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Cisco Secure Email Reviews

Vendor: Cisco
4.2 out of 5
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What is Cisco Secure Email?

Cisco Secure Email provides email security with advanced threat protection, spam filtering, and easy integration with Cisco Talos, ensuring comprehensive protection against cyber threats like phishing and malware.

Get the Cisco Secure Email Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Email, Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Darktrace and more!
Cisco Secure Email is the #5 ranked solution in top Email Security solutions and #7 ranked solution in top Cisco Security Portfolio solutions. PeerSpot users give Cisco Secure Email an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Cisco Secure Email is most commonly compared to Microsoft Defender for Office 365: Cisco Secure Email vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365. Cisco Secure Email is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 57% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 20% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Secure Email
September 2025
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Cisco Secure Email mindshare

Product category:
Email Security
As of September 2025, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Email in the Email Security category stands at 5.8%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Secure Email5.8%
Microsoft Defender for Office 36511.5%
Proofpoint Email Protection8.2%
Other74.5%
Email Security

PeerResearch reports based on Cisco Secure Email reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryEmail SecuritySep 14, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersSep 14, 2025Download
ComparisonCisco Secure Email vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365Sep 14, 2025Download
ComparisonCisco Secure Email vs Abnormal SecuritySep 14, 2025Download
ComparisonCisco Secure Email vs Proofpoint Email ProtectionSep 14, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Microsoft Defender for Office 3654.211.5%96%53 interviewsAdd to research
Darktrace4.12.7%94%82 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Key features of Cisco Secure Email include Advanced Malware Protection, threat intelligence integration with Cisco Talos, and comprehensive filtering capabilities. Users benefit from real-time email tracking, customizable rules, advanced phishing protection, and spam filtering. The platform offers strong anti-malware security, URL scanning, and integration with SecureX for centralized threat management. Cisco Secure Email's flexible policies and intuitive management enhance email security, while its robust reputation filtering minimizes spam and malicious content effectively.
  • "The technical support from Cisco is perfect."
  • "My favorite feature of Cisco Secure Email is the threat intelligence capabilities, particularly its integration with Cisco Talos."
  • "It provided a platform to sell a service to customers."

Room for Improvement

Cisco Secure Email requires enhancements in user interface intuitiveness and efficiency, making it challenging for non-technical users to navigate. High costs hinder small businesses, while complex licensing and deployment processes add to management difficulties. Integration with third-party tools, DLP integration, enhanced AI for detecting threats, and hardware stability are essential improvements. Reporting and logging need refinements, and consolidated management across devices is desired. Improved phishing filters and reduced false positives are necessary to maintain effectiveness.
  • "The user interface of the Email Security Gateway should be improved."
  • "In some cases, detection is missed, leading to false positives where genuine emails are flagged as spam."
  • "The user interface needs massive improvement. While the device works fine and it's not complicated to write policies, renaming menu items and showing policy flow in conjunction with the application could help."

ROI

Cisco Secure Email demonstrates a favorable return on investment through enhanced security and minimized interruptions. It efficiently processes emails with high filtering rates, reducing phishing-related costs. Users experience reduced email management time, indicating cost savings. Return is supported by preventing potential breaches, with one entity noting a significant cost reduction by avoiding malware incidents. Although costly, Cisco Secure Email is deemed valuable by users who appreciate its strong protection and performance, despite the difficulty in quantifying its exact impact.

Pricing

Enterprise buyers evaluate Cisco Secure Email as a higher-cost solution with yearly licensing fees, reflecting its robust security features. Licensing options are diverse, offering user-based or feature-based plans, and costs can range from $5 to $7 per user monthly. Many organizations find the product cost-effective despite its premium pricing, particularly when bundled with support services like SMARTnet. Cisco's reputation justifies the expense, offering comprehensive protection compared to cheaper alternatives.
  • "The licensing is a mess and needs sorting out. I am not really concerned about the pricing because I only make recommendations, not buying decisions."
  • "The pricing for the Cisco Email Security Appliance involves recurring costs for licenses based on the contracted time frame, such as one year, three years, or five years. Renewals are required after the license expires."
  • "I rate the product price as six on a scale of one to ten, where one means it is a very expensive tool."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations use Cisco Secure Email as an email gateway to secure inbound and outbound email traffic. They implement it for anti-spam, phishing prevention, malware protection, data loss prevention, and URL filtering. The tool scans emails for threats, ensuring safe communication. Companies leverage its antivirus scanning, compliance features, and the ability to prevent unwanted or harmful links from being opened. They integrate it with systems like Office 365, providing an additional security layer.

Service and Support

Cisco Secure Email receives praise for its excellent support and quick response times. Users appreciate the knowledgeable and proactive engineers encountered during interactions. While some mention occasional delays and variability depending on the assigned engineer, satisfaction remains high. The ability to resolve complex issues rapidly is noted, with many valuing Cisco's expertise. Users emphasize the efficient escalation process and the clarity provided in explanations, enhancing the support experience. Consistent responsiveness distinguishes their service.

Deployment

Cisco Secure Email's initial setup varies in complexity. Many find it straightforward, requiring minimal time and staff, while others cite challenges due to prior configurations and customizations. Cloud and on-premises installations generally proceed smoothly, often needing collaboration between different roles like network engineers and administrators. Some users appreciate Cisco's onboarding support, but others find complexity in customizing and understanding documentation. The deployment timeline typically ranges from a few hours to several days.

Scalability

Cisco Secure Email is highly scalable, adaptable for various organization sizes. Users report efficient performance, handling multiple users without issues. Cloud versions offer greater flexibility compared to on-premises installations. Positive feedback indicates that scaling is straightforward and manageable. Despite some limitations with older hardware, transitioning to cloud services enhances scalability. Clusters and load balancing improve adaptability. Many organizations intend to expand usage, reflecting confidence in Cisco Secure Email's ability to support growing demands.

Stability

Many users find Cisco Secure Email highly reliable, highlighting its robust performance with minimal issues even after years of use. It often requires limited maintenance, with some experiencing no downtime. Users appreciate its consistency across both physical and virtual setups. Though occasional minor technicalities arise, they are rare. Its upgrades and high availability features are well-regarded, particularly for handling large email volumes. Many users rate its stability positively, with some noting slight improvements in recent updates.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Cisco Secure Email Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise15
Large Enterprise20
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business304
Midsize Enterprise214
Large Enterprise700
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Government
6%
Educational Organization
5%
Comms Service Provider
4%
University
4%
Energy/Utilities Company
4%
Healthcare Company
4%
Insurance Company
4%
Retailer
4%
Performing Arts
3%
Construction Company
3%
Media Company
3%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Transportation Company
2%
Non Profit
2%
Outsourcing Company
2%
Legal Firm
2%
Hospitality Company
2%
Consumer Goods Company
2%
Wholesaler/Distributor
1%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%

Compare Cisco Secure Email with alternative products

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Learn more about Cisco Secure Email

Cisco Secure Email offers a comprehensive platform for organizations seeking robust email security. With advanced threat protection and seamless integration with Cisco Talos, it enhances threat intelligence. The tool provides easy-to-use spam blocking and granular policy customization. Effective ransomware, phishing, and malware protection ensures stable network performance. It includes logging and reporting features, along with Active Directory integration, delivering enhanced security without extra hardware. Although it addresses threats efficiently, improvements in synchronization with reporting tools and phishing detection are needed. Organizations find cost and licensing complexities challenging for smaller networks and seek more intuitive configuration, advanced AI threat detection, and comprehensive reporting. Enhanced support, documentation, and cross-platform compatibility are desirable for better management and scalability.

What are the most important features?
  • Advanced Threat Protection: Guards against cyber threats like malware and phishing
  • Spam Blocking: Efficiently filters unwanted emails to maintain inbox integrity
  • Policy Customization: Allows granular control over email security policies
  • Integration with Cisco Talos: Enhances threat intelligence with global insights
  • Active Directory Integration: Simplifies user management and enhances security
What benefits and ROI should users consider?
  • Ease of Use: Intuitive interface provides a straightforward user experience
  • Network Performance: Maintains speed and reliability while securing emails
  • Comprehensive Reporting: Offers detailed insights into email threats and responses
  • No Additional Hardware: Provides complete email security without hardware costs
  • Enhanced Email Security: Protects against a wide range of email-based threats

In industries like finance, healthcare, and IT, Cisco Secure Email is key to securing email communications. It serves as the primary email gateway in datacenters, scanning and filtering emails to defend against phishing, malware, and spam. Many organizations integrate it with Sophos Antivirus and Talos Threat Intelligence for heightened protection. It plays a crucial role in outbound message control and data loss prevention, ensuring compliance with security policies.

Cisco Secure Email was previously known as Cisco Email Security, IronPort, Cisco Email Security, ESA, Email Security Appliances.

Cisco Secure Email customers

SUNY Old Westbury, CoxHealth, City of Fullerton, Indra

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Product Categories

Product Categories
Email Security
Cisco Security Portfolio

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Cisco Secure Email Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Chief Information Security Officer at Abcl4.0We use Cisco Secure Email to protect against malicious email links and threats, valuing its integration with Cisco Talos for fast attack detection. However, it occasionally produces false positives. We considered Proofpoint but were limited by data center locations.
Systems Engineer at a non-tech company with 51-200 employees4.0I have implemented Cisco Secure Email, especially Email Threat Defense, which is highly effective for Office 365 users in detecting phishing and spam. However, the Email Security Gateway's interface needs improvement, and integrating both products could enhance overall email protection.
Cloud Partner & Solutions Architect at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees4.5I used Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB primarily for email security by integrating it with other services like Postfix, implementing antivirus, IDS, and IPS policies, though the user interface could be enhanced. I'm unaware of the product's return on investment.
Director General at Icdc3.5We use Cisco Secure Email mainly for filtering internal and external messages in our Office 365 environment. While it enhances security, the pricing could be improved. We're exploring alternatives like Barracuda and Microsoft Defender due to their integrated features.
System Administrator at bluegr Hotels & Resorts4.0I use Cisco Secure Email as an email gateway for our company's security, valuing its malware protection. I wish it had AI features for fraudulent email detection. The product isn't cost-effective, and I haven't seen ROI benefits.
Information Security Specialist at City Of Hamilton5.0Cisco Secure Email initially aimed to combat spam effectively and has been a valuable investment. Its features now include Data Loss Prevention and phishing protection. Despite excellent spam controls, the interface for managing email access lists could improve.
Team Lead Networks & Security Operation Centre at Central Depository Company4.5In managing secure settings, I focus on evaluating capital expenditures and the implications for onboarding Cisco Secure Email. Although the theoretical aspects are well-regarded, its high cost makes it less appealing for smaller businesses compared to alternatives like Gmail.
Technical Presales Consultant : Cisco Security at Inflow Technologies4.5We use Cisco Secure Email to protect against threats like phishing and malware, benefiting from its integration with Cisco Talos for robust threat detection. However, compatibility issues with Linux systems, particularly Ubuntu, remain a significant challenge for our clients.