Cisco IOS Security vs Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall comparison

Cisco IOS Security vs. Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall

September 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

5.9

Fortinet FortiGate offers cost-effective security with quick deployment, improving efficiency, reducing downtime, and providing a strong return on investment.

Sentiment score

7.4

Cisco IOS Security offers high ROI through improved efficiency, reduced risks, cost savings, and a beneficial subscription model.

Sentiment score

5.5

Users report significant ROI with Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall due to cost reduction, improved security, enhanced performance, and easier management.

Clients are now comfortable and not wasting productive hours on IT support.

MURALI NIDAMANURI

Managing Director at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

The automation part is giving us a cost benefit and speed; we can react faster.

Bart Homblé

BDM Fortinet & BDM Teamlead at Exclusive Networks

It's a very useful tool to mitigate and protect your enterprise.

Bernard Samontanes

Staff Infrastructure & Security Engineer at Mozn Systems

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

The return on investment is satisfactory with Cisco products as they have long lifespans, and our customers are satisfied with them.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Cybersecurity ROI could be $1 or $100 million, depending on the risk of data behind it.

For more quotes and insights, download the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall report

Sales Manager at Mega tech S.A

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.6

Fortinet FortiGate support is mostly praised for responsiveness and knowledge, though inconsistencies exist in complex cases or regions.

Sentiment score

6.8

Cisco IOS Security offers expert support but faces criticism for slow responses and communication challenges, remaining a strong choice.

Sentiment score

5.7

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall support is skilled but slow, with calls for local support and improved response times.

They offer very accurate solutions.

Taimoor Khan

Network Operations Engineer at Inara Technologies

The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with.

Alexandre Menezes

IT Manager at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees

I would rate the technical support for Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

My impression is that the support quality has deteriorated over time.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Unlike Fortinet where you can escalate an issue and quickly get responses from the development team, Forcepoint's process seems slow and challenging.

Sales Manager at Mega tech S.A

Technical support is sometimes slow to respond, and it takes longer to resolve issues.

For more quotes and insights, download the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall report

Head of IT Department at Mana

On a scale of 1 to 10 for customer service for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall, I would rate it at least 9, 9.5.

reviewer2220669

CEO at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.1

Fortinet FortiGate offers scalability and easy integration for diverse environments, catering to businesses from small to large enterprises.

Sentiment score

7.4

Cisco IOS Security is praised for scalability and efficiency but may require additional hardware and specific Cisco equipment.

Sentiment score

7.2

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall excels in scalability, though some users face challenges with large-scale and cloud deployments.

They scale up really well from smaller models like the FortiGate 40 and 50 to bigger sites with the FortiGate 100 for more throughput - up to enterprise datacenters.

Ian Manton

IT Manager at Daltons Limited

The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.

reviewer2667480

Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees

We determine sizing based on multiple factors: number of users, available links, traffic types, server count, services in use, and whether services will be published.

FatmaSamy

General Surgery Specialist at Helwan University Cairo

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

There are restrictions in the firewall manager and limitations when deploying for cloud environments.

For more quotes and insights, download the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall report

Head of IT Department at Mana

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

Fortinet FortiGate is highly stable and reliable, excelling in continuous operation with effective network management, despite occasional update issues.

Sentiment score

7.6

Cisco IOS Security is praised for stability and reliability, with few integration issues reported when not using Cisco equipment.

Sentiment score

7.9

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is stable and reliable, with praised detection and minor stability concerns in complex deployments.

We're experiencing 99.999% availability consistently.

Ricardo Biggs

Manager, Information Technology at a consumer goods company with 11-50 employees

I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

AnishKumar

NAC Support at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd

Currently, we are experiencing a general outage of one of the main internet service providers of the Dominican Republic, and we have not been impacted in our operations because with SD-WAN, we have another internet service provider and we are working with the second WAN connection without any disruption.

Juan Frias

CISO at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

We find Cisco products stable and thoroughly tested before new software or firmware versions are released.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

I find Cisco IOS Security to be a very stable product.

Binoob John

Partner/Owner and Director of Human Resources at Up arrow Systems

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall report

Room For Improvement

Users express concern over Fortinet FortiGate's interface stability, functionality, performance issues, and call for improved support and features.

Cisco IOS Security needs more intuitive management, better performance, advanced features, and improved integration, usability, and support.

Forcepoint NGFW needs UI, policy management, and pricing enhancements, along with improved support, integration, and configuration flexibility.

Investing in a solution that can accommodate such growth would be more cost-effective than repeatedly purchasing new hardware.

Jose Gisbert

Manager Network (IT/OT) at a consumer goods company with 5,001-10,000 employees

While Fortinet claims to offer a comprehensive network solution, it falls short in addressing computer application issues, particularly server security.

MOHAN SUKUMAR

Head of computer systems at Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology(IIST)

When considering Sophos XG, which we also use, the logging and reporting functionality is notably more efficient.

Taha Turkestani

Senior IT specialist at SAUDIA ALIRLINES

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

Cisco changes their licensing policy quite frequently, which is becoming confusing and complicated.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Fast response and efficient handling of issues, similar to how Fortinet responds, would be great.

Sales Manager at Mega tech S.A

AI improvements could be beneficial, as having AI capabilities has become an important checkmark feature.

reviewer2220669

CEO at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

I recommend that additional features be included in a single license to avoid the need for extra licensing costs.

For more quotes and insights, download the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall report

Head of IT Department at Mana

Setup Cost

Fortinet FortiGate offers high initial costs but competitive pricing, valued features, and flexible licensing compared to competitors.

Cisco IOS Security is pricey, subscription-based, aimed at medium-to-large enterprises, with recent SMB options, often seen as expensive.

Forcepoint NGFW pricing varies, with costs perceived as high due to licensing models and additional feature charges.

Last year, I renewed the support for three years, which can sometimes be expensive but depends on the security benefits and how it helps us.

AiméKouchade

Network & System Admin at Invoke Studios

It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.

NilsPaley

IT Infrastructure Architect at Apotek 1

It is about 20% cheaper.

MithatBulut

Network Security Engineer at TD SYNNEX

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

The costs can be high since additional features require separate licenses.

Head of IT Department at Mana

In terms of pricing, I would place Forcepoint in the middle when compared to other firewalls like Fortinet and Palo Alto.

For more quotes and insights, download the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall report

Sales Manager at Mega tech S.A

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiGate offers robust, affordable security with user-friendly interface, centralized management, and efficient SD-WAN capabilities.

Cisco IOS Security enhances network security with robust features, user-friendly interface, and strong performance, preferred over competitors.

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall offers comprehensive security features and integration for effective network and systems application management.

In terms of security, we have not experienced any security flaws or loopholes, and it has proven to be quite stable.

MOHAN SUKUMAR

Head of computer systems at Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology(IIST)

FortiGate has helped reduce the risk of cyberattacks that might disrupt our client's production.

Taimoor Khan

Network Operations Engineer at Inara Technologies

These features help reduce our downtime, manage the ISPs, and deploy SLAs for all the website traffic.

Syed Ali Waqas

Head IT at Burraq Cyber Security Solutions

For more quotes and insights, download the Fortinet FortiGate report

This solution, called Network Access Controller, handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for devices accessing the network.

Binoob John

Partner/Owner and Director of Human Resources at Up arrow Systems

The best features of Cisco IOS Security are its integration with software management tools such as Cisco DNA Center and Cisco ICE, which provide centralized policy and network access control.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

With Forcepoint, this process is simplified compared to others like Fortinet.

Sales Manager at Mega tech S.A

The most valuable features of Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall are the advanced threat protection, including features like IPS and DDoS prevention, which help avoid internal DDoS attacks.

For more quotes and insights, download the Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall report

Head of IT Department at Mana

From a configuration standpoint, it has been easy to manage.

reviewer2220669

CEO at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiGate

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Fortinet FortiGate is 20.4%, up from 19.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is 0.5%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Fortinet FortiGate	20.4%
Cisco IOS Security	0.3%
Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall	0.5%
Other	78.8%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

Vasu Gala

Manager, Information Technology Operation/Presales at TechMonarch

A stable solution with an intuitive interface and quick customer service

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate, WatchGuard, Sophos, and SonicWall. I'm not as comfortable with SonicWall because of their UI and limitations. I prefer Fortinet above all other options. When it comes to configuration, I am confident in my ability to handle various tasks, including creating policies such as firewall rules, web policies, and application policies. Additionally, I can configure VPNs and implement load balancing, among other tasks. Overall, I feel much more comfortable working with Fortinet. Fortinet has made significant improvements by integrating AI with firewalls for threat analysis and prevention. In the past 2-3 years, they have launched FortiSASE and SIEM, and they also provide SOC services. Both Palo Alto and Fortinet FortiGate are excellent. While Fortinet FortiGate comes at higher prices, the functionality and support justify the cost. They promptly resolve firmware issues and inform all support providers about configuration changes.

Read full review

Have faced challenges in keeping licensing clear and consistent while ensuring reliable network protection

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

We are a Gold Partner with Cisco. Our customers come from various industries, including service providers, and we target service providers and enterprise customers.We do not extensively use Zone-Based Firewalls in Cisco IOS Security, instead typically deploying standalone firewalls such as Cisco FTDs or Cisco ASA devices. For threat analytics and vulnerability scanning, we utilize third-party vendors with dedicated devices and software. We use products such as Tenable from Nessus for this type of analysis. We have implemented Secure Access Control Server in Cisco IOS Security, which combines multiple security mechanisms including AAA, 802.1X for network access control with Cisco ICE, TrustSec for identity-based segmentation, and Cisco DNA Center. Cisco IOS Security's VPN support is comprehensive and increasingly important in daily communication, from basic site-to-site tunnels to remote access VPNs and SD-WAN secure VPNs. Protecting and encrypting communication is essential in modern networks. The challenges with Cisco IOS Security are more operational than product-related. There is an understaffing issue, making automation and orchestration capabilities particularly valuable. For the products themselves, we only encounter routine operational matters such as addressing new vulnerabilities and patching. For those considering Cisco IOS Security, it is important to understand that Cisco offers a complete ecosystem. When embracing the Cisco ecosystem fully, customers receive excellent products and comprehensive solutions. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Cisco IOS Security a 9.

Read full review

OusaidAbaz

Security Network Architect at Inmac

Provides decent protection for the LAN but complicated interface

We had some licensing issues with its web filtering capabilities. That's why we migrated our web filtering to Cisco Umbrella. Moreover, the interface is complicated. It's difficult to locate all the necessary menus and functions. For example, one of the many issues is with SSH. Even now, we haven't successfully opened the port to connect using SSH mode when we want to change the configuration. It's like a black box—not very open to changes and customization. It's simply not easy to configure. There are other problems, too. For example regarding Forcepoint's Websense component. We had a lot of problems managing the web settings within Websense. That's why we migrated to Cisco Umbrella for cloud-based web filtering. It's not that Forcepoint is inherently bad. The issue is that it's not user-friendly. It is not easy to use. The developers need to redesign the interface (GUI) for better management. It is very difficult to manage. For example, simple actions require too many clicks compared to FortiGate or Palo Alto. That's the main problem.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

26%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Computer Software Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	350
Midsize Enterprise	130
Large Enterprise	187

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	18

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	26
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	11

Questions from the Community

Which is the better NGFW: Fortinet Fortigate or Cisco Firepower?

When you compare these firewalls you can identify them with different features, advantages, practices and usage a...

What is the biggest difference between Sophos XG and FortiGate?

From my experience regarding both the Sophos and FortiGate firewalls, I personally would rather use FortiGate. I know...

What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?

As a solution, Sophos UTM offers a lot of functionality, it scales well, and the stability and performance are quite ...

What do you like most about Cisco IOS Security?

Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It off...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?

Pricing can be reduced. I rate the current price for the product a four out of ten.

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?

While I do not have specific recommendations for improvement, pricing can be reduced.

What do you like most about Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall?

The licensing model is dependent on negotiation skills, but there is room for improvement. The costs can be high sinc...

What needs improvement with Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall?

At this moment, nothing specific comes to mind regarding improvements for Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall. The ma...

Sophos XG vs Fortinet FortiGate

Comparisons

Compared 17% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 11% of the time

Netgate pfSense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 9% of the time

OPNsense vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Fortinet FortiGate

Compared 4% of the time

More Fortinet FortiGate Competitors

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 21% of the time

Cisco Meraki MX vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 11% of the time

OPNsense vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 10% of the time

Fortinet FortiOS vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 6% of the time

ExtraHop Reveal(x) vs Cisco IOS Security

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco IOS Security Competitors

Palo Alto Networks Advanced Threat Prevention vs Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall

Compared 19% of the time

Check Point Quantum Force (NGFW) vs Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall

Compared 11% of the time

Rapid7 InsightIDR vs Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall

Compared 6% of the time

Sophos XG vs Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Secure Firewall vs Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall

Compared 4% of the time

More Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall Competitors

Product Reports

Download Fortinet FortiGate product report

Fortinet FortiGate

October 2025

Download Cisco IOS Security product report

Cisco IOS Security

October 2025

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall

October 2025

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall report

Download Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall product report

Also Known As

No data available

IOS Security

Forcepoint NGFW, Stonesoft Next Generation Firewall, McAfee Network Security Platform, Intel Security Network Security Platform

Overview

Fortinet FortiGate excels in providing integrated VPN, firewalling, and Unified Threat Management (UTM) with centralized management and high availability. It supports remote access and comprehensive threat protection, making it a preferred choice for securing networks.

Fortinet FortiGate offers a robust security platform with features such as strong intrusion prevention, application control, and web filtering. Its integration with Active Directory and SD-WAN functionality provides scalable solutions for large networks. Users appreciate its ease of use through centralized management interfaces, ensuring robust security with flexible configurations. However, FortiGate could enhance its graphical interface and technical support responsiveness, address firmware bugs and costly licensing, improve logging, integrate better with third-party tools, and strengthen scalability and memory for log storage. Complexity in configuration and the need for intuitive features are noted challenges, and there's a demand for advanced security, zero-trust capabilities, and AI integration.

What are the key features of Fortinet FortiGate?

VPN: Secure remote access and connectivity.
Firewalling: Protects networks from unauthorized access and attacks.
UTM: Offers a comprehensive approach to threat management.
SD-WAN: Optimizes traffic routing for efficient network performance.
Web Filtering: Controls and monitors web access and ensures Internet security.

What benefits or ROI should be considered?

Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and monitoring.
High Availability: Ensures consistent security and network availability.
Scalability: Adapts to the needs of growing networks.
Comprehensive Threat Protection: Provides robust security measures.
Ease of Use: Minimizes the complexity of security management.

Fortinet FortiGate is widely implemented across industries like education, finance, and government. Companies use it for firewall protection, VPN, and SD-WAN capabilities, ensuring secure perimeter and data center security. It facilitates remote access management and traffic routing optimization, offering reliable security and connectivity solutions.

Fortinet

Cisco IOS Software delivers a sophisticated set of security capabilities for a comprehensive, layered security approach throughout your network infrastructure. Cisco IOS security technologies help to defend critical business processes against attack and disruption, protect privacy, and support policy and regulatory compliance controls.

Cisco

Forcepoint Next Generation Firewall is a versatile and comprehensive solution for perimeter security, offering features such as SD-WAN, IPS, VPN, and cloud or on-premises subscription keys. It is preferred by many clients over Cisco and is used for obligation redundancy, VPN access, and as the main point of security in infrastructure.

The product is praised for its simplicity, flexibility, complete feature set, scalability, and central management capabilities. Other valuable features include IPS, firewall, sandbox, application control, filtering, security management center, connectivity, and integration capabilities.

Forcepoint

Sample Customers

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Dell, HP, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, Vodafone, Orange, BT Group, Telstra, Deutsche Telekom, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink, NTT Communications, Tata Communications, SoftBank, China Mobile, Singtel, Telus, Rogers Communications, Bell Canada, Telkom Indonesia, Telkom South Africa, Telmex, Telia Company, Telkom Kenya

Arup Group, Brunel University London, City of Biel, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates , New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Offshore Northern Seas, Transplace

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)