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PeerSpot user
Network Security Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Reliable product which I'd like to see include a web filtering functionality.

What is most valuable?

It blocks all outside to inside traffic and only permits the specific internet traffic from the outside. VPN functionality is very useful, we can create remote access and tunnel VPN in the simplest way.

How has it helped my organization?

It blocked all kinds of internet attacks from outside like DOS or DDOS and avoided any down time. We created a remote tunnel from head office to data center network for easy access of servers that make working fast and they are easily manageable.

What needs improvement?

It would be great if they would add web filtering functionality to this product.

For how long have I used the solution?

5 years

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Secure Firewall
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Secure Firewall. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
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What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No

How are customer service and support?

Customer Service:

Excellent

Technical Support:

Good

How was the initial setup?

It is a little difficult in newer IOS versions where the use of the NAT command is different. Otherwise its straightforward to configure.

What about the implementation team?

I deployed it in-house with my team.

What was our ROI?

This solution reduces any downtime therefore business continuity is not disturbed - that is ultimately ROI.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is one time cost of about $10,000 and there is no day to day cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Yes, I evaluated Fortigate, SonicWall and Juniper but found Cisco ASA to be the best solution for us above all of the others.

What other advice do I have?

Cisco ASA is a reliable product and it benefits you a lot in your network.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user234789 - PeerSpot reviewer
Chief Technical Officer at a comms service provider with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
It has given us a very robust and well firewalled LAN.

What is most valuable?

  • Content filtering
  • VPN features
  • User interface is also very friendly

How has it helped my organization?

Users can VPN into the network from remote locations. It has given us a very robust and well firewalled LAN, that we use for authentication as well for our core network infrastructure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used it for seven years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No issues encountered.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a very stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No issues encountered.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

It's good.

Technical Support:

It's good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

No previous solution was used.

How was the initial setup?

It was a straightforward setup.

What about the implementation team?

Implementation was in-house as we have Cisco experts.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The initial cost was approximately $6,000.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

No other products were evaluated.

What other advice do I have?

ASA is a very reliable product and I have been using it since I cam across it. I strongly recommend the use of the product

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Secure Firewall
April 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Secure Firewall. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2025.
848,716 professionals have used our research since 2012.
it_user224271 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Architect/Owner with 51-200 employees
Vendor
We have the ability to control our VPN users as well as use two-factor authentication if needed, but I would love to see application specific control.

Valuable Features

The features that we use are:

  • The stateful firewall
  • VPN with AnyConnect
  • Site-to-site IPSEC solutions
  • High availability

Improvements to My Organization

The ASA gives us a secure appliance at the perimeter and allows us to provide VPN connectivity to our users. We have the ability to control our VPN users as well as use two-factor authentication if needed (using an outside Radius source).

Room for Improvement

The ASA has room for improvement in the areas of layers four through seven. I would love to see application specific control, e.g.Facebook, Gmail, etc.

Use of Solution

I have used this solution for five years.

Deployment Issues

No issues with the deployment of the ASA as long as you are using it for what it is intended for.

Stability Issues

No issues encountered.

Scalability Issues

As long as you buy the correct model for your company, in regards to throughput, licenses etc., you will be fine.

Customer Service and Technical Support

Customer Service:

8/10.

Technical Support:

8/10.

Initial Setup

I believe it is straightforward, but again it depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user212700 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at a aerospace/defense firm with 51-200 employees
Vendor
Setup can be complex if you don't have previous experience with ASA but it's an excellent product.

What is most valuable?

The multi-context mode.

How has it helped my organization?

Being able to use the multi-context on the firewall to keep costs down.

What needs improvement?

No improvement needed.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used it for four years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

Yes but I was able to get the support that was needed to resolve any issues.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No issues encountered.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No issues encountered.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

9/10.

Technical Support:

8/10.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Yes and we switched because we needed a fully redundant solution.

How was the initial setup?

If you have no experience with the device it may be complex but being trained on the device helps drastically.

What about the implementation team?

We used a mix of both - vendor help and in-house.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We also evaluated Juniper firewalls.

What other advice do I have?

Excellent product and excellent customer support.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1472883 - PeerSpot reviewer
Lead Network Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
A recommended firewall solution that is straightforward, stable, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "We are mostly using it for remote access, so the remote access feature is the most valuable, but all other features are also needed and required. It is also a very straightforward and reliable solution."
  • "We don't have any serious problems. The firewall models that we have are quite legacy, and they have slower performance. We are currently investigating the possibility of migrating to next-generation firewalls."

What is our primary use case?

We mostly use it for remote access. We also use this firewall between different segments of our enterprise network.

We have legacy models of this solution. We are using models 5510 and 5520.

What is most valuable?

We are mostly using it for remote access, so the remote access feature is the most valuable, but all other features are also needed and required. It is also a very straightforward and reliable solution.

What needs improvement?

We don't have any serious problems. The firewall models that we have are quite legacy, and they have slower performance. We are currently investigating the possibility of migrating to next-generation firewalls.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Cisco ASA Firewall for around one hour and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is quite stable. We didn't have any issues or crashes, so we find it to be a solid solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

We don't have Cisco support because these models are excellent.

How was the initial setup?

It has moderate complexity. I didn't have any prior experience in configuring these firewalls. That's why I found its initial setup to be of moderate complexity, but now, I have got used to using and maintaining these devices.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We're using the smart license for this firewall. The models that we have require licensing for remote access.

What other advice do I have?

I would absolutely recommend this solution. It is a very straightforward and reliable solution. I would definitely like to propose and offer this solution to other colleagues.

Cisco doesn't have any plans to develop this kind of solution more. Cisco ASA Firewall will not be developed in the future. The next-generation firewall is the next step in the development of the Cisco firewall. For this reason, we are investigating the possibility of migrating to another product.

I would rate Cisco ASA Firewall a nine out of ten. We are very happy with this solution. It is very straightforward and reliable, but it is quite a legacy solution and lacks performance. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
it_user1070472 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Manager at Tactical Air Support
Real User
Easy to use and has helped to secure our Internet Edge
Pros and Cons
  • "We moved from a legacy firewall to the ASA with FirePOWER, increasing our Internet Edge defense dramatically."
  • "The product would be improved if the GUI could be brought into the 21st Century."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for this solution is to protect the Internet Edge, and our VPN (Virtual Private Network).

How has it helped my organization?

We moved from a Legacy firewall to the ASA with Firepower, increasing our internet Edge defense dramatically.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features for us are Firepower and the VPN concentration. These are easy to use and have good insights.

What needs improvement?

The product would be improved if the GUI could be brought into the 21st Century.

For how long have I used the solution?

One to three years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer994896 - PeerSpot reviewer
Center for Creative Leadership at a training & coaching company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Good scalability and good security features
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution has good security, and it's a good product. You can trust Cisco, and there's support as well, which is really good."
  • "The phishing emails could be improved."

What is most valuable?

Its security is the most valuable feature. 

What needs improvement?

The phishing emails could be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good. I'm happy with the service. We are around twenty users. Some are in finance, some are in a mid-user roles, and some are in other official roles.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not previously use a different solution. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. Implementation took two days. We needed two people for the deployment. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Pricing is high, but it is corporate's decision.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We didn't look at any other solutions. All of our campuses use Cisco products. This is why we chose this solution. 

What other advice do I have?

This solution has good security and it's a good product. You can trust Cisco, and there's support as well, which is really good.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user511224 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Support Engineer
Vendor
Its security features are the most valuable aspect. The equipment is too expensive.

What is most valuable?

Its security features are the most valuable aspect. It has the ability to detect and prevent intrusions.

How has it helped my organization?

The product has helped organizations secure their infrastructure and data. Most organizations are happy to adopt the technology.

What needs improvement?

The equipment is too expensive compared with other firewall products.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used ASA for about three months. I just bought and configured it for a client.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Since I installed and configured it, the client has never called with complaints.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have not had scalability issues at all. Maybe it is because I have not used it quite extensively.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't had a chance to interact with the support team.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

The previous product was limited in throughput and security.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was quite complex.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

As much as there is value for money, there is a need to make it affordable.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I tried Sophos.

What other advice do I have?

It is a very good device to use for those who value their network security.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Secure Firewall Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Secure Firewall Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.