Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Carlos Snel - PeerSpot reviewer
Director at Aquila ICT Solutions
Real User
Top 5
Configuration features and full integration make this extremely simple to use
Pros and Cons
  • "Once you have Zscaler running you have access to configure it however you want."
  • "Because it's on cloud, it doesn't allow application of extra settings."

What is our primary use case?

My primary goal is to find the simple and easy cloud solutions that I am reselling. Zscaler is one of them because it provides something that is broader than only firewalling on cloud. There is a lot of work around it and it's all outsourced once it's in the cloud and protects from attacks. The great thing about it is that people get the most updated software and hardware security guarantee. 

We deal with medium-sized enterprise companies. We're in Europe and I am the only unique Zscaler reseller for companies with less than 2000 users. They normally don't deal with companies smaller than that.

What is most valuable?

The solution has great features like configuration. It would be difficult to improve or simplify what Zscaler does. Once you have Zscaler running you have access to configure it however you want.

What needs improvement?

The only thing that might be improved would be to enable application of different settings. It's really the difference between having it on premises or on cloud. If you have a next gen firewall from Palo Alto which is the best on-premise solution, then you might be able to configure some things a little more. It's possible that with Zscaler, the customization of some options could be improved a little to match what is available on-premise but because it's on cloud, it doesn't allow application of extra settings.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about 18 months. 

Buyer's Guide
Zscaler Cloud Firewall
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Zscaler Cloud Firewall. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't seen any stability issues and I've seen it running in large banks. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the solution is good and fast to implement. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is generally fine although sometimes there are exceptions. But there's generally a quick response and they're cooperative. 

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup is very simple and then it's just a matter of IP addresses exchanged between Zscaler and the customer, and then configuration. Any extras require just ticking the box and it's done. Technically, setup can take five minutes, and up to a week dealing with individual customer requirements, IP addresses, etc. Most of our customers have their own IT people who implement. Maintenance is included with the product, it's all in the cloud server which is maintained 24/7. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Cost is about the same whether it's on-prem or on cloud. Initial cost is higher with an on-prem solution and with cloud there are additional fees for configuring extras. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend people figure out what they need and then check the market. Zscaler is  the Rolls Royce for this kind of solution. If you can afford to buy a Rolls Royce then you should take it even though it's one of the more expensive solutions. It's the best one with full integration and everything you would expect. If you're looking for a quick and cheap solution, that would be TitanHQ. It's a reasonable product but there is obviously a big difference between Zscaler and TitanHQ.

I would rate this product a nine out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Security Subject Matter Expert at Orange
Real User
Good sandboxing and URL filtering with capability to scale
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution offers good sandboxing."
  • "The issue right now is probably that Zscaler is not providing web browser isolation. Another solution, Menlo, offers this. For one customer, we had to send traffic to Menlo to do the isolation for us. It was requested by the customer so that they could integrate any iframe. Zscaler needs to add this type of feature in their next release."

What is our primary use case?

We are establishing IT systems from the customers' routers to the nodes in Zscaler. Once we hand over the traffic to them, we wait for them to claim the full IP packet and we send the traffic back to them along with the destination. From our perspective, Zscaler is a security solution that is implemented in the cloud so it's a cloud supported service solution. We are not specifically working on a specific firewall.

What is most valuable?

The solution has this SSL feature which is quite interesting

URL filtering is quite good.

The solution offers good sandboxing.

What needs improvement?

We've had some concerns with Zscaler, but a new version is coming out that we hope will address them. This is scheduled to be released in March 2020. They've probably done some gap analysis and will be introducing more versatile features according to customer requests.

The issue right now is probably that Zscaler is not providing web browser isolation. Another solution, Menlo, offers this. For one customer, we had to send traffic to Menlo to do the isolation for us. It was requested by the customer so that they could integrate any iframe. Zscaler needs to add this type of feature in their next release.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for a year and a half.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is good. Our customers have been quite happy with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

You can scale the solution without any issue. It's very good.

We largely work with enterprise-level organizations.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have the impression that technical support is good, but it's the customer that creates the tickets and has direct contact with them. I understand that the number of users is more than 10,000. That means Zscaler is providing a dedicated technical account manager who resolves all the outstanding queries and issues that arise on the network. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

This is the first vendor we have used as far as cloud security is concerned.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. It wasn't too complex.

Deployment times vary. It depends on the number of sites, for example. We have a separate team that works on the delivery part so I'm not able to discuss implementation on a micro-level. 

However, deployment depends on the complexity of the solution, the number of sites and what the specific requirements of the customer are. It may take a day or two to fully implement, or three days, at a maximum.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

From our perspective, we're selling three separate packages: Basic, Advanced and Premium.

Depending on the requirement of the customer, we offer the package that makes the most sense. 

With Basic, we provide a very limited feature set. Advanced packages will probably provide some better and more advanced features. Premium will provide everything that Zscaler has to offer. That means URL filtering, sandboxing, endpoint mitigation, etc. I'm not sure of the exact costs from Zscaler's side.

The Zscaler pricing, in general, is okay. Once more vendors come into the picture, there will probably be more competition and they may have to reduce their costs. Still, as of right now, it's reasonable.

What other advice do I have?

We're partners with Zscaler.

We have this production suite which we have customized with Zscaler and we are selling this solution to a lot of customers in which we provide sandboxing, URL filtering, testing, blacklisting, etc. We're not using the solution ourselves so much as selling it to our customers.

Zscaler has a good foothold in the market and any new competitor will have to be cognizant of the fact that they will have to be affordable and provide all of the features Zscaler has while being good at threat analysis and filtering.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. If it had web browser isolation I'd rate it higher.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Zscaler Cloud Firewall
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Zscaler Cloud Firewall. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
824,053 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1026111 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Security Manager at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
A next-generation firewall that's easy to deploy and use, but it could be cheaper
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the ease of deployment and its flexibility. We don't need to deal with license, quotes, procurement, delivery, and installation. Everything is software-based, and it's very easy to operate."
  • "It would be better if they improved their policy, package visibility, and flexibility while we're creating rules for inspection. It could also be cheaper or more things could be included in the basic package. In the next release, I would like better coverage in the Asia Pacific region and better quality of service."

What is our primary use case?

We use Zscaler Cloud Firewall to enable quick and secure internet access for branch offices, small offices, and retail stores. It's very convenient for deployment.

What is most valuable?

I like the ease of deployment and its flexibility. We don't need to deal with license, quotes, procurement, delivery, and installation. Everything is software-based, and it's very easy to operate.

What needs improvement?

It would be better if they improved their policy, package visibility, and flexibility while we're creating rules for inspection. It could also be cheaper or more things could be included in the basic package. In the next release, I would like better coverage in the Asia Pacific region and better quality of service.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Zscaler Cloud Firewall for about two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Zscaler Cloud Firewall is a scalable solution. We currently have 12 to 15 people using this solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is super easy.

What about the implementation team?

I implemented this solution. There's nothing really outstanding, and it's very easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There are licensing costs, and I would not say that it's a cheap vendor.

What other advice do I have?

In general, I would recommend this product to new users. But I would say that they should carefully evaluate it with the business needs of a specific customer. However, in general, it's a leader in this area, and it's definitely worth their consideration.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Zscaler Cloud Firewall a seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Java Software Engineer at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
User-friendly solution with good scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a stable solution."
  • "Its technical support services could be better."

What is our primary use case?

Our customers use the solution to manage workload traffic and security mode access.

What is most valuable?

The solution's most valuable feature is its ability to integrate with security features such as malware detection, encryption, etc.

What needs improvement?

The solution's deployment process and technical support services could be better. Also, it could have more functionalities similar to other legacy firewall applications.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Zscaler Cloud Firewall for around six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution's stability a ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable as it is a SaaS-based application. I rate its scalability a ten out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's technical support team responds quickly. But sometimes, the team cannot fix the issue at the earliest. They pass the case to another expert to resolve, which consumes additional time for them to understand the problem and get back.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The solution's deployment process is straightforward compared with legacy appliances, on-premises, or cloud applications. We configure all the essential policies, including ZIA. Later, we can also use the same network for filtering policies for workload traffic.

It is user-friendly and can be deployed quickly without purchasing any physical hardware. It requires five to seven days to complete.

Although, in some cases, we couldn't find specific procedures. We ask their support team to assist us and enable those particular options. They should include all the essential information and functionality in the admin console. It will help new executives review the reference article and configure the solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is expensive for small businesses.

What other advice do I have?

The solution is suitable for medium and enterprise businesses. I rate it an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1304067 - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager (Zscaler) at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Secure, feature-rich, and helps to reduce downtime
Pros and Cons
  • "It helps a lot of companies to reduce their downtime. Also, It helps businesses in terms of being secured and protected from any threats."
  • "Certain criteria need to be met if you want to scale this solution."

What is our primary use case?

We are a distributor and Zscaler is one of the vendors that we work with. We sell the Cloud Firewall product to IT companies.

Our customers use this product for remote access, VPN, and security for Office 365. There is also integration available for protecting SD-WAN networks.

How has it helped my organization?

This product has a lot of features and which ones are used will depend on what a customer wants to do. For example, if the customer plans that they want to go into the cloud, or they are in a digital transformation journey, then they should look at Zscaler cloud solutions.

It helps a lot of companies to reduce their downtime. Also, It helps businesses in terms of being secured and protected from any threats.

What is most valuable?

As a product that is 100% cloud-based, there is no hardware or software to invest in. This means that it's an operational cost model, rather than a capital investment. Having an OpEx cost is something that has really helped our customers and their partners because it saves them money for any capital investment.

In the age of digitalization, a lot of companies do mergers and acquisitions. With Zscaler solutions, you can manage the users of two different companies. For example, if company A and company B do a merger tomorrow, Zscaler have a solution that enables both companies or organization users to work, using the same security policies and administration. This is a unique feature, as none of the other security vendors provides such capabilities that can be enabled or implemented quickly.

What needs improvement?

Certain criteria need to be met if you want to scale this solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the Zscaler Cloud Firewall for approximately four months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product. Zscaler has been a Gartner Magic Quadrant leader for the last 10 years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable Firewall but like any other security product, there are certain criteria for it to scale. It depends on the number of users and what the customer wants to achieve. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There are different subscription models available.

What other advice do I have?

Zscaler is one of the leading vendors in the cloud space. My advice for anyone who is looking to go on a cloud journey or is in the transition of moving their business from on-premises data centers to AWS, or any cloud platform, is that Zscaler is a great product to have in the organization. It helps lots of our customers.

Zscaler provides people with security and they don't need to have a VPN connection. Essentially, it provides more access and provides a secure connection to the business applications in the cloud.

With Zscaler, there are no major versions with different flavors. It's as if you're buying a Mercedes car. You choose your model, then ask for add-ons. it's still the same base product that we discussed.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
Director at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Reseller
Great security with stable function; advanced tech protection is winning feature
Pros and Cons
  • "Includes advanced tech protection."
  • "Data Leak Prevention is only for web filtering and there is no protection for email."

What is our primary use case?

This solution is in the cloud firewall where you just divert your router into the IP address and it goes to the Zscaler Cloud. Our current customer is a major financial institution and the solution is being used as general insurance for the company. Everyone is using the second generation VPN of Zscaler. There are 11 people in our company using the solution and our current customer has around 15,000 users, all using the product on a daily basis. We are customers and resellers of ZScaler and I'm a director of our company. 

What is most valuable?

I like the advanced tech protection Cloud Sandbox, it's a nice feature. Then there's the DLP, Data Leak Prevention, and the Cloud Application Control which are also good features.

What needs improvement?

Currently, the Data Leak Prevention is only for web filtering and there is nothing for email and the USB, so it would be an improvement if that could be included.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for over three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Our current customer has 10,000 users so the scalability is good.

How are customer service and support?

Our technical support is mainly in-house. If we need second-level support we'll turn to Zscaler. The support from them is fast and smooth. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward, you need to put an agent into your machine and it goes directly to the cloud. If you have 500 users, setup can take about a week. For 10,000, it takes about a month. Generally, though, the setup will happen in one or two days and then it's just rolled out onto the machines. There are usually some technical errors here and there which can slow things down a little but otherwise it's easy implementation and not very time consuming. Our company does the implementation and we have support from Zscaler. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Chief Executive Officer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Consultant
Scalable, very easy to use, and offers a full suite of security features
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is straightforward."
  • "The product could improve its integration with some legacy systems."

What is our primary use case?

The product is an easy solution to replace on-prem firewalls and VPNs and provide security for any device from anywhere - whether a user is at home or on a corporate network.

How has it helped my organization?

The solution has been very useful as it enables us to work from any place as if we were connected to the corporate network. We don't have to be in the office to take advantage of its features.

What is most valuable?

The solution's overall simplicity is excellent. It's a great selling feature.

Users are offered protection from anywhere on any device, with a full set of security features including firewall, IPS, web security, CASB, and DLP. The solution is quite broad in its offering and covers a lot of ground security-wise.

The initial setup is straightforward.

Overall, the solution offers excellent stability.

Technical support has been very good.

We've found the scalability to be excellent.

What needs improvement?

The product could improve its integration with some legacy systems.

The solution could offer more simplicity on deployment so that it's not quite so complex sometimes.

The solution could benefit from more CASBs - cloud access security brokers.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for ten or more years at this point. It's been a decade or more. I've used it for a while.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very, very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's been very good overall. I find it reliable in terms of performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have got 40,000 users on this platform. They are from various companies. Some are small, others are quite sizable. It's a solution that can work with a wide range of companies. The product, in general, has scaled well for companies. If an organization needs to expand it, it can do so.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very good. We're quite satisfied with the level of service. They are knowledgeable and responsive.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did use a different solution previously. 

We switched as we had an appliance with end-of-life issues. We needed something that could work without the limitation of physical devices. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is fairly easy. It's not overly complex, although the deployment itself can be.

The process requires some planning in advance to integrate with multiple systems, such as firewalls. If the advanced work is done, the rest of the process happens very quickly.

What about the implementation team?

We are consultants. We use it, however, we also provide services. If a client needs help with the implementation we can assist.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing is on a yearly basis. It is somewhere around 30 or 40 pounds per user for our organization.

What other advice do I have?

We are partners with Zscaler.

I'd recommend the solution to other solutions. I would suggest they try it. It's simple to use and the costs aren't so high.

I would rate the solution at a nine out of ten. Overall, we have been very happy with the product.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Implementation Engineer at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
Real User
Stable, scalable, but better automatic blocking needed
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is scalable."
  • "There are some areas it could improve when it comes to blocking, we have to block some things manually. For example, if we block a top-level domain we have seen that the new IPs come through, the IPs are not blocked. There should be some more granular way of doing it. My only request is if you're blocking something at a top level, the sub-level sub-domains and all those other IPs should be blocked too automatically."

What is our primary use case?

Zscaler Cloud Firewall can be used for many purposes. It can be used for blocking, such as all the malicious IPs, unauthorized IPS, unauthorized sites, and unsanctioned sites. For example, many users use PDF converters, they can upload confidential data to it, we can detect it, and we can block them.

What needs improvement?

There are some areas it could improve when it comes to blocking, we have to block some things manually. For example, if we block a top-level domain we have seen that the new IPs come through, the IPs are not blocked. There should be some more granular way of doing it. My only request is if you're blocking something at a top level, the sub-level sub-domains and all those other IPs should be blocked too automatically.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Zscaler Cloud Firewall for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have found the Zscaler Cloud Firewall stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The support is helpful from Zscaler Cloud Firewall.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is an annual license required for the use of the Zscaler Cloud Firewall.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Zscaler Cloud Firewall a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Zscaler Cloud Firewall Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
Product Categories
Firewalls
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Zscaler Cloud Firewall Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.