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Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs Fortinet FortiSIEM 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Secure Network Analytics
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (33rd), Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (4th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (9th), Cisco Security Portfolio (8th)
Fortinet FortiSIEM
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
74
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

Cisco Secure Network Analytics and Fortinet FortiSIEM aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Cisco Secure Network Analytics is designed for Network Monitoring Software and holds a mindshare of 1.2%, down 1.5% compared to last year.
Fortinet FortiSIEM, on the other hand, focuses on Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), holds 3.3% mindshare, up 3.0% since last year.
Network Monitoring Software
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
 

Featured Reviews

Muhammad Harun-Owr-Roshid - PeerSpot reviewer
Have streamlined network visibility and troubleshooting while seeing benefits from AI integration
In terms of improvements for Cisco Secure Network Analytics, from the implementation point of view, now that AI is in use, some other features need to be upgraded considering AI solutions. Proper management of the database is also important; it should be centralized for easier data collection from a single database. When precise manual analysis is needed, it's sometimes difficult, so having a centralized database will allow network admins to find actual scenarios more effectively, especially since some information may not be visible on the GUI. Cisco should upgrade their hardware part to run the database, because sometimes it cannot handle the load while all features are running in the network. The database management should indeed be centralized because while AI runs behind the systems, central management is essential. For example, in a network with 100 Cisco switches, a few routers, firewalls, and access points, all data generated should be preserved in a central database. This approach simplifies management and analysis for troubleshooting, as GUI interfaces may not always provide visible information. Centralizing the database will allow for better understanding of which information is preserved for each specific device.
Oliver Jackson - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems monitoring enhanced by firewall and intrusion detection features
My primary use case for Fortinet FortiSIEM is systems monitoring and alerting. I use it for standard functions like log monitoring, incident detection, and notification.  My customers are mostly medium-sized enterprises ranging from engineering companies, mining companies, independent schools, and…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The most valuable feature is NetFlow. The beginning of any security investigation starts with NetFlow data."
"I value the feature which enables me to detect devices talking to suspect IPs."
"Ease of deployment, once you get your ducks in a row."
"Another notable feature of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is its Layer 7 visibility, which allows us to monitor and analyze network communications at the application layer."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is the way the net flow is being merged together in a single pane. That's been extremely useful for us, because can see what's going on with traffic in one single place."
"The most valuable features of this solution are the logging, keeping threats under control, and keeping our data and environment secure."
"It is a good application, providing for real-time monitoring of the organization of data. It can basically identify points of peak traffic where possible issues are being caused."
"If you are using Darktrace or NAC solutions you can integrate Stealthwatch."
"We have many application systems, and I can set up Fortinet FortiSIEM for users to monitor their systems."
"It detects new technologies, vulnerabilities, and emerging threats on the internet."
"The most valuable feature is the dashboard. CMDB database collects data from a lot of pre-configured devices."
"The tool's most valuable feature stems from the fact that I can see a complete analysis, like all the incidents that have happened, and it detects everything in real-time."
"The stability is very reliable. It offers very good performance."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiSIEM is the correlation of many events."
"The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiSIEM is the user and entity behave as analytics(UEBA). This feature mixes your data and provides useful information based on the behavior of the targeted."
"The event correlation is pretty robust. The GUI is pretty good."
 

Cons

"Many of these tools require extensive on-premises hardware to run."
"Reliance on Java. Get away from that."
"Complexity on integration is not so straightforward and you really need an expert to help build it out."
"I would like to see more and cleaner reporting. For example, if I pull up Steven and I want to look and maybe compare him to what you've done in the past week, and compare that to the past six months, the point would be to see what the difference in activity looks like over this time. I don't see that capability in reporting to date. You see that trend but you don't really see a straightforward comparison. That right there is key to what we want to see about the normal activity."
"It would be better to let people know, up front, that is doesn't give you nice, clear information, as seen in the demos, without Cisco ISE installed."
"The expensive nature of the tool is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Initially, I felt Cisco Secure Network Analytics lacked integration with Splunk."
"We are continuing down the road of ACI and ISE with Cisco, so we would like to see the continuation of Stealthwatch integrating into ISE for exchange of information, and also, more into the ACI environment too."
"It lacks a "wizard" that shows a particular user's activity or particular circumstance. I think the interface is intimidating because there's so much information there."
"The process of installing Fortinet FortiSIEM and the customization of the alerts take too long."
"FortiSIEM is a bit resource-hungry, so work should be done on hardware resource utilization to consume less hardware."
"They should enhance the solution's AI capabilities, including XDR and EDR."
"The built-in APIs in Fortinet FortiSIEM are somewhat lacking and could be improved for better integration with external ITSM products."
"They could work on their documentation. If there's anything about the solution that needs improvement, it's that. For example, documentation already is on a very high level but specifically on the CLI there are tons of features which can be fine-tuned and thousands of commands are very difficult to document. If they could make this easier, it would improve the overall solution."
"The only drawback is the licensing model. It can get expensive if you want to integrate more solutions."
"If there is a configuration on the wrong side of the network or there are changes that result in harm to our IT infrastructure, the solution should immediately fix it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"​Licensing is done by flows per second, not including outside (in traffic)."
"The yearly licensing cost is about $50,000."
"The pricing for this solution is good."
"Licensing is on a yearly basis."
"It is worth the cost."
"The licensing costs are outrageous."
"There are additional licenses needed for the number of so-called network flows. It's hard to plan the number of flows you need in the network, this is a problem. The price of the Cisco Stealthwatch is relatively inexpensive"
"On a yearly basis, licensing is somewhere around $30,000."
"The solution is available for both, perpetual and subscription licenses."
"Fortinet's products are not expensive, it is less than the competition."
"Manageable, however would be better as pay as you go versus CapEX."
"FortiSIEM's licensing is based on EPS, and its pricing is competitive in the market."
"Pricing is determined based on the customer's budget."
"We bought the perpetual license, so we own the product, but there is a three-year support renewal fee for that."
"Fortinet FortiSIEM is very cost-efficient compared to other SIEM solutions."
"The price of Fortinet FortiSIEM was reasonable compared to other solutions."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
26%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
15%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Government
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco Stealthwatch?
The most valuable feature of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is the Threat Intelligence integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Stealthwatch?
Regarding cost, for the Bangladesh context, Cisco Secure Network Analytics is a little bit high-priced because we are a developing country, making it tough to manage affordable solutions. However, ...
What needs improvement with Cisco Stealthwatch?
In terms of improvements for Cisco Secure Network Analytics, from the implementation point of view, now that AI is in use, some other features need to be upgraded considering AI solutions. Proper m...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiSIEM?
Fortinet FortiSIEM needs to provide better API integrations to users.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSIEM?
The pricing is reasonable, which is why it is preferred by government customers. Windows agent licenses cost around 3,000 Rupees per device per year.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSIEM?
Fortinet FortiSIEM should broaden its remediation part to include more features for incident management. Currently, to manage repetitive incidents or for remediation, I need to use a separate softw...
 

Also Known As

Cisco Stealthwatch, Cisco Stealthwatch Enterprise, Lancope StealthWatch
FortiSIEM, AccelOps
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Edge Web Hosting, Telenor Norway, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Webster Financial Corporation, Westinghouse Electric, VMware, TIAA-CREF
FortiSIEM has hundreds of customers worldwide in markets including managed services, technology, financial services, healthcare, and government. Customers include Aruba Networks, Compushare, Port of San Diego, Cleveland Indians, Infoblox, Healthways, and Referentia.
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. Fortinet FortiSIEM and other solutions. Updated: March 2019.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.