Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Cisco and Hornetsecurity are both solutions in the Email Security category. Cisco is ranked #23 with an average rating of 7.3, while Hornetsecurity is ranked #21 with an average rating of 10.0. Cisco holds a 1.1% mindshare in Email Security, compared to Hornetsecurity’s 1.0% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Hornetsecurity users who would recommend it.

Cisco Secure Email Threat D...

Read 16 Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense reviews

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2,730 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Pr...

Read 5 Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection reviews

2,270 Views
2,202 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Cisco Secure Email Threat D...

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Pr...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 3, 2024

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection and Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense compete in the email security category. Cisco appears to have the upper hand due to its extensive features and robust security capabilities despite a higher cost.

Features: Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection includes advanced threat detection, data loss prevention, and easy-to-use email protection. Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense offers robust threat intelligence, a wide array of security layers, and advanced multi-layered security features.

Room for Improvement: Hornetsecurity could enhance its threat intelligence, integration with other security tools, and provide more detailed analytics. Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense can improve its user-friendliness, offer simpler deployment, and reduce the complexity of its features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Hornetsecurity is known for simple deployment and prompt customer service, suitable for businesses with limited technical resources. Cisco, although providing professional support, involves a steeper learning curve due to its complex features, making integration more challenging.

Pricing and ROI: Hornetsecurity is characterized by cost-effectiveness and substantial value with a lower initial investment, attracting budget-conscious organizations. Cisco, while requiring higher upfront costs, is perceived to offer a worthwhile ROI for those who prioritize extensive security features for long-term benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

September 2026

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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:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Secure Email Threat D...

Ranking in Email Security

23rd

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Pr...

Ranking in Email Security

21st

Average Rating

9.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Office 365 Protection (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Email Security category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense is 1.1%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is 1.0%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Email Security Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection	1.0%
Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense	1.1%
Other	97.9%

Email Security

Featured Reviews

Glenn-Camilien

Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at a financial services firm with 11-50 employees

Provides robust email security features but requires improved modernization and complexity management

Modernization is an area that could be improved for Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense, as some features have lagged behind newer competitors, potentially offering more advanced analysis capabilities. The initial setup is not straightforward and requires expertise and time to master configurations such as spoofing and DLP. More control over backend functionalities and simplifying rule management could enhance user experience. The product's complexity at times results in redundant rule sets that are difficult to untangle, highlighting the need for streamlined management systems and a more user-centric approach to system configuration. Furthermore, the pricing might deter new users who could opt for alternative, more cost-effective solutions.

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Heriberto Mendez Olivo

CEO at Cyber Internet Services (Pvt) Ltd.

Comprehensive email protection has secured sensitive communications and simplified threat management

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is a good product right now, and the report is available in Spanish, which is beneficial for Latin Americans who speak Spanish. They can continue to improve the pricing because it is the most important aspect, as another solution is aggressive with a lower cost and includes everything. While Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is good right now, it would be better to improve the price. At the end, the client sees the price, and in Puerto Rico, the market is different than in the United States since here the client sees price independent of security. I have more effort to explain the difference between price versus technology, which is important because in Latin America, the price may not be the same as in the US due to the company's increase not being the same volume. When clients have many mailboxes, the price is more important than the technology. I do not know why, but this really happens.

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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

"The ability to see east-west traffic is its most valuable feature. Traditionally, email defense focuses on north-south, inbound-outbound, egress-ingress traffic. With Cisco Secure Email Cloud Mailbox, it's able to quickly identify, track, tag, and categorize emails that are internal. That can typically give us visibility into if there's an internal compromised account (for example). Someone can then use that internal compromised account to email additional accounts with either malicious software or links, but internal within that Office tenant. Effectively, that email message never leaves the tenant. Any of the mail gateways really do not have any method or way of seeing this traffic since it's not leaving the environment."

"On ease of use, it rates very high."

"Cisco Cloud Mailbox is used for copying emails, anti-spamming, and securing the company's email, and we really enjoy the anti-spamming capabilities as well as the rejecting of bulk emails, which we can customize by adjusting the variables, and it is very user-friendly."

"This solution is easy to use."

"Overall, it's certainly a very good idea to integrate another layer on top of Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection."

"I highly recommend it as one of the best choices."

"Cisco has a threat mechanism called cloud-based Talos, where all the threats are inbuilt."

"It's very easy to deploy and configure."

More Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense pros

"I have a lot of control over spam and phishing emails."

"This service has allowed me to focus on my core environment and ensure the safety of my customer's data."

"The best part is, I rarely have to access the portal as everything is set up and tweaked the way I wanted it. But the feature set is incredibly granular and allows for deep levels of customization."

"My advice for people considering using Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is that the simplicity is the best option because Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection includes everything in one platform and provides a 360-degree view."

"Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is an easy-to-use solution."

"Backup and restore are precious features."

Cons

"Customers will benefit greatly from monthly billing because the majority of customers today use the cloud, be it Office 365, or Google Cloud."

"From a technical point of view, Cisco is far behind in terms of cybersecurity, and it has to improve very much."

"The learning curve shows that in the beginning, there are numerous false positives. For one month, we had to reclassify the false positives manually until the system learned."

"Cisco's multiple product lines and verticals made this just one of their many verticals, and we could see a shift in focus."

"The behavioral analysis capability of Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense is not particularly helpful for identifying new, evolving threats within my company, as it keeps flagging legitimate emails as malicious."

"The search area has room for improvement. When you go to the next page, it remains at the bottom of the current page that you're on. Also, under the reports section, it allows you to see any "convictions," but if you want to search for those convictions you have to remember when they all came in and go back and edit the search accordingly. You cannot click on the list of convictions to actually see if you had a spike at a certain time."

"I wouldn't recommend Cisco to others because I think Fortinet is better."

"There is still room for improvement in terms of integrations with other Cisco tools and non-Cisco tools. There is also some room for improvement needed in terms of the reporting."

More Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense cons

"The pricing is a little high compared to other products."

"The solution’s pricing is not reasonable."

"They can continue to improve the pricing because it is the most important aspect, as another solution is aggressive with a lower cost and includes everything."

"I guess I would say maybe quick access to training material for end-users. I know partners have access to this but I as an end-user do not have immediate access to new update information."

"A reduction of 10% in pricing can be an improvement."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cisco Secure Email Cloud Mailbox does not have any competition with Sophos, Trend Micro, or other vendors of the world. However, there is a pricing premium for the solution. One has to look at it from that angle that while they are buying Cisco, there will be a premium, and Cisco justifies that premium value. That's why they're charging a high price."

"The solution’s pricing is manageable."

"The feedback from vendors and customer is that it is expensive."

"It is expensive compared to other vendors."

"The pricing is acceptable and falls into the medium range, neither cheap nor overly expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Marketing Services Firm

11%

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Comms Service Provider

12%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Retailer

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	7

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Secure Email Threat Defense?

Comparatively with other products, the pricing of Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense is normal. As a technical guide, I am not very aware of the pricing details.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Secure Email Threat Defense?

We have deployed Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense in two customer environments. It is still in development as a new product. Some customer requirements, such as sending logs to a Syslog server, ar...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Secure Email Threat Defense?

We are working with Cloud Mail Gateway and on-premise mail gateways. We have worked with Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection?

Our use case with Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is to protect the 365 email.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection?

The price of Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is good right now. I would rate Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection a 10 because it is good. My advice for people considering using Hornetsecurity 3...

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Comparisons

Cisco Secure Email vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense

Compared 18% of the time

Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense

Compared 17% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense

Compared 15% of the time

Kiteworks vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense

Compared 11% of the time

Comodo Secure Email Gateway vs Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense

Compared 8% of the time

More Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense Competitors

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 14% of the time

Check Point Anti-Spam and Email Security Software Blade vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 13% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online Protection (EOP) vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 12% of the time

Mimecast Advanced Email Security vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 8% of the time

Sophos Email vs Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

Compared 6% of the time

More Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense

October 2026

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense report

Download Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense product report

Buyer's Guide

Office 365 Protection

September 2026

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection report

Download Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection product report

Also Known As

Cisco Secure Email Cloud Mailbox, Cisco CMD, Cisco Cloud Mailbox Defense

No data available

Overview

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense offers robust email security with features like east-west traffic visibility and seamless SaaS deployment. It enhances cloud email protection by integrating Threat Grid sandboxing and AMP for malware defense, supported by Cisco Talos threat intelligence.

Enhancing email security for Microsoft 365 and cloud emails, Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense acts as an email gateway, blocking phishing, malware, and business email compromise. Users benefit from a centralized management console, efficient graymail administration, and strong filtering capabilities. Despite its strengths, it requires improvements in integration, spam detection accuracy, and enhances phishing protection.

What are the most important features of Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense?

East-West Traffic Visibility: Offers insight into email tenant interactions.
SaaS Application Deployment: Simplifies deployment processes.
Threat Grid Sandboxing: Provides advanced malware protection.
AMP Integration: Enhances malware defense capabilities.
Anti-Spam and Antivirus: Powered by Cisco Talos threat intelligence.
Cloud Mailbox Features: Includes robust email filtering and management.

What benefits or ROI should be evaluated in reviews?

Enhanced Security: Provides protection against advanced threats.
Operational Efficiency: Reduces reliance on help desk services.
User-Friendly Management: Streamlines email administration tasks.
Improved Email Filtering: Ensures effective threat blocking.

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense is highly applicable in industries requiring stringent data protection, such as finance and healthcare. It serves cloud-based environments by closely monitoring email activity to prevent unauthorized access and breaches. Tailored deployment options cater to both on-premise and cloud architectures, allowing flexible integration in existing workflows.

Cisco

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection provides comprehensive email security with features like spam control, automatic encryption, and backup and restore, ensuring a safe communication environment.

Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection offers a robust suite of tools to safeguard email communications effectively. With advanced threats like fraud and name spoofing on the rise, users find value in its spam filtering, ATP, and encryption capabilities. The platform's intuitive interface and live tracking system facilitate seamless management of email security. While pricing is a noted concern, especially in certain regions like Latin America, the platform’s high email security coverage of 99.9% and effective backup and restoration options are highly regarded. The call for improved access to training materials is noted among users seeking to maximize feature usage.

What key features does Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection offer?

Spam Control: Filters unwanted emails proficiently.
Automatic Encryption: Secures sensitive communications seamlessly.
Advanced Threat Protection: Tackles fraud and spoofing effectively.
Backup and Restore: Ensures quick data recovery, including SharePoint.
Live Tracking: Enhances email management.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Email Security Coverage: Offers 99.9% protection against threats.
Customizable Protection: Tailors security without frequent portal access.
Data Restoration: Quickly recovers accidentally deleted data.

In industries handling sensitive information, Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection is implemented to ensure robust data security and compliance. Organizations value its tailored protection and data recovery features that meet industry-specific security requirements, making it a strategic choice for managing email threats efficiently.

Hornetsecurity

Sample Customers

Luiss University, Lone Star College, T-Systems, Magyar Telekom

concordia, fraunhofer, mazars

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

September 2026

Free Report: Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense vs. Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection

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