Cisco Web Security Appliance vs Skyhigh Security comparison

Cisco and Skyhigh Security are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Cisco is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.0, while Skyhigh Security is ranked #17 with an average rating of 7.7. Cisco holds a 1.9% mindshare in WSG, compared to Skyhigh Security’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Skyhigh Security users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 8, 2026

Skyhigh Security and Cisco Web Security Appliance compete in the network security category. Based on feature robustness, Skyhigh Security has the upper hand with its comprehensive cloud risk management capabilities.

Features: Skyhigh Security specializes in shadow IT capabilities, provides cloud risk assessments, and delivers insights into service risks. Its DLP capabilities and threat prevention features are critical in reducing data risks. Cisco Web Security Appliance is recognized for its strong categorization and malware protection. It seamlessly integrates with Cisco environments and excels in policy framing and management.

Room for Improvement: Skyhigh Security's interface can be cumbersome, with slow report generation and limited support for unsanctioned applications. It also requires confirmations for custom attribute management. Cisco Web Security Appliance could improve its user interface and reporting capabilities. Its segmented deployment options necessitate managing multiple devices for comprehensive coverage. Enhancements in bundled feature sets would increase its competitiveness.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Skyhigh Security offers hybrid, on-premises, and public cloud deployments but faces challenges in seamless user support. Cisco Web Security Appliance focuses on on-premises deployments with some hybrid options, offering robust customer service and technical support, earning praise for its responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: Skyhigh Security's pricing is variable based on user count and API integrations. It is generally expensive, but customers appreciate its breadth of features, with discounts for multi-year contracts available. Cisco Web Security Appliance is considered costly, especially for smaller companies, though its value is tied to robust security features. Skyhigh's pricing flexibility is a potential advantage over Cisco's traditionally higher price point.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Skyhigh Security Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Skyhigh Security

February 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

iboss

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of iboss is 2.4%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Web Security Appliance is 1.9%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Skyhigh Security is 2.8%, down from 3.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
iboss	2.4%
Skyhigh Security	2.8%
Cisco Web Security Appliance	1.9%
Other	92.9%

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851

Managing Director

Enhances web security with a single pane of glass and flexible deployment

I don't see any need for improvement; one of the really good things about iboss as a company is that they listen to customer feedback. I have suggested enhancements, and they are responsive, making changes for the better, and they do a lot of testing. To improve iboss, although we haven't used it, we considered the VPN solution that comes with the highest tier licensing, which includes DLP and various other add-ons. We prefer using another product which automatically logs you back onto your network when turning on your PC. With iboss, the connection is manual, which doesn't meet our needs. Additionally, sizing can be tricky because, although the initial recommendations may seem adequate, actual usage may require more gateways than anticipated.

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IgnitiusMolepo

Senior IP Network Defense at MTN

Ensures security for remote workers

The Cisco Web Security Appliance provides DLP to organizations. It helps prevent the unauthorized transmission of sensitive information by blocking such attempts. Additionally, it safeguards against malware attacks, particularly on websites not authorized by our company. Its role in protecting us from malware is pivotal. The organization itself handles the configuration and management of Cisco Web Security Appliance. Cisco assists in deploying and configuring the appliance and managing all associated services. Integrating the Cisco Web Security Appliance with other solutions is quite challenging. For instance, when we tried to integrate Netscape KSP, we encountered difficulties retrieving logs. Additionally, our solution failed to interact with the Web Security Appliance. Overall, the integration process remains problematic, hindering the effectiveness of our security infrastructure. We have both the cloud version and the on-premises version. For clients who require data sovereignty, we offer the on-premises version, which includes a data sovereignty tool. This allows them to enforce policies that prevent the transfer of logs to third-party data centres, ensuring compliance with their country's regulations. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

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Eunsok Kim

Secure at ESCARE COLtd

Secure web access has improved threat protection while certificate management still needs work

It depends on the environment, I think, and I am saying that not all, but in Korea, most of the customers prefer on-premise. The setup and configuration process for Skyhigh Security can be short as a month, but regularly three months, and long as six months. The deployment may last up to half a year. I think analytics are better for understanding security posture, but actually, I was using the Web Gateway, so all the analysis and logs were made by Linux, which I do not prefer because they have so many things to do. It is good for the customer, but not for me. I think with the cloud, cloud SWG, anyone can access through the proxy, which is the good part, and it is something they can tell someone that is their strength. My overall rating for this product is seven out of ten.

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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

"Granular setup, which was able to set different levels of filters using the OUs in the AD."

"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."

"Iboss is a solution that prevents advanced persistent threats, and has a zero tolerance for attacks."

"Because of iboss, I did not have to assign web filtering tasks to my techs on a daily basis."

"I would definitely recommend iboss for web filtering purposes to other organizations or individuals."

"Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss."

"Valuable features: Within the filter: Controls (Web categories, applications, and Allow/Block list) and Network (local Subnets). Within the reporter: Logs (Event Log) and Reports."

"The iboss system is highly reliable. The false positive rates are small compared to some other systems we've experienced through other partner agencies who use competing solutions."

More iboss pros

"It also allows you to decrypt SSL traffic, and that's a really important feature as well, which is something I also configured."

"Cisco Web Security Appliance can integrate with Active Directory, enabling us to manage all the end-users within AD. It's helpful for setting rules based on individual users and groups. For example, you can configure policies for inbound and outbound traffic."

"This solution offers categorization for YouTube and other specific applications from Facebook to WhatsApp, which can be controlled whether it's on mobile or PC."

"The deployment process is very simple."

"It also has high availability."

"The most valuable feature is security."

"The product is stable."

"What we liked best about it was the ability to apply policy to either a user ID or an IP-based network."

More Cisco Web Security Appliance pros

"The other products that I have evaluated do not have the scalability options that McAfee has."

"Improves creation of security alerts on web proxy logs by having a separate system interpret said logs."

"I personally don't have any issues with the performance or the stability of the solution."

"The risk rating of each cloud application has been very useful. Whenever we discover a new application is use, we are able to quickly determine if this application is safe to use and whether or not we should allow our end users to be able to access it."

"The feature I found most valuable is the API."

"In my opinion, the best features of Skyhigh Security are that it is easy to recommend because it is not expensive like Symantec, and second is antivirus, and third, I think it is not heavy."

"What's most valuable in Skyhigh Security is its level of security. Another valuable feature of the solution is threat analysis."

"The most valuable features of McAfee Web Gateway are anti-malware, reports, and powerful categorization of web pages."

More Skyhigh Security pros

Cons

"I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention."

"Its pricing could be better."

"The reporting feature needs improvement."

"Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device and filtering did not always work correctly."

"I am currently doing a PoC of the zero trust aspect of it. Compared to other similar solutions, it is hard to get around each feature. It takes a while to get used to it."

"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."

"One thing I would like to see differently with their Zero Trust platform is that some of the AI aspects related to high-risk activities have more false positives."

More iboss cons

"Customer support is good but could be improved."

"We would like to see a security service head, where we can combine all the security into one solution."

"The GUI is not user-friendly, so it needs to improve or be simplified."

"Setting up Cisco Web Security Appliance is highly complex and it takes about a week. We have to connect it to the Active Directory and configure all the policies for end users. It takes a long time to configure rules for our company data like port forwarding and separating the public and local components."

"The one thing I don't like about Cisco is that they are very much fragmented in terms of providing the complete solution. They keep on breaking their different feature sets into different boxes."

"The solution is priced high."

"The tool needs to provide logs. They need to improve firewall threat defense."

"I would like more automation."

More Cisco Web Security Appliance cons

"The only thing we have faced is that sometimes, randomly, the portal becomes too slow."

"It needs to be more user-friendly, as it is a little bit complicated to use."

"The documentation could be improved."

"The tool could improve flexibility with the creation of reports/querying data."

"It is an expensive solution."

"The solution is hard to configure, our team does not have specific training requirements for McAfee making it difficult."

"An area for improvement in Skyhigh Security is its UI. It needs to be enhanced and made more user-friendly. Right now, the UI of Skyhigh Security is sometimes confusing. For example, my company is deploying Skyhigh Security for a client and integrating it on the cloud, from an on-premises deployment to a hybrid deployment. Though the experience isn't bad, there needs to be more enhancements. Another room for improvement in Skyhigh Security is the limited training resources, especially when you compare it with Cisco, which has many study materials in the market, even free training resources. You'll get limited resources if you search for Skyhigh Security tutorials on Google and YouTube. Because of high-security requirements and the training material for Skyhigh Security not being available, most engineers and architects avoid the product because there'd be a lack of knowledge in configuring and achieving the goals you'd want to reach via the use of Skyhigh Security. The NOC team deploying the product is having difficulty getting training resources for Skyhigh Security. You'll be charged an enormous amount if you search the market for training because of the limited resources available. Skyhigh Security needs to work on marketing and awareness as an improvement to the product."

"One thing that can be improved is their ability to integrate with other web proxies to discover unsanctioned IP apps."

More Skyhigh Security cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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 not expensive, and it is also not cheap. iboss is priced right in the sweet spot for the number of features it offers."

"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."

"Regarding Cisco price-wise, it is always on a bit on the higher side."

"The licensing options begin with 100 users and this is a high threshold for smaller networks."

"Licensing fees are based on the number of users."

"The solution has a standard license."

"When you compare the price of this solution to the price of FortiGate, it's high."

"The tool's licensing is yearly."

"The solution's cost depends on how many users you purchase. It was maybe $3 or $5 per user, which is a bit expensive."

"There is a subscription-based license needed to use this solution."

More Cisco Web Security Appliance pricing and cost advice

"There is a license required to use this solution and it is paid annually. The price is reasonable."

"They definitely charge a huge amount. All the security service providers charge a huge amount."

"The tool is not expensive."

"Pricing is not out of reach."

"Commercially, I find Skyhigh Security a little costlier, compared to other products such as SentinelOne or Cybereason which are really novelty products. I'm not comparing Skyhigh Security with Trend Micro, but with other products, in particular the new, next-generation products. The price for Skyhigh Security is high in terms of value and ROI. I would rate the product price combined with product efficacy a six out of ten."

"This is an expensive product, but you have to compare that with other solutions that are on the market."

"This is an expensive product, although it is made for larger enterprises and not for small organizations."

"There is an annual licensing cost to use McAfee Web Gateway. The purchasing of licensing can be difficult for the government sector."

More Skyhigh Security pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

21%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	5

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	11

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	30
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	38

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...

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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...

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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...

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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 s...

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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 NAN...

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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 preve...

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What needs improvement with McAfee Web Gateway?

So far, only the certification part caused me some issues and some challenges. The certification requires some improv...

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What is your primary use case for McAfee Web Gateway?

I am familiar with Skyhigh and Symantec. The customer's AWS environment is being used, so that understanding is corre...

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What advice do you have for others considering McAfee Web Gateway?

It depends on the environment, I think, and I am saying that not all, but in Korea, most of the customers prefer on-p...

See all answers

Comparisons

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 12% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

FortiSASE vs iboss

Compared 8% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs iboss

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs iboss

Compared 6% of the time

More iboss Competitors

Cisco Umbrella vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 17% of the time

Fortinet FortiProxy vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 11% of the time

Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 10% of the time

Advanced URL Filtering by Palo Alto vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 10% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 8% of the time

More Cisco Web Security Appliance Competitors

Netskope vs Skyhigh Security

Compared 9% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps vs Skyhigh Security

Compared 7% of the time

Forcepoint ONE vs Skyhigh Security

Compared 5% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Skyhigh Security

Compared 5% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Skyhigh Security

Compared 4% of the time

More Skyhigh Security Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

February 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Web Security Appliance

February 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Skyhigh Security

January 2026

Download Skyhigh Security product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

Cisco WSA, Cisco Web Security

McAfee MVISION Cloud, McAfee MVISION Unified Cloud Edge, McAfee Web Gateway, McAfee MVISION CNAPP, and Skyhigh Networks, McAfee Web Gateway

Interactive Demo

Demo not available

iboss

Demo not available

Cisco

Skyhigh Security

Overview

Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.

Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.

What are the most important features of Iboss?

Scalability: Supports rapid deployment across diverse networks.
SASE: A consolidated approach to secure access.
SSL Inspection: Ensures safe data transmission.
Granular Filtering: Detailed control over accessible content.
Single Pane Management: Unifies control through a centralized console.

What benefits should users consider in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing with robust features.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces management overhead.
Responsive Support: Provides assistance when needed.
Flexible Deployment: Available for both cloud and on-premises environments.

The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.

iboss

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."

Cisco

Skyhigh Security protects organizations with cloud-based Zero Trust security solutions that are both data-aware and simple to use. Skyhigh’s Security Service Edge portfolio goes beyond data access and focuses on data use, allowing organizations to collaborate from any device and from anywhere without sacrificing security, while providing the visibility and control required to monitor and mitigate security risks.

The Skyhigh Security Service Edge portfolio includes Skyhigh Secure Web Gateway, Skyhigh Cloud Access Security Broker, Skyhigh Private Access, and Skyhigh Cloud Native Application Protection Platform. All solutions form a fully converged, consolidated platform, and are managed from the same single console.

Skyhigh Cloud Access Security Broker protects data and stops threats in the cloud across SaaS, and PaaS, and IaaS environments from a single, cloud-native enforcement point. It enables organizations to accelerate their business by giving them visibility and control over their data in the cloud and protection from threats with a frictionless deployment model.
Skyhigh Secure Web Gateway connects and secures your workforce from malicious websites and cloud apps from anywhere, any application, and any device. It protects users from threats and data loss with integrated Remote Browser Isolation, Cloud Access Security Broker and Data Loss Prevention capabilities while providing the ability to access the web and cloud.
Skyhigh Private Access is the data centric Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution that provides integrated Data Loss Prevention scanning and seamless Remote Browser Isolation integration for robust data protection, using Zero Trust principles. Apply a unified policy across web, SaaS, and private apps.
Skyhigh Cloud Native Application Protection Platform is the industry’s first platform to extend Cloud Access Security Broker, bringing application and data context to converge Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) with IaaS Data Loss Prevention for IaaS public clouds. Skyhigh CNAPP provides consistent data protection, threat prevention, governance, and compliance throughout the cloud-native application development lifecycle.

Skyhigh Security Benefits

Modern Data Protection. Extensible data protection policies to determine what can be accessed, shared, and how it can be used.
Zero Trust for the Cloud. Extend zero trust to the cloud ensuring that your sensitive data is accessed, shared, and stored appropriately.
Actionable Insights. Unified view of data and risk, regardless of where and how the policy is enforced.

Skyhigh Security Features

99.999% Uptime. Connects users seamlessly and without disruption through Hyperscale Service Edge with cloud-native web security that operates with ultra-low latency and 99.999% uptime.
Remote Browser Isolation. Prevents threats of a web page from reaching endpoints with intelligent, multi-layer remote browser isolation technology that provides secure web browsing through robust machine learning analysis on real-time telemetry.
Cloud Registry. The world’s largest and most accurate registry of cloud services based on a customizable 261-point risk assessment to support risk-aware cloud governance.

Skyhigh Security

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.

New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Caixa Seguradora

Western Union.Aetna.DirecTV.Adventist.Equinix.Perrigo.Goodyear.HP.Cargill.Sony.Bank of the West.Prudential.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Skyhigh Security

February 2026

Free Report: Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Skyhigh Security

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