Cisco IOS Security vs. Zscaler Internet Access

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco IOS Security
Score 7.2 out of 10
N/A
IOS Security from Cisco is network security technology.N/A
Zscaler Internet Access
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Zscaler Internet Access™ (ZIA) is a secure web gateway (SWG), delivering cloud native cyberthreat protection and zero trust access to the internet and SaaS apps.N/A
Pricing
Cisco IOS SecurityZscaler Internet Access
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco IOS SecurityZscaler Internet Access
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco IOS SecurityZscaler Internet Access
Features
Cisco IOS SecurityZscaler Internet Access
Identity Management
Comparison of Identity Management features of Product A and Product B
Cisco IOS Security
-
Ratings
Zscaler Internet Access
5.0
2 Ratings
56% below category average
Multi-Factor Authentication00 Ratings5.02 Ratings
Endpoint Security
Comparison of Endpoint Security features of Product A and Product B
Cisco IOS Security
-
Ratings
Zscaler Internet Access
10.0
2 Ratings
6% above category average
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Threat Intelligence
Comparison of Threat Intelligence features of Product A and Product B
Cisco IOS Security
-
Ratings
Zscaler Internet Access
9.5
5 Ratings
7% above category average
Network Analytics00 Ratings9.75 Ratings
Threat Recognition00 Ratings9.45 Ratings
Vulnerability Classification00 Ratings9.45 Ratings
Automated Alerts and Reporting00 Ratings9.45 Ratings
Threat Analysis00 Ratings9.75 Ratings
Threat Intelligence Reporting00 Ratings9.75 Ratings
Automated Threat Identification00 Ratings9.15 Ratings
Zero Trust Security
Comparison of Zero Trust Security features of Product A and Product B
Cisco IOS Security
-
Ratings
Zscaler Internet Access
9.7
5 Ratings
4% above category average
Continuous Verification00 Ratings9.75 Ratings
Secure Web Gateways00 Ratings9.75 Ratings
Network Flow Control00 Ratings9.75 Ratings
Network Traffic Analysis00 Ratings9.45 Ratings
Segmentation Leveraging00 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Admin Access Control00 Ratings9.45 Ratings
Network Data Encryption00 Ratings9.45 Ratings
Network Topology Mapping00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Cisco IOS SecurityZscaler Internet Access
Small Businesses
NinjaOne
NinjaOne
Score 9.1 out of 10
ThreatLocker
ThreatLocker
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Cisco Meraki MX
Cisco Meraki MX
Score 9.1 out of 10
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Score 8.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Cisco Meraki MX
Cisco Meraki MX
Score 9.1 out of 10
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access
Score 8.8 out of 10
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User Ratings
Cisco IOS SecurityZscaler Internet Access
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(4 ratings)
8.7
(22 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
8.4
(6 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(2 ratings)
8.1
(5 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco IOS SecurityZscaler Internet Access
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
When it comes to security on the edge of your network (downstream) Cisco's IOS security features provide pretty much everything you need when it comes to securing your network, network devices, and access. I would absolutely recommend Cisco switches due to many reasons, but a big reason is security.
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Zscaler
It's best suited for a distributed remote workforce, securing internet access for users from anywhere. Suitable for highly regulated industries, such as banking and Healthcare. Not a good fit for an organisation where most of its legacy is in an on-premises environment. Bandwidth-intensive industries like media/entertainment firms.
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Pros
Cisco
  • Authentication.
  • Access lists.
  • Port security.
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Zscaler
  • Single Pane of Glass Management - Everything is very easy to access and monitor the entire environment from an internet security perspective.
  • Install Flexibility - We can and do install Zscaler Internet Access on both our client devices as well as our SD-WAN appliances and servers. This allows us to control internet security even on devices without an agent in our networks.
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Cons
Cisco
  • Cisco could provide an initial set up script for those are not used to the CLI (Command Line Interface). With that initial script, people could easily deploy the security features instead of having to learn how to use the commands.
  • The web interface that Cisco provides with the routers, although it’s useful to set up the security features, it could also have some sort of tutorials to help people understand the main concepts of iOS security.
  • You have to license iOS security separately from the main OS. For that reason, sometimes it tends to be a little expensive if you have a small business.
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Zscaler
  • The logs feel kind of lack luster
  • When issues are arising with SSL Inspection, logs show everything working despite end user experience
  • Could use some kind of global find functionality or something that would allow you to search the entire configuration for matching URLs and the like
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Zscaler
While Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA) delivers critical value in cloud security and RBI compliance, I rate renewal likelihood 7/10 due to evolving needs versus platform limitations. Below is my rationale:
Key Gaps:
1. Advanced Threat Costs:
ZIA’s add-ons (e.g., Advanced DLP, Sandboxing) incur 35%+ cost premiums – straining budgets as transaction volumes (UPI/iMobile) grow 50% YoY.
2. API Banking Scalability:
ZIA’s API rate limits throttle real-time policy sync during UPI peaks (10K+ TPS), forcing workarounds for finacle integrations.
3. RBI Future-Proofing:
Limited native support for upcoming digital rupee (CBDC) security rules requires custom development, increasing compliance overhead.
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Usability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Zscaler
The application is easy to install and configure on all Windows devices. To troubleshoot any internet issue, we can easily collect all the relevant logs from Zscaler and check the exact issue. The only problem is with the uninstall, as a dedicated crew needs to provide the password.
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Performance
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Zscaler
There are often performance issues reported
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Support Rating
Cisco
Cisco has the best Support team that gives us 24/7 support as we need. Cisco has huge detailed documentation for design, implementation, and troubleshooting all areas of the IOS security. There are many communities discussing all Cisco devices and solutions for studying groups and for customers to share their stories, technical problem and solutions.
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Zscaler
Zscaler's ZIA support is quick and knowledgable. They respond within 1-2 hours of you submitting your ticket. They are very thorough and are typically ready to jump on a live troubleshooting session. Our ZIA platform and how we use is it unique so at times tickets can be open for weeks but we alway get quality support compared to other unrelated product support in our enterprise
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Alternatives Considered
Cisco
I also like HP Procurve. It is my choice when the customer cannot afford Cisco. Cisco is better all round but HP is the only other [product] I will use if I have a choice.
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Zscaler
Zscaler Intenet Access outperformed the competition due to its lightning-fast policy delivery and cross-compatibility. It is easy to track employee usage and block unnecessary websites, reducing company internet usage. Zscalar installed on every system increases cloud-based software bandwidth, decreasing user turnaround time and increasing efficiency.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • Cisco iOS security helped our business deploy a relatively safe solution for a small amount of money.
  • If you don’t have enough budget to invest in a robust and expensive firewall solution, you can safely use Cisco iOS security to protect your branch or remote office without compromise your network.
  • Because Cisco iOS security uses a simple command-line based interface, you can deploy standardized scripts and keep the operational costs low.
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Zscaler
  • Has allowed us to remove other products that were suboptimal
  • Saved us money overall by stacking it with other Zscaler products
  • Created a more secure work environment for our users through intelligent internet policies that are not needlessly restrictive while still maintaining security best practices
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ScreenShots

Zscaler Internet Access Screenshots

Screenshot of an overview of Zscaler Internet Access (ZIA), a cloud native security service edge (SSE) solution that builds on a decade of secure web gateway leadership. Offered as a scalable SaaS platform through Zscaler's security cloud, it replaces legacy network security solutions, preventing advanced attacks and data loss with a comprehensive zero trust approach. ZIA is integrated into the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ to provide superior defense-in-depth, secure connectivity, end user experience, and administrative visibility and control.