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Cisco IOS Security vs Sophos Cyberoam UTM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
7.4
Cisco IOS Security delivered significant ROI through improved routing, security, stability, and cost-efficiency, despite competitive vendor pressures.
Sentiment score
6.4
Sophos Cyberoam UTM is praised for cost-effectiveness, centralized management, and ROI in security, saving time and resources.
The return on investment is satisfactory with Cisco products as they have long lifespans, and our customers are satisfied with them.
Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.7
Cisco IOS Security support is generally praised for speed and skill, though some report delays and complexity in access.
Sentiment score
7.3
Sophos Cyberoam UTM customer service has mixed reviews, praised for expertise but criticized for occasional delays and communication issues.
My impression is that the support quality has deteriorated over time.
Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima
They resolve issues timely once connected.
IT Manager at Jord International Pty Ltd
Technical support is effective and responsive.
Managing Consultant at Affordable IT
I would rate their technical support a solid nine out of ten.
Global IT Manager at Express KItchen
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Cisco IOS Security offers scalable, enterprise-level solutions but may increase costs and limit universality due to required hardware.
Sentiment score
6.4
Sophos Cyberoam UTM is scalable for medium enterprises, though scalability can depend on hardware, model, and integration choices.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Cisco IOS Security is generally reliable with occasional issues, frequently updated for stability, scoring 7-10 in satisfaction.
Sentiment score
8.4
Sophos Cyberoam UTM is praised for its high stability, minimal issues, and reliable performance compared to competitors.
We find Cisco products stable and thoroughly tested before new software or firmware versions are released.
Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima
I find Cisco IOS Security to be a very stable product.
Partner/Owner and Director of Human Resources at Up arrow Systems
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco IOS Security struggles with integration, usability, cost, lacking features, complex licensing, performance, and requires enhancement and support.
Sophos Cyberoam UTM struggles with high costs, scalability, outdated features, complex setup, and limited support for new technologies.
Cisco changes their licensing policy quite frequently, which is becoming confusing and complicated.
Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima
For Sophos Cyberoam UTM, you don't really have that access that can give you those network flexibilities that would allow you to do some other types of architectures.
Chief Technology Officer at Super Digital Highways Ltd
It would be beneficial if phone calls or SMS for two-factor authentication were available.
IT Manager at Jord International Pty Ltd
Sophos Cyberoam UTM should move in the direction of AI capabilities, as the world is moving toward AI.
Global IT Manager at Express KItchen
 

Setup Cost

Cisco IOS Security is costly, favoring medium to large enterprises with longer-term savings over SMB challenges.
Sophos Cyberoam UTM is competitively priced, with flexible licensing options, but costs vary based on features and network size.
The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.
Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima
The price is appropriate, but if you want the real truth, it's actually quite expensive.
Managing Consultant at Affordable IT
 

Valuable Features

Cisco IOS Security offers scalable, stable solutions with VPN, AAA, firewall integration, and user-friendly management for high-demand environments.
Sophos Cyberoam UTM offers advanced protection with real-time features, centralized management, scalability, and user-friendly operations for all organizations.
This solution, called Network Access Controller, handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for devices accessing the network.
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.
Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima
I assess the benefit of Sophos Cyberoam UTM's centralized management for multi-appliance handling as a welcome feature because you can manage all the devices at one location, giving you notifications of downtime and updates without necessarily logging into each appliance, so that central management is a very genius move.
Global IT Manager at Express KItchen
It provides bandwidth management, category management of websites, blocking certain elements, IPS blocking, DDoS protection, and VPN management between sites and clients.
IT Manager at Jord International Pty Ltd
You've got automated reporting that you can set appropriate levels of reporting to management and to the operational team, so they are alerted to what's going on.
Managing Consultant at Affordable IT
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco IOS Security
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (41st), Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (16th)
Sophos Cyberoam UTM
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
86
Ranking in other categories
Unified Threat Management (UTM) (10th)
 

Featured Reviews

Danijel Cerovecki - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima
Have faced challenges in keeping licensing clear and consistent while ensuring reliable network protection
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.
SH
Global IT Manager at Express KItchen
Has transitioned fully to SD-WAN and centralized management simplifies appliance handling
As for areas where Sophos Cyberoam UTM can be improved, it's hard to say; I have not at the moment seen anything that I could not get a solution for, but if there's anything, I'll make sure to raise that with the Sophos team. Regarding the documentation, I find that it is still lacking, although the YouTube videos, user training, and knowledge forum are now better than they were before. Sophos Cyberoam UTM should move in the direction of AI capabilities, as the world is moving toward AI. Sophos Cyberoam UTM is not promoted enough. I see FortiGates organizing student competitions and Cisco doing CCNA classes, so Sophos should follow that route as well.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Construction Company
19%
Outsourcing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Construction Company
11%
Marketing Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business20
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise18
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business49
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise17
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?
The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.This can be a major issue as enterprise customers are o...
What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?
Regarding improvements in Cisco IOS Security, what consistently confuses me is the inability of Cisco to maintain a clear licensing policy.This is an issue that I have observed for years now. Cisco...
What is your primary use case for Cisco IOS Security?
The main use cases for Cisco IOS Security include elementary device hardening, access control, control-plane policing, AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting), network security, Layer 2...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sophos Cyberoam UTM?
The price is appropriate, but if you want the real truth, it's actually quite expensive. The annual software licensing is reasonably pricey, with probably about four years' license annual.
What needs improvement with Sophos Cyberoam UTM?
There is room for improvement when it comes to their features and architectures they're trying to implement that they can't directly help with. But by and large, it's actually relatively good. More...
What is your primary use case for Sophos Cyberoam UTM?
I do work with clients that use both Cisco and Sophos products. My work is mostly with firewalls, storages, switches, and routers.
 

Also Known As

IOS Security
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

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
Gulf Corporation for Technology, Maridive & Oil Services, Fidelity Bank, Petra University, Capital FM Kenya, Safari Park Hotel and Casino, Mayfair Casino, Pacific International Lines, Mozambique Ministry of Education, University of Namibia, Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, University of Hawai, New Delhi Municipal Council
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909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.