Cisco Secure Firewall

According to verified TrustRadius reviews from IT and security professionals, Cisco Secure Firewall is widely used in complex enterprise environments to protect network perimeters across multiple sites, datacenters, and offices. Reviewers find its advanced security and VPN features easy to use and deploy. Many users highlight the ability to centralize policy management, which simplifies operations. The product is described as stable and performant, enhancing protection without slowing down network traffic.

TrustRadius reviews for Cisco Secure Firewall provide user experiences that can help buyers evaluate the product. Reviewers focus on the firewall's performance, stability, and ease of use. A key point of comparison offered is that Cisco Secure Firewall maintains performance even with all features enabled, which one reviewer notes was a problem with other vendors. Users also praise the easy-to-use VPN and advanced security features. Some reviewers mention areas for improvement, such as the management GUI and occasional software bugs. Reviewers confirm using the product to protect network perimeters across multiple sites, and some mention experience with other solutions like Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall protects against malware and advanced threats by using a combination of advanced security features, threat intelligence integration, and granular policy enforcement. Reviewers highlight capabilities such as deep packet inspection (DPI), Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), and application control to identify and block sophisticated attacks. The firewall integrates with threat feeds, including Cisco Talos, to proactively block malicious IPs and stay updated on emerging threats like Log4j and SolarWinds. Users also note that they can enforce strong security policies to block unauthorized traffic and segment their network without a negative impact on performance. The system's ability to perform malware analysis and integrate logs with SIEM tools for monitoring further enhances an organization's security posture.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall utilizes core technologies like Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and deep packet inspection (DPI) to provide advanced threat protection. Reviewers state that IPS is used for inspecting traffic, blocking malware, and enforcing security policies. The firewall's application visibility and DPI capabilities allow for the inspection of encrypted traffic and the enforcement of granular access rules. While the reviews do not compare hardware and software-defined options, they do note that the hardware is well-equipped to handle these advanced features without a significant impact on performance or throughput.

Based on TrustRadius reviews, a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) like Cisco Secure Firewall is a multifaceted security appliance that provides capabilities beyond traditional traffic filtering. Reviewers describe it as a central component for securing network connectivity, primarily through robust Virtual Private Network (VPN) features for both remote users and site-to-site connections. An NGFW also offers advanced visibility through detailed log management and analytics, which users integrate with platforms like Splunk for troubleshooting and threat analysis. Furthermore, it functions as part of a broader security ecosystem, integrating with other tools for identity management, DNS security, and multi-factor authentication to create a layered defense.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall plays a crucial role in network segmentation strategies by allowing organizations to divide their networks into smaller, secure zones. Reviewers use it for various purposes, including internal and campus segmentation, microsegmentation in data centers, and segregating VLANs. This helps enforce the principle of least privilege, particularly for sensitive devices, by ensuring components only have the access they require. The firewall's capabilities, such as deep packet inspection and the use of Security Group Tags (SGTs), enable security teams to create and enforce consistent access policies across the network, enhancing overall security and visibility.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall integrates well with SIEM systems to provide centralized visibility and improve security operations. Reviewers state that sending firewall logs to a SIEM enables centralized monitoring, event correlation, and faster incident response. This integration also helps with log management, analytics, and maintaining audit trails for compliance. Beyond SIEM, users report that Cisco Secure Firewall integrates with the broader Cisco security stack, including SecureX and Umbrella, as well as third-party threat intelligence feeds and IPS signatures. This ability to centralize management and visibility across the security footprint is a key benefit highlighted by reviewers.

Based on TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall supports the needs of professional services firms primarily through robust network segmentation, secure remote access, and deployment across multiple locations. Reviewers use the firewall to create isolated network segments to protect sensitive client data and company assets. The product also provides secure VPN access for remote employees and contractors, as well as site-to-site tunnels for connecting with partners, ensuring data confidentiality. Additionally, users report deploying the firewall as the edge security platform in both data centers and distributed office locations, allowing for consistent policy enforcement.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall is used in manufacturing and industrial environments to protect OT and SCADA networks. Reviewers state they deploy the solution as a perimeter firewall for OT networks and for edge security on SCADA networks. A primary use case highlighted by users is network segmentation, which involves segregating networks, creating security zones, and implementing segmentation policies to protect company assets. The firewall also serves as a primary defense tool at the network edge, providing IDS/IPS capabilities to protect against threats.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall offers a favorable balance of security and cost-effectiveness for businesses. Reviewers highlight its reliable threat protection, with some noting it has protected them from significant vulnerabilities and saved them money by preventing costly attacks. The product is seen as having a good return on investment, and one user found its licensing to be less expensive than a competing solution. It is used to protect data centers, branch networks, and for VPNs. While one reviewer mentioned that SSL inspection could be resource-intensive, the overall sentiment is that the firewall provides confident security that gets the job done.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall is considered effective for security filtering and threat prevention, though some reviewers feel it is not 'top tier' and note platform stability can be an issue. Reviewers praise its intrusion prevention system (IPS) and top-notch reporting, which helps demonstrate that threats are being blocked. When comparing vendors, reviewers frequently mention alternatives from Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, WatchGuard, and Forcepoint. Other attributes discussed include good observability, but also challenges with maintaining unified security policies across multiple devices.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall is used to protect hybrid environments that span on-premise data centers and public cloud infrastructure. Reviewers mention using the product to secure connectivity to cloud environments like AWS, protect both on-premise and cloud networks from threats, and establish secure tunnels. The firewall is also used as a VPN gateway for mixed on-prem and cloud infrastructures.

While TrustRadius reviews do not offer a direct comparison with Fortinet FortiGate, they do provide insight into the performance and capabilities of Cisco Secure Firewall. Reviewers report that the product performs very well, even with all inspection features enabled, and note its consistency. Key capabilities highlighted include effective VPN connections, traffic filtering, and policy definition. The product is used as an edge firewall for multiple locations and serves both office and enterprise customers.

According to TrustRadius reviews, organizations in R&D and scientific research use Cisco Secure Firewall to protect sensitive intellectual property, lab environments, and collaborative workflows. Reviewers highlight its use in securing different labs and in-house developed products. For collaboration, it enables secure connectivity with external partners via site-to-site VPN tunnels. Engineering teams benefit from its reliability, which prevents dropped sessions and boosts productivity. Other essential capabilities mentioned include securing sensitive datasets by allowing only necessary traffic and protecting hybrid environments with both on-prem and cloud assets.

While buyers often compare Cisco Secure Firewall with products from Palo Alto Networks, TrustRadius reviews of Cisco Secure Firewall focus on its own features and use cases. Reviewers describe it as a primary defense tool for the network edge, used to protect the network and secure traffic. The product is also noted for its capabilities in policy definition, rule creation, and network segregation using its firewall and IDS/IPS functions.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall can play a role in a zero-trust security model. One reviewer specifically points to its capability for deeper integration with a zero-trust architecture. Other reviewers describe its more traditional function as a perimeter firewall, which can be a component of a layered security strategy.

Based on TrustRadius reviews, the return on investment (ROI) for Cisco Secure Firewall is a point of discussion among users. Some reviewers report a positive ROI, citing significant cost savings from preventing security threats. In contrast, other users find the ROI to be negative due to the pricing of additional features. Additionally, one reviewer suggests that the product's licensing method could be improved.

Based on TrustRadius reviews, the cost of Cisco Secure Firewall is viewed in the context of its value and performance. Reviewers state that while the solution is not cheap, it provides significant value through its security capabilities and performance. One reviewer also noted that the minimal effort required from their team contributes to its overall value. In terms of licensing, some users find the costs to be less expensive when compared to other vendors, especially considering the additional features provided.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall is used by service providers, including ISPs, to secure both their own infrastructure and their clients' networks. Reviewers highlight the platform's top-notch reporting, which enables them to demonstrate value to customers by proving that threats are being blocked. The firewall is considered to have a high performance-to-security ratio, particularly for high-throughput data centers and distributed enterprises that already use other Cisco security products. However, some reviewers caution that the management complexity might be a challenge for smaller organizations that lack a dedicated security engineer.

According to TrustRadius reviews, buyers select Cisco Secure Firewall when seeking a strategic security partner rather than just a firewall vendor. One reviewer notes that Cisco aligns with their vision for modern, scalable, and resilient security. The product is also valued for its comprehensive, integrated feature set, which includes threat defense, malware protection, log management, and backups, all managed in a single platform.

According to TrustRadius reviews, Cisco Secure Firewall offers several deployment options for various network architectures. Reviewers most frequently mention using it as a perimeter firewall. It is also deployed for internal network segmentation. Additionally, some users have deployed Cisco Secure Firewall for VPN purposes, with one reviewer noting the simplicity of the process.

Based on TrustRadius reviews, customers use Cisco Secure Firewall for core network security functions. Reviewers mention deploying the product to secure the network edge, segment the internal network, and protect internal workloads. Specific use cases cited in reviews include controlling access for users and services, securing isolated network VRFs, and serving as a VPN headend.