Item: Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software
Rating: 9
Author: Mst Rahima Khatun

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) is a powerful software that provides routing, network, and virtual private network (VPN) services. Our organization has implemented it, and our clients have IPSec site-to-site VPN. We use VPN tunnels between locations and use Cisco AnyConnect for VPN connections. For preventing unauthorized access to our managed networks, Cisco ASA devices excel. There are many options in Nat to customize it to our needs. Because it helps us categorize traffic and find problems, we're using it in all departments. ASA is a security device that combines firewall, NAT, intrusion prevention, and virtual private network functionality. It is the best for a firewall, router, and VPN device.

Pros and Cons

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Infrequent rule/setting changes and an outdated Java plug-in for the Web interface.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.

Return on Investment

For our company, Cisco's ASA and VPN capabilities were critical to its survival during the pandemic, and without them, we would not have been able to keep up.
An excellent Web Console GUI and easy-to-follow documentation make it simple to set up and use. In the DMZ, we can quickly set up port forwarding or use a public IP.
For troubleshooting an issue, I find Packet Tracer or Packet Capture very helpful. With Cisco's excellent support, problems are resolved more quickly, which has a positive effect.

Alternatives Considered

Checkpoint Halo, Sophos UTM, Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls - PA Series and Juniper SRX

Configuration and management of Cisco's ASA are straightforward. We chose Cisco ASA for many reasons, as well as Cisco's threat response reports. We previously had issues with Sophos UTM due to its poor performance. We no longer have to be concerned about performance issues since the Cisco ASA is superior in every way.

Key Insights

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

Yes

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

Yes

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

Yes

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

Yes

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

Yes

Other Software Used

Cisco Meraki MX, Fortinet FortiGate, Juniper SRX, Cisco Firepower 1000 Series

Likelihood to Recommend

As an infrastructure firewall, Cisco ASA is a good fit for our organizations' needs. In comparison to other solutions on the market, this one is less expensive. It has all of the security and routing features that you could ever want. We don't need to buy routers for our organization and easily configure this firewall's policy and NAT settings. We can easily configure and deploy this product in an existing network, and it will never misbehave or experience any downtime whatsoever. Moreover, the CLI is simple and user-friendly. ASA has many options for routing, nat, and VPN support, and I always recommend it.

"An incredibly simple-to-use, enterprise-class firewall and VPN solution"

Overall Satisfaction with Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software