No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comparison

Why PeerSpot?
Cisco and Microsoft are both solutions in the Email Security category. Cisco is ranked #23 with an average rating of 7.3, while Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5. Cisco holds a 1.1% mindshare in Email Security, compared to Microsoft’s 5.1% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.
Cisco Secure Email Threat D...
Read 16 Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense reviews
  • 2,730 Views
  • 2,730 Comparison Views
93% willing to recommend
Microsoft Defender for Offi...
Read 61 Microsoft Defender for Office 365 reviews
  • 18,434 Views
  • 12,904 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report
Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 compete in the email security space. Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense excels in customer support and pricing, while Microsoft Defender for Office 365 offers superior features, making it appealing for comprehensive security.

Features: Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense provides advanced threat protection, anti-spam filters, and detailed reporting. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is noteworthy for its integration with the Office suite and advanced threat intelligence, offering comprehensive protection against sophisticated threats. It enhances value through seamless security integration within the Microsoft productivity ecosystem.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense could improve by enhancing its integration capabilities with third-party platforms, providing more advanced phishing detection, and simplifying its user interface further. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 might benefit from offering more personalized support, addressing complex deployment challenges for non-Office 365 environments, and reducing its high initial setup costs.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense offers straightforward deployment and robust customer support, tailoring solutions for various environments. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is streamlined for existing Office 365 users but may require extra support for complex integrations. Its customer service is known for quick resolutions but may lack personalized support like Cisco.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense provides competitive pricing with a focus on strong ROI through reliable security and excellent service. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 has potentially higher setup costs but justifies its pricing with rich features that integrate well with Microsoft infrastructures, leading to higher long-term ROI through enhanced productivity and security.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Report (Updated: September 2026).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365
September 2026
Download the complete report
Helped 914,938 peers since 2012

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 Secure Email Threat D...
Ranking in Email Security
23rd
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft Defender for Offi...
Ranking in Email Security
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Email Archiving (2nd), Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) (3rd), Microsoft Security Suite (9th), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Email Security category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense is 1.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is 5.1%, down from 11.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Security Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Defender for Office 3655.1%
Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense1.1%
Other93.8%
Email Security
 

Featured Reviews

GC
Glenn-Camilien
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees
Provides robust email security features but requires improved modernization and complexity management
Modernization is an area that could be improved for Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense, as some features have lagged behind newer competitors, potentially offering more advanced analysis capabilities. The initial setup is not straightforward and requires expertise and time to master configurations such as spoofing and DLP. More control over backend functionalities and simplifying rule management could enhance user experience. The product's complexity at times results in redundant rule sets that are difficult to untangle, highlighting the need for streamlined management systems and a more user-centric approach to system configuration. Furthermore, the pricing might deter new users who could opt for alternative, more cost-effective solutions.
Read full review
Emeka Ndulu - PeerSpot reviewer
Emeka Ndulu
Cloud Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Improves threat visibility and response while reducing manual tasks and training users against phishing
I appreciate the attack simulation feature whereby I get to train users and educate them on how to identify phishing emails and spam emails, as well as the anti-spam protection. It gives me visibility into my threat environment and threat landscape to ensure that I am one step ahead of any likelihood of threats within my environment. I get to detect it and respond, so the threat intelligence is very effective. Microsoft security solutions save my time. It saves money because once I protect my environment, I don't lose money. It has decreased my detection time and my time to respond.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This solution is easy to use."
"Currently, the ease of deployment is the low-hanging fruit for Cisco email security."
"The features and functionalities are much better than Microsoft's in-built Defender plan, and this product has helped us to protect our organization from any malware attack in the past."
"Cisco Cloud Mailbox is used for copying emails, anti-spamming, and securing the company's email, and we really enjoy the anti-spamming capabilities as well as the rejecting of bulk emails, which we can customize by adjusting the variables, and it is very user-friendly."
"Regarding stability, Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense is very stable."
"I highly recommend it as one of the best choices."
"Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense's best features include user management of graymail, enhancing security awareness by allowing users to manage cold calls, sales-based items, and ensuring email compliance."
"The advanced threat analytics and URL filtering in threat detection are good features that are working well."
More Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense pros
"It gives us visibility into threats and, for endpoints, it helps us to prioritize threats. We used to have a lack of visibility, but now our time to detect and respond has decreased."
"With Defender for Office 365, we have been able to increase the security posture across our organization."
"The email protection is excellent, especially in terms of anti-phishing policies."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is data backups that we can provide through ticket requests."
"Safe attachments, safe links, policies, and the ability to protect from zero-day threats are the most valuable features."
"The feature I like the most about Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is that it typically runs in the background—you do not know it is there until you need to access it."
"I would say that 90% of the spam and phishing attack emails get blocked right off the bat."
"The risk level notifications are most valuable. We get to know what kind of intrusion or attack is there, and we can fix a problem on time."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pros
 

Cons

"The tool gives false positives and it needs to be more accurate. I would like to see AI as a new feature."
"We encounter issues while searching for missing emails."
"The physical appliance has been discontinued, although the platform still exists."
"Cisco's multiple product lines and verticals made this just one of their many verticals, and we could see a shift in focus."
"There is still room for improvement in terms of integrations with other Cisco tools and non-Cisco tools. There is also some room for improvement needed in terms of the reporting."
"The search area has room for improvement. When you go to the next page, it remains at the bottom of the current page that you're on. Also, under the reports section, it allows you to see any "convictions," but if you want to search for those convictions you have to remember when they all came in and go back and edit the search accordingly. You cannot click on the list of convictions to actually see if you had a spike at a certain time."
"I wouldn't recommend Cisco to others because I think Fortinet is better."
"The product's complexity at times results in redundant rule sets that are difficult to untangle, highlighting the need for streamlined management systems and a more user-centric approach to system configuration."
More Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense cons
"I am generally satisfied with how it currently is. If I could improve anything, I would reduce the cost."
"One area for improvement is support, in terms of being able to reach them and, especially, technical support for configuration."
"If you look at other products, such as Wiz or Palo Alto's cloud, because they also have similar components in terms of how they protect cloud infrastructure or enable cloud security, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is not up to that extent."
"We still see many false positives from time to time with Microsoft Defender for Office 365, so it would be good if we can reduce those false positives and provide better workflows for our end users, as sometimes they may not know what to do when they encounter a false positive."
"In the areas of improvement for Microsoft Defender for Office 365, the console is the biggest challenge for me."
"There's room for improvement regarding the time frame for retrieving emails."
"They can improve their security in a way where a customer can know if all their attachments are safe or not to open through a report. The solution does its job perfectly, but it never reports to the customer whether those attachments have been stopped before or not."
"The visibility into threats is not up to the mark, as I do not have control. I rate my experience with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 as six out of ten due to troubleshooting and pricing concerns."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution’s pricing is manageable."
"It is expensive compared to other vendors."
"The feedback from vendors and customer is that it is expensive."
"Cisco Secure Email Cloud Mailbox does not have any competition with Sophos, Trend Micro, or other vendors of the world. However, there is a pricing premium for the solution. One has to look at it from that angle that while they are buying Cisco, there will be a premium, and Cisco justifies that premium value. That's why they're charging a high price."
"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 comes with Microsoft Windows. It is free with the operating system."
"Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is an add-on to the Office license. Many customers are purchasing this solution."
"For large enterprise organizations, they can definitely afford it, but for small and medium organizations, they might struggle to cover the expenses."
"It's a user-base subscription."
"Compared to other brands, Microsoft Defender for Office 365's pricing is competitive."
"From the pricing point of view, like any other product in the market, there is scope for negotiation."
"The product is very expensive."
"The pricing has become expensive."
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 pricing and cost advice
report
See which vendors are best for you
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Email Security solutions are best for your needs.
See recommendations
914,938 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Marketing Services Firm
11%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
Computer Software Company
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise7
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business24
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise32
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Secure Email Threat Defense?
Comparatively with other products, the pricing of Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense is normal. As a technical guide, I am not very aware of the pricing details.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Secure Email Threat Defense?
We have deployed Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense in two customer environments. It is still in development as a new product. Some customer requirements, such as sending logs to a Syslog server, ar...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Secure Email Threat Defense?
We are working with Cloud Mail Gateway and on-premise mail gateways. We have worked with Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
My experience with pricing, setup, and licensing is that it's actually quite reasonable even on the licensing side as a standalone product. It's very competitive compared to what competitors are ch...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
I think Microsoft Defender for Office 365 can be improved by creating more educational pieces about not just looking for malware. We are seeing a lot more malware-less emails that Defender for Offi...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Defender for Office 365?
My main use cases for Microsoft Defender for Office 365 include email hygiene.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Cisco Secure Email vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense Logo
Cisco Secure Email vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense
Compared 18% of the time
Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense Logo
Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense
Compared 17% of the time
Kiteworks vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense Logo
Kiteworks vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense
Compared 11% of the time
Comodo Secure Email Gateway vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense Logo
Comodo Secure Email Gateway vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense
Compared 8% of the time
Proofpoint Email Protection vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense Logo
Proofpoint Email Protection vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense
Compared 6% of the time
More Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense Competitors
Proofpoint Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Proofpoint Email Protection vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 5% of the time
Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Check Point Email Security (formerly Harmony Email & Collaboration) vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 4% of the time
Mimecast Advanced Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Mimecast Advanced Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 3% of the time
Cisco Secure Email vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Cisco Secure Email vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 3% of the time
Perception Point Advanced Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Logo
Perception Point Advanced Email Security vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Compared 2% of the time
More Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense
September 2026
Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense reportDownload Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense product report
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Defender for Office 365
September 2026
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 reportDownload Microsoft Defender for Office 365 product report
 

Also Known As

Cisco Secure Email Cloud Mailbox, Cisco CMD, Cisco Cloud Mailbox Defense
MS Defender for Office 365
 

Overview

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense offers robust email security with features like east-west traffic visibility and seamless SaaS deployment. It enhances cloud email protection by integrating Threat Grid sandboxing and AMP for malware defense, supported by Cisco Talos threat intelligence.

Enhancing email security for Microsoft 365 and cloud emails, Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense acts as an email gateway, blocking phishing, malware, and business email compromise. Users benefit from a centralized management console, efficient graymail administration, and strong filtering capabilities. Despite its strengths, it requires improvements in integration, spam detection accuracy, and enhances phishing protection.

What are the most important features of Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense?
  • East-West Traffic Visibility: Offers insight into email tenant interactions.
  • SaaS Application Deployment: Simplifies deployment processes.
  • Threat Grid Sandboxing: Provides advanced malware protection.
  • AMP Integration: Enhances malware defense capabilities.
  • Anti-Spam and Antivirus: Powered by Cisco Talos threat intelligence.
  • Cloud Mailbox Features: Includes robust email filtering and management.
What benefits or ROI should be evaluated in reviews?
  • Enhanced Security: Provides protection against advanced threats.
  • Operational Efficiency: Reduces reliance on help desk services.
  • User-Friendly Management: Streamlines email administration tasks.
  • Improved Email Filtering: Ensures effective threat blocking.

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense is highly applicable in industries requiring stringent data protection, such as finance and healthcare. It serves cloud-based environments by closely monitoring email activity to prevent unauthorized access and breaches. Tailored deployment options cater to both on-premise and cloud architectures, allowing flexible integration in existing workflows.

Cisco

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 offers real-time email security, enhancing threat detection through integration within the Microsoft ecosystem. Its user-friendly interface and central management streamline operations, providing robust protection against phishing, ransomware, and malware.

Defender for Office 365 is focused on efficiently securing email communication by safeguarding against phishing, malware, and spam threats. With its strong integration with other Microsoft services, it is tailored to improve endpoint security and identity protection. Its centralized management tools simplify threat prioritization, while the automated threat response capabilities ensure swift actions against potential risks. Organizations leverage its capabilities to efficiently manage their cybersecurity efforts, particularly in remote work environments, while maintaining a secure system across Office 365 applications and Azure-hosted services.

What are the key features?
  • Real-time Email Protection: Continuously monitors and protects email communications.
  • Safe Attachments and Links: Scans attachments and links for potential threats.
  • Anti-Phishing Measures: Provides tools to detect and block phishing attempts.
  • Integration with Microsoft Services: Seamlessly connects with other Microsoft applications for enhanced security.
  • Automated Threat Responses: Activates immediate responses to detected threats.
What benefits should users expect from reviews?
  • Time Savings: Automates processes to reduce manual threat management efforts.
  • Improved Cybersecurity: Strengthens organizational defenses against various cyber threats.
  • Efficient Remote Work: Enhances protection for remote teams and virtual collaborations.
  • Comprehensive Coverage: Extends protection across Office 365 and Azure services.

Implementations of Defender for Office 365 vary across industries, optimizing email security for sectors such as finance, healthcare, and education. In finance, it aids in protecting sensitive financial data from phishing and fraud. Healthcare benefits from secure communications, ensuring patient data privacy. Educational institutions use it to maintain secure virtual learning environments against cyber threats.

Microsoft
 

Sample Customers

Luiss University, Lone Star College, T-Systems, Magyar Telekom
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is trusted by companies such as Ithaca College.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365
September 2026
Free Report: Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.
DOWNLOAD NOW
914,938 professionals have used our research since 2012.
See our Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 report.
See our list of best Email Security vendors.

We monitor all Email Security reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.