We use Cisco IOS Security for security functions like firewalls and IPS in specific remote branches.
Senior Network Security Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
A scalable solution that can be used for security functions like firewalls and IPS
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco IOS Security increases the overall security of our network, performs authentication, and provides level 15 access and privileges."
- "Cisco IOS Security should improve its functionalities."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Cisco IOS Security enables communication between our network nodes. The solution provides authentication like policy enforcement, QOS, and intelligent routing. We use Cisco IOS Security for administration purposes.
What is most valuable?
Cisco IOS Security increases the overall security of our network, performs authentication, and provides level 15 access and privileges.
What needs improvement?
Cisco IOS Security should improve its functionalities.
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Cisco IOS Security
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco IOS Security for more than four years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Cisco IOS Security a nine out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is good. I rate the solution's technical support eight and a half out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup is straightforward.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment with Cisco IOS Security.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution's pricing is very good.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate Cisco IOS Security a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Network Administrator at MP Tech
Has good scalability, but its technical support services need improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The product has valuable features for business intelligence."
- "The product's technical support services need improvement."
How has it helped my organization?
Cisco IOS Security helps us with splitting the DNS between a specific perimeter.
What is most valuable?
The product has valuable features for business intelligence. It enables intrusion detection for the network.
What needs improvement?
The product's technical support services need improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cisco IOS Security for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco releases new patches and updates, whenever required. I rate its stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the product’s scalability a ten out of ten. We have three users for it in our organization. We might increase the usage depending on the business requirements.
How are customer service and support?
Cisco has a lot of support partners. However, it takes a long time to replace some equipment.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) before.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup requires specific training. I rate the process an eight out of ten. The deployment involves setting up a bot for Buffalo with the management IP address. After that, I deploy the data center and access it remotely to complete the process.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate Cisco IOS Security's pricing a ten out of ten.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated a few products. Later, we opted for Cisco as we already have experience working with it.
What other advice do I have?
It is a good product. It is valuable in terms of availability. Once configured and installed, the equipment runs for years. I rate it a seven out of ten as its support cost is high.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco IOS Security
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Cisco IOS Security. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
902,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Ict User Support Technician at Jju
Not user-friendly, or stable, but is easy to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is endpoint protection."
- "The solution is complex and can be more user-friendly."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of the solution is firewall protection.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is endpoint protection.
What needs improvement?
The security of the solution has room for improvement.
The solution is complex and can be more user-friendly.
The stability and scalability can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for over one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is not stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution doesn't have the proper bandwidth source to be scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
The deployment takes about two hours.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution a six out of ten.
We have over 1,000 people using the solution in our organization.
We require around ten people for the deployment and maintenance of the solution.
I do not recommend the solution because it is not secure and is complex.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Information Technology Specialist at twigalpha
It's a reliable solution that will be around for a long time, but the configuration and reporting interfaces need improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The VPN was valuable for us because more people are working from home, and it has a lot of reporting and easy-to-use management tools."
- "The configuration and reporting interfaces need a lot of improvement. It needs to be more accessible forsolide without a strong technical background. If you had a simplified dashboard, the lower-level techs could manage the solution and provide services. Cisco IOS Security requires someone who is highly trained to operate it."
- "I rate Cisco support four out of 10. Dealing with Cisco support is complicated."
What is our primary use case?
My organization is an ISP using IOS Security to secure enterprise resources. We previously had it deployed on-premises, but we have switched to the cloud. We prefer AWS for latency purposes because it's based in South Africa.
What is most valuable?
The VPN was valuable for us because more people are working from home. It has a lot of reporting and easy-to-use management tools.
What needs improvement?
The configuration and reporting interfaces need a lot of improvement. It needs to be more accessible forsolide without a strong technical background. If you had a simplified dashboard, the lower-level techs could manage the solution and provide services. Cisco IOS Security requires someone who is highly trained to operate it.
There is central management, but reporting could be more centralized too. You can have a lab module. However, we need to see some es, and that will help you deploy without breaking the live system. There's no way for me to have a live system to test my new configuration. If it breaks, I have to deploy it and reverse it to the previous configuration.
It would be nice if I could create an online lab on the fly to test for 10 minutes to an hour without messing anything up. That would be great, especially for things that we do on our live network appliance.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Cisco since the late 90s.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great. It takes a bit of time for them to introduce new features that I want.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
All Cisco products are scalable. The scalability is there, but the pricing model isn't straightforward.
How are customer service and support?
I rate Cisco support four out of 10. Dealing with Cisco support is complicated. First, there's a time difference because we are in the GMT+2 time zone. It sometimes takes a while for your ticket to be assigned. Today, I find that other cloud service providers respond much quicker than Cisco, even though they are smaller. They need to improve on response time.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
It was the first solution I've used, and I've stuck with it because I'm comfortable with it. I haven't used other products, but I'm evaluating some because Cisco is becoming more complicated in terms of licensing, features, and other stuff.
How was the initial setup?
I wouldn't say the deployment was complicated, but I wouldn't use the word "easy" either. It's straightforward if you know what you're doing. However, it can be complicated if you don't know what you're trying to do. You need a bit of training before touching it. By contrast, FortiGate is easier to get started, but Cisco solutions require training before you start messing with them.
It wasn't much of a challenge for me because I've been working with Cisco for a while. Initially, there were some painful moments where you thought these things would break.
What about the implementation team?
We were doing everything by ourselves at first, but we ended up using an integrator at some point.
What was our ROI?
In IT services, we don't calculate return on investment. It allows the business to grow, so we don't calculate the return. We just look at the IT cost.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate IOS Security six out of 10 for pricing
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco IOS Security six out of 10. For someone who wants something that works, they can be sure that Cisco will be there in the next five years. Cisco products have longevity because the company is secure, and you know the product will be supported for many years.
There is longevity if you can afford it. At the same time, you'll need to invest in learning the product. The most vital aspect of Cisco is that it works, and the company is there for you. You are sure it'll be there tomorrow.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Presale Agent
Beneficial posturing, scales well, and helpful support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Cisco IOS Security is posturing."
- "The scalability of Cisco IOS Security is good, and I can increase and decrease elements when needed for approximately 45,000 people who can use the solution, including about 1,000 IT managers, technicians, and other users who directly use it."
- "Cisco IOS Security could improve by having more compatibility with other Cisco solutions."
- "The whole process can be complex."
What is our primary use case?
The main purpose of Cisco IOS Security is for our data center. It connects each node and user to the network.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Cisco IOS Security is posturing.
What needs improvement?
Cisco IOS Security could improve by having more compatibility with other Cisco solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco IOS Security for approximately three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco IOS Security is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Cisco IOS Security is good. I can increase and decrease elements when needed.
We have approximately 45,000 people that can use the solution. Additionally, We have approximately 1,000 IT managers, technicians, and other users who directly use this solution.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Cisco IOS Security was very helpful.
I rate the support from Cisco IOS Security a four out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used another similar solution.
How was the initial setup?
I can do all the implementation of the solutions through the Cisco DNA Center. I can manage the Cisco IOS Security configuration. The whole process can be complex. Additionally, when we cannot connect to the internet we need to do manual configuration.
The full setup can take a couple of hours. However, initially, it took to use a couple of weeks.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation of Cisco IOS Security in-house.
We have two service engineers that are involved in the deployment and maintenance of the solution. They have the appropriate training needed to support the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cisco IOS Security an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Senior Solution Architect at Zak Solution
Scalable solution with good technical support services
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is stable."
- "The solution’s setup process could be better."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to secure data centres for clients.
What is most valuable?
The solution has the best features for routers embedded with firewall capabilities. It helps us protect the network.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s setup process could be better. It is complex regarding troubleshooting, and only highly skilled engineers can resolve it.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. We have more than 100 clients using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is excellent. The team includes certified engineers.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup process is easy if you are highly skilled in handling the troubleshooting part. The deployment takes around two to three weeks, depending on the requirements.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We can purchase the solution's licenses as per specific business requirements.
What other advice do I have?
The solution provides a robust system. I advise others to understand the technology to use the system with ease.
I rate it a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
ICT Leader at Safripol (Pty) Ltd.
A robust solution, but its monitoring could be improved
Pros and Cons
- "Cisco IOS Security is very robust and works very well."
- "Cisco IOS Security's monitoring is rather rudimentary and could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use Cisco IOS Security to segregate IT and OT environments.
What is most valuable?
Cisco IOS Security is very robust and works very well. Once set up and operational, very limited human interaction is required with the device to run it for years. We deployed the solution, activated certain features, and forgot about it. We didn't have the necessary tools to monitor and maintain the solution actively.
What needs improvement?
Cisco IOS Security's monitoring is rather rudimentary and could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco IOS Security for around 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Cisco IOS Security a ten out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Less than fifty users were using Cisco IOS Security in my previous organization.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Cisco IOS Security is relatively straightforward compared to other firewalls. We had two people, including myself and a network specialist, for the deployment and maintenance of Cisco IOS Security.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution in-house.
What was our ROI?
Cisco IOS Security got the job done. The solution was secure and stable. So we got a decent return on investment.
What other advice do I have?
I look at companies and what they specialize in, and Cisco never really specialized in security. Other companies have security as their core focus. I will not be deploying any Cisco security devices in the near future.
Overall, I rate Cisco IOS Security a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Sales Engineer at Ingram Micro
A stable and scalable firewall solution
Pros and Cons
- "We use the product for firewalls."
- "We cannot directly upgrade the system. The tool's deployment is also very difficult in legacy environments. The tool needs to have bigger ports as well."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product for firewalls.
What needs improvement?
We cannot directly upgrade the system. The tool's deployment is also very difficult in legacy environments. The tool needs to have bigger ports as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment takes around thirty minutes to complete.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The tool could be priced lower. If you want advanced services, then you need to purchase them.
What other advice do I have?
Most of our customers are from the banking and financial domain. I have chosen the product after a thorough comparison and reading through whitepapers.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Business Development Manager at Odxs
Very highly scalable and an effective Umbrella integration for tech analysis
Pros and Cons
- "The solution effectively integrates with Umbrella."
- "The solution is not user friendly and it is hard to manage the GUI interface."
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses the solution as intrusion protection for customers. It fully integrates with the BMA and ISE. We manage all traffic in data centers to protect them from internal users and outside traffic.
What is most valuable?
The solution effectively integrates with Umbrella which has an intelligent background and is very helpful in tech analysis or discovery.
What needs improvement?
The solution is not user friendly and it is hard to manage the GUI interface. This is an ongoing CISCO problem.
The solution needs Active/Active firewalls to have good load balance with high availability. The firewalls should work simultaneously, not just as failovers.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable if configured properly. I rate stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very highly scalable and other products really don't compete with its scalability. The solution can easily be used for small companies or big enterprises with thousands of users. I rate scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support does not have a broad knowledge base, so I rate them a six out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The setup is better than before but still not easy or clear like Palo Alto. If you want to configure the solution, then you need to study how to do it.
The setup is difficult so I rate it a six out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
We implement the solution for customers on our own unless we have an issue or bug. It takes one expert staff person for deployment. Depending on the customer's policies and the network's complexity, deployment might take from three to seven days.
Our process includes verifying the license and setting up the firewall, hardware, FMC, and the failover when there is more than one firewall. We then define or set up the configurable interfaces and the IP addresses. Finally, we define the VLAN of the customer and policies for each VLAN.
The solution does not require ongoing maintenance if it is configured properly.
What was our ROI?
Our ROI is that the solution saves time because it reduces attacks and helps with ongoing protection. The subscription model is also very helpful for ROI.
I rate ROI at 1800%.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is average and includes all features with support. I rate pricing a six out of ten.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Palo Alto has a better GUI interface for handling all features and is easier to configure.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution and rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
Director at Cros Elements LLC
Powerful, easy to set up, and nice interface
Pros and Cons
- "The security is very good."
- "Cisco is great; it's likely number one in the world, and I'd recommend the solution as it is a very powerful product."
- "Sometimes I find it difficult to manage. Some configurations are difficult for new engineers, for example."
What is our primary use case?
We're using it for internet traffic security. It's for protection.
What is most valuable?
We don't have a problem with the user interface and it is pretty user-friendly.
We don't mind the cost.
The security is very good.
Cisco is very good, very powerful.
It's a reliable, stable product in general. It's better than the competition.
The product is easy to set up.
It is a stable product.
We find the product to be scalable.
What needs improvement?
How to improve the solution depends on the usage.
Sometimes I find it difficult to manage. Some configurations are difficult for new engineers, for example.
It could be more flexible.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for the last ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a very stable, reliable product. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable product.
We have 500 to 600 people using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
Before, it was very easy to get in touch with support. However, it's become more difficult. It can take a long time to get an answer. We also have to deal with time differences, which can make it harder to get an answer.
How was the initial setup?
It is very easy for me to implement the solution. It's very good, it's very easy. There are command planning and equations. Cisco is very simple. We don't have issue with Cisco.
The deployment depends on the product you use and the network design.
You can do it in small batches. It can take some time to refresh. It might take one or two days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost may be around $5,000 to $10,000 a year. If you want support you have to pay at least this price.
What other advice do I have?
We are a Cisco customer and end-user.
We've been using the mid-range version since 2012.
I'd rate the solution around eight out of ten.
Cisco is great. It's likely number one in the world. I'd recommend the solution as it is a very powerful product. However, it's best to have Cisco experts on staff or available to you to make things easier.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
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Updated: June 2026
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