Zscaler Cloud Firewall Reviews

As a reseller who has implemented Zscaler Cloud Firewall since 2015, I know that my clients are happy with it, even though I myself am not a user.

The centralized management console, also referred to as the Zscaler dashboard, impacts the ability of my customers to respond to security incidents significantly. I see it as user-friendly, and clients are really happy with using it, which motivates them to keep using Zscaler Cloud Firewall because they enjoy the GUI. It's very intuitive, making it easy to navigate alerts and incidents. My clients rarely have questions about where to find specific information once Zscaler Cloud Firewall is running. The interface speaks for itself, requiring little to no additional training, which is a major plus.

Advanced threat protection features in Zscaler Cloud Firewall are practically the key component that every customer wants. Unfortunately, it is an option and not included in the basic package. Clients need to pay for the next higher bundle to access it, but practically all clients I have dealt with want this feature 100%.

Regarding visibility, I can confirm that Zscaler Cloud Firewall indeed includes a feature for application layer visibility embedded in the service. It provides visibility into what you're doing, which is especially interesting nowadays when discussing AI tools, as companies do not want their employees to copy-paste sensitive information into AI systems. We have seen cases such as Samsung's chip design where sensitive info got exposed. The visibility of applications, including cloud applications and AI tools, is significant for compliance with data policies, and you can also run reports and alerts on it.

In terms of improvements for Zscaler Cloud Firewall, I think every product has needed enhancements over time, and current functions continuously evolve. I believe the integration of AI could improve the dashboard by making it more agile and effective in monitoring and predicting threats. AI has the potential to help manage the rapidly changing landscape of technology and threats, which is becoming more complex every day. The more AI can be introduced, the better it can serve in monitoring.

I have used Zscaler Cloud Firewall since 2015.

One area for improvement lies in their customer service, which feels less ideal for a premium product. The response and support are sometimes inadequate, which detracts from the overall experience of an otherwise impressive solution.

Positive

The deployment of Zscaler Cloud Firewall depends on the client size and requirements, but in general, it's an easy deployment. The solution is quite simple to deploy, especially for large clients.

The average installation process usually requires some meetings to discuss setup procedures, and then you execute the situation on both sides. Typically, it's done in one or two weeks maximum, but in actual effective time, it would be a few days. For large organizations, it's more about the administrative aspects that take more time than the technical side. The technical side can be implemented very quickly.

I do deployment with a team of specialists, primarily on the client side. I also have specialists from Zscaler who are tuning up, while I guide the process in my project management role.

The number of people involved in the Zscaler Cloud Firewall process from my side usually depends on the project, but typically it's always one or two architects responsible for the technical side. On Zscaler's side, there are also people at the same level linked with customer happiness, and architects from the client side discuss with them. If they agree and confirm how to proceed on paper, then it gets planned and executed.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is primarily sold as a cloud proxy, and that is where it starts. That's practically what people want to have. Because it offers many add-ons, the firewall is also acquired because of the broader picture that it provides a SASI environment. The basic functionality includes a firewall that is always included in the package. The only thing that you can add to make it more of a firewall function is the next-gen firewall, which is an additional paid option.

The real-time analytics and reporting in Zscaler Cloud Firewall works perfectly. Although I had some past requests to Zscaler to enhance their reporting, improvements have been made and now work efficiently. When handling global companies, there were issues with time zones, requiring manual calculations for report captures. However, currently, the reporting is efficient, and the alerting features provide precise information in real-time about any detected malicious activities.

Regarding pricing, Zscaler Cloud Firewall is on the more expensive end when compared to its competitors. While there are cheaper options available, they do not offer the same level of service. Zscaler Cloud Firewall is a premium solution and is comparable to other expensive brands such as Palo Alto Prisma. It provides extensive offerings and is still more affordable compared to some traditional physical firewalls required in the banking sector. Its range of services surpasses some direct competitors, which makes it a valuable choice despite its higher price tag.

I rate Zscaler Cloud Firewall 8 out of 10.

My main use case for Zscaler Cloud Firewall is protecting data on the cloud.

A quick specific example of how I use Zscaler Cloud Firewall to protect data on the cloud is that we put our data on the cloud and protect it using Zscaler Cloud Firewall.

We put too much time into doing the configuration related to our main use case for Zscaler Cloud Firewall.

The best features that Zscaler Cloud Firewall offers are that it is AI powered and automated.

The automation especially reduces manual tasks as we used to have lots of manual activities for such services.

Reporting is very powerful regarding the features of Zscaler Cloud Firewall.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall has positively impacted my organization by increasing ROI, especially by reducing costs.

I think Zscaler Cloud Firewall can be improved by adding more features.

The needed improvements involve scalability, which is something I wish they would address.

I have been using Zscaler Cloud Firewall for about three years.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is stable.

The scalability of Zscaler Cloud Firewall is fine.

The customer support for Zscaler Cloud Firewall is fine.

I did not previously use a different solution; it was the only one and the first one.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was fine.

I purchased Zscaler Cloud Firewall through the AWS Marketplace.

I have seen a return on investment with time saving and money saving.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was fine.

Before choosing Zscaler Cloud Firewall, I did not evaluate other options as it was the first one.

The advice I would give to others looking into using Zscaler Cloud Firewall is that it was very fine. I would rate this product an 8.

I use it for remote access. It is really customizable, and I can use it to avoid enabling access to the full network. I just need to allow the user to access a given resource, and that's it. This is very good. Actually, yes, Zscaler.

Since it is really customizable, I can use it and avoid enabling access to the full network. I just need to allow the user to access a given resource, and that's it. This one is very good. It is really customized, a security policy that can be applied to the users so they can access only the resources I enable them. No more access to the full network.

I'm trying to test Twingate since it will remove all these kinds of VPNs. This is the best solution, actually. For the moment, this is what I'm looking for. 

If there is a solution that can enable me to have a dashboard for the devices deployed using Twingate, I would appreciate it. For now, there is no dashboard or network management system available for Twingate. I need to access their website and do the operation side by side. I don't have the visibility of a control dashboard or a network management system. This is a missing point, actually. If there is a solution that could manage this, Twingate would be the best.

It's okay. It's a very good product.

It is scalable. A very good product. The only thing is about the VPNs; I need to do some configuration, and that's it. In this case, Twingate will be very easy compared to Zscaler.

I don't use it myself, so I cannot say much about support.

Positive

There were some complexities during the setup. To engage, it's much easier. To engage, it's user-friendly and much easier. Zscaler requires a deep technical background.

The only thing is about the VPNs; I need to do some configuration, and that's it. In this case, Twingate will be very easy compared to Zscaler.

If I can get rid of Jetscaler, I will use Twingate for sure. Zscaler is still a very good product. I recommend it. Of course, I have a very secure and scalable product solution. 

Overall product rating: nine out of ten.

I worked as a solution architect for Zscaler Cloud Firewall, providing solutions to customers. I used it to forward traffic on non-standard ports, specifically for filtering purposes apart from web traffic. It was used primarily for traffic forwarding and filtering.

The biggest advantage of Zscaler Cloud Firewall is its consolidation of products. Using both the proxy and the firewall from the same vendor offers a consolidated product. It provides options for port blocking, which is beneficial, although it lacks some granular control compared to normal firewalls.

There are several areas for improvement. Firstly, the GUI is outdated, with noticeable lags and delays, especially when generating reports for past transactions. Additionally, the reverse proxy feature for Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is missing, and some features found in competitors like Netskope and Palo Alto are absent in Zscaler Cloud Firewall.

I dealt with Zscaler Cloud Firewall for more than a year.

There were some stability issues due to occasional latency and lags, particularly with the GUI and report generation.

There were no issues with scalability. The solution was fully scalable.

The technical support from Zscaler was excellent. I would rate their support as very good.

Positive

The initial setup was not challenging. It was quite easy.

Whether one person or more are needed for implementation depends on the number of users or clients involved with the product.

I observed a moderate ROI from using Zscaler Cloud Firewall, with approximately sixty percent savings in time and money.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is quite expensive compared to competitors. However, it offered moderate value for money.

I compared Zscaler with competitors such as Netskope and Palo Alto.

The overall rating for Zscaler Cloud Firewall is six out of ten. Despite some useful features, there are areas for improvement, especially in the GUI and additional features compared to competitors.

We use Zscaler Cloud Firewall to block any non-standard traffic originating from the inside network. The solution helps us to monitor and block the undesired, non-standard traffic.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall understands the applications in the current generation and adapts to the present generation cloud applications.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall should focus more on cloud applications because their understanding of them is not comprehensive. Zscaler Cloud Firewall should have a better understanding of all dynamic cloud applications.

I have been using Zscaler Cloud Firewall for one year.

I rate Zscaler Cloud Firewall ten out of ten for stability.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is a highly scalable solution. Around 2,000 users are using the solution in our organization, and we have plans to increase the usage.

I rate Zscaler Cloud Firewall ten out of ten for scalability.

I rate Zscaler Cloud Firewall a nine out of ten for the ease of its initial setup.

Two people are required for the solution’s deployment. We took about a fortnight to deploy the Zscaler Cloud Firewall. Deploying the solution is quite easy. The standard traffic pertaining to our production is discovered and allowed, and everything else is blocked.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is a cloud-based solution. Zscaler Cloud Firewall is a good product. Since it's a SaaS product, most of the maintenance of devices is eliminated, and it is bundled with your secure web gateway. People should use Zscaler Cloud Firewall for their remote users or work-from-home users.

Overall, I rate Zscaler Cloud Firewall a nine out of ten.

I use the solution in my company for internet filtering and to manage internet traffic.

The valuable aspects associated with the product's ability to control our company's internet traffic, including web traffic or even any malicious traffic coming from our inside premises, will be blocked by Zscaler Cloud Firewall. If malicious traffic attacks our on-premises servers, then it gets blocked by Zscaler Cloud Firewall.

Apart from the issues associated with the product in areas like the DC performance issues and DC failover, Zscaler Cloud Firewall's IP should not have a proxy IP.

I have been using Zscaler Cloud Firewall for three years.

It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Though Zscaler has been improving the product, I feel that there are still additional improvements required in the stability part.

It is a good scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Around 3,000 people in my company use the product.

The product is used on a daily basis in my company.

The solution's technical support is okay but sometimes my company does not get a proper answer from them, though at times, some senior member from Zscaler's technical team is able to provide a proper resolution to the problems of users associated with the tool.

The product's initial setup phase is moderate in level, so it is neither very complex nor very easy.

For the deployment, my company first needs to gather all the requirements of the users and the domain names and consider how many users there are in the company. In the implementation and planning part, my company needs to consider what kind of policies we will create while ensuring that the policies are created based on the requirements of the users. There is a need to segregate the users' requirements since there are separate departments in the company, like the HR department, sales department, IT department, and manufacturing department, so that our company can create policies depending on their requirements. On-site, if you want a GRE tunnel, our company can handle GRE tunnel traffic routing and Zscaler Cloud Firewall, after which Zscaler will take action based on the policies created by our organization.

For the deployments and maintenance, a team of five members consisting of two managers and three engineers is required.

The tool's ROI is okay because it can be managed through a centralized system worldwide through a single console worldwide. The tool shows you what happened in your organization. Our company has a SOAR team in Japan that monitors everything. If there are any vulnerabilities or attacks that happen, the tool will immediately inform and take action. The product is also useful for dealing with internet filtering. If there are any attacks or anything, then such things get filtered by Zscaler Cloud Firewall.

The product is a bit expensive compared to the solutions offered by its competitors, like Palo Alto. There is a need to make yearly payments towards the license in charges associated with the product. There is a need to make yearly payments towards the license in charges associated with the product. Payments are to be made to Zscaler to use the solution based on the user count.

It is not me who is located in India who decided to use Zscaler Cloud Firewall. My company's headquarter is in Japan where it was decided that our organization needs to use Zscaler Cloud Firewall, so that we get to use its centralized management capabilities all over the world.

I recommend the solution to those who plan to use it, especially since it provides centralized control with a single policy for roaming users, as well as users who use it on an on-premises version.

I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

We use it primarily to establish a secure gateway that ensures the security of the office-to-external and office-to-cloud server communications for our clients. This entails creating a secure terminal for these interactions, ideally extending from both office-based computers and individual user laptops.

It provides in-depth visibility into your network, ensuring that traffic flowing into your organization, be it from offices or individual users, is effectively filtered and secured through multiple layers of protection. It allows for efficient traffic management and the ability to pinpoint network issues. In the event of service outages, such as Salesforce going down in a specific region, the platform's dashboard can quickly identify whether the problem lies with your network or the external service. This capability proves beneficial for help desks and knowledgeable users, enabling them to determine whether the issue is within their local network, with their ISP, or the external service itself.

When it comes to customer support, there is room for improvement in Zscaler's service. While it's not the worst, it could be more client-centric. One significant area that needs attention is the geographical coverage of its data centers. Although they have prominent data centers worldwide, they are not evenly distributed, particularly in remote locations. For global multinationals, expanding data center coverage is essential to reduce latency and provide better service. Improved reporting features that automatically adjust to the user's location and offer more granular insights into non-business traffic usage would be beneficial for organizations looking to manage their network effectively.

I have been working with it for seven years now.

I've had no issues with Zscaler in all the implementations I've been involved in. There were some rare instances in South Africa where bandwidth issues affected performance, but this was a more generic concern tied to scaling and was not specific to the solution. It is designed with redundancy in mind, which significantly reduces the likelihood of outages, unless there are severe capacity-related problems. In my experience, it has been extremely stable, particularly in regions like Europe and the United States. I would rate its stability as a solid nine out of ten.

Expanding and managing is incredibly straightforward. Adding IP addresses and internal resources is a simple and hassle-free process. Its scalability is a major advantage, with no significant challenges when it comes to accommodating growth. If I were to rate it, I would say it's exceptionally scalable, around a nine out of ten.

There's room for improvement in terms of dedicating more attention to the client's specific needs and concerns in certain instances. It's not the best, but it's far from the worst. I would rate it seven out of ten.

Neutral

The implementation is straightforward. It involves setting up the desired terminal for a specific office or deploying the Zscaler app across user devices. Once you configure the necessary parameters, the terminal build process tends to be automated, making it a remarkably easy and hassle-free procedure.

The deployment time can vary significantly depending on the scale of the implementation. If you're dealing with a single location and around five hundred users who are cooperative and ready to adopt the Zscaler app, a full implementation can be effectively completed in approximately two months. As you expand to multiple locations and countries, each with its unique configurations, the deployment timeline may extend further.

It is not the most budget-friendly solution, but it's important to consider its overall value. They offer five different license models based on your specific needs, which vary in features and capabilities. The cost per user, on the lower end, typically starts at around 30 euros, but this can fluctuate based on factors like the number of users and devices you intend to cover.

We evaluated Cisco Umbrella as a prominent competitor to Zscaler. While it does offer extensive geographical coverage, similar to Zscaler, it falls short in terms of features.

When adopting Zscaler, you can streamline your network by gradually phasing out proxy control and reducing the need for extensive firewall infrastructure. This can lead to cost savings in terms of manpower and equipment. While there are competing solutions like Titan Excel that are more cost-effective, they lack the global presence and advanced features that Zscaler provides. It comes equipped with a plethora of features and functionalities that may allow you to reduce costs in other areas, making it a worthwhile investment for many organizations. Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

It is used to provide Internet services to all the end users, either remote or office, that have been operating on Syngenta-owned and managed machines. We use it as an inspection engine and proxy-based cloud firewall.

The product line itself possesses a high level of maturity. We are seeing a lot of benefits that are passed on to us, for example, it gives us an in-depth view of our Internet traffic, and what kind of risks we might face. Zscaler provides effective protection against various cyber threats ensuring a safe environment.

Zscaler Cloud Firewall offers a smooth configuration and management experience. We find administrative solutions to be easily operated.  

Zscaler has a marketing strategy where they provide certain product lines with similar products within it. However, they do not provide a few components that are fundamental to differentiate the said products. It is their way of doing business.

We have been utilizing Zscaler Cloud Firewall for more than seven years.

I find it very stable overall. We did have some challenges with a data center outage and the solution was able to manually reroute the traffic to or from any nearby country that is suitable. We are looking forward to integrating a new feature that Zscaler came up with. It is called ZDX and as soon as this new feature is fully available, tested and validated, it will reduce latency and enhance user experience by optimizing network performance and leveraging a globally distributed network of data centers.

I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten.

Zscaler is truly accommodative when it comes to customer service. We have not encountered a situation where we were given excuses or have been deprived of timely support. For example, because of the geopolitical situation, sometimes we have to route our traffic from another country and Syngenta doesn't have to make a decision on which route is the best choice. Zscaler gives us clear information on which channels ensure fast and efficient connectivity, while maintaining robust control over data protection. They are excellent in categorizing the solution in the right manner and allowing flexibility in adapting security policies to changing circumstances.

Positive

The initial setup was straightforward, and very easy to use. I was a part of the transition from Blue Coat to Zscaler and the process itself has given us as a company a lot of comfort. Overall, I would say it was uncomplicated.

Zscaler helped us with the implementation. Our main task was the Internet traffic route, to ensure that it reached the client machines perfectly and that Zscaler was able to recognize segments of the office. The switch was quite simple and we effortlessly managed to fine-tune the firewalls, and proxy settings with not even half an hour of outage.

The only advice is to carefully choose the product lines, to be clear and particular on what products are needed and what services Zscaler will specifically provide before signing anything. I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.

It is a complete cybersecurity product. It works with different platforms like ZTNA. It also provides browser security and application security.

The product’s firewall and VPN package are fantastic compared to any other solution.

Pricing is a challenge. Organizations with more than 1000 users get a better price. Below 1000 users, we do not get good prices. The competitors leverage their prices to attract customers.

I have been using the solution for the last ten years. I am using the latest version of the solution.

I rate the tool’s stability a nine out of ten.

Five to ten of our customers are using the product. Our customers are a mix of large and medium enterprises. I have some customers with less than 500 users. Some customers ask us to maintain the product and give complete control to us. I have three to four engineers on my technical team. The tool has very good scalability. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten.

The support is fantastic. Most customers tell us that the vendor provides very good support.

Positive

We also work with Mimecast, Akamai, Proofpoint, and Check Point.

The initial setup is straightforward. It might be challenging for people who are new to the solution. It requires technical knowledge. We can use Azure, AWS, GCP, and other private cloud services for the solution.

The product costs INR 3000 to INR 5000 annually if the users are below 500.

I recommend the product to other users. I suggest Zscaler to my customers who are looking for cloud security solutions. Overall, I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

It provides the flexibility of being able to deploy policies at a granular level. With these cloud firewalls, it's possible to apply policies based on user groups or specific destinations, which includes creating policies based on countries, IP addresses, domains, wildcard entries, and more. This level of granular control is a significant advantage and can be applied at a large scale.

The visibility and log availability offered are highly valued for troubleshooting purposes, and this is a key factor driving customer interest in the firewall module. It is also gaining popularity due to its exceptional level of control, allowing for granular rule-setting based on Active Directory groups and intelligent user IDs, which simplifies the rule configuration process and is a significant driver for customer investment.

If you opt for the standard license, you might miss out on some of the insightful logs, which means you won't have access to certain firewall insights on the dashboard. Instead of the standard license, they should certainly provide customers with the visibility to access and view the logs.

I have been using it for five years.

It provides exceptional stability, I would rate it ten out of ten.

I would rate its scalability abilities nine out of ten.

I would rate its customer service and support eight out of ten.

Positive

We initially used Forcepoint on-premises, but our customers have increasingly chosen to shift towards a more scalable and beneficial solution. When we were on-premises, we encountered numerous issues, including high CPU and appliance utilization. As more end-users transition to remote work, the need for a cloud-based solution has become apparent.

The initial setup was straightforward.

The substantial return on investment is attributed to their comprehensive feature coverage and multiple benefits. These encompass dedicated spam management, customer access team support, and continuous improvement through active feedback.

It comes at a significantly reduced cost while ensuring control and effectiveness.

We conducted an evaluation where we also considered the Forcepoint Cloud solution.

When opting for it, customers should prioritize the advanced license. The standard license may lead to slower performance and hinder manual tasks, especially in the era of SASE 2.0. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.