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Cisco IOS Security vs Splunk User Behavior Analytics comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

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 offers high ROI through improved efficiency, reduced risks, cost savings, and a beneficial subscription model.
Sentiment score
5.5
Users report varied ROI from Splunk, with productivity gains and security cost savings, but costs remain a concern.
The return on investment is satisfactory with Cisco products as they have long lifespans, and our customers are satisfied with them.
The solution can save costs by improving incident resolution times and reducing security incident costs.
 

Customer Service

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
6.9
Splunk User Behavior Analytics support is mostly praised, with professional service, tiered options, and valuable user groups enhancing experience.
My impression is that the support quality has deteriorated over time.
Mission-critical offering a dedicated team, proactive monitoring, and fast resolution.
From the responsiveness perspective, Splunk is very responsive with SLA-bound support for premium tiers.
I would rate their technical support as 8.5 out of 10.
 

Scalability Issues

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
Splunk User Behavior Analytics is scalable and adaptable across environments, though storage limitations may affect scalability.
Splunk User Behavior Analytics is highly scalable, designed for enterprise scalability, allowing expansion of data ingestion, indexing, and search capabilities as log volumes grow.
 

Stability 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
7.8
Splunk User Behavior Analytics offers reliable performance and stability, with 99.9% uptime and ease of configuration in enterprises.
We find Cisco products stable and thoroughly tested before new software or firmware versions are released.
I find Cisco IOS Security to be a very stable product.
With built-in redundancy across zones and regions, 99.9% uptime is achievable.
Splunk User Behavior Analytics is a one hundred percent stable solution.
Splunk User Behavior Analytics is highly stable and reliable, even in large-scale enterprise environments with high log injection rates.
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco IOS Security needs more intuitive management, better performance, advanced features, and improved integration, usability, and support.
Splunk User Behavior Analytics needs better pricing, integration, user-friendly interfaces, enhanced features, and improved scalability and infrastructure.
Cisco changes their licensing policy quite frequently, which is becoming confusing and complicated.
Global reach allows deployment of apps and services closer to users worldwide, but data sovereignty concerns exist and region selection must align with compliance requirements.
I encountered several issues while trying to create solutions for this advanced version, which seem unrelated to query or data issues.
High data ingestion costs can be an issue, especially for large enterprises, as Splunk charges based on the amount of data processed.
 

Setup Cost

Cisco IOS Security is pricey, subscription-based, aimed at medium-to-large enterprises, with recent SMB options, often seen as expensive.
Enterprise buyers find Splunk's User Behavior Analytics costly, with variable pricing based on data, hardware, and additional applications.
The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.
Reserved instances with one or three-year commitments offer lower rates, providing up to 70% savings.
Compared to all other products in the market, it is the most expensive one in all aspects including professional service and licenses, even the cloud version.
Comparing with the competitors, it's a bit expensive.
 

Valuable Features

Cisco IOS Security enhances network security with robust features, user-friendly interface, and strong performance, preferred over competitors.
Splunk User Behavior Analytics provides scalable, user-friendly threat detection with advanced analytics, machine learning, and seamless data integration and reporting.
This solution, called Network Access Controller, handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for devices accessing the network.
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.
I also utilize it for anomaly detection and behavior analysis, particularly using Splunk's machine learning environment.
The dashboards themselves are nice, very good, and very helpful, but the accuracy of the data or the information that will be presented on the dashboard is something that needs to be questioned.
Features like alerts and auto report generation are valuable.
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco IOS Security
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
14th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
49
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (24th)
Splunk User Behavior Analytics
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
15th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 1.6%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Splunk User Behavior Analytics is 1.9%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco IOS Security1.6%
Splunk User Behavior Analytics1.9%
Other96.5%
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

Danijel Cerovecki - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Subhayu Chakraborty - PeerSpot reviewer
Automatic reports streamline tasks and offers easy report gathering
The dashboard part could be improved. While using it, I noticed two options: Classic, which is adequate yet only in black and white, and another one that is more advanced or smart, though I forgot the exact term. I encountered several issues while trying to create solutions for this advanced version, which seem unrelated to query or data issues.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
26%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise14
Large Enterprise18
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise12
 

Questions from the Community

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 offers good network visibility, which helps in rapid response through the Rapid Thr...
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 Splunk User Behavior Analytics?
The solution's most valuable feature is Splunk queries, which allow us to query the logs and analyze the attack vectors.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Splunk User Behavior Analytics?
In terms of setup cost, pricing, and licensing, Splunk User Behavior Analytics is not an inexpensive product. The setup requires numerous components including storage, networking, identity access, ...
What needs improvement with Splunk User Behavior Analytics?
There are improvements that could be made to Splunk User Behavior Analytics as any product will have advantages and disadvantages. Scalability is one consideration. For example, the advantages incl...
 

Also Known As

IOS Security
Caspida, Splunk UBA
 

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
8 Securities, AAA Western, AdvancedMD, Amaya, Cerner Corporation, CJ O Shopping, CloudShare, Crossroads Foundation, 7-Eleven Indonesia
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco IOS Security vs. Splunk User Behavior Analytics and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.