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Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) vs Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy comparison

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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:
 

Categories and Ranking

iboss
Sponsored
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (7th), Internet Security (3rd), Web Content Filtering (1st), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (7th), ZTNA as a Service (8th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (8th)
Cisco Secure Client (includ...
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
77
Ranking in other categories
SSL VPN (1st), Enterprise Infrastructure VPN (3rd), ZTNA as a Service (9th), Cisco Security Portfolio (5th)
Google Cloud Platform Cloud...
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.5
Number of Reviews
45
Ranking in other categories
ZTNA (7th)
 

Featured Reviews

Matt Crockford - PeerSpot reviewer
It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless
One aspect we value about iboss is its simplicity. Their customer service is brilliant, and they are super responsive and knowledgeable. It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless. We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times. The user interface is highly intuitive. Our IT team picked it up with minimal training. It's arranged so that it's easy to find where things are. Another advantage is the single pane of glass console, which gives you visibility into what's happening. We're not fully there yet because we haven't implemented zero trust, but we're excited about the possibilities from the demos we've seen. We launched a POC of iboss' ChatGPT Risk Protection feature two weeks ago. AI is a great tool, but you need to be careful what you put into it. My biggest fear is employees inputting sensitive corporate information or customer PII data into one of these chatbots. I was impressed by our trial of the feature. It's exactly what we wanted. Now, when a user goes to ChatGPT, there's a banner warning them not to share information, and we can block conversations containing customer data like bank details and email addresses. I don't want to stop people from using it, but we need visibility. We've only tried it on a test group of 15 people. You can configure it to look for specific keywords or integrate it with your DLP policy if you have that configured
Wouter Beer - PeerSpot reviewer
Generates revenue through service offering while needing additional safety features
The primary use case for Cisco Secure Client, including AnyConnect, is as a VPN for remote access I use AnyConnect because I have Cisco infrastructure. It utilizes certificates, which allows for automatic setup. The security features are beneficial, and the whole idea of the app is that it should…
Nobuaki Kitamura - PeerSpot reviewer
Google Cloud Platform works better with Google Workspace, stable product but a bit complicated, especially the networking
We used Google Workspace, so all my employees have Google Workspace accounts. I initially wanted to use Google Cloud Platform for subscription compatibility. Google Cloud Platform works better with Google Workspace, but unfortunately, it's a bit complicated, especially the networking. Oracle Cloud's virtual network system is much easier and more flexible. Also, Oracle was cheaper. That's the main reason we chose Oracle Cloud.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times."
"From a use-case scenario, what I like the most is the plug-in. I like the fact that we can do the filtering of these devices offsite independent of the network they are connected to, and we do not have to have traffic coming back inside our network."
"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."
"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."
"We chose iboss for both zero trust and proxy (SWG) because their SWG was superior."
"Its initial setup was straightforward."
"Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss."
"Because of iboss, I did not have to assign web filtering tasks to my techs on a daily basis."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"It is reliable and easy to configure, and the Cisco Firewall can last for many years."
"The security features are beneficial, and the whole idea of the app is that it should not be in the way."
"AnyConnect SMC's best features are that it's secure and connects seamlessly to clients' networks."
"I like the ability to share the connections or simply to be able to pass the credentials for a connection to other colleagues without bothering too much about the connection being tracked or about security, because each and every user will require a secret password, so I don't really care about sending the details. It's very secure."
"It's fairly easy to set up."
"Support does solve our issues."
"The solution provides seamless connectivity to the VPN without delay."
"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy provides more control of our assets because normally when you're using Google Cloud, you have to use your Google email. IAP can control the assets that only come from the dedicated company or IP address."
"UI representation is the aspect I like the most about GCP, even more than Azure or AWS."
"It's reliable."
"It is totally awesome in terms of scalability. Its scalability was the main reason for moving to Google Cloud. It also comes with a lot of features. We are satisfied with the features it has."
"I like Google Cloud IAP because it is easy to use and stable."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is easy to use."
"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy is a scalable solution."
"The most valuable features of the Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy are file storage, a collaborative environment, and easy access."
 

Cons

"Its pricing could be better."
"Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern."
"The dashboards for local use could be better."
"File integrity monitoring would be very advantageous as an additional feature."
"If they could implement an extra security layer preventing access to iboss from the open internet, it would be great."
"SSL decryption: We had issues with learners using apps instead of using web browsers. This type of encryption is tough for any appliance in a BYOD environment."
"Fold that in with the risk intelligence they're getting from all of the different subscriptions they are a part of. Now, these security companies subscribe to things like emerging threats, databases, etc. You can fold all this intelligence to decide what's happening on an endpoint. I would love to see them start moving into that space. That would compete directly with Microsoft. Maybe that's why they haven't. Having that ability native within the solution would be great. The other area in which I would love to see improvement is more detailed descriptions of why they block websites."
"The area I would like to see improvement in is the ability with in the reporter to navigate directly to the content the user is traversing. It is kind of there, but it's not perfect. Quite frequently, I receive links that lead me to pages with error messages."
"We'd like the product to be cheaper."
"The security of the product has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required."
"Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client would be perfect if it weren't for the fingerprint feature."
"This solution doesn't address the seal of trust as a concept for a traditional VPN clients. I think that it is a dying product."
"Whenever there's a drop in internet or a connection fluctuation, it gets disconnected automatically."
"There is a speed limit for VPNs because of the encryption."
"When using Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client when my laptop goes into sleep mode the VPN wants me to enter the password again. I should not have to enter the information again. If the laptop is on and it is not switched off, the password should be in the VPN saved and secured."
"I have been working with the same interface for the last ten years. I would say that it needs some improvements made."
"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy could be more user-friendly and less expensive."
"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy has certain limitations as a document or file management system, especially for non-workspace accounts. Manual management is required for most actions, and group management can be challenging. The process of managing permissions individually is time-consuming and not very efficient. For education purposes, the collaboration tools for working on files, assignments, and groups need improvement. The existing tools are inadequate and can be difficult to work with. Additionally, the grading books for teachers are not very useful and require improvement."
"The tool's grouping option layout and cost are areas of concern where improvements are required."
"the documentation could be a bit better in terms of what is presented on the screen versus what actually happens."
"Stability-wise, the service could be improved."
"They should include case studies to learn about the use cases."
"The solution's AI integration could be improved."
"Sometimes we face uncertainty when our internet connection gets disconnected. It becomes challenging to determine whether it's an issue with our internet or if the GCP has crashed."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."
"We had the cost of purchasing a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs. However, the following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs."
"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."
"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."
"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."
"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."
"We are in the North African region, and Cisco products are expensive for us. On a scale from one to ten with one being very affordable and ten being expensive, I'd rate the price at eight."
"The pricing depends on the requirement, so proper planning and an RF analysis help to properly size the solution and get the best pricing."
"It is not a free solution and the user needs to buy license."
"There is a license needed to use this solution. There are different licensing models available, such as a three-year license."
"I am using a paid version of Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client."
"One thing I've noticed is the price in comparison to other VPNs."
"It costs around 80,000 Indian rupees for a hundred licenses, so approximately $1,020 USD."
"Sometimes there is a problem with the number of licenses for the end-user. The number of concurrent users is limited due to a valid license."
"The solution's price is normal."
"The price of the product falls on the cheaper side of the spectrum."
"The product's costing model needs improvement."
"Compared to Oracle Cloud, especially with networking options (like VPN creation for free), Oracle Cloud offered better pricing."
"The product is free."
"Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy is quite an expensive solution."
"It is expensive to scale up the solution."
"There is a need to make yearly payments toward the solution's licensing."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
6%
Computer Software Company
34%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Comms Service Provider
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Retailer
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?
For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...
What is your primary use case for iboss?
Previously when I used iboss, we did the POC for iboss for ExxonMobil. Four or five people wanted to move from our ol...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for iboss?
Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern. There are cheaper alte...
What do you like most about Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
The tool is user-friendly, robust and easy to use in any environment.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
Cisco Secure Client (including AnyConnect) is somewhat expensive compared to others such as Fortinet or Palo Alto, wh...
What needs improvement with Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client?
At times there is confusion regarding when to keep the proxy on or off, a problem faced by some users.
What do you like most about Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy?
I can access the information whenever I want. It's integration is easy. The tool's GUI is easy to use with an IT back...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy?
There are different pricing plans depending on data volumes and services, but it's comparable to other providers. The...
What needs improvement with Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy?
Google Cloud Platform Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy should improve stability.
 

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client
GCP Cloud IAP, Google Cloud Platform Cloud IAP, Cloud Identity-Aware Proxy
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

More than 4,000 global enterprises trust the iboss Cloud Platform to support their modern workforces, including a large number of Fortune 50 companies.
MST, Molina Healthcare, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Arup, New South Wales Rural FireService
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