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Cisco Web Security Appliance vs Forcepoint ONE comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 4, 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
6.7
Cisco Web Security Appliance provides valuable security with positive ROI, especially during heightened threats, justifying the investment.
Sentiment score
6.2
Forcepoint ONE reduces HIPAA risks, enhances cybersecurity, and boosts efficiency, reducing costs and improving productivity with centralized management.
I have fewer employees because Forcepoint ONE does the work that I used to rely on a team of engineers to previously detect.
Presales engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Since I'm on the technical side, I don't handle ROI or financial metrics directly, but based on client feedback, many have seen improvements in operational efficiency mainly through centralized policy management and reduced manual investigation time, resulting in time savings and better visibility across their environments.
Security Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
It is very difficult to measure the return on investment, but the control for the data is very important for companies because without an application similar to Forcepoint ONE, there is no control.
Security Engineer at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.4
Cisco Web Security support feedback is mixed, with varied satisfaction based on responsiveness and technician expertise across different tiers.
Sentiment score
6.9
Forcepoint ONE's customer service is praised for its responsiveness, professionalism, and commitment to resolving complex issues swiftly.
Generally, the response time for resolving issues is getting slower.
Security Solution Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Having a local principal support available also helps speed up communication and coordination, especially for urgent or region-specific cases.
Security Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
An engineer comes to resolve the issue.
Security Engineer at itsipl
They are responsive and assist me with creating cases for any complex issues.
Deputy Manager of Networks and Communications at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.5
Cisco Web Security Appliance scales well, integrates with devices, supports virtual environments, and suits large organizations despite clustering issues.
Sentiment score
7.2
Forcepoint ONE provides efficient scalability and seamless expansion with cloud-native architecture, integrating security and supporting large enterprises.
It can easily scale to support thousands of users and devices without requiring major infrastructure changes.
Security Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Forcepoint ONE runs smoothly, and scaling is easy.
Security Engineer at itsipl
Forcepoint ONE is very scalable because it is located in the cloud, and I don't have to manage the machines or anything with the infrastructure.
Security Engineer at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Cisco Web Security Appliance is stable and reliable, though potential issues arise from infrastructure complexity and power management.
Sentiment score
7.9
Forcepoint ONE offers 99.99% uptime, minimal latency, high stability, easy scalability, and operates seamlessly with few performance concerns.
It is very stable, a product that I put on the network, and it will run for a very long time.
Security Solution Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Forcepoint ONE is very stable.
Security Engineer at itsipl
There have been some specific outcomes since switching to Forcepoint ONE.
Senior Network Security Engineer at a computer software company with 51-200 employees
I think Forcepoint ONE is pretty stable, as the connection and agent synchronization are reliable, but it can still be improved.
Security Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
 

Room For Improvement

Cisco Web Security Appliance requires better UI, automation, pricing flexibility, tech support, integration, mobile compatibility, and enhanced features.
Forcepoint ONE needs better integration, scalability, intuitive design, documentation, policy management, threat detection, and responsive enterprise support.
Once it is done correctly, the functionality and reports become valuable, although the implementation part can still be challenging.
Security Solution Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
I need to control specific functionalities within certain applications, like preventing the transfer of certain file types.
Deputy Manager of Networks and Communications at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Having more flexible reporting and alert customization to tailor insights for different clients and compliance needs would be beneficial.
Security Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
There is room for improvement in making the reporting closer to real-time, ideally around five or ten minutes instead of half an hour.
Head of IT at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
 

Setup Cost

Cisco Web Security Appliance is costly, suitable for larger enterprises, and aligns with market trends for robust security features.
Enterprise buyers appreciate Forcepoint ONE's competitive pricing and flexible licensing, with potential additional costs for maintenance and training.
Cisco is not a product for small companies due to its pricing.
Security Solution Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
The pricing is very good and cheaper than other solutions like Netskope and Forcepoint.
Deputy Manager of Networks and Communications at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
the pricing is better than all
Security Engineer at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
The licensing and pricing were fine with no issues.
Head of IT at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

Cisco Web Security Appliance offers strong web protection, user-friendly operation, scalability, and seamless integration for enterprise security needs.
Forcepoint ONE offers comprehensive security with data protection, compliance, and integration, enhancing efficiency and cost-effectiveness in cloud environments.
When I integrate these three products, it efficiently prevents malware, showing which endpoint is affected and providing a comprehensive view of the endpoint connections.
Security Solution Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
The most valuable feature was the website blocking capability, which allowed me to quickly block any dodgy websites.
Head of IT at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
It shortens response time for our clients, allowing their security team to view incidents in real-time, classify them easily, and focus on genuine risks instead of sorting through false positives, and it simplifies reporting and audit preparation since all the relevant data is consolidated in one place.
Security Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Forcepoint ONE made a difference, particularly regarding cost reduction because all the features that Forcepoint ONE bundles are in one package.
Presales engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Web Security Appliance
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
20th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Forcepoint ONE
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
13th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (13th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (14th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of Cisco Web Security Appliance is 2.0%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Forcepoint ONE is 1.7%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Forcepoint ONE1.7%
Cisco Web Security Appliance2.0%
Other96.3%
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
 

Featured Reviews

Vusa Ndlovu - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Solution Architect at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Advanced protection features offer robust security while integration process presents challenges
With the WebAssign integration, it is not easy when I am integrating policies within the company, especially with NAND and wireless policies. The challenge arises when traffic is blocked from either wireless or wired connections. Although implementing it as a standalone is quicker, integrating BYOD with Cisco I and FTB can be tiring. Once it is done correctly, the functionality and reports become valuable, although the implementation part can still be challenging.
reviewer2765397 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Delivers reliable policy control and improves data protection across cloud and endpoints
The best features Forcepoint ONE offers include the DLP engine with predefined policies for common data types that help us determine and use it directly, as well as cloud app control to protect SaaS platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. We are also helped by the Incident Management Dashboard for quick review and policy tuning, along with integration with Forcepoint Endpoint DLP, allowing us consistent enforcement across devices. The DLP engine and Incident Management Dashboard have made our work much more efficient in daily operations, as detection accuracy reduces the need for manual review, and the centralized dashboard helps us quickly identify which incidents need escalation or policy adjustment. It shortens response time for our clients, allowing their security team to view incidents in real-time, classify them easily, and focus on genuine risks instead of sorting through false positives, and it simplifies reporting and audit preparation since all the relevant data is consolidated in one place. One feature that really stands out for us and our client is the seamless integration between Forcepoint ONE and the on-premise Forcepoint DLP, as it allows consistent data protection policy across both cloud and endpoint environments, making it much easier to manage. Forcepoint ONE has positively impacted our organization by streamlining DLP policy management and reducing time spent on troubleshooting and manual reviews, providing faster compliance reporting for internal needs and compliance with local regulation, and improving visibility into how sensitive data moves across cloud and endpoint environments. Overall, it helps our customers operate more efficiently and confidently in enforcing data protection controls.
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909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
28%
Construction Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
5%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise12
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise12
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Web Security Appliance?
Comparing with other products, Cisco has more functionality, but pricing is a challenge. Cisco is not a product for small companies due to its pricing. Cisco has been in business for a long time, r...
What needs improvement with Cisco Web Security Appliance?
With the WebAssign integration, it is not easy when I am integrating policies within the company, especially with NAND and wireless policies. The challenge arises when traffic is blocked from eithe...
What is your primary use case for Cisco Web Security Appliance?
The user interface that I usually provide for the web app includes malware protection, URL filtering, data loss prevention (DLP), and advanced threat analytics. This is how I typically implement us...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Forcepoint ONE?
The aspects of pricing, setup cost, and licensing are managed by our sales team, as I handle the technical side.
What needs improvement with Forcepoint ONE?
Forcepoint ONE could be improved in terms of scalability to better support hybrid environments, as many organizations still operate partially on-premises while gradually moving to the cloud. Enhanc...
What advice do you have for others considering Forcepoint ONE?
I advise others looking into using Forcepoint ONE to study its features, as it covers many of the use cases usually associated with customers looking into solutions like this. I would rate this pro...
 

Also Known As

Cisco WSA, Cisco Web Security
Bitglass
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Caixa Seguradora
UNC-Charlotte
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Forcepoint ONE and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.