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Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 7, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

iboss
Sponsored
Ranking in ZTNA as a Service
12th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (13th), Internet Security (4th), Web Content Filtering (4th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (8th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (10th)
Cisco Secure Client (includ...
Ranking in ZTNA as a Service
11th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
69
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (4th), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (5th), Cisco Security Portfolio (7th)
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange...
Ranking in ZTNA as a Service
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
62
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (4th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (3rd), Application Control (3rd), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (2nd), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (11th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (10th), Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) (1st)
 

Featured Reviews

Jack Hamm - PeerSpot reviewer
We experienced benefits immediately but the report generation is lagging
iboss excels on the networking side but lags slightly behind competitors like Zscaler and Netskope in terms of security feature parity. I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention. Using iboss for DLP instead of traditional endpoint solutions is preferable, but its current feature set requires some clunky workarounds. I'd also like to see better integration of DLP into the platform. Additionally, while it's improving, reporting can be slow at times. This is problematic when generating reports for executives who expect them immediately. I'd like to see further improvements in reporting speed and efficiency.
Arsalan Nili - PeerSpot reviewer
The solution is easy to use, stable, and scalable
I use the solution for personal use on my mobile phone to connect, for example, to Telegram, and Facebook The most valuable feature is the ease of use. I would like a faster connection from the solution. I have been using the solution for one year. I give the stability a seven out of ten. The…
Vikram Srirama. - PeerSpot reviewer
A VPN alternative that delivers a zero trust model
The pricing for Private Access seems to be on the expensive side, and I believe they should consider making it more competitive with other solutions. Specifically, they could improve pricing by offering customizable packages that cater to each customer's specific needs. Connectivity to voice-over IP (VoIP) solutions, both private and VoIP, is scheduled to be included in the upcoming week.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"From a use-case scenario, what I like the most is the plug-in. I like the fact that we can do the filtering of these devices offsite independent of the network they are connected to, and we do not have to have traffic coming back inside our network."
"Our primary use case for this product is DLP,"
"Iboss is a solution that prevents advanced persistent threats, and has a zero tolerance for attacks."
"iboss has significantly lowered the number of security incidents. It is crazy how much it blocks and how much it is aware of the outside danger."
"Its initial setup was straightforward."
"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."
"Valuable features: Within the filter: Controls (Web categories, applications, and Allow/Block list) and Network (local Subnets). Within the reporter: Logs (Event Log) and Reports."
"iboss is pretty scalable. They provide good support. The case managers you work with to coordinate what you need are pretty good."
"It is easy to scale."
"The security AnyConnect offers is excellent. It disconnects automatically if someone isn't using it on a private network and doesn't allow you to work, ensuring the data within the system is secure."
"I think Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is stable."
"It's a very scalable solution. We are using the maximum licensing they offer, and it's very affordable given the value."
"I like how I don't need to see the solution or start it up. I just use my computer and have it working in the background. I start my laptop and it's there and working. That's the most important feature."
"This is a secure product that has had zero stability issues since I started using it in 2019."
"The solution is stable and reliable."
"I'd rate Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client at nine out of ten for scalability."
"The most valuable feature is its ability to establish connectivity for remote users and remote endpoints. It offers a high level of granularity compared to typical VPNs, which also encapsulate a lot of I/O."
"The most valuable feature of Zscaler Private Access is the categorization of the dynamic URLs which keeps the customer's environment protected. The threats and the malware are correctly categorized."
"It does the job. What it is needed for. I can use it for VPN, I can use it for secure connections, I can use it as a firewall. So the solution does the job."
"The solution is the best for storage."
"Its impressive scalability allows the combination of multiple dictionaries and using them as one engine, resulting in narrower data loss gaps."
"The policies are very easy to implement."
"The UI is easy to use."
"It is a very scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."
 

Cons

"The reporting feature needs improvement."
"To scale up, a new iboss Node Blade Chassis must be purchased."
"Iboss is growing so fast that it is often hard for them to keep up with the challenges."
"Their on-premise hardware's network interface is capped at one gigabit, which is sort of a problem. If you stand a filter up where all traffic flows through that, according to them, in order to go above a gigabit, you have to have multiple devices, which in today's IT seems a little bit silly. They could easily put in an SFP port into their device that could accommodate 10 gigs or at least offer a box."
"The dashboards for local use could be better."
"Sometimes the agent stops working in iboss, and we have to reinstall the agent."
"The area I would like to see improvement in is the ability with in the reporter to navigate directly to the content the user is traversing. It is kind of there, but it's not perfect. Quite frequently, I receive links that lead me to pages with error messages."
"Fold that in with the risk intelligence they're getting from all of the different subscriptions they are a part of. Now, these security companies subscribe to things like emerging threats, databases, etc. You can fold all this intelligence to decide what's happening on an endpoint. I would love to see them start moving into that space. That would compete directly with Microsoft. Maybe that's why they haven't. Having that ability native within the solution would be great. The other area in which I would love to see improvement is more detailed descriptions of why they block websites."
"If there's any cloud version available, instead of on-premise, that would be ideal."
"The setup is a bit difficult to handle on the server-side."
"The setup could be simplified for solutions engineers with a wizard."
"We were going to use the Cisco AnyConnect with hardware tokens. However, right now, it's very complicated in terms of delivering the hardware token to the customer. That's why we are looking for a software token right now."
"The price could be reduced."
"The security could be improved."
"I would like to see improvements in regards to the connectivity speed."
"Frequency of updates could be reduced."
"While Zscaler supports client-initiated connections, it does not support server-initiated connections. This is a feature that Zscaler may consider adding in the future."
"More on-prem infrastructure is required when Zscaler Private Access is to be implemented as a single point of entry."
"User management can be improved."
"In the next release, I would like to see RE2 Regex supported."
"The customers would benefit from more robust documentation and conversations around configurations, as it is slightly complex."
"The DX layer could be better if it had improved visibility."
"I can't speak to any missing features."
"We would like to extend the SASE applications for Zscaler."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."
"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."
"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."
"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."
"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."
"There is a license needed to use this solution. There are different licensing models available, such as a three-year license."
"We pay for an annual subscription. Additionally to the subscription, we thought in order to connect this solution to the Active Directory we had to purchase a Cisco ACS, Access Control System. It turns out we did not actually need it."
"The price is okay."
"The licensing costs are reasonable."
"The initial cost is the ASA and other items, but after that, it is relatively inexpensive."
"We are in the North African region, and Cisco products are expensive for us. On a scale from one to ten with one being very affordable and ten being expensive, I'd rate the price at eight."
"I am using a paid version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client."
"The solution is reasonably priced and costs $600 for a five-year license in our scenario."
"It's an affordable solution"
"Zscaler Private Access can be an expensive solution, depending on the license type you will purchase."
"Zscaler SASE software is quite expensive compared to other solutions"
"The licensing model for Zscaler Cloud DLP allows you to only buy what you need. You don't need to buy it as a whole, so it's good."
"It's expensive currently. But when purchasing for a large number of users, there's room to negotiate. It's really up to the procurement team."
"It is an auto-renewal subscription service."
"Zscaler CASB is an expensive solution."
"The price is competitive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
6%
Educational Organization
48%
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
4%
Financial Services Firm
4%
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about iboss?
Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss.
What needs improvement with iboss?
I have the same complaint about them that I have about other software companies. Sometimes when you call in support, ...
What is your primary use case for iboss?
We are a PreK-12 public school district, and we use iboss to filter internet content for our students at home and sta...
What do you like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The tool is user-friendly, robust and easy to use in any environment.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
My company has a three-year or a four-year license. In scenarios attached to a solution where the product may be reac...
What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The security of the product has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required.
What is the better solution - Prisma Access or Zscaler Private Access?
We looked into Prisma Access before choosing Zscaler Private Access (ZPA). Palo Alto’s Prisma Access is a secure ac...
What do you like most about Zscaler SASE?
The most valuable features of Zscaler Private Access are reliability, scalability, and availability.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zscaler SASE?
Zscaler SASE is quite expensive compared to other solutions. The price is not fixed and it does not include all of th...
 

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
Zscaler SASE, Zscaler DLP, Zscaler CASB, Zscaler CSPM, Zscaler Browser Isolation, Zscaler Posture Control
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.
MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService
Siemens, AutoNation, GE, NOV
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs. Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.
817,354 professionals have used our research since 2012.