Cisco Umbrella vs Cisco Web Security Appliance vs McAfee Web Protection [EOL] comparison

Lookout is a well-established and powerful secure web gateway (SWG) solution that protects more than 200 million users from threats that can result from the penetration of unsecured web traffic into their networks. Lookout is designed to enable organizations to work remotely while maintaining a tight blanket of security over their confidential business data. It provides administrators with security that extends from their endpoints to the cloud service that they are using to run their organization’s network. 

Users of Lookout are able to proactively detect threats and keep themselves secure from a field of threats that constantly evolves. IT teams can protect their organizations without having to rely on any other security solutions. This singular solution can run on multiple kinds of mobile devices. The privacy of individuals is preserved while keeping compliance rules intact. Additionally, users gain access to a number of tools that enable them to prevent security breaches from taking place.

Lookout Benefits

Some of the ways that organizations can benefit by deploying Lookout include:

• Ease of deployment. Lookout is a solution whose design makes it easy for users to deploy it. It provides users with simple, step-by-step instructions that remove the need for organizations to devote extensive amounts of time to make sure that it is properly set up. Anyone can quickly set up the solution without undergoing technical training. 

• Built-in support. Users of the Lookout application have access to built-in demos that can teach them how to use various solution features. Instead of spending time trying to figure out the application, users can watch the demo that is most relevant to them and see for themselves how that particular feature is used.

• Easy-to-use user interface. Lookout’s user interface is laid out in an intuitive way that makes it easy for administrators to navigate. This interface is present in both the mobile and desktop versions of this solution. 

• Settings customization. Lookout has a built-in settings customization menu. This makes it possible for administrators to easily customize their settings so that they best conform to their needs. 

Lookout Features

• Activity monitoring and activity tracking. Lookout’s activity monitoring and activity tracking capabilities enable users to keep a close eye on the activities that are taking place in their networks. IT teams and administrators have the ability to watch their networks for any unusual activity. These features ensure that organizations can keep ahead of any potential threats. They provide the kinds of insights and warnings that make the jobs of those IT teams and administrators much easier and more streamlined. 

• Encryption. Organizations that employ Lookout can encrypt their networks and keep crucial business data from being read by unauthorized parties. This feature keeps the secrets organizations are trying to keep out of the wrong hands.

• Anti-virus tools. Lookout provides users with tools to block threats from harming their networks. These tools can successfully block 99.6 percent of threats without raising false alarms. 

Cisco Umbrella offers flexible, cloud-delivered security according to users’ requirements Cisco Umbrella includes secure web gateway, firewall, and cloud access security broker (CASB) functionality all delivered from a single cloud security service. Cisco Umbrella’s protection is extended to devices, remote users, and distributed locations anywhere. As company employees work from many locations and devices, Cisco Umbrella is the easiest way to effectively protect users everywhere in minutes.

Cisco Umbrella uses machine learning to search for, identify, and even predict malicious domains. By learning from internet activity patterns, this DNS-layer security solution can automatically identify attacker infrastructure being staged for the next threat. These domains are then proactively blocked, protecting networks from potential compromise. Cisco Umbrella analyzes terabytes of data in real time across all markets, geographies, and protocols.

Cisco Umbrella works with leading IT companies to integrate its security enforcement and intelligence. Built with a bidirectional API, Cisco Umbrella makes it easy to extend protection from on-premises security appliances to cloud controlled devices and sites.

Cisco Umbrella is suitable for small businesses without dedicated security professionals, as well as for multinational enterprises with complex environments.

Why use Cisco Umbrella?

• Simplify security management: Cisco Umbrella is the fastest and easiest way to protect all users within minutes and reduces the number of infections and alerts sent from other security products by stopping threats at the earliest point. With no hardware to install and no software to manually update, ongoing management is simple
  
  
• Reliable reporting: Cisco Umbrella reports show activity for each device or network in the system. Users gain a more complete picture of the security risks facing their organization and can take action to remedy them.
  
  
• Manage and control cloud apps: Umbrella provides visibility into sanctioned and unsanctioned cloud services in use across the enterprise. Users can uncover new services being used, see who is using them, identify potential risk, and block specific applications easily.

Reviews from Real Users

Cisco Umbrella stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Some of the major ones are its DNS-based protection, ability to protect users no matter where they are located, stability, and high performance.

Daniel B., a network specialist at Syswind Kft, writes, “We primarily use the solution as cloud security for our branches. It protects us from direct internet outbreaks. It makes for good flexibility. The solution is very easy to manage. We found the initial setup, for example, to be quite simple. Efficient protection on the DNS level and even higher. The sandboxing feature analyses and handles the complicated security risks.”

Victor M., SOC & Security Services Director at BEST, notes, “It provides security for the remote workers and it helps to improve enterprise security in a very easy way. We mainly enjoy web software protection capabilities. It prevents the end-users from getting into bad sites or sites that potentially could have malware or could be phishing. It helps end-users avoid the wrong sites. The solution works very smoothly. The user interface is good.”

OpenDNS is a part of Cisco providing a suite of consumer products aimed at making the internet faster, safer, and more reliable.

Cisco Web Security Appliance (WSA) is a web security solution provided by Cisco Systems. It is designed to protect organizations from web-based threats, enforce acceptable use policies, and provide secure access to the internet for users within the organization.

Cisco Web Security Appliance Benefits:

• Easy to use
• Comprehensive security features
• Blocks malicious websites and prevents data loss
• Efficient reporting and analytics capabilities
• Scalable and integrates with other Cisco security products

Cisco Web Security Appliance Features:

• Web Filtering: WSA offers web filtering capabilities to control and enforce policies for web access.
• Malware Protection: The solution incorporates advanced threat intelligence and security technologies to detect and block web-based malware, viruses, spyware, and other malicious content.
• URL Filtering and Reputation: WSA leverages URL filtering and reputation services to categorize and assess the reputation of web domains and URLs in real-time.
• SSL/TLS Inspection: The appliance supports SSL/TLS decryption and inspection, allowing organizations to examine encrypted web traffic for threats and enforce security policies.
• Data Loss Prevention (DLP): WSA includes DLP capabilities to prevent the exfiltration of sensitive data through web channels.
• Application Control: The solution enables organizations to control and manage web applications and protocols.
• User Authentication and Access Control: WSA integrates with existing identity providers and authentication mechanisms to enforce user-based policies and provide secure access to the internet.
• Reporting and Analytics: The appliance provides comprehensive reporting and analytics capabilities, allowing organizations to gain insights into web traffic, user activities, security events, and compliance violations.

Cisco Web Security Appliance is typically deployed as a physical or virtual appliance within an organization's network infrastructure. It can be integrated with other Cisco security products and solutions to provide a layered approach to web security and network protection.

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by Cisco Web Security Appliance users.

Md Manirul Islam, Deputy General Manager Pre-Sales at Beximcocomputers, states that "The most valuable feature of Cisco Web Security Appliance is the provided anti-malware functionality and URL categorization. I can block access to malicious websites. 99 percent of the cases are related to a malicious website. If I cannot browse those malicious websites, then we are 99 percent protected."

Surendar Ganesan, Technical Lead, writes that "The best feature of Cisco Web Security Appliance is its policy framing. It also has a good UI and it can handle traffic well. Cisco Web Security Appliance is a good product."

Atdhe Zyhranaj, Network Security Consultant at NSCON Network Services & Consulting GmbH, says that Cisco Web Security Appliance is "Easy to set up with scalable virtual machines and good reliability."

McAfee Web Protection is a web content filtering tool that guards against sophisticated internet threats on every device, user, and location. McAfee Web Protection provides the protection, controls, and deployment flexibility you need, from web filtering and anti-malware scanning to deep content inspection and granular control over Web 2.0 sites.

Every day, McAfee Labs detects over 100,000 new pieces of malware. Businesses are demanding the finest web security available to combat such expansion as the level of risk continues to rise. McAfee, more than any other vendor, understands the security needs of today's linked Web 2.0 environment and provides the industry's most effective, proactive web security.

With McAfee Web Protection’s deployment flexibility, businesses can secure personnel at corporate headquarters with hardware or virtual appliances, and remote or traveling staff with cloud services. Branch offices can also send all of their site's traffic to the cloud service, saving money on MPLS networks, which normally backhaul all public-facing web traffic to a central location for processing.

McAfee Web Protection Features

McAfee Web Protection has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

• Deployment versatility: For more deployment flexibility and high availability, you can combine these three deployment options:

1. on-premises with appliances
2. virtual environments
3. cloud

• High-level security: The McAfee Gateway Anti-Malware Engine, which features a proprietary approach to behavioral analysis, is used by McAfee Web Protection to stop zero-day malware in real time. McAfee Endpoint Security, McAfee Advanced Threat Defense, McAfee Cloud Threat Detection, and McAfee Threat Intelligence Exchange integration are all provided.
  
• Advanced reporting: Regardless of the delivery platform, advanced reporting aggregates the data you need to secure your web presence. McAfee Web Protection provides data that indicates how businesses use the internet, assisting in the compliance of legislation, the identification of trends, the isolation of problems, the documentation of incorrect web activity, and the customization of filtering settings to best regulate web usage policies.
  
• Maximum flexibility: McAfee Web Gateway on-premises equipment, McAfee SaaS Web Protection and McAfee Web Filter for Endpoint, are all included in a single subscription. These tools, together, address current demands while allowing for future changes.
  
• High-level security: McAfee Web Protection, the top-rated malware protection solution, employs the McAfee Gateway anti-malware engine, which employs a patent-pending behavioral analysis technique.
  
• Complete protection, both incoming and outgoing: With a comprehensive web filtering database, McAfee Web Protection follows a business's internet use policy. Malware and other hidden dangers are quickly and effectively protected using layered security.

Reviews from Real Users

McAfee Web Protection stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its help with regulatory compliance and its malware and spyware detection. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

Vivek G., DGM at a financial services firm, writes of the product, “It is functional. It has reduced risk and downtime while also ensuring regulatory compliance, which is critical.” He adds, “I would rate McAfee Web Protection a nine out of ten.”

Another PeerSpot reviewer, an AVP Information Security at a financial services firm, notes, “If you are browsing web applications, it would help detect any malware. It's very useful for security purposes. The product also protects against spyware. It helps protect and control communications. The product is quite an effective firewall.”