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Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs Nmap comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Secure Network Analytics
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
24th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (3rd), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (5th), Cisco Security Portfolio (3rd)
Nmap
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
16th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is 1.5%, down from 1.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nmap is 0.6%, down from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

Rainier S. - PeerSpot reviewer
You are able to drill down into a center's utilization, then create reports based on it
In the last year or two, we have been working with our Cisco NAS engineers to improve our security posturing. It is more our being proactive rather than reactive. While Stealthwatch and Lancope have this ability to look inside and give you visibility (a great feature), follow-up is the rule. We would like filters that you can put into place to tap onto certain types of behaviors, alerts out, and/or hopefully a block. This is sort of what we are looking for. I might be speaking too early, because we are not down this path yet. We know the feature set is there, we just do not know yet how to achieve it. That is proactive rather than more reactive. For Lancope Stealthwatch, we would like to see it more on the ASA Firewall platform. While this might already be available, this is more a failing of Cisco to inform us if it is there. For example: * Are we on the right or wrong version of the code? * What does the code look like? * Are we are really looking at firewalls? Or is it more about the foundation and route switches that we are seeing? It is about visibility.
Aqeel Junaid - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers easy-to-use features and helps scan ports
The product's port scan capabilities have positively impacted my company's network management tasks. The OS detection feature has benefited our company's network analysis since it shows me the open ports that are vulnerable. The product helps me get details about the vulnerability in open ports. I have not integrated the product with other tools except for the fact that I have used Nmap in Metasploit. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it for network security and management. The tool provides full scanning of ports. Though there are other products in the market, many of the solutions are not as good as Nmap, which offers a lot of features that are easy to use. I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Provides easily identifiable anomalies that you can't see with signature detections."
"It has improved our internal knowledge of what's going on with the network, and that's helpful."
"The most valuable feature is having visibility into the data segments throughout our network."
"The most valuable feature is NetFlow. The beginning of any security investigation starts with NetFlow data."
"It works efficiently for encrypted traffic analysis."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the logging, keeping threats under control, and keeping our data and environment secure."
"Great network monitoring, looking at anomaly detection and evaluation."
"The ability to send data flow from other places and have them all in one place is very valuable for us."
"It enables us to delve deeper and identify the services and open ports on the system and visualize this information on a dashboard automatically."
"From a functionality standpoint, it's robust and straightforward to comprehend."
"The scanning procedure includes UDP ports which sets it apart from competitors."
"Nmap is easy to use. It's a command-line interface, and the output is quite good."
"The most important function, according to me, is the capability to use some arguments in the scanning. The solution's capability to go figure and do a deep dive, discovering information on specific aspects."
"It is a very user-friendly product."
"The most valuable feature of the solution for security audits stems from the fact that it serves as a powerful tool with the ability to scan a large number of ports."
"The best feature of Nmap is that it lets me see useful information about each endpoint in my entire network environment. For example, I can see every single connection of the network as well as each and every port."
 

Cons

"I would like Cisco to make it easier for the administrators to use it."
"Complexity on integration is not so straightforward and you really need an expert to help build it out."
"The reporting of day-to-day metrics still has room for improvement."
"I think the interface is a little lacking. The interface seems like it just needs to be modernized. It's been the same interface now, ever since I've seen it probably four years ago."
"It's not great as a standalone solution."
"Reliance on Java. Get away from that."
"The initial setup is complex, as there is a lot to configure."
"Cisco Stealthwatch can improve by having bundled packages for popular add-ons. It would be a lot easier for people implementing it, have let's say a better way to use the product."
"The price is high and could be cheaper."
"The challenge often lies in finding suitable courses and professional resources."
"There is room for improvement in the design, the GUI. It looks a bit odd. Maybe Nmap should improve it or add more widgets to make it more attractive, but the basic functionality is good and provides what we need."
"The solution is not that easy for a beginner to learn."
"There could be a specific option to check non-pingable endpoints for the product."
"Nmap needs to improve its scanning speed."
"The solution's initial setup could be better."
"One of the drawbacks of the standard Nmap utility is that it does not come with a graphical user interface, unlike a number of other open-source alternatives such as Zenmap."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our fees are approximately $3,000 USD."
"The tool is not cheaply priced."
"NetFlow is very expensive."
"The yearly licensing cost is about $50,000."
"Pricing is much higher compared to other solutions."
"Licensing is on a yearly basis."
"The solution is expensive. It costs several hundred thousand dollars per year (depending on how many flows you are collecting)."
"This is an expensive product. We have quit paying for support because we don't want to have to upgrade it and keep paying for it."
"Nmap is open source software, which suits us well because we are a manufacturing company and not an IT company, for example. If we were an IT company, we would probably need to pay for extra support or instead go for another software solution. But as it is, we don't have any need for high-end troubleshooting tools."
"Nmap is an open-source and free product."
"The product's pricing is fine. The licensing options for Nmap include perpetual licenses and volume-based licenses. For perpetual licenses, once you purchase it, there's no need to invest in renewals. And for volume-based licenses, enterprise companies can use it multiple times based on the number of users or devices they need to scan. It's a pay-as-you-go model, similar to how you pay for what you use."
"I am using the standard free version of Nmap."
"It's an open-source product, and I haven't seen any premiums. Options are available for those who purchase, but for my use case, everything I need is available in the community and forums."
"Nmap is an open-source product. You don't need a license to install it."
"It's an open-source solution. Commerically, only the support service is available."
"The solution is open source so it is free."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
30%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Educational Organization
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
University
10%
Government
8%
 

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.
What do you like most about Nmap?
Nmap is mostly helpful during compliance checks. We run the scanner to see how many devices are on our network and find vulnerabilities in those that aren't compliant. We also use it monthly to sca...
What is your primary use case for Nmap?
Nmap is used for network scanning to map the network, identify devices, and assess their status. It helps determine open ports and services running on a particular endpoint or server within an ente...
 

Also Known As

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

Learn More

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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Edge Web Hosting, Telenor Norway, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Webster Financial Corporation, Westinghouse Electric, VMware, TIAA-CREF
Lockheed Martin, Eastern Bank Boston, Perspecta, Harris Corporation, Discovery Communication
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. Nmap and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.