Cisco Web Security Appliance vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway comparison

Cisco and Netskope are both solutions in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category. Cisco is ranked #13 with an average rating of 7.8, while Netskope is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.0. Cisco holds a 2.2% mindshare in WSG, compared to Netskope’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 90% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Netskope users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 27, 2025

Cisco Web Security Appliance and Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway compete in the domain of web security solutions. Cisco appears to have an upper hand in on-premises deployment and integration, whereas Netskope is favored for its cloud-native operations and flexibility.

Features: Cisco Web Security Appliance offers SSL decryption, strong policy control, and anti-malware functionality, providing comprehensive security features with the ability to manage bandwidth. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is noted for cloud-native architecture, role-based access control, and the inclusion of threat protection, CASB, and DLP, making it a robust choice for securing SaaS platforms.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Web Security Appliance could improve pricing and offer more flexible licensing options, and better integrate its components while enhancing reporting features. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway needs easier policy streamlining, improved reporting, better integration with DLP solutions, and stronger threat intelligence and vulnerability management features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Web Security Appliance requires more complex on-premises and hybrid cloud deployment, making it less suitable for cloud-native preferences, though its technical support is reliable albeit sometimes slow. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is ideal for public and hybrid cloud deployments due to its flexibility and ease of use, with generally good technical support despite occasionally slow responses on complex issues.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Web Security Appliance is expensive with user-based licensing but deemed justified by its features, though more costly for smaller businesses. On the other hand, Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway also presents a high cost but offers competitive user-based licensing and a scalable option suitable for cloud-native needs, providing a promising ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

September 2025

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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 October 2025, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of iboss is 2.2%, up from 1.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Web Security Appliance is 2.2%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is 2.2%, up from 2.0% 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	2.2%
Cisco Web Security Appliance	2.2%
Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway	2.2%
Other	93.4%

Secure Web Gateways (SWG)

Featured Reviews

Matt Crockford

Head of Cybersecurity at SES Water

It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless

One aspect we value about iboss is its simplicity. Their customer service is brilliant, and they are super responsive and knowledgeable. It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless. We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times. The user interface is highly intuitive. Our IT team picked it up with minimal training. It's arranged so that it's easy to find where things are. Another advantage is the single pane of glass console, which gives you visibility into what's happening. We're not fully there yet because we haven't implemented zero trust, but we're excited about the possibilities from the demos we've seen. We launched a POC of iboss' ChatGPT Risk Protection feature two weeks ago. AI is a great tool, but you need to be careful what you put into it. My biggest fear is employees inputting sensitive corporate information or customer PII data into one of these chatbots. I was impressed by our trial of the feature. It's exactly what we wanted. Now, when a user goes to ChatGPT, there's a banner warning them not to share information, and we can block conversations containing customer data like bank details and email addresses. I don't want to stop people from using it, but we need visibility. We've only tried it on a test group of 15 people. You can configure it to look for specific keywords or integrate it with your DLP policy if you have that configured

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Vusa Ndlovu

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.

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Ernst (Eric) Goldman

Owner at Antares Joint Development

Designed to enforce architecture governance, ensuring traceable SaaS traffic

Netskope provides vigorous policy enforcement for SaaS platforms based on how we configure it, but its vulnerability management and threat intelligence capabilities could be stronger. We rely on external sources to become aware of vulnerabilities in major SaaS platforms, which highlights a gap. It would be beneficial if Netskope offered more robust vulnerability management or integrated threat intelligence through in-house development or partnerships. This would allow for a better policy setup without needing external threat intelligence to configure Netskope. Adding these features would enhance its overall value. I would suggest making some minor improvements to the interface to make it more intuitive, but those are primarily cosmetic. In terms of actual features, the only significant enhancement I could think of, besides better threat intelligence, would be for Netskope to assess the general SaaS landscape. This could include a scorecard showing the security posture of various SaaS platforms based on their track record with breaches and vulnerabilities. I understand this could create friction with SaaS providers if some receive poor scores, which might impact their relationship with Netskope. If Netskope were to harness machine learning more effectively and share those models transparently with enterprise customers, this could include making traffic data they already collect available for deeper analytics, allowing customers to gain better insights into employee traffic patterns. It could also assist with network operations by helping to fine-tune performance based on traffic flow, even though the primary purpose of analyzing that data is security-related. Providing more advanced analytics using existing data could significantly enhance its value to enterprises.

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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

"iboss is pretty scalable. They provide good support. The case managers you work with to coordinate what you need are pretty good."

"The console is cloud-based, which is something I really appreciate."

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

"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."

"Its initial setup was straightforward."

"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device."

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

"It was a very easy product to install. It can be deployed very fast."

More iboss pros

"The tool has good Umbrella DNS security."

"It's a scalable product."

"The most valuable feature is that we can use it as a proxy."

"I would recommend this solution to others."

"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."

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

"Cisco is the best in giving technical support. There is no doubt about that."

"The features I like most are the DLP functionality for web security and malware protection."

More Cisco Web Security Appliance pros

"One of the valuable features of the solution is that everything is on the cloud. It has no on-premise hardware to deal with."

"Web filtering and DLP are good features."

"Overall, the product is nice, and I like the URL filtering, CASB, and other security stacks like threat prevention."

"The solution's CASB, DLP, and threat protection features are very good."

"Prevents data leakage and protects data."

"The solution has some useful features, such as microservices. They have sandboxing that allows the prevention, encryption, and remote browser isolation."

"It is for secure web trafficking, and it is doing what it needs to do. It allows customers to consolidate and eliminate multiple technologies onto Netskope and just kind of turn the dial and use more features, such as CASB, VPN. SWG is another feature. You can monitor and govern all the traffic."

"The most valuable features of the solution are its three modules, which are SWG, ZTNA, and CASB."

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway pros

Cons

"Their on-premise hardware's network interface is capped at one gigabit, which is sort of a problem. If you stand a filter up where all traffic flows through that, according to them, in order to go above a gigabit, you have to have multiple devices, which in today's IT seems a little bit silly. They could easily put in an SFP port into their device that could accommodate 10 gigs or at least offer a box."

"To scale up, a new iboss Node Blade Chassis must be purchased."

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

"Sometimes the agent stops working in iboss, and we have to reinstall the agent."

"The solution could be stronger on the integration side and offer more cloud applications like G Suite or Oracle."

"Sometimes, obviously, there are bugs."

"The dashboards for local use could be better."

"Our iboss subscription access should be more secure with an OTP or VPN etc. It is easy to gain access if, for example, hackers obtain my username and password."

More iboss cons

"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 tool needs to improve cloud-based decryption."

"The product is great, however, incorporating features offered by competitors would be beneficial."

"There are certain shortcomings related to the product's management capabilities, where improvements are required. The solution needs to provide better management of the category of web pages."

"Sometimes reporting is a little bit short."

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

"The solution is not very compatible with other products."

"Technical support needs to be improved because they take a very long time and there is no communication or notification."

More Cisco Web Security Appliance cons

"The solution could improve the features for Zero Trust Network Access. They should add more security components to that module."

"Improvement in the solution is required in certain areas where the product does not provide access to its direct end users, who use the portal as an administrator."

"They should work on marketing material to put out their work with a little more effort."

"The solution lacks a good reporting feature."

"The stability of the solution to be very good. It is not the best and could improve but it is better than other solutions, such as Forcepoint."

"The initial setup is a bit complex in that it takes a lot of time. In order to get the product to work as you need it to, there is a lot of configuration required."

"Netskope can only provide the high level related to threats."

"Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway needs to integrate IoT, which can help to control devices."

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"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."

"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."

"I rate Cisco WSA a seven out of ten since it is costly."

"The pricing is too high."

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

"At the time, licensing fees were paid on an annual basis."

"I rate Cisco WSA a seven out of ten since it is costly."

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

"Cisco Web Security Appliance is not the cheapest solution on the market, but it's well worth it."

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

More Cisco Web Security Appliance pricing and cost advice

"The price is average. Because the license is user-based, you can increase it as per the user quantity."

"The product is cheap."

"We pay a licensing fee of $10,000 on a yearly basis."

"The solution's overall cost is cheaper than regular web security solutions."

"The license model is based on the number of users. You have the possibility to have 10,000 users if you wish."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Computer Software Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

20%

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Non Profit

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance 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	8
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?

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

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco Web Security Appliance?

The most valuable features of the solution are the functions of proxy for the users who use the internet and the secu...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

Which lesser known firewall product has the best chance at unseating the market leaders?

Netscope, Zscaler if they continue route they are on now. FIrewalls needs great deal of automation on each end, datac...

See all answers

Which lesser known firewall product has the best chance at unseating the market leaders?

Those firewalls that allow extend the perimeter. Nowadays, there is a issue with the static perimeter and all is goin...

See all answers

What do you like most about Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway?

There are a lot of features, but the groups that are created for the policy groups available with Netskope are alread...

See all answers

Comparisons

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 14% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs iboss

Compared 13% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs iboss

Compared 13% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 13% of the time

Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) vs iboss

Compared 8% of the time

More iboss Competitors

Cisco Umbrella vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 20% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 13% of the time

Fortinet FortiProxy vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 13% of the time

Forcepoint Secure Web Gateway vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 11% of the time

Blue Coat Secure Web Gateway Virtual Appliance vs Cisco Web Security Appliance

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco Web Security Appliance Competitors

Zscaler Internet Access vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 14% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 10% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 7% of the time

Symantec Proxy vs Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Compared 5% of the time

More Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

October 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Cisco Web Security Appliance

October 2025

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Buyer's Guide

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

October 2025

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway report

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Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

Cisco WSA, Cisco Web Security

No data available

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

Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway is a comprehensive cloud-based security solution that provides advanced threat protection, data loss prevention, and web filtering capabilities. It offers real-time visibility and control over web traffic, enabling organizations to enforce policies and protect against web-based threats. The solution uses machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect and block advanced threats, including malware, phishing, and ransomware. It also provides granular control over web access, allowing organizations to block or allow specific websites and applications based on user, group, or location. With Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway, organizations can ensure compliance with industry regulations and protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or exfiltration. The solution is easy to deploy and manage, with a user-friendly interface and centralized policy management.

Netskope

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

Arrow, Cloudrise, Sainsbury, Evalueserve, Stroock, Apria, Ather Energy, CSA, AVX Corporation Nuna, City of San Diego Case, Genomic Health Case Study, Oak Hill Advisors, MaRS Discovery District.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

September 2025

Free Report: Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Netskope Next Gen Secure Web Gateway and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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