stateful firewall
  • Transparent firewall
  • Support authentication, authorization, and accounting
  • Load balancing
  • Failover support
  • Easy to export and understand reporting and logging
  • Many bugs in ASDM platform
  • Very less application layer security features support
  • Complicated configuration through UI
August 30, 2021

Cisco ASA Review

Rohan Tomar | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Both site to site and remote VPN support
  • IPV4 and IPv6 support
  • Stateful filtering firewall
  • All routing protocols support
  • Clustering
  • Support ASA failover
  • Modular policy framework
  • IKEv1 and IKEv2 support
  • Reporting
  • Logging
  • Advanced level security missing like layer 7 security
  • Lots of issues with UI
  • ASDM is not user friendly
  • Configuration through ASDM is very complicated
Anjali Nair | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • IKEV1 and IKEV2 ipsec site to site vpn
  • Nat
  • Routing
  • QOS
  • Easy to configure
  • Easy packet flow
  • User friendly
  • Easy to configure through CLI
  • ACL
  • Cisco AnyConnect remote vpn
  • Ssl vpn
  • Reporting
  • Logging
  • GUI is not good, needs to improve
  • Layer 7 security features are missing
Arjun Deol | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • IKEV1 and IKVE2 supported ipsec site to site vpn
  • SSL and ipsec remote vpn
  • Many options in network address translation
  • Authentication, authorization, and accounting support
  • Supports IPv6
  • Routing
  • Load balancing in VPN
  • Modular policy framework
  • Cisco ASA should improve in layer 7 security and deep scanning
  • Very difficult to manage and configure the policy through ASAM
July 23, 2021

Cisco ASA Review

Ezequiel Peralta | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
  • VPN connection
  • Integration with Cisco ISE
  • Anyconnect with APX license and AMP4e
  • Umbrella roaming client
  • VPN SSL without client
  • DLP integrated on Anyconnect
  • Management on-premise
Return to navigation