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Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs Darktrace comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 24, 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
8.0
Cisco Secure Network Analytics boosts incident detection and recovery, offering cost savings and labor efficiency for enhanced security.
Sentiment score
7.3
Darktrace's threat prevention boosts security, saves costs, and offers significant value, especially for online businesses, despite quantification challenges.
Using this solution provides financial benefits by securing from server attacks, which offers indirect savings.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.3
Cisco Secure Network Analytics support is praised for technical expertise and responsiveness, despite occasional local support challenges and delays.
Sentiment score
7.6
Darktrace support is praised for its responsive and efficient service, though a few cite improvement areas for complex issues.
There is a lack of adequate local support from the Indian side.
Darktrace provides excellent technical support with a monthly meeting to review platform incidents, ensuring the system functions as expected.
The technical support from Darktrace is of high quality.
The response time and quality are satisfactory.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.5
Cisco Secure Network Analytics excels in scalability and adaptability, though it can be costly and challenging in data management.
Sentiment score
7.6
Darktrace is praised for its scalability, efficiently managing large networks with flexible deployment despite cost concerns, excelling in diverse environments.
Darktrace has high scalability, and I would rate it a nine out of ten.
Since it's cloud-based, it expands easily.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Cisco Secure Network Analytics is stable, reliable under complex conditions, but users seek less Java and better product integration.
Sentiment score
8.5
Darktrace is highly stable, with users rating it 8-10, citing reliability despite rare minor issues like human error.
Cisco products are incredibly stable, boasting a 200% stability.
The stability of Darktrace is excellent, rated ten out of ten.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Secure Network Analytics needs enhanced usability, integration, filtering, AI, reporting, training, cost-efficiency, and endpoint management for better security.
Darktrace needs better integration, a simpler interface, automation enhancements, flexible pricing, improved documentation, and expanded notifications.
The solution should have the ability to analyze security events not only at the network layer but also at the application and OS layers.
There is no dedicated salesperson in Egypt, and having one would help to improve focus on this market.
The management dashboards and the meter dashboards should be more user-friendly and simple to use for easy management.
There are still some issues with the network capturing or blocking traffic even after implementing exceptions.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Secure Network Analytics pricing is high, influenced by network flow requirements, with mixed user experiences on cost and licensing.
Darktrace is costly for small businesses but offers flexible plans and pricing varies with devices and modules chosen.
Cisco solutions are considered to be very expensive.
The product is considered expensive compared to others.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Secure Network Analytics enhances security with visibility, real-time anomaly detection, automation, and intuitive management for improved threat response.
Darktrace excels in AI threat detection, real-time monitoring, and autonomous response, offering seamless integration and an intuitive interface.
The most valuable features include encrypted traffic analytics and the ability to fulfill requirements at the network level.
Darktrace is valuable since it offers full packet capture and detailed metadata.
The features that are most valuable to me include detection, response with analytics, and network detection.
The most valuable features are the AI and advanced learning tools that distinguish it from other products.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Secure Network Analytics
Ranking in Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)
3rd
Ranking in Network Detection and Response (NDR)
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
60
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (22nd), Cisco Security Portfolio (4th)
Darktrace
Ranking in Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)
1st
Ranking in Network Detection and Response (NDR)
1st
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
77
Ranking in other categories
Email Security (9th), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (1st), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (5th), AI-Powered Chatbots (2nd), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (16th), Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) (12th), Attack Surface Management (ASM) (3rd), AI-Powered Cybersecurity Platforms (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is 15.1%, down from 17.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Darktrace is 27.0%, up from 26.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Traffic Analysis (NTA)
 

Q&A Highlights

CW
Feb 11, 2020
 

Featured Reviews

Sudhakar T - PeerSpot reviewer
Strong network security analytics with excellent encrypted traffic analysis features
Improvements are needed on the application layer for complete security analysis. The solution should have the ability to analyze security events not only at the network layer but also at the application and OS layers. There's a need for a more comprehensive licensing model where all necessary licenses are included by default.
Peter-Murphy - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables proactive threat detection and immediate response through AI monitoring
The most valuable feature of Darktrace is its ability to detect and counter threats before they occur. The autonomous response capability is always enabled, blocking threats immediately without hesitation. Additionally, the Darktrace email platform is a significant asset since it addresses incoming threats before they reach the network, enhancing our security measures. Protecting the business is essential, and ensuring security through 24/7 AI monitoring is invaluable.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) solutions are best for your needs.
838,640 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Answers from the Community

CW
Feb 11, 2020
Feb 11, 2020
I that feel there are two old problems still there in the market: 1-Vendors don't talk to each other. 2-Whoever is focusing on endpoint is missing the network and human side and the opposite is also true. I love, for example, what Darktrace is doing in the network side and the playback option to know what happened in my network during a long holiday, for example, things will never be caught by...
2 out of 9 answers
reviewer973458 - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 26, 2019
Raffael Marty, Vice President, Forcepoint Research and Intelligence, said: "There is no artificial intelligence in the field of information security, and it is unlikely to be developed in 2019." Most of unsupervised machine learning-based network anomaly detection solution does not provide why the anomaly has been aroused and whether the anomaly is malicious or not. Most of such solution's pricing model is based on number of endpoints but I prefer to have flat fee subscription-based.
IT
Aug 26, 2019
I that feel there are two old problems still there in the market: 1-Vendors don't talk to each other. 2-Whoever is focusing on endpoint is missing the network and human side and the opposite is also true. I love, for example, what Darktrace is doing in the network side and the playback option to know what happened in my network during a long holiday, for example, things will never be caught by a second-generation AV but I need to have a solid 2nd gen. AV besides the total high cost of Darktrace which by the way is worth it for IT pros but not for business owners. We need to have something like virus total but for risks and threats beyond viruses where all vendors work on this and all endpoint customers with different vendors connect to it to be secured.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
30%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Stealthwatch?
The most valuable feature of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is the Threat Intelligence integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Stealthwatch?
The tool is not cheaply priced. In cybersecurity, you want an extra layer of security in your organization. Some sectors want NDR solutions, so you cannot deploy such tools everywhere, as they are ...
What needs improvement with Cisco Stealthwatch?
The expensive nature of the tool is an area of concern where improvements are required.
How does Crowdstrike Falcon compare with Darktrace?
Both of these products perform similarly and have many outstanding attributes. CrowdStrike Falcon offers an amazing user interface that makes setup easy and seamless. CrowdStrike Falcon offers a cl...
Which is better - SentinelOne or Darktrace?
Which solution is better depends on which is more suitable specifically for your company. Darktrace, for example, is meant for smaller to medium-sized businesses. It is also a good option for organ...
What do you like most about Darktrace?
A very useful feature in Darktrace for real-time threat analysis is the packet inspection that analyzes the packet traffic in real time.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Stealthwatch, Cisco Stealthwatch Enterprise, Lancope StealthWatch
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Edge Web Hosting, Telenor Norway, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Webster Financial Corporation, Westinghouse Electric, VMware, TIAA-CREF
Irwin Mitchell, Open Energi, Wellcome Trust, FirstGroup plc, Virgin Trains, Drax, QUI! Group, DNK, CreaCard, Macrosynergy, Sisley, William Hill plc, Toyota Canada, Royal British Legion, Vitol, Allianz, KKR, AIRBUS, dpd, Billabong, Mclaren Group.
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. Darktrace and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
838,640 professionals have used our research since 2012.