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Cisco Web Security Appliance vs Virtru Data Protection Gateway comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

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
Virtru Data Protection Gateway
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
24th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (29th)
 

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 Virtru Data Protection Gateway is 0.3%, up from 0.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Cisco Web Security Appliance2.0%
Virtru Data Protection Gateway0.3%
Other97.7%
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.
TarunKumar7 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Data Engineer at LTI LATAM and Toubro Improtech
Effortless email encryption has protected sensitive communications and supports compliance
I find the initial setup very easy because of the intuitive and straightforward interface. The system is clear to understand and quick to process. I appreciate that it ensures our private information remains secure and confidential, which supports the company in staying compliant. Virtru Data Protection Gateway protects our sensitive communications and reduces data exposure risk. It provides strong access controls and helps us maintain information security in my organization. Some of the best features that Virtru Data Protection Gateway offers are the intuitive and straightforward interface, security, encryption, and secure sharing. I rely on its easy-to-use features the most in my daily work. I find it simple to implement and navigate. The security ensures protection for sensitive information. I value the secure communication feature, which ensures our client's information is safely shared via email, and the secure sharing capability, which supports our compliance and privacy efforts. Data security provided by Virtru email encryption ensures safe communication and protection against unauthorized access. Virtru Data Protection Gateway has positively impacted my organization as we have seen an increase in our security.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"It's a scalable product."
"The technical support is good, it is reactive, and the documentation is very specific and very useful."
"The WCCP is good at delivering HTTP and HTTPS traffic."
"The most valuable feature is that we can use it as a proxy."
"The initial setup is straightforward."
"It also has high availability."
"This appliance gives me good visibility in the userbase and their activities."
"The most valuable feature is security."
"I truly value this platform because it provides and safeguards my data, our data, and our client's data, making it an effortless email encryption solution with a seamless Gmail integration tool."
"Since we started using Virtru Data Protection Gateway, we have been able to save manual work and a few steps of daily work of our representatives, save 50 to 60 hours a month, and ensure customer sensitivity information is well encrypted and protected, preventing data breaches and ensuring regulation compliance, which allows us to continue doing business."
 

Cons

"If you're a customer with a lot of sites, then an on-prem solution like WSA is not a good option."
"As Cisco Web Security Appliance is eight years old, though it's simple to access its UI, the UI needs a little bit of updating. If it could be more interactive similar to the latest gen solutions, that would improve the product. Adding a few more integrations would also make Cisco Web Security Appliance better."
"There are occasional delays in customer support but it's a minor thing."
"Sometimes reporting is a little bit short."
"The transparent proxy is quite difficult to enforce on smartphones and tablets because it is on a sticker implementation rather than a line mode."
"This solution could be more secure."
"The solution needs to be more user-friendly and easier to navigate."
"The licensing model needs to be more flexible."
"One area that Virtru Data Protection Gateway should improve is that I sometimes experience problems when using a different browser or when I have to switch computers."
"Virtru Data Protection Gateway could be improved by introducing support for all AWS, and an easy one-click integration with CRM tools would be highly appreciated."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing fees are based on the number of users."
"I rate the product price a ten on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"The pricing is too high."
"The solution has a standard license."
"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."
"Regarding Cisco price-wise, it is always on a bit on the higher side."
"This is an expensive solution."
Information not available
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Secure Web Gateways (SWG) solutions are best for your needs.
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%
Construction Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Healthcare Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise12
No data available
 

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 Virtru Data Protection Gateway?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was that the cost is very cost-effective compared to my previous solution, and the setup was straightforward and easy.
What needs improvement with Virtru Data Protection Gateway?
Virtru Data Protection Gateway could be improved by introducing support for all AWS, and an easy one-click integration with CRM tools would be highly appreciated. I would also like them to make the...
What is your primary use case for Virtru Data Protection Gateway?
My main use case for Virtru Data Protection Gateway is that my entire team uses it to securely encrypt our email and our sensitive financial files. I use it internally as well as for communicating ...
 

Also Known As

Cisco WSA, Cisco Web Security
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Caixa Seguradora
Verizon, Maryland, we work, Brown
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Web Security Appliance vs. Virtru Data Protection Gateway and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.