


Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks and Cisco Web Security Appliance are two competitors in the network security category. While Prisma Access seems to have the upper hand with its advanced cloud-native security features and scalability, Cisco focuses on robust integration within its ecosystem and comprehensive content filtering.
Features: Prisma Access offers strong monitoring capabilities, zero-trust security, scalable architecture, and integrated threat prevention. Its features include user integration, WildFire Analysis, and the ability to protect all app traffic. Cisco Web Security Appliance emphasizes content filtering, proxy capabilities, and deep integrations with Cisco's ecosystem, along with providing robust security visibility.
Room for Improvement: Prisma Access users have expressed a need for better documentation and more flexible third-party integrations, especially for identity management, along with improved technical support and user interface. Cisco Web Security Appliance needs stronger integration capabilities, particularly consolidating multiple Cisco products into a single solution, and it is perceived as having a less user-friendly interface.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Prisma Access supports both cloud and on-premises environments with hybrid cloud deployment options, although customers report slow technical support despite its responsiveness. Cisco Web Security Appliance is primarily on-premises, with reliable customer service, though both solutions face challenges with long wait times for support. Both receive positive feedback for their dedicated deployment and technical advice teams.
Pricing and ROI: Prisma Access is perceived as expensive, with high pricing reflecting its feature set and security capabilities, yet offers a flexible licensing model that must be managed carefully for a good ROI. Cisco Web Security Appliance is also viewed as costly but effective, offering satisfactory threat protection despite its higher upfront costs compared to other market solutions. Both are seen as worthwhile investments for organizations focusing on security.
With iboss, whenever you turn on your laptop, the iboss agent automatically connects to the iboss cloud, enforcing all security policies. So with respect to the security side, it strengthens measures.
I have seen some cost effectiveness from iboss; it has reduced certain support requirements, making it a more hands-off solution.
There is a net positive return on investment
They are very fast, responsive, and knowledgeable.
The quality of the support is fantastic.
We had promising discussions about resolving these issues, but no real action followed.
Generally, the response time for resolving issues is getting slower.
The product is reliable, making customer support less frequently needed.
I usually need to raise the alarm and contact a couple of people within Palo Alto Networks to just respond quicker, so technical support should be much better.
We rarely need to contact support due to having a strong internal team and a robust product.
They are also able to meet on-demand requirements based on your contract with them, and can easily provide adequate resources and scalability.
I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability.
If I start seeing sluggishness or anything like that, I just reach out to my rep, and they connect with their dev team, typically resolving it the same day.
To scale, one would need to upgrade or acquire more hardware.
Prisma Access provides significant scalability, allowing integration of different systems.
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is a cloud-based solution, and from my experience, there are no issues with scalability.
It's been pretty solid; I've never had an outage with them, and if I ever had, it's only been once out of the seven years.
We've experienced zero downtime.
Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device despite our ClearPass sending information to the iboss box.
It is very stable, a product that I put on the network, and it will run for a very long time.
I think the stability of Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is excellent, and I would rate it ten out of ten.
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks works efficiently during peak usage times.
GlobalProtect is a satisfying solution, and the product is robust without major stability issues.
It is not as intuitive as the rest of the platform.
We also had a problem with a transition when we upgraded from one appliance of theirs to another, but their engineer lost a good deal of our data.
Our iboss subscription access should be more secure with an OTP or VPN etc.
Once it is done correctly, the functionality and reports become valuable, although the implementation part can still be challenging.
Hosting it in the cloud can mitigate these issues by allowing connection through the nearest Palo Alto or Prisma Cloud regional hub.
There is a lack of integration with third-party solutions like CrowdStrike or SentinelOne in Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks.
Sometimes a third-party outage could impact the whole operability.
It offers the same features you would get from a vendor that charges 250,000 British pounds for a fraction of the price.
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.
Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern.
Cisco is not a product for small companies due to its pricing.
The pricing is on the higher side, rating it around eight to nine out of ten.
From my experience, Palo Alto is more expensive compared to solutions like Netskope and Triscale.
Pricing for Prisma Access and Prisma SD WAN is high due to the need for different hardware flavors like IONs.
The solution's mental health function can detect if someone needs help.
It's given us a lot more visibility into our computer assets that may be infected with viruses and also shows us people who have unusually large uploads or might be engaging in high-risk activities, such as searches or going to sites not categorized by their web crawler.
iboss was the best solution for us because, no matter what domain you were in, everything is under a single pane of glass, which is exactly what we wanted.
When I integrate these three products, it efficiently prevents malware, showing which endpoint is affected and providing a comprehensive view of the endpoint connections.
These features are security-driven, providing robust protection against increasing cyber threats by integrating NG Firewalls, SD WAN, and CASB, all within a fully cloud-native solution.
GlobalProtect has been beneficial for its cloud security capabilities, which are vital as businesses seek hybrid options and need to support remote workers while addressing latency issues.
One of the most valuable features of Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks is the ability to manage on-premise firewalls.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks | 7.5% |
| iboss | 3.5% |
| Cisco Web Security Appliance | 1.9% |
| Other | 87.1% |



| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 7 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 9 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 11 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 12 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 26 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 20 |
| Large Enterprise | 27 |
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?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.
Cisco Web Security Appliance delivers robust web security, combining efficient proxy functions with strong malware protection and seamless Cisco integration. It enhances security management and is favored by enterprises for its scalability and stability.
Cisco Web Security Appliance is a comprehensive tool used for safeguarding network traffic through powerful proxy capabilities, effective URL filtering, malware protection, and identity checks. Enterprises rely on it for controlling internet browsing, compliance, and securing remote work activities. With advanced features like SSL decryption, content filtering, and real-time policy enforcement, it offers centralized management with intuitive controls. While praised for its reliability, users seek a more affordable price, better support, a simplified interface, and enhanced integration abilities. Supporting Active Directory, it provides granular security measures for efficient web access management.
What are the key features of Cisco Web Security Appliance?Cisco Web Security Appliance is widely implemented across industries like finance, healthcare, education, and government. It protects sensitive data and meets regulatory compliance by controlling web access and ensuring secure remote connectivity for a diverse workforce.
Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks delivers robust security features including secure remote access across apps and traffic monitoring. It integrates smoothly with cloud environments to provide advanced threat protection and visibility into network traffic.
Prisma Access offers a comprehensive suite of security tools designed to protect cloud environments and remote workforces. With its focus on real-time risk identification and threat prevention, Prisma Access provides encrypted tunnels and centralized management for seamless connectivity and enhanced data security. Designed to scale across platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP, it optimizes traffic and connectivity while offering extensive visibility into vulnerabilities. However, integration with third-party products, usability, and support services are areas for development, as users report interface challenges and desire improved scalability and geographic coverage, especially in regions like China and South America.
What are the key features of Prisma Access?Prisma Access is effectively used in industries requiring secure remote access and stringent data protection, such as finance and healthcare. Organizations leverage it to enforce Zero Trust policies, optimize network performance with SD-WAN, and ensure security compliance across multiple platforms.
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