

Cisco Umbrella and Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks compete in the cybersecurity domain, specifically focusing on cloud-based network security and management solutions. Based on feature evaluations, Prisma Access seems to have a slight upper hand due to its comprehensive security features and broad application coverage.
Features: Cisco Umbrella offers strong DNS protection, traffic redirect capabilities, and robust threat intelligence through Cisco Talos. It integrates seamlessly with user environments and provides centralized cloud management. Prisma Access provides comprehensive security, including remote access VPN, threat prevention, URL filtering, and single-pane management, and supports scalability with its cloud infrastructure.
Room for Improvement: Cisco Umbrella could improve by offering more granular policies and better third-party integrations. It also needs to simplify its firewall capabilities and reporting tools. Prisma Access should enhance integration with non-Palo Alto products, simplify its interface, and improve support for Linux platforms. Additionally, both products could benefit from more transparent pricing and greater license flexibility.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Umbrella is primarily deployed in a Public Cloud environment and generally receives praise for its technical support, although some users note longer response times. Prisma Access, also deployed in cloud environments, gets positive feedback for technical support, though users mention complexities during configuration setups. Both vendors provide strong customer support, boosting user confidence during deployment.
Pricing and ROI: Cisco Umbrella is often regarded as having a high price point but provides good ROI due to enhanced security and simplified management, despite concerns about the complexity of its pricing structure. Similarly, Prisma Access is noted for its high cost, justified mostly by its advanced features. Both solutions are positioned at the higher end of the market but emphasize value in security returns for their customers.
Cisco is a big brand in the networking domain, but in security, they are pushing a lot and improving day by day.
From my point of view, the biggest return on investment when using the solution is that it makes it a lot easier to delegate some of the tasks that were traditionally used, such as building policies on the firewalls and doing it through Cisco Umbrella.
The biggest return on investment when using Cisco Umbrella for me is the ease of use of the fact that we've deployed this with our Cisco VPN Secure Client, so every computer has the Umbrella module in it.
There is a net positive return on investment
I would rate customer support ten out of ten due to the excellent assistance throughout the POC process.
Cisco's support is fantastic, providing assistance when needed, especially during the initial installation process.
If I don't need to go to support all the time, that means the product is working fine, so I'm very happy with them.
The product is reliable, making customer support less frequently needed.
I usually need to raise the alarm and contact a couple of people within Palo Alto Networks to just respond quicker, so technical support should be much better.
We rarely need to contact support due to having a strong internal team and a robust product.
Cisco Umbrella scales incredibly with the growing needs of my organization.
Cisco Umbrella scales really well with the growing needs of my company, bringing the ability to ensure that people are safe and connected.
Cisco Umbrella scales effectively with the growing needs of my company; it's excellent, and I have experienced no issues.
To scale, one would need to upgrade or acquire more hardware.
Prisma Access provides significant scalability, allowing integration of different systems.
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is a cloud-based solution, and from my experience, there are no issues with scalability.
I have not experienced any major stability issues with Cisco Umbrella.
Cisco Umbrella Secure Access is pretty stable in my mind, and we have not seen many glitches that would have interrupted services at customer locations.
The stability and reliability of the Cisco Umbrella platform have been great.
I think the stability of Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is excellent, and I would rate it ten out of ten.
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks works efficiently during peak usage times.
GlobalProtect is a satisfying solution, and the product is robust without major stability issues.
Making it more flexible and easy to deploy, particularly when integrating with other technologies like Active Directory and proxies, would be beneficial.
The product can only shield a small area, making it less effective for larger spaces or multiple users.
I have to write an email to Umbrella support to get assistance, unlike the other products where I can call the Cisco technical assistance center and get an engineer.
Hosting it in the cloud can mitigate these issues by allowing connection through the nearest Palo Alto or Prisma Cloud regional hub.
There is a lack of integration with third-party solutions like CrowdStrike or SentinelOne in Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks.
Sometimes a third-party outage could impact the whole operability.
We've bundled that with our firewall stuff and our VPN, which brings the price down and adds the ability to grow.
The only cost associated is the license cost unless additional solutions need to be integrated with Umbrella, which would incur extra costs.
The prices need to be lower as the current pricing is exceedingly high.
The pricing is on the higher side, rating it around eight to nine out of ten.
From my experience, Palo Alto is more expensive compared to solutions like Netskope and Triscale.
Pricing for Prisma Access and Prisma SD WAN is high due to the need for different hardware flavors like IONs.
The DNS layer security provided by Cisco Umbrella is very effective for our security posture, offering us vast improvements in visibility over DNS queries and potential threats.
The most valuable feature of Cisco Umbrella is its DNS security.
The best possible thing is that it is very easy to deploy, easy to configure, and very fast to get onboarded with a customer because this is a cloud-based service.
These features are security-driven, providing robust protection against increasing cyber threats by integrating NG Firewalls, SD WAN, and CASB, all within a fully cloud-native solution.
GlobalProtect has been beneficial for its cloud security capabilities, which are vital as businesses seek hybrid options and need to support remote workers while addressing latency issues.
One of the most valuable features of Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is the ability to manage on-premise firewalls.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Cisco Umbrella | 9.5% |
| Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks | 7.3% |
| Other | 83.2% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 50 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 31 |
| Large Enterprise | 52 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 26 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 20 |
| Large Enterprise | 27 |
Cisco Umbrella provides fast-deploying DNS-layer security with powerful threat protection capabilities. Trusted by over 30,000 entities, it ranks highly in DNS security and effectively supports secure remote work environments.
Cisco Umbrella offers comprehensive DNS security, web filtering, and ease of use, enhancing network security through robust threat protection and malware prevention. It processes over 600 billion requests daily, making it a leader in its field. The seamless integration with existing infrastructures and cloud-based nature makes it suitable for remote and distributed work environments, ensuring consistent security throughout. Management is streamlined with a single-pane interface that simplifies administration, while in-depth reporting capabilities provide valuable insights for continuous monitoring.
What are the key features of Cisco Umbrella?Cisco Umbrella is widely adopted in industries requiring advanced DNS-level security to counteract malware, phishing, and cyber threats. Its ability to monitor and protect remote and roaming employees makes it an attractive option for sectors highly dependent on cloud services. By managing DNS queries and blocking harmful sites, Cisco Umbrella enhances cybersecurity across networks, providing an added layer of protection for businesses worldwide.
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks delivers robust security features including secure remote access across apps and traffic monitoring. It integrates smoothly with cloud environments to provide advanced threat protection and visibility into network traffic.
Prisma Access offers a comprehensive suite of security tools designed to protect cloud environments and remote workforces. With its focus on real-time risk identification and threat prevention, Prisma Access provides encrypted tunnels and centralized management for seamless connectivity and enhanced data security. Designed to scale across platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP, it optimizes traffic and connectivity while offering extensive visibility into vulnerabilities. However, integration with third-party products, usability, and support services are areas for development, as users report interface challenges and desire improved scalability and geographic coverage, especially in regions like China and South America.
What are the key features of Prisma Access?Prisma Access is effectively used in industries requiring secure remote access and stringent data protection, such as finance and healthcare. Organizations leverage it to enforce Zero Trust policies, optimize network performance with SD-WAN, and ensure security compliance across multiple platforms.
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