Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Check Point IPS vs Cisco IOS Security comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 19, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.5
Check Point IPS offers peace of mind, cost savings, and efficient protection, providing significant ROI through enhanced security and reduced downtime.
Sentiment score
8.1
Cisco IOS Security offers high ROI through improved efficiency, reduced risks, cost savings, and a beneficial subscription model.
Efficiency has improved, as we've seen a reduction in attack investigations and also seen efficiency in systems administration, security-wise.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.5
Check Point IPS support is generally reliable and responsive, although some users experience delays due to detailed resolution processes.
Sentiment score
7.0
Cisco IOS Security offers expert support but faces criticism for slow responses and communication challenges, remaining a strong choice.
The customer support for Check Point IPS is great.
Our technical teams have personal relationships with our account executives and direct support people.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Check Point IPS scales well across network sizes, supporting both on-premises and cloud deployments, enhancing performance and flexibility.
Sentiment score
7.5
Cisco IOS Security is praised for scalability and efficiency but may require additional hardware and specific Cisco equipment.
We have moved to a hyper-scale master environment, allowing us to scale by adding additional gateways to the clusters.
Check Point IPS's scalability is good, as it can handle growth easily if our organization expands.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
Check Point IPS is praised for stability and reliability, with minor hardware concerns and high user ratings.
Sentiment score
7.7
Cisco IOS Security is praised for stability and reliability, with few integration issues reported when not using Cisco equipment.
Check Point IPS provides a very stable and reliable environment.
I find Cisco IOS Security to be a very stable product.
 

Room For Improvement

Check Point IPS users need better detection, performance, support, documentation, integration, and automation, with concerns about cost and licensing.
Cisco IOS Security needs more intuitive management, better performance, advanced features, and improved integration, usability, and support.
Automated attack path correlation in SmartEvent to improve situational awareness.
Visual analytics and automated attack path correlation in SmartEvent to enhance situational awareness and attack identification.
I believe they can improve on the algorithms to better identify and predict attacks, and they can also add its binaries to reduce false positives.
 

Setup Cost

Check Point IPS pricing is costly, but offers value with bundling, simple licensing, and justifiable costs through performance benefits.
Cisco IOS Security is pricey, subscription-based, aimed at medium-to-large enterprises, with recent SMB options, often seen as expensive.
Comparisons with Fortinet show that Check Point IPS is relatively more expensive, but we found it cheaper to retain it rather than switch.
 

Valuable Features

Check Point IPS is praised for its protection, ease of use, integration, and effective threat management with minimal false positives.
Cisco IOS Security enhances network security with robust features, user-friendly interface, and strong performance, preferred over competitors.
The integration with Check Point ThreatCloud ensures the IPS engine is updated with the latest attack signatures.
The solution employs behavioral heuristic analysis to block zero-day attacks using AI-powered engines.
It made audits easier by helping us pass an audit check, and it also helped to reduce attacks; we've seen actually, ever since we got it, we've not yet gotten any attack, but we've been able to identify possible attacks to our organization.
This solution, called Network Access Controller, handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for devices accessing the network.
 

Categories and Ranking

Check Point IPS
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
55
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Cisco IOS Security
Ranking in Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
7th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
48
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (20th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) category, the mindshare of Check Point IPS is 5.7%, down from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 1.0%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS)
 

Featured Reviews

Greg Tate - PeerSpot reviewer
Great for detection and access with the capabilities of defining specific rules
Support is the biggest area for improvement. Check Point is responsive, however, their support agents seem to be very siloed in their ability and/or product knowledge. It takes time and escalation to get through most tickets as they are passed from one group to another and then back again. We are able to navigate our support issues with the aid of our account team, so I want to underscore that support is indeed responsive. However, the processes support techs have to follow seem to be the root cause of the support response issues.
Karthik Venkataraman - PeerSpot reviewer
User-friendly and excels in documentation, making it easier to resolve issues
Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It offers good network visibility, which helps in rapid response through the Rapid Threat Containment feature. Its deployment and configuration are straightforward. From a networking perspective, for instance, Cisco IOS incorporates time-tested security features. The zone-based firewall feature has significantly influenced our network security management. For instance, when managing multiple geolocations, it's essential to apply geographically appropriate policies. If a customer operates within the UK zone, I need to implement UK-specific policies. This approach is also applicable to customers in the Asia Pacific and UK regions. It enables me to tailor security policies based on the geographical location of my customers, such as adjusting policies for customers in China or Japan. This flexibility helps in creating a comprehensive zone list. Additionally, this feature allows for seamless service agreements between all zones from headquarters, providing access to all zones within the firewall we create. Essentially, it facilitates the creation of zones within the firewall.
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) solutions are best for your needs.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
23%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Government
8%
University
7%
Computer Software Company
27%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Check Point IPS?
The most valuable feature of the solution is called tunneling. Tunneling is one of the major security features that hackers cannot penetrate through.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point IPS?
Comparisons with Fortinet show that Check Point IPS is relatively more expensive, but we found it cheaper to retain it rather than switch.
What needs improvement with Check Point IPS?
Currently, the solution is good for my needs, so I don't have any particular improvements to recommend. However, a reduction in price would always be welcome.
What do you like most about Cisco IOS Security?
Cisco IOS Security is a mature product with extensive capabilities, serving as the base for the defense layer. It offers good network visibility, which helps in rapid response through the Rapid Thr...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?
Pricing can be reduced. I rate the current price for the product a four out of ten.
What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?
While I do not have specific recommendations for improvement, pricing can be reduced.
 

Also Known As

Check Point Intrusion Prevention System
IOS Security
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Morton Salt, Medical Advocacy and Outreach, BH Telecom, Lightbeam Health Solutions, X by Orange, Cadence, Nihondentsu, Datastream Connexion, Good Sam, Omnyway, FIASA, Pacific Life, Banco del Pacifico, Control Southern, Xero, Centrify
Arup Group, Brunel University London, City of Biel, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates , New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Offshore Northern Seas, Transplace
Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point IPS vs. Cisco IOS Security and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.