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Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
8.4
Cisco ISE boosts security, reduces costs, and simplifies IT, enhancing mobility and compliance while avoiding breach-related expenses.
Sentiment score
8.2
ThreatLocker enhances security and productivity with real-time protection, leading to revenue growth and improved efficiency in one year.
Direct comparisons with Forescout reveal up to 30% to 40% difference in cost savings.
The measurable benefits of using ThreatLocker include ensuring real-time protection of organizational resources and maintaining user authentication and protection levels to reduce risks.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.3
Cisco ISE support is valued for expertise but criticized for delays, reactive approach, and integration challenges.
Sentiment score
8.8
ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection offers highly-rated, efficient customer service, with rapid response times and knowledgeable support, achieving user satisfaction.
I rate the technical support as one out of ten.
Sometimes it's challenging to identify which support team is responsible for certain issues, which is a significant concern.
ThreatLocker's technical support process could be streamlined by reducing the number of steps required to reach a human agent.
It could be better, especially with response times.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
Cisco ISE offers scalable solutions for diverse enterprises, supporting expansions with additional nodes or licenses for efficient endpoint management.
Sentiment score
8.3
ThreatLocker efficiently scales for all business sizes, seamlessly managing thousands of endpoints without issues, supporting diverse infrastructures.
Factors like architecture, business nature, and legal limitations such as GDPR affect it.
It is scalable to an extent, depending on where it is used.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Cisco ISE is generally stable, though some face issues during updates; reliability improves with proper configuration and recent versions.
Sentiment score
6.8
ThreatLocker offers stable endpoint protection, with minimal issues that are quickly resolved, enhancing reliability and performance for users.
The stability of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is poor for certain use cases, like authentication.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is considered very reliable and stable.
Stability can be improved as there are times it goes down or requires management to adjust policies.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco ISE users face challenges with complexity, performance issues, integration, intuitive interface, documentation, and licensing concerns.
ThreatLocker could enhance its platform with flexible training, user interface improvements, better integrations, and more comprehensive support.
Additionally, the product is vulnerable and has many bugs.
Pricing can be more expensive compared to other vendors, and there is a significant price gap observed, which doesn't seem justified by some specific features.
This is problematic when immediate attention is needed.
Comprehensive 24-hour log monitoring is a valuable enhancement for both business and enterprise-level users.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco ISE's pricing model is complex and costly, with subscription expenses, though discounts benefit larger clients.
Enterprise users value ThreatLocker's cost-effective Zero Trust Platform for its comprehensive features, excellent support, and customizable tiered pricing.
Compared to other solutions like HPE ClearPass, Cisco is more costly, and the conversation suggests a possible forty percent price gap compared to competitors.
Cloud solutions are expensive, while on-prem setups with shared environments are cheaper but not effective.
The pricing is reasonable and normal.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco ISE offers robust security and ease of use, integrating AAA management with scalability and improved GUI, enhancing network control.
ThreatLocker offers mobile access, zero trust protection, granular control, and support, enhancing security and reducing management costs.
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is very good at device administration.
The solution is integrated with other Cisco devices and can offer automation for an organization, making deployments more dynamic and providing real-time visibility.
ThreatLocker's most valuable feature is its scanning capability, which executes all types of executable files.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Identity Services Eng...
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
141
Ranking in other categories
Cisco Security Portfolio (1st)
ThreatLocker Zero Trust End...
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
5th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) (12th), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (8th), Application Control (4th), ZTNA (8th), Ransomware Protection (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is 28.8%, down from 31.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform is 0.2%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

Bill Masci - PeerSpot reviewer
Helps across a distributed network, giving you a central way of authenticating everybody
A lot of people tell you the hardware requirements for ISE are pretty substantial. If you're running a virtual environment, you're going to be dedicating quite a bit of resources to an ISE VM. That is something that could be worked on. The upgrade process is not very simple. It's pretty time-consuming. If you follow it step by step you're probably going to have a good time, but there are still a lot of things that could be a lot more user-friendly from an administrator's perspective. [They could be] easing a lot of the issues that people have. Instead of just saying the best practice is to migrate to new nodes [what would be helpful] would be to make that upgrade process easier. The UI is a lot nicer in 3.0. It's pretty slow, but for the most part, it's easy to find what you're looking for, especially things like RADIUS live logs, TACACS live logs. From a troubleshooting perspective, it's really nice finding stuff. For setting up policies, from that perspective, it could be a little bit better looking.
Roy Richardson - PeerSpot reviewer
Integration is simple, deployment is straightforward, and extensive well-written documentation is available online
We use ThreatLocker's Allowlisting to whitelist specific applications and prevent unauthorized software from running. We utilize Ringfencing to establish guardrails around implementations, ensuring that applications operate within defined boundaries. We leverage network access control to granularly control interactions between computer systems and servers. This enables us to restrict communication between specific applications, even within a locked-down environment. We employ storage control to impose additional security measures on data storage. This includes controlling access to network shares, network files, and folders, as well as USB storage devices. We can whitelist specific devices based on their serial numbers or allow access based on predefined conditions. We rely on ThreatLocker's Cyber Hero support, which provides exceptional assistance and responsiveness. At any time, we can initiate a chat session and receive immediate support. If the issue requires escalation, it is promptly handled. Cyber Hero support also plays a crucial role in vetting application updates. When a user attempts to install or update an application, and the update has not been approved from a security standpoint, it is blocked by ThreatLocker. A notification is presented to the user, informing them of the block and providing an option to justify the application's need. These requests are then reviewed by ThreatLocker's Cyber Hero support team, who evaluate them against our security criteria and make an informed decision to allow or deny the application. We utilize ThreatLocker's elevated control feature for applications that require administrator-level access. We avoid granting full administrative privileges to end users, as this elevates the risk of compromise if the device is infiltrated. Instead, elevated control allows us to precisely define the execution conditions for specific applications, such as QuickBooks updates. By verifying the application's signature and certificate, we can enable the update to run with administrative privileges while restricting the user's overall administrative access. Integrating ThreatLocker with other products is simple and only requires a few clicks. ThreatLocker's deployment is also very straightforward. The company provides extensive and well-written online documentation, which is continuously being improved. They also offer a variety of training resources, including university courses, training videos, webinars, and conferences. I have no complaints about the level of support and knowledge transfer provided by the company. ThreatLocker is also developing a new reporting tool, which I had the opportunity to beta test. The company has also been showcasing the new reporting tool at conferences. The new reporting tool provides a level of detail that is unmatched by any other product on the market.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Educational Organization
27%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Computer Software Company
38%
Retailer
8%
Financial Services Firm
5%
Manufacturing Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Which is better - Aruba Clearpass or Cisco ISE?
Aruba ClearPass is a Network Access Control tool that gives secure network access to multiple device types. You can adapt the policies to VPN access, wired, or wireless access. You can securely ...
What are the main differences between Cisco ISE and Forescout Platform?
OK, so Cisco ISE uses 802.1X to secure switchports against unauthorized access. The drawback of this is that ISE cannot secure the port if a device does not support 802.1x. Cameras, badge readers, ...
How does Cisco ISE compare with Fortinet FortiNAC?
Cisco ISE uses AI endpoint analytics to identify new devices based on their behavior. It will also notify you if someone plugs in with a device that is not allowed and will block it. The user exper...
What do you like most about ThreatLocker Allowlisting?
The interface is clean and well-organized, making it simple to navigate and find what we need.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ThreatLocker Allowlisting?
I handle the technical aspects, while my manager deals with pricing. Although the pricing seems good, there have been inconsistencies in contract negotiations. What we are told during calls sometim...
What needs improvement with ThreatLocker Allowlisting?
ThreatLocker would benefit from incorporating an antivirus feature or comprehensive 24-hour log monitoring, a valuable enhancement for both business and enterprise-level users.
 

Also Known As

Cisco ISE
Protect, Allowlisting, Network Control, Ringfencing
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Aegean Motorway, BC Hydro, Beachbody, Bucks County Intermediate Unit , Cisco IT, Derby City Council, Global Banking Customer, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, Houston Methodist, Linz AG, London Hydro, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Molina Healthcare, MST Systems, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Reykjavik University, Wildau University
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Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs. ThreatLocker Zero Trust Endpoint Protection Platform and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.