Cisco Umbrella vs VMware VeloCloud SD-WAN comparison

iboss Zero Trust Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

Overview: iboss is a leading cloud security provider offering a comprehensive Zero Trust Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) platform designed to protect organizations from breaches and data loss. Delivered through a single policy and reporting console, iboss provides unparalleled network visibility and an enhanced end-user experience. Our patented containerized cloud architecture ensures that users, devices, and applications are securely connected to the internet and private applications from any location, on any device, without compromising performance or security.

Key Differentiators:

• True Zero Trust Architecture: Unlike traditional security models that rely on perimeter defenses, iboss reduces the attack surface to zero by making applications, data, and services completely invisible to attackers. Access is granted strictly to trusted users based on continuous, adaptive access decisions, ensuring protection even when user sessions are compromised.
• Unified SASE Platform: iboss combines Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Secure Web Gateway (SWG), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Proxy, Browser Isolation, ZT SD-WAN, DLP and advanced threat defense into a single, unified cloud-native service. This consolidation simplifies security management, reduces costs, and improves operational efficiency.
• Performance at Scale: With a global network of data centers and a cloud-native architecture, iboss delivers ultra-fast, reliable connectivity with low latency, making it ideal for remote workforces and cloud-based applications.
• Seamless Integration: The iboss platform offers unmatched flexibility, including options for hybrid and on-premises deployments. It integrates seamlessly with existing workflows and identity providers like Microsoft Azure Active Directory, enabling a smooth and efficient adoption of Zero Trust principles across the enterprise. This flexibility ensures that organizations can strengthen their security posture without disrupting productivity or requiring significant changes to their current infrastructure.

Use Cases:

• Remote Workforce Security: Provides secure, direct access to cloud and on-premises applications for remote workers without the need for VPNs, enhancing security and user experience.
• Branch Office Connectivity: The iboss Zero Trust SD-WAN solution optimizes network performance, reduces latency, and simplifies management by combining networking and security functions into a single solution.
• Data Protection: Advanced data loss prevention (DLP) and CASB capabilities ensure that sensitive data remains secure across all applications and devices, whether users are on-site or remote.

Why Choose iboss? iboss stands out in the market with its mature, award-winning SASE platform that offers unmatched scalability, flexibility, and security. Whether you’re a mid-sized enterprise or a large organization in a highly regulated industry, iboss provides the tools you need to implement a Zero Trust strategy and protect your digital assets effectively.

For organizations looking to future-proof their security strategy, iboss offers a proven, cloud-first solution that not only addresses today’s challenges but also scales to meet the demands of tomorrow’s distributed and dynamic work environments.

Cisco Umbrella offers flexible, cloud-delivered security according to users’ requirements Cisco Umbrella includes secure web gateway, firewall, and cloud access security broker (CASB) functionality all delivered from a single cloud security service. Cisco Umbrella’s protection is extended to devices, remote users, and distributed locations anywhere. As company employees work from many locations and devices, Cisco Umbrella is the easiest way to effectively protect users everywhere in minutes.

Cisco Umbrella uses machine learning to search for, identify, and even predict malicious domains. By learning from internet activity patterns, this DNS-layer security solution can automatically identify attacker infrastructure being staged for the next threat. These domains are then proactively blocked, protecting networks from potential compromise. Cisco Umbrella analyzes terabytes of data in real time across all markets, geographies, and protocols.

Cisco Umbrella works with leading IT companies to integrate its security enforcement and intelligence. Built with a bidirectional API, Cisco Umbrella makes it easy to extend protection from on-premises security appliances to cloud controlled devices and sites.

Cisco Umbrella is suitable for small businesses without dedicated security professionals, as well as for multinational enterprises with complex environments.

Why use Cisco Umbrella?

• Simplify security management: Cisco Umbrella is the fastest and easiest way to protect all users within minutes and reduces the number of infections and alerts sent from other security products by stopping threats at the earliest point. With no hardware to install and no software to manually update, ongoing management is simple
  
  
• Reliable reporting: Cisco Umbrella reports show activity for each device or network in the system. Users gain a more complete picture of the security risks facing their organization and can take action to remedy them.
  
  
• Manage and control cloud apps: Umbrella provides visibility into sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud services in use across the enterprise. Users can uncover new services being used, see who is using them, identify potential risk, and block specific applications easily.

Reviews from Real Users

Cisco Umbrella stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Some of the major ones are its DNS-based protection, ability to protect users no matter where they are located, stability, and high performance.

Daniel B., a network specialist at Syswind Kft, writes, “We primarily use the solution as cloud security for our branches. It protects us from direct internet outbreaks. It makes for good flexibility. The solution is very easy to manage. We found the initial setup, for example, to be quite simple. Efficient protection on the DNS level and even higher. The sandboxing feature analyses and handles the complicated security risks.”

Victor M., SOC & Security Services Director at BEST, notes, “It provides security for the remote workers and it helps to improve enterprise security in a very easy way. We mainly enjoy web software protection capabilities. It prevents the end-users from getting into bad sites or sites that potentially could have malware or could be phishing. It helps end-users avoid the wrong sites. The solution works very smoothly. The user interface is good.”

OpenDNS is a part of Cisco providing a suite of consumer products aimed at making the internet faster, safer, and more reliable.

VMware Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) is a secure access service edge (SASE) platform that combines many types of software-based network technologies in an attempt to enable users to virtualize their wide area networks and reduce their reliance on hardware. In essence, this solution makes it possible for users to reliably access their applications from anywhere in the world by leveraging cloud technologies. Users can simply, efficiently, and completely control their network devices and traffic. It ensures that organizations are always able to use the best possible connection to their data centers. VMware SD-WAN steers traffic so that it is always using the most reliable connections and at the same time takes steps to remediate any problems that it detects in other network links. This guarantees that organizations can access high-priority applications at all times. 

VMware SD-WAN Benefits

Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by deploying VMware SD-WAN include:

• Reduced cost of network management. Organizations that choose to employ VMware SD-WAN can manage their network at a cost that is 2.5 times less expensive than what it costs to use traditional WAN architectures. Its ability to both augment existing hardware and replace said hardware if the user chooses to do so is part of what enables users to reduce their overhead costs. 

• Ease of deployment. VMware SD-WAN makes it possible for organizations to deploy it without having to rely on the assistance of technical experts. When the device - whether virtual or otherwise - is connected to the internet, it integrates with a central orchestrator that pushes the correct integrations to the device in question. This automates the installation process and makes it so that anybody can initiate and follow the deployment through to the end of the process. 

• Easily segment networks to improve environmental performance. Users can divide their networks into multiple segments that share a single IP address. These networks can be incorporated into an organization’s IT infrastructure and enable it to run more reliably. One way it does this is by providing multiple potential channels for data to use to travel in the event that one of the data pathways is suffering from some kind of issue. 

VMware SD-WAN Features

• Centralized monitoring. VMware SD-WAN is monitored at all times by a centralized orchestrator. From one place, an organization can watch every part of its network. Instead of having to search for the data they need, it can all be found in one location.

• Integration capabilities. VMware SD-WAN offers users the capability to integrate their network with the environment of their choosing. This enables them to connect their network to the IT environment that best meets their needs. It makes it easy for them to work with multi-cloud and hybrid environments.

• Real-time data analytics. VMware SD-WAN can analyze network data in real time. This makes it easy for users to monitor their network’s performance. It also allows them to take steps to quickly remediate any issues that arise before they can become worse.

Reviews from Real Users

VMware SD-WAN is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Two major advantages it offers are its ability to automate the process of creating and maintaining a virtual local area network and its intuitive user dashboard.

Sami I., principal cloud architect at Loihe, writes, “One of the solution's most valuable features is the VMware core automation stack at an SDDC. It includes NSX, the VMware virtualization layer for the networks (the LAN virtualization), which works extremely well with the VMware SD-WAN solution and is the primary advantage over all the others. None of the other vendors could integrate with the virtual LAN, making it quite complicated and virtualized to be fully automated.”

Chih S., senior technical consultant at a tech services company,  says, “The product has a very good user dashboard that is simple to navigate.”