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Cisco Web Security Appliance vs Virtru Data Protection Gateway comparison

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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

iboss
Sponsored
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
Internet Security (3rd), Web Content Filtering (1st), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (7th), ZTNA as a Service (7th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (8th)
Cisco Web Security Appliance
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
18th
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)
26th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.4
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (28th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of iboss is 2.5%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Web Security Appliance is 1.8%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Virtru Data Protection Gateway is 0.1%, 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 (%)
iboss2.5%
Cisco Web Security Appliance1.8%
Virtru Data Protection Gateway0.1%
Other95.6%
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2701851 - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
IgnitiusMolepo - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
MP
Software Developer at Minisoft
Secure email workflows have reduced manual steps and now protect sensitive data effortlessly
The best features Virtru Data Protection Gateway offers are email encryption, application email encryption, email DLP, and email gateway. Email encryption has made the biggest impact for my team because it adds an extra layer of security. Email encryption allows us to encrypt emails without installing or exchanging keys with the recipient; we can have the sender manually encrypt the email, or based on keywords in the email, we suggest the user encrypt the email, or we auto-encrypt the email with ease. I also appreciate the DLP feature because it helps us gain DLP capabilities in a simple and straightforward way. Virtru Data Protection Gateway has positively impacted my organization by providing better security. Better security has meant ensuring customer sensitive information is well protected and secured for my organization; we have noticed fewer incidents, improved compliance, and it saves approximately 50 hours a month by enabling us to eliminate manual work and reduce several daily workflow steps for our representatives.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss."
"Technical support is pretty sharp and very responsive."
"iboss has significantly lowered the number of security incidents. It is crazy how much it blocks and how much it is aware of the outside danger."
"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device. It operates on the network side and is not device-based. This feature was one of the main reasons why we stayed with them for so long."
"The iboss solution gives me the ability to scan the traffic through all the ports, through all the 131,000 PCP and UDP ports, and with this ability, we have the granularity also for consults over social media and applications on mobile, and this is an advantage that the customers are looking for right now."
"Because of iboss, I did not have to assign web filtering tasks to my techs on a daily basis."
"iboss is among the few products providing inline filtering where no application is needed on the device."
"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."
"It's most valuable feature is its convenience."
"The tool has good Umbrella DNS security."
"Great for assisting with connections to networks or apps."
"The features I like most are the DLP functionality for web security and malware protection."
"This solution helps our customers with the challenges their clients face attempting to connect to their network or app."
"The features I like most are the DLP functionality for web security and malware protection."
"It's a scalable product."
"The solution is very easy to implement; it's not overly complex or too difficult."
"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."
"Virtru Data Protection Gateway has positively impacted my organization by providing better security; better security has meant ensuring customer sensitive information is well protected and secured for my organization, we have noticed fewer incidents, improved compliance, and it saves approximately 50 hours a month by enabling us to eliminate manual work and reduce several daily workflow steps for our representatives."
 

Cons

"Sometimes, obviously, there are bugs."
"Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device and filtering did not always work correctly."
"To scale up, a new iboss Node Blade Chassis must be purchased."
"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."
"Iboss is growing so fast that it is often hard for them to keep up with the challenges."
"Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern."
"The solution could be stronger on the integration side and offer more cloud applications like G Suite or Oracle."
"Sometimes when you call in support, you get someone who is just following a sheet. It feels like a runaround. You feel that you are running into that support wall."
"If a user wants to use it for other devices like mobile or smartphones, this product isn't so reliable."
"Technical support needs to be improved because they take a very long time and there is no communication or notification."
"If a user wants to use it for other devices like mobile or smartphones, this product isn't so reliable."
"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."
"The licensing model needs to be more flexible."
"With the WebAssign integration, it is not easy when I am integrating policies within the company, especially with NAND and wireless policies."
"WSA is lacking firewall features."
"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."
"One area in which I believe Virtru Data Protection Gateway should improve is the native Google Docs file encryption."
"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."
 

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."
"We have not priced the solution recently, but they were competitive with other vendors in the past."
"The overall pricing for iboss is very competitive and transparent."
"It is probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."
"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."
"Licensing fees are based on the number of users."
"I rate Cisco WSA a seven out of ten since it is costly."
"I rate the product price a ten on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."
"At the time, licensing fees were paid on an annual basis."
"Cisco Web Security Appliance is not the cheapest solution on the market, but it's well worth it."
"The tool's licensing is yearly."
"I rate Cisco WSA a seven out of ten since it is costly."
"The solution's cost depends on how many users you purchase. It was maybe $3 or $5 per user, which is a bit expensive."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
21%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise6
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise7
Large Enterprise11
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with iboss?
For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company Exxon...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 previou...
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 integratio...
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 ...
 

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform
Cisco WSA, Cisco Web Security
No data available
 

Overview

 

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
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: March 2026.
885,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.