Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise vs Cisco Secure Access comparison

Akamai and Cisco are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Akamai is ranked #21 with an average rating of 8.0, while Cisco is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.6. Akamai holds a 1.1% mindshare in WSG, compared to Cisco’s 3.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Akamai users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Akamai Secure Internet Acc...

Read 3 Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise reviews

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1,129 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Secure Access

Read 72 Cisco Secure Access reviews

8,582 Views
3,862 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Akamai Secure Internet Acc...

Cisco Secure Access

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise and Cisco Secure Access based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Secure Web Gateways (SWG) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise vs. Cisco Secure Access Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise vs. Cisco Secure Access

August 2026

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Helped 909,725 peers since 2012

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

Akamai Secure Internet Acc...

Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

21st

Ranking in Domain Name System (DNS) Security

11th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

5.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco Secure Access

Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

4th

Ranking in Domain Name System (DNS) Security

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Firewalls (9th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (3rd), ZTNA (6th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise is 1.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Secure Access is 3.1%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Secure Access	3.1%
Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise	1.1%
Other	95.8%

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Featured Reviews

MeshwaShah

Senior Analyst at Deloitte

Have successfully routed high-volume application traffic through secure channels and maintain compliance across client environments

CDN capability is what I appreciate about Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise. It protects applications that are internet-facing or public-facing. Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise is a product which has very good features and capabilities. I have worked on Radware also, but Radware has some limited capabilities. Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise has positively impacted my organization. We have around 62 applications within our firm which are now routing traffic through Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise. It has fewer false positives, which is something we haven't encountered yet. I assess the impact of Akamai's real-time threat filtering as 10 out of 10, and I am satisfied with this feature.

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reviewer2788500

Network Operations Engineer at a media company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Secure access has unified zero trust and web protection while AI assistance automates tasks

From a feature perspective, I have not experienced any issues, drawbacks, or shortcomings. However, the cost of Cisco's products and licensing is high. My clients usually prefer cheaper options if possible. Mid-size or smaller businesses typically cannot afford Cisco Secure Access. Additionally, there is a steep learning curve, as it is very intensive. Someone with significant knowledge can work on it, but a new professional would have to spend considerable time to get accustomed to it. It is hard to find engineers who can work on it. Overall, we get what we pay for, as it is a pretty good feature and service. The pricing of Cisco's products and licensing is higher than competitors. If they could be more reasonable, that would help. The support offered for two years also has higher costs. Overall, the client's IT budget gets affected. It was challenging to learn because, as mentioned, it has a significant learning curve and requires considerable training to become proficient.

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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

"Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise is a product which has very good features and capabilities."

"The best feature of Akamai SPS Threat Avert is that it's very user-friendly compared to other technologies."

"The threat intelligence feature is particularly valuable when used with another product of Akamai, as their researchers continuously update this threat feed database, making it an effective tool for defending against and blocking bad actors, public malicious IPs, harmful hashes, and malicious URLs."

"Cisco Secure Access does help me protect my company from threats like phishing and ransomware."

"Based on ROI, Cisco Secure Access is worth the investment, as it is a core security product that allows customers to measure their ROI effectively."

"The features of Cisco Secure Access that I most prefer are easy management or manageability, and overall security."

"Any tool that provides telemetry through logging is a particularly good fit for us because we have to really automate our monitoring."

"I find the zero trust approach helpful and beneficial in securing standard applications, which means you are accessing the applications directly instead of giving privilege to access the network itself."

"It has not only been a better solution overall, but also been cost saving, which is unusual—too good to be true at one point, but it has delivered."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco Secure Access is the possibility to work from anywhere, along with the posture for the host, so the check on the posture."

"Customers spend much less time troubleshooting VPNs because ZTNA works more stably, and therefore it has become a pretty good point of sales for us as a reseller to increase our revenue at the customer level, because it's an extra layer of security that you can add to an already existing networking solution."

More Cisco Secure Access pros

Cons

"Akamai SPS Threat Avert's pricing could be improved because it's a very expensive enterprise solution."

"From a financial standpoint, I do not believe Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise is cost-effective when compared to other solutions available in the industry."

"Their support response time needs improvement. They take on average one week to respond, which is not satisfactory given how critical applications are to the organization."

"The licensing is confusing."

"In terms of negative aspects of Cisco Secure Access, it is not easy to manage everything in Cisco products."

"Having been associated with Cisco for more than fifteen to twenty years, I find it increasingly difficult to get tech support these days. Although Cisco is reliable, the process to raise a support ticket has become more complex, requiring specific user accounts and access to specialized platforms."

"There are times it feels difficult to navigate and get things configured, but that is coming from a CLI perspective."

"Comparing Cisco Secure Access to something like Cloudflare One, in the future the cost can come down."

"In general, I think Cisco Secure Access can be improved. I have worked a lot with Cisco Secure Connect, which is very intuitive and easy. With Cisco Secure Access, things are very complicated."

"To improve Cisco Secure Access, I would suggest simplifying the need for different components that Cisco has tried to implement; for example, to have Cisco Secure Access, it is necessary to have AnyConnect, ISE, and Duo, meaning there are various products that need to integrate to achieve the same result, unlike the all-in-one compact products from other vendors."

"Cisco Secure Access has impacted our help desk ticket volume and end-user experience because sometimes users encounter issues. Since we have many features activated, users sometimes cannot connect or attempt to connect multiple times, which generates service desk tickets."

More Cisco Secure Access cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Provided the features Akamai SPS Threat Avert provides, it is bound to be expensive."

"For what you get, it's a fair price in comparison to other products."

"It is confusing. When you look at the prices, you have different licensing and years of licensing that you have to purchase. Additionally, it's unclear what service you get from those licenses regarding end-user support. We have a representative who has to walk me through it every time."

"The pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Cisco Secure Access have been very competitive compared to other platforms. I believe that if Cisco continues to improve costs or offers something similar to a Cisco credit, it would attract more customers."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	29
Midsize Enterprise	13
Large Enterprise	36

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Akamai SPS Threat Avert?

Since Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise is not being used in our campus environment, as our users do not route their internet through Akamai, I cannot provide detailed feedback on areas for ...

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What is your primary use case for Akamai SPS Threat Avert?

Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise is designed to protect users' access to the internet.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Akamai SPS Threat Avert?

Our organization does not utilize the internet access feature of Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise because our company routes internet traffic through our public ISPs rather than through Aka...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Secure Access?

Before adopting Cisco Secure Access, we primarily relied on traditional VPN-based remote access solutions combined with supporting security tools for web filtering, access control, and visibility. ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cisco Secure Access?

Cisco Secure Access serves as our primary solution for providing secure remote access to corporate applications and resources for a distributed workforce. We use it to enforce consistent security p...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Cisco Secure Access?

My biggest piece of advice is to approach Cisco Secure Access as a strategic, zero trust initiative rather than simply a replacement for traditional VPN technology. Organizations get the most value...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Umbrella vs Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise

Compared 14% of the time

Symantec Proxy vs Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise

Compared 12% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise

Compared 11% of the time

Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway vs Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise

Compared 8% of the time

Symantec Secure Web Gateway vs Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise

Compared 7% of the time

More Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise Competitors

Cisco Umbrella vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 13% of the time

FortiSASE vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 9% of the time

Netskope vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 9% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 6% of the time

Secure Access – DNS Defense vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 5% of the time

More Cisco Secure Access Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

July 2026

Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise report

Download Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Access

August 2026

Download Cisco Secure Access product report

Also Known As

Akamai Enterprise Threat Protector, Akamai ETP, Akamai SPS Threat Avert

No data available

Overview

Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise offers robust cybersecurity to protect organizations from threats and provides seamless cloud-based connectivity to safeguard remote work operations.

Designed with a focus on high-performance security, Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise efficiently manages web and internet traffic, transforming traditional network defenses into sophisticated security architectures. Its intelligent threat detection capabilities ensure that malicious attacks are identified and neutralized before they can cause harm, providing peace of mind for IT teams.

What are the key features?

Threat Intelligence: Continuously updated threat intelligence to stay ahead of emerging threats.
Secure Web Gateway: Comprehensive security for web access to block malicious content.
Centralized Management: Simplified management through a unified interface for easy control.
Cloud-Based Architecture: Scalability and flexibility to accommodate changing organizational demands.

What benefits should users expect?

Increased Security: Enhanced protection for sensitive data and business operations.
Cost Efficiency: Reduced infrastructure costs with cloud-based solutions.
Enhanced Productivity: Seamless and secure access for remote and office workers.
Compliance Support: Helps maintain compliance with industry regulations.

In the financial sector, for example, Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise is employed to balance stringent compliance needs with agile internet access. Healthcare industries utilize it to protect patient data without compromising connectivity, demonstrating its versatility across fields.

Akamai

Cisco Secure Access is a comprehensive Security Service Edge (SSE) solution (a key component of a SASE solution) that addresses the complexities of securing a hybrid enterprise. Cloud-delivered and grounded in zero trust, it delivers a unique blend of user simplicity and IT efficiency for frictionless, secure access to all applications—SaaS (with gen AI), private apps, and the internet—regardless of user location or device. Secure Access protects users, data, and devices against relentless, sophisticated, and constantly evolving threats including AI-driven attacks and identity breaches.

Provides all core SSE components (ZTNA, SWG, CASB, and FWaaS) plus extended capabilities.

Includes VPN-as-a-Service (VPNaaS), data loss prevention (DLP), AI Assistant, visibility/control/guardrails for generative AI use, digital experience monitoring (DEM), reserved IP, remote browser isolation (RBI), DNS-layer security, flexible security enforcement (in cloud or on-premises), policy verification, and more.
Protects users as they seamlessly access resources and apps with no extra steps needed, regardless of protocol, port, or level of customization
Simplifies IT operations through a single client, single dashboard, single license, and unified policies.
Lowers risk with least privilege, granular controls backed with unmatched threat intelligence of Cisco Talos.
Eases interoperability with other products from Cisco and third-party vendors with common administrative controls, data structures, and policy management.

Robust integrations

Integrates with Cisco Identity Intelligence to protect against the startling increase in identity-based attacks.
Integrates with many SAML Identity Providers (IDPs) such as AD, Azure AD, Okta, Ping, etc.
Integrates with Cisco offerings including SD-WAN, Splunk, XDR, Thousand Eyes, third party technologies such as Menlo RBI, Chrome Enterprise Browser, and AppOmni for SSPM.

Cisco

Sample Customers

MCNC, Educational Testing Service

1. IBM 2. Microsoft 3. Amazon 4. Google 5. Apple 6. Cisco Systems 7. Oracle 8. Intel 9. HP Inc. 10. Dell Technologies 11. Verizon Communications 12. AT&T 13. Comcast 14. T-Mobile 15. Sprint 16. Vodafone 17. Orange 18. BT Group 19. Deutsche Telekom 20. Telefonica 21. Nokia 22. Ericsson 23. Samsung Electronics 24. Sony 25. Panasonic 26. LG Electronics 27. Siemens 28. General Electric 29. Ford Motor Company 30. General Motors 31. Toyota Motor Corporation 32. Volkswagen Group

Buyer's Guide

Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise vs. Cisco Secure Access

August 2026

Free Report: Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise vs. Cisco Secure Access

Find out what your peers are saying about Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise vs. Cisco Secure Access and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.

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See our Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise vs. Cisco Secure Access report.

See our list of best Secure Web Gateways (SWG) vendors and best Domain Name System (DNS) Security vendors.

We monitor all Secure Web Gateways (SWG) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.