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Cisco IOS Security vs Fortra's Tripwire Enterprise 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco IOS Security
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
8th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (21st)
Fortra's Tripwire Enterprise
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
17th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 1.0%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortra's Tripwire Enterprise is 1.4%, down from 1.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

Karthik Venkataraman - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly and excels in documentation, making it easier to resolve issues
Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It offers good network visibility, which helps in rapid response through the Rapid Threat Containment feature. Its deployment and configuration are straightforward. From a networking perspective, for instance, Cisco IOS incorporates time-tested security features. The zone-based firewall feature has significantly influenced our network security management. For instance, when managing multiple geolocations, it's essential to apply geographically appropriate policies. If a customer operates within the UK zone, I need to implement UK-specific policies. This approach is also applicable to customers in the Asia Pacific and UK regions. It enables me to tailor security policies based on the geographical location of my customers, such as adjusting policies for customers in China or Japan. This flexibility helps in creating a comprehensive zone list. Additionally, this feature allows for seamless service agreements between all zones from headquarters, providing access to all zones within the firewall we create. Essentially, it facilitates the creation of zones within the firewall.
reviewer2093205 - PeerSpot reviewer
It has excellent scalability and allows you to execute custom COCR rules, letting you fine-tune agent monitoring
I'm using Tripwire Enterprise version 9.0. In my company, thirty to forty people use Tripwire Enterprise, mainly different types of engineers, governance, risk, compliance, and cybersecurity personnel. I advise people planning to use Tripwire Enterprise to take the training because the solution has a fairly complex interface. You can do a lot of work with it, but it isn't very easy. Tripwire Enterprise is a sophisticated tool. I rate the tool an eight on a scale of one to ten because it does an excellent job of handling the unique challenges of maintaining NERC CIP compliance and monitoring industrial controls.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The capabilities for scalability with this product are huge"
"Cisco IOS Security increases the overall security of our network, performs authentication, and provides level 15 access and privileges."
"The product's stability is good."
"In Pakistan, we only use Cisco because they have good local support infrastructure. Huawei and Fortinet don't offer direct support in Pakistan."
"We use Cisco IOS Security mostly for routers to route off the firewall. It's a next-generation device."
"The product has valuable features for business intelligence."
"What I have used the most and received the most benefit from is the IPsec technology."
"Cisco IOS allows us to keep the same security features as our principal offices."
"We use Tripwire Enterprise as a tool to test the vulnerability of a network. That is the most valuable feature of the product for us."
"Its reporting features are great. It gives you an in-depth report. Its customization is also great, and it is working fine."
"The product supports different platforms."
"The most valuable feature is integrity management. I had some discussions with service providers, and they also agreed."
"What's most valuable in Tripwire Enterprise is the ability to execute custom COCR rules that lets me fine-tune how I monitor Linux and Windows agents."
"Even if you change a single word in Notepad, it will let you know whether it was added, removed, or modified."
"The most valuable feature is the integrity."
"File monitoring is the most valuable feature of the solution."
 

Cons

"It would be ideal if the solution had more capacity."
"Most of their features are meant for Cisco. You cannot integrate them with any other vendor."
"The routers, don't have like long-term tendency features, or higher availability features available for the IOS. It could also use a better user interface."
"The solution’s setup process could be better."
"There's a technology called SD-WAN that we would like to see. We are unable to handle multiple connections or to automatically load balance. I would like to have a feature that enables us to automatically prepare for load balancing."
"An area for improvement in Cisco IOS Security is the performance because it's not as stable sometimes. There's also some latency in the solution, which could be improved. Cisco IOS Security integrates with other solutions, but you'll encounter many errors after integration, so this is another area for improvement. I'd like to see enhanced performance and a simplified setup in the next version of Cisco IOS Security."
"In the security portfolio from Cisco, the issue is marketing. Cisco is still seen primarily as an enterprise network player rather than being acknowledged as a security vendor."
"The company needs to make its solution more affordable to make it more accessible to larger markets. Otherwise, it's seen as an enterprise-level solution that small or medium-sized organizations can't afford and therefore they won't even look at it."
"The deployment with certain systems can be difficult and it needs to be simplified."
"The Windows online integration license needs to be improved."
"Cloud monitoring could be better. It would also be better if the company followed a pay-as-you-use model."
"The main way that it can be improved is through better reporting."
"An area for improvement in Tripwire Enterprise is stability, as my company had stability issues with the last few versions of the solution. Tripwire Enterprise has been a bit buggy."
"A lot of network devices need a custom integration."
"It needs more local support from the OEM side. It would be great if this can be improved."
"The initial setup is complex."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of the solution should be cheaper, and the license is purchase annually."
"Cisco IOS Security is not very expensive, and pricing depends on where you live. It's affordable for both individuals and institutions. On a scale from one to five, I would give Cisco's pricing a four."
"The solution's pricing is very good."
"Cisco IOS Security price could be reduced, it is more expensive than many of the other solutions, such as Sophos and Fortinet FortiGate."
"The cost of the license, to the best of my knowledge, is approximately two thousand dollars."
"The licensing is on a subscription basis, and it is fairly costly. I would prefer a one-time payment."
"The tool could be priced lower. If you want advanced services, then you need to purchase them."
"It is an expensive solution."
"The licensing depends on the equipment, how many devices and the types of devices."
"Tripwire is more expensive than Netwrix."
"Cloud monitoring could be better. It could also be cheaper. It would be better if the company followed a pay-as-you-use model."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
28%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
14%
University
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco IOS Security?
Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It offers good network visibility, which helps in rapid response through the Rapid Thr...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?
Pricing can be reduced. I rate the current price for the product a four out of ten.
What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?
While I do not have specific recommendations for improvement, pricing can be reduced.
What do you like most about Tripwire Enterprise?
The product supports different platforms.
What needs improvement with Tripwire Enterprise?
The solution has some limitations in OT, IoT, and AIX. The product must provide whitelisting services.
 

Also Known As

IOS Security
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Arup Group, Brunel University London, City of Biel, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates , New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Offshore Northern Seas, Transplace
1. Aetna 2. Adobe 3. ADP 4. Airbus 5. Amazon 6. American Express 7. Aon 8. ATT 9. Bank of America 10. Barclays 11. Baxter International 12. Bechtel 13. Boeing 14. Cisco Systems 15. CocaCola 16. Comcast 17. Dell 18. ETRADE 19. ExxonMobil 20. Ford Motor Company 21. General Electric 22. General Motors 23. Google 24. JPMorgan Chase 25. Kraft Foods 26. Lockheed Martin 27. McDonald's 28. Merck 29. Microsoft 30. Morgan Stanley 31. Nike 32. Oracle
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS Security vs. Fortra's Tripwire Enterprise and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
845,712 professionals have used our research since 2012.