Zscaler Internet Access and FortiSASE compete in the cybersecurity segment focused on SASE solutions. Zscaler seems to have the upper hand in security features, while FortiSASE excels in integration and ease of deployment.
Features: Zscaler Internet Access is known for URL filtering, malware protection, and advanced threat defenses like SSL inspection. It also offers cloud sandboxing and a cloud-native proxy architecture. FortiSASE is recognized for its integration with Fortinet's infrastructure, deep packet inspection, and ease of management through a unified interface.
Room for Improvement: Zscaler could improve by enhancing integration with other applications, providing better training resources, and simplifying report generation. Some setups may still require traditional firewalls. FortiSASE would benefit from security enhancements, easier integration, and a simplified pricing structure. It also needs improved backend visibility.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: While users find Zscaler deployment complex, they appreciate its robust architecture but suggest improvements in technical support. FortiSASE is praised for its straightforward deployment, especially when integrated with existing Fortinet environments, and users report positive experiences with their responsive support team.
Pricing and ROI: Zscaler is perceived as more costly, offering strong ROI through security and reduced hardware expenses. FortiSASE offers competitive pricing, particularly for educational and bulk-user scenarios, benefiting users leveraging existing Fortinet infrastructure for cost savings.
With FortiCASB, we manage to save around 50% on our budget compared to other products.
The managed service aspect of Zscaler Internet Access has allowed for reduced staffing costs, resulting in a saving of approximately 20-25% compared to prior expenses.
If there is a solution in the market, the people supporting it should be technical enough to resolve issues at their first level or second level, or at least at the third level.
The technical support from Fortinet is highly commendable
They improved their technical support assistance recently.
The technical support for Zscaler Internet Access is rated around seven out of ten due to some response time issues and the engagement model.
I find customer support to be quite adequate
Zscaler Internet Access is scalable and has points of presence across the globe to ensure low latency and reliable connections.
I find Zscaler Internet Access to be highly scalable, which was one of the reasons for choosing it.
They maintain high availability using numerous data centers globally.
FortiSASE is not stable yet and is in the learning stage.
Zscaler Internet Access is stable and capable of building resilient architectures.
Zscaler Internet Access is very stable, and I would rate its stability as nine out of ten.
FortiSASE implementation is too complex where other products take two to three months or maximum four months to implement, FortiSASE took more than double that time.
While connectivity from outside to inside is okay, inside to outside is not.
I believe the SASE solution from Fortinet requires improvement by developing a cloud management platform that handles tasks like setting up SD-WAN and automating firmware updates.
The response time and engagement model for technical support could be improved to handle complex outages more efficiently.
One feature I am missing is the ability to connect automatically to internal monitoring systems.
FortiSASE is an expensive product and the cost is indeed high.
The pricing for FortiCASB is competitive and not expensive.
When combining everything for a full SASE solution, I notice the pricing becomes quite high.
Zscaler Internet Access is less expensive than competitors like Palo Alto, offering a premium service justified by security enhancements and cost-effective scalability.
Zscaler Internet Access is recognized as an expensive solution.
In FortiSASE, these features are bundled, and since they are tightly integrated with the firewall, SD-WAN works without additional payment.
FortiCASB is user-friendly and integrates well with other Forti-products, providing enhanced management capabilities.
The important aspects are twofold. One is authorization, and the second is access control.
It also provides enhanced inspection capabilities, including SSL decryption, while maintaining compliance with organizational security policies.
The SSL inspection also offers added security, facilitating the exchange of critical data.
FortiSASE is a comprehensive security solution that combines SD-WAN, security, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) capabilities in a single platform. It provides secure access to applications and data from any device, anywhere, and at any time. FortiSASE offers advanced threat protection, real-time visibility, and control over network traffic, ensuring that organizations can securely connect their users and devices to the cloud and on-premises resources. With FortiSASE, organizations can simplify their security infrastructure, reduce costs, and improve their overall security posture.
FortiSASE combines the following key elements:
FortiSASE aims to simplify and streamline security operations by integrating multiple security functions and network services into a single platform. This approach allows organizations to reduce complexity, improve efficiency, and enhance overall security posture.
Reviews from Real Users
Peter VanDorp, Cyber Security Analyst and Network Operations Supervisor at a non-tech company, says that "Deep packet inspection is easier to deploy in the FortiSASE environment. It's much simpler to configure one-touch deployment. It was considerably more convoluted to get that to work using FortiClient. All that processing horsepower is happening in Fortinet's cloud infrastructure, reducing the load on our local routers and on-prem FortiGate firewalls."
Jose-Rivera, Account Manager at Telefónica, that FortiSASE is "Reliable with good security and helps with network optimization".
Zscaler Internet Access is a cloud-native security service edge (SSE) platform. Its main purpose is to provide AI-powered protection for all users, all applications, and all locations. The solution replaces other legacy network security solutions to stop advanced attacks and prevent data loss by using a comprehensive zero trust approach.
Zscaler Internet Access Features
Zscaler Internet Access has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:
Zscaler Internet Access Benefits
There are several benefits to implementing Zscaler Internet Access. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:
Reviews from Real Users
Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by Zscaler Internet Access users.
A Service Manager at a construction company says, "There are a bunch of different capabilities that are valuable within the platform. We use quite a lot of them, but not everything. The ones that are most important to us are the URL Filtering and the application control. For our needs, the cloud-native proxy architecture is a very good solution. This architecture helps with cyber threats because we inspect most of the traffic and we can see that a lot of threats are stopped directly in the secure web gateway."
Owen N., Security Architect at Claro Enterprise Solutions, explains that the solution’s most valuable features include “The integration of the gateway that inspects all ports and protocols. So, there is threat prevention; The cloud sandbox; VNS security; Access control that will protect URL filtering and the cloud firewall; Data protection that will protect your gateway, like your CASB or your cloud DLP; The capabilities of this will point your traffic to Zscaler Cloud.”
An Architecture Senior Manager at an insurance company mentions, "The data loss prevention feature is the most valuable. It stops our users from inadvertently leaking our customers' data to the Internet or anywhere else it shouldn't go." He also adds, “The solution provides quick access to cloud services, securing our data and allowing us to inspect all our traffic.”
We monitor all Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.
