The solution is similar to a web security appliance. However, it is like filtering on a cloud base, not on-premise. Basically, it is not fully mature, which means it's not yet ready to replace the WSA, however, over a period of time, it could to a certain extent. It's a cloud solution to protect against fake domain IDs. It can be your filtering solution and can also do a few other things with the other features on it.
Network Engineer & Security Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Scalable with a straightforward setup but the pricing could be better
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is extremely stable. It has excellent performance."
- "The pricing could always be a little bit better."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I like that it's a cloud solution.
The best part of Cisco is that Cisco has the second-largest security service cloud for security background checks. That is the big advantage of the Cisco security portfolio.
The solution is extremely stable. It has excellent performance.
The solution can scale if you need it to.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
The pricing is reasonable. You can negotiate contracts with Cisco.
Integration is very easy. It's not that complicated. Out of two clients, one had an easy integration, which was something new for me. That said, it did take time as it was the initial setup for me.
What needs improvement?
There are always little items that can be fixed in any solution, however, I don't have any specific complaints.
The first time you set up the solution and have integrations, it may be a bit difficult, however, it gets easier.
The pricing could always be a little bit better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about two to three years at this point.
I have been working with Cisco in general since 2013 or 2012.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Umbrella
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Cisco Umbrella. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's been very good so far.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We only have two clients on this solution. There's no more than that. There may be 200 users in total. One client had 150 users and the other had around 100 users.
The product has three visions, it depends on what license you want, or the requirement, to be more precise. Whether you're from an adaptation center, or enterprise center, or utility center, it has different flavors for different kinds of customers.
How are customer service and support?
Cisco's technical support has always been quite good. We're quite happy with the level of service they provide to clients.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
One of our clients did use a different solution. We ended up replacing it with Cisco Umbrella.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not complex at all. It's a very straightforward installation. In terms of the deployment, it hardly will take more than an hour to two. At that point, it is up and running. A company shouldn't have any trouble with the initial setup.
That said, security is always an ongoing process. It's a security product and therefore there's always work to do with it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution has three types of licenses that cover a variety of different company types.
In terms of a commercial contract, it's about getting a discount, which you can arrange for the clients more often than not, so it's fine. It is not overly expensive.
That said, I have not pitched Cisco Umbrella for any clients for the last six to eight months. Due to COVID, I'm not getting a time or interest for doing any POC on this right now.
What other advice do I have?
We are partners with Cisco.
I haven't done any POCs with this solution in the last 10 months or so, and I only have two clients on the product.
I would recommend the solution. I'd rate it at a seven out of ten overall. We've been mostly 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: Integrator

Team Lead Network Infrastructure at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Secure and flexible with no latency issues, and it is easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "I haven't found any issues related to latency or any other issue."
- "Cisco Umbrella should introduce an on-premises device."
What is our primary use case?
We are service providers for all Cisco products.
We have contracted a couple of schools for a proof of concept for the customers who purchase Cisco Umbrella. We have also deployed it to virtual machines in the customer's environment.
We have also deployed Active Directory connectors, and we have directed the customer's traffic towards Cisco Umbrella and their DNS Service.
We have also monitored and provided a course for the customers.
This product can be used for DNS security. DNS security basically provides protection because Cisco thinks that 90% of the attacks come from DNS. So, they warn us that if customers protect the DNS, then they are 90% secure.
Instead of resolving their domains through normal global DNS servers, this solution provides security.
Cisco Umbrella grades all of the domains that are present in its own grading and specifies which are malicious, which are whitelisted, which are not safe, which domains have recently been, and which show some spike in the graph that sometimes they come up and suddenly they go offline.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Umbrella is very flexible, and it does not show any kind of delay that someone is responding to their DNS server, outside of their network and outside of their environment.
I haven't found any issues related to latency or any other issue.
They have Umbrella Investigate, which uses machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms to find malicious attacks in the domains.
What needs improvement?
There should be some sort of appliance for those customers who do not trust the cloud. Cisco Umbrella should introduce an on-premises device.
Customers should have the ability to manage on-premises.
While support is provided, the response time could be faster.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been acquainted with Cisco Umbrella for two years.
We are providing the latest version.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Umbrella is scalable. We provide services to customers. We have some customers who have been using this solution for one and a half years.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have contacted technical support. My experience is that it is a bit slow. The response is a bit slow, but they provide support.
People have many queries online. In terms of the support, they may be a bit delayed but ultimately the problem will be resolved.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before Cisco Umbrella, there wasn't any security product.
There is a product called Infoblox, but I haven't used it.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is pretty straightforward and it only took 10 minutes to deploy.
We require only one person for the deployment and the maintenance of this solution, who understands it technically.
What about the implementation team?
We are system integrators and we do the implementation ourselves for our customers.
What other advice do I have?
We will continue to sell this product.
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
I would rate Cisco Umbrella a nine 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: Integrator
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Umbrella
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Cisco Umbrella. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
A very good solution, but needs a real-time malware classification engine and control over file execution
Pros and Cons
- "Overall, it is a very good solution. It is a simple solution and very easy to set up."
- "It should have a real-time malware classification engine. It should check the malware on the website. It would be good if it had a real-time malware check for the websites because currently, it just compares the DNS queries of the blacklist. It should also have malware control over file execution and the types of files that the users are allowed to download."
What is our primary use case?
We have been working with the administration of the product as well as looking at various features of the product, such as locking of the URL. We have also been checking certain intelligence to see how it helps in maintaining security posture for the organization. In addition, we have also been looking at command and control, communication with other IPs, and early blocking of the DNS requests.
What is most valuable?
Overall, it is a very good solution. It is a simple solution and very easy to set up.
What needs improvement?
It should have a real-time malware classification engine. It should check the malware on the website. It would be good if it had a real-time malware check for the websites because currently, it just compares the DNS queries of the blacklist.
It should also have malware control over file execution and the types of files that the users are allowed to download.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with this solution for over one and a half years.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is very good for the existing features, but they must incorporate more features in their solution, such as file execution blocking and real-time malware check.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very simple because it was just the installation of agents on the system, and it can communicate with the cloud easily. It didn't give me any problem.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price should be slightly lower than the current price because if you look at the whole solution, it is simply a threat intelligence solution to block blacklisted things. The price should be lower looking at the features provided by the solution. The price isn't too high either, but it could be lower.
What other advice do I have?
If you are looking to have a simpler solution that can easily prevent malicious threats, you can go for it. If you want to have a more general solution, for example, with control over file execution or real-time malware engine, you can go for a web security gateway. If you want to have a number of things integrated within a single solution, such as DLP, you should go for Forcepoint Security Gateway. Cisco Umbrella doesn't provide such a feature.
I would rate Cisco Umbrella a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Systems Support Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Flexible, fast, and effective cloud-delivered security
Pros and Cons
- "Stability-wise, it's good. I have never encountered any bugs."
- "Actually, we recently switched over to Zscaler because it has more features and it's more scalable than Cisco Umbrella."
What is our primary use case?
Generally, we use Cisco Umbrella to prevent DNS attacks within the LAN. As we are a data center, that is our main use case.
Within our organization, there are roughly 500 people using this solution.
What is most valuable?
It's good for local communication with the data center and LAN.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Umbrella for one and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, it's good. I have never encountered any bugs.
How are customer service and technical support?
The technical support is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Actually, we recently switched over to Zscaler because it has more features and it's more scalable than Cisco Umbrella.
How was the initial setup?
I wasn't involved in the initial setup, so I can't comment on that.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Cisco Umbrella to other interested companies. It's a very flexible and secure application — it's very good.
Overall, I would give Cisco Umbrella a rating of 10 out of 10.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
CTO at a tech vendor with 11-50 employees
Cloud-delivered security combined with endpoint versatility
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco Umbrella is absolutely stable."
- "Looking at the full umbrella suite in the light of SASE, Secure Access Service Edge, they are clearly lacking in the inline CASB."
What is most valuable?
DNS security used to be the main value for us. Looking forward, SASE-style use cases (the ability to connect to any endpoint, be it a corporate-managed device, or a privately managed device, to any SaaS service) seems to be the most important feature for the future, on top of DNS security.
What needs improvement?
Looking at the full umbrella suite in the light of SASE, Secure Access Service Edge, they are clearly lacking in the inline CASB. Any line cloud access security broker has an API-based cloud access security broker, which is called CloudLock, but they're lacking the inline components, which are able to intercept traffic.
An on-premise DLP solution or integration with an on-premise DLP solution would be a nice addition. Also, more broad operating system support for endpoints would be an advantage.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Umbrella for the last three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Umbrella is absolutely stable. They put a lot of weight on the availability and reliability of the global footprint. So yes, they kind of set the standards for availability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Umbrella Is very easy to scale.
How are customer service and technical support?
I haven't been involved in providing support for it; however, I am not aware of any significant issues.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was quite straightforward.
Deployment depends on the number of features and the degree of integration you're looking for. Deployment can take anywhere from 30 seconds, simply to redirect your recursive DNS service, up to several days for a full-blown enterprise setup. So it depends on the use case.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing varies. If you're just after DNS security, it's rather expensive. If you are, however, after replacing parts of your enterprise security infrastructure (by moving from a legacy on-premise, security-based approach, to a more cloud-based approach), then you can replace a whole bunch of classic security devices and solutions. In short, you can basically consolidate your security functions. I think it's worth the money.
What other advice do I have?
I would definitely recommend Cisco Umbrella. Proof of concept is always the second step. The first step is coming up with your use cases. If Umbrella is the answer, what's the question? You should roadmap your immediate and long-term goals in terms of IT security, or information security. You should take into account your operational fitness for tackling the cloud as well, then pick the right features to suit your needs. This is all basically applicable to similar solutions. If you run into this with no plan, you're just shifting your existing problems.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Cisco Umbrella a rating of eight.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Manager and Senior Consultant at NTT DATA
Easy to tailor to our client's environment and needs
Pros and Cons
- "The user interface is great. It's very easy to tailor to our client's environment and needs."
- "I would like to see more integration between Cisco Umbrella and Cisco DNA Center."
What is our primary use case?
Our customers used an older version of Cisco, but we proposed Cisco Umbrella for their POC phase.
What is most valuable?
The user interface is great. It's very easy to tailor to our client's environment and needs.
What needs improvement?
There should be some programs for the POC phase.
I would like to see more integration between Cisco Umbrella and Cisco DNA center
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Umbrella for one and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Umbrella is very stable.
How are customer service and support?
The support is very good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Cisco Umbrella is a little higher than similar solutions; however, I am not exactly sure what the price difference is.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We compared Cisco Umbrella to other solutions including Zscaler and Palo Alto.
Integration is better with Cisco. Cisco Umbrella performed very well compared to Zscaler and other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of nine.
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
Network Specialist at Syswind Kft.
Easy to deploy, simple to manage, and extremely scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very easy to manage. We found the initial setup, for example, to be quite simple."
- "The product can be pretty expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution as cloud security for our branches. It protects us from direct internet outbreaks.
What is most valuable?
It makes for good flexibility. The solution is very easy to manage. We found the initial setup, for example, to be quite simple.
Easy to deploy.
Efficient protection on the DNS level and even higher. The sandboxing feature analyse and handle the complicated security risks.
What needs improvement?
The product can be pretty expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for two to three years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't faced any issues. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. We find Cisco to be reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have a variety of customers. The number of users on each umbrella varies from one to a few thousand. Most companies may just have a few hundred users. It's basically suitable for companies of all sizes. It scales well, in that sense.
The Cisco Umbrella IT operation resource needs are equal for a large and small company. (no need to hire more engineers or operators)
Overall, the scalability is excellent. It's quite flexible.
How are customer service and technical support?
While I have been in touch with Cisco technical support in the past (and they've been quite good), for Umbrella, I find I don't need any support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've dealt with other products on a different scale. I'd say that Cisco Umbrella is far and away much better than the other cloud security products on the market.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not complex. It was pretty straightforward. We found it to be rather easy, from beginning to end.
The deployment times vary and depend on which Umbrella you use. However, we've found it should only take about a day to get up and running. An IT team can manage it. They don't necessarily need an integrator.
The solution doesn't really require too much maintenance. You probably wouldn't need a dedicated person to maintain it.
What about the implementation team?
We are integrators ourselves, however, the initial setup is so straightforward, typically an in-house IT team can manage a setup.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is costly. It doesn't come cheap. The licensing also comes with additional costs for extra services (such as sandboxing feature, L3/L4 firewall, etc...).
What other advice do I have?
We are Cisco partners. We have a business relationship with them.
We use various types of Umbrella.
I'd recommend the solution. It's one of the best on the market and it works well in different environments. It's also extremely easy to deploy.
Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I'd rate it at a nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public 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: Cisco Partner
Chief Enterprise Architect at Expanded Reality
Great security and access control features
Pros and Cons
- "The security and access control features."
- "User interface could be a little smoother and more intuitive."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution to provide Dorel filtering and security for our WiFi environment. I'm the chief enterprise architect and we are customers of Cisco Umbrella.
What is most valuable?
The security and access control features are the most valuable for us.
What needs improvement?
Improvements could be made with the user interface, it could be a little smoother and more intuitive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have scaled it in other companies and it scales very well. It's got a UV, it's got a decent user interface so once you go to Cisco training, they offer it when you buy the product so that if you are a small business looking for something like Umbrella, you can set it and forget it and it works. You can also tie it into your WiFi solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
Tech support at Cisco is great. Not just for this project. I've been working with Cisco equipment and Cisco tech for 25 years now and I've never had a problem with them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was relatively straightforward. We had an implementation strategy and it wasn't particularly difficult.
What other advice do I have?
In general, Umbrella is a competitive solution for small or large enterprise. It's never the cheapest, but it's always in the competition, at least in my experience. I would recommend the solution, there's no reason not to go there, depending on your specific situation, of course.
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Umbrella Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: June 2025
Product Categories
Domain Name System (DNS) Security Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Internet Security Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Cisco Security PortfolioPopular Comparisons
Cisco Secure Firewall
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks
Zscaler Internet Access
Lookout
Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform
Cloudflare One
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps
Netskope
Cisco Secure Endpoint
Cato SASE Cloud Platform
Cisco Duo
Cisco Secure Network Analytics
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cisco Umbrella Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- Which is the better security solution - Cisco Umbrella or Zscaler?
- Which product do you prefer: Cisco Umbrella or Palo Alto Networks DNS Security?
- Which is the better security solution - Cisco Umbrella or Microsoft Cloud App Security?
- What are the pros and cons of Cisco Umbrella vs. Zscaler SASE for a large global enterprise?
- What are the differences and similarities of Symantec Fireglass and Cisco Umbrella?
- Which solution is better: Cisco Umbrella or Palo Alto Networks DNS Security?
- When evaluating DNS Security, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- Why is Domain Name System (DNS) Security important for companies?
- What DNS security tool do you recommend?
- Why is domain name system security important?