Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway vs Symantec Proxy comparison

Netskope and Broadcom are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Netskope is ranked #13 with an average rating of 9.0, while Broadcom is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.1. Netskope holds a 2.3% mindshare in WSG, compared to Broadcom’s 2.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Netskope users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 80% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

Symantec Proxy and Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway compete in the secure web gateway category. Netskope seems to have the upper hand with its feature-rich offerings, particularly in cloud environments.

Features: Symantec Proxy is noted for threat detection, URL filtering, and content caching, with strengths in on-premises and hybrid settings. Netskope offers deep SaaS integrations, granular policy management, and robust security with CASB and DLP, targeting cloud deployments effectively.

Room for Improvement: Symantec could improve SSL inspection, documentation, and support quality following the Broadcom acquisition. Netskope may enhance its policy clarity, DLP integration, and threat intelligence. Both systems could benefit from improved documentation, with Symantec also needing better reporting solutions and simpler deployments, while Netskope can work on its on-premises capabilities and cost management.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Symantec's focus is advantageous for traditional setups but involves complex deployments. Netskope offers flexibility in public clouds, simplifying deployments. Symantec's customer support quality has decreased post-acquisition, and while Netskope support needs faster and better assistance.

Pricing and ROI: Symantec is expensive, challenging for budget-conscious buyers despite robust features. Netskope is competitively priced within its niche but perceived as high against conventional solutions. Symantec follows a subscription model, whereas Netskope opts for user-based licensing. ROI leans towards Symantec for crucial business needs, yet both are less beneficial for smaller enterprises.

To learn more, read our detailed Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway vs. Symantec Proxy Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway vs. Symantec Proxy

March 2025

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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

iboss

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of iboss is 1.9%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is 2.3%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Proxy is 2.1%, down from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Featured Reviews

Matt Crockford

Head of Cybersecurity at SES Water

It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless

One aspect we value about iboss is its simplicity. Their customer service is brilliant, and they are super responsive and knowledgeable. It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless. We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times. The user interface is highly intuitive. Our IT team picked it up with minimal training. It's arranged so that it's easy to find where things are. Another advantage is the single pane of glass console, which gives you visibility into what's happening. We're not fully there yet because we haven't implemented zero trust, but we're excited about the possibilities from the demos we've seen. We launched a POC of iboss' ChatGPT Risk Protection feature two weeks ago. AI is a great tool, but you need to be careful what you put into it. My biggest fear is employees inputting sensitive corporate information or customer PII data into one of these chatbots. I was impressed by our trial of the feature. It's exactly what we wanted. Now, when a user goes to ChatGPT, there's a banner warning them not to share information, and we can block conversations containing customer data like bank details and email addresses. I don't want to stop people from using it, but we need visibility. We've only tried it on a test group of 15 people. You can configure it to look for specific keywords or integrate it with your DLP policy if you have that configured

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Manish Dave

Head Of Information Security at Aarti Industries Limited

Offer capability to create policy groups aligned with specific requirements for users, groups, and locations

There is room for improvement in streamlining policies. If I compare it with other products, the groups and are a little different in Netgroup. So what happens is that when you apply a specific Netskope policy, you never know the kind of content it will automatically block, or it will allow. So initially, when doing a pilot, at that time, it takes a lot of time to streamline the policies. So that is one thing they can work on. It should be easy to edit and easy to deploy. The only thing is now, as part of the NexGen SWG, in the same IPU currently, the KATB and UBA portion is very limited. So maybe Netskope can extend it in future releases. That is point number one. Point number two, integration with any DLP solution should be very seamless, irrespective of the brand or make of the DLP. Netskope was also to come up with the endpoint DLP, which was expected in Q4 last year but which is still not out. So, that is the reason why we had to go with a separate DLP. If everything were available in one SKU, we would not have to search outside for the business solution. So maybe Netskope can work on all four mediums of DLP, which are the endpoint, the network, email, and the web. All four mediums should be covered as part of the DLP solution.

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Ganesh Basappa

Network Security Consultant at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Granular control for web traffic with enhanced content inspection, but support needs improvement

There are many use cases in terms of content inspection, such as having granular control for file type extensions when trying to download file types by default. It depends on the requirements, and based on that, we customize policies. We have deployed it in an Azure infrastructure, and we have…

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."

"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."

"Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss."

"Iboss is a solution that prevents advanced persistent threats, and has a zero tolerance for attacks."

"Our primary use case for this product is DLP,"

"iboss is easy to use despite its complexity. Multiple engineers manage it, but it's significantly more straightforward to administer than traditional VPNs and web proxies."

"iboss is pretty scalable. They provide good support. The case managers you work with to coordinate what you need are pretty good."

"Because of iboss, I did not have to assign web filtering tasks to my techs on a daily basis."

More iboss pros

"There are a lot of features, but the groups that are created for the policy groups available with Netskope are already relevant to any industry. So grouping the policies is the easiest part and a valuable feature."

"The solution offers good security functionality."

"The solution has some useful features, such as microservices. They have sandboxing that allows the prevention, encryption, and remote browser isolation."

"We've found the solution to be quite stable."

"One of the valuable features of the solution is that everything is on the cloud. It has no on-premise hardware to deal with."

"As Netskope is a cloud-based application, it is possible to analyze and distinguish personal and enterprise instances."

"Overall, the product is nice, and I like the URL filtering, CASB, and other security stacks like threat prevention."

"We can connect cloud apps and monitor them."

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway pros

"The Symantec antivirus suite and the proxy component are the most valuable feature."

"It enables us to manage bandwidth for users based on their privilege levels. For example, if a user wants to use a certain application or resource, we can provide access based on their privileges."

"It's a stable solution."

"Global Intelligence Network is the best feature of the product."

"I would rate the overall solution a nine out of ten."

"The security features provided by Symantec Proxy, such as granular controls for web traffic and caching, set it apart from other secure web gateways."

"The content that we are getting is very good. Content caching is also supported."

"The CPL code is the best feature of the solution."

More Symantec Proxy pros

Cons

"I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention."

"Sometimes, obviously, there are bugs."

"The area I would like to see improvement in is the ability with in the reporter to navigate directly to the content the user is traversing. It is kind of there, but it's not perfect. Quite frequently, I receive links that lead me to pages with error messages."

"Their on-premise hardware's network interface is capped at one gigabit, which is sort of a problem. If you stand a filter up where all traffic flows through that, according to them, in order to go above a gigabit, you have to have multiple devices, which in today's IT seems a little bit silly. They could easily put in an SFP port into their device that could accommodate 10 gigs or at least offer a box."

"Iboss is growing so fast that it is often hard for them to keep up with the challenges."

"To scale up, a new iboss Node Blade Chassis must be purchased."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

"I am currently doing a PoC of the zero trust aspect of it. Compared to other similar solutions, it is hard to get around each feature. It takes a while to get used to it."

More iboss cons

"They should work on marketing material to put out their work with a little more effort."

"Improvement in the solution is required in certain areas where the product does not provide access to its direct end users, who use the portal as an administrator."

"The solution lacks a good reporting feature."

"Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway needs to integrate IoT, which can help to control devices."

"There is room for improvement in streamlining policies. So what happens is that when you apply a specific Netskope policy, you never know the kind of content it will automatically block, or it will allow."

"The initial setup is a bit complex in that it takes a lot of time. In order to get the product to work as you need it to, there is a lot of configuration required."

"The solution could improve the features for Zero Trust Network Access. They should add more security components to that module."

"The solution needs to improve its on-premise detection technique."

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway cons

"Symantec Proxy needs to include content management capabilities."

"There are some challenges with reporting and accessing specific logs, particularly older logs or user activity over time."

"The solution is quite complex."

"The initial setup can be somewhat complex, and deploying the system can take some time."

"The initial setup is actually quite complex to install because our users don't have admin rights on the boxes and there's no remote install option by an administrator."

"The tool’s reporting features must be improved."

"Technical support is an area that requires some improvement."

"Support response time and case resolution could be improved."

More Symantec Proxy cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"The price is average. Because the license is user-based, you can increase it as per the user quantity."

"The product is cheap."

"We pay a licensing fee of $10,000 on a yearly basis."

"The solution's overall cost is cheaper than regular web security solutions."

"The license model is based on the number of users. You have the possibility to have 10,000 users if you wish."

"There are no licensing fees required."

"There is a license needed to use Symantec Proxy."

"The price is too expensive compared with that of another solution."

"The solution is very expensive."

"Symantec Proxy has different expiry dates and renewal dates, which is a problem, so Broadcom should improve the licensing renewal process for the solution."

"Licensing is based on a subscription."

"The tool is pretty expensive."

"The price of the solution is reasonable compared to others on the market."

More Symantec Proxy pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

20%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about iboss?

Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss.

See all answers

What needs improvement with iboss?

I have the same complaint about them that I have about other software companies. Sometimes when you call in support, ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for iboss?

We are a PreK-12 public school district, and we use iboss to filter internet content for our students at home and sta...

See all answers

Which lesser known firewall product has the best chance at unseating the market leaders?

Netscope, Zscaler if they continue route they are on now. FIrewalls needs great deal of automation on each end, datac...

See all answers

Which lesser known firewall product has the best chance at unseating the market leaders?

Those firewalls that allow extend the perimeter. Nowadays, there is a issue with the static perimeter and all is goin...

See all answers

What do you like most about Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway?

There are a lot of features, but the groups that are created for the policy groups available with Netskope are alread...

See all answers

What do you like most about Symantec Proxy?

We can address and rectify issues promptly, resulting in consistently positive outcomes.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Proxy?

Pricing is difficult to specify as Broadcom sells platforms that include multiple products, making it hard to determi...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Symantec Proxy?

AI features could potentially improve the proxy by helping build rules more efficiently, suggesting unused rules, and...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Cisco Umbrella vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 17% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 14% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate SWG vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 10% of the time

FortiSASE vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 31% of the time

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Compared 14% of the time

Skyhigh Security vs Symantec Proxy

Compared 13% of the time

Trend Micro Web Security vs Symantec Proxy

Compared 9% of the time

Cisco Web Security Appliance vs Symantec Proxy

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

February 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

February 2025

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway report

Download Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway product report

Buyer's Guide

Symantec Proxy

February 2025

Download Symantec Proxy product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

No data available

Blue Coat Encrypted Traffic Management, ProxySG Appliance

Overview

iboss offers a comprehensive security platform designed for diverse use cases such as web filtering, data loss protection, corporate proxy services, and URL filtering.

iboss integrates advanced features to address dynamic security needs, leveraging its strength in SASE, ZTNA, AI initiatives, and cloud integration, while ensuring seamless operations for remote work. It excels in historical forensics, malware protection, and flexible cloud deployments. Users benefit from comprehensive traffic scanning, robust malware detection, and PaaS capabilities that reduce hardware management. An intuitive admin console ensures efficient management with content filtering and low false positives. SSL decryption enhances security, while DLP protects data in AI conversations. Deployment is rapid and scalable, allowing effortless integration with emerging technologies.

What features does iboss offer?

Granular Web Filtering: Provides precise control over web content access.
Traffic Scanning: Monitors data through multiple ports for security breaches.
Malware Detection: Ensures superior protection against malware threats.
PaaS Capabilities: Eliminates need for hardware management.
SSL Decryption: Enhances data protection by decrypting secure connections.
DLP Capabilities: Safeguards data during AI interactions.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Scalability: Adapts quickly to growing demands and emerging tech integration.
Rapid Deployment: Reduces time to implement security measures.
User-Friendly Admin Console: Facilitates efficient operations management.
Low False Positives: Increases accuracy of threat detection systems.

iboss finds significant application in sectors such as education, where web filtering for K-12 is crucial, and in corporate environments requiring robust proxy services and URL filtering for network security. Its adaptability is essential in scenarios demanding flexible, decentralized security frameworks, particularly for remote work setups.

iboss

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is a comprehensive cloud-based security solution that provides advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and web filtering capabilities. It offers real-time visibility and control over web traffic, enabling organizations to enforce policies and protect against web-based threats. The solution uses machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect and block advanced threats, including malware, phishing, and ransomware. It also provides granular control over web access, allowing organizations to block or allow specific websites and applications based on user, group, or location. With Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway, organizations can ensure compliance with industry regulations and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or exfiltration. The solution is easy to deploy and manage, with a user-friendly interface and centralized policy management.

Netskope

Symantec Proxy is designed to provide web security, web access control, and secure web gateway functionalities for organizations. It helps protect against web-based threats, enforce web usage policies, and provide secure access to internet resources.

Symantec Proxy Benefits:

Easy to use
Comprehensive security features
Ability to block malicious websites and applications
Efficient management of network traffic
Scalable and compatible with various operating systems and devices
Highly rated customer support and technical assistance

Symantec Proxy Features:

Web Filtering: Symantec Proxy offers web filtering capabilities to control and manage web access based on predefined categories or custom policies.
Malware Protection: The solution incorporates malware detection and prevention mechanisms to identify and block web-based threats, such as malware, viruses, and phishing attacks.
URL Filtering: Symantec Proxy uses URL filtering to categorize and assess the reputation of web domains and URLs in real-time.
SSL/TLS Inspection: The proxy solution supports SSL/TLS decryption and inspection to examine encrypted web traffic for potential threats or policy violations.
Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Symantec Proxy may include data loss prevention capabilities to prevent the unauthorized exfiltration of sensitive data through web channels.
User Authentication and Access Control: The solution supports user authentication and access control mechanisms to enforce user-based policies and provide secure internet access.
Reporting and Analytics: Symantec Proxy provides reporting and analytics capabilities to monitor web usage, user activities, security events, and compliance violations.

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by Symantec Proxy users.

PeerSpot user, Consultant at a financial services firm, says that Symantec Proxy "...enables us to manage bandwidth for users based on their privilege levels. For example, if a user wants to use a certain application or resource, we can provide access based on their privileges."

PeerSpot user, General Manager & founder at a engineering company, writes that Symantec Proxy has "A complex deployment, no proper user reporting, and a proxy component that works."

Muhammad Salahuddin, Unit Head - Network and Security Solutions at FPM Solutions, states that Symantec Proxy has "Good URL filtering but is expensive and doesn't have good technical support services."

Broadcom

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.

Arrow, Cloudrise, Sainsbury, Evalueserve, Stroock, Apria, Ather Energy, CSA, AVX Corporation Nuna, City of San Diego Case, Genomic Health Case Study, Oak Hill Advisors, MaRS Discovery District.

Jefferies

Buyer's Guide

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway vs. Symantec Proxy

March 2025

Free Report: Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway vs. Symantec Proxy

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