Cisco Secure Access vs FortiSASE comparison

Cisco and Fortinet are both solutions in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) category. Cisco is ranked #16 with an average rating of 9.0, while Fortinet is ranked #10 with an average rating of 7.6. Cisco holds a 3.3% mindshare in SASE, compared to Fortinet’s 7.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 87% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 10, 2024

FortiSASE and Cisco Secure Access compete in secure access solutions. FortiSASE has the upper hand in pricing and customer support, while Cisco Secure Access shines in advanced features with justified costs.

Features: FortiSASE includes comprehensive security tools, scalable solutions, and praised customer satisfaction. Cisco Secure Access stands out with robust integration capabilities, advanced security measures, and is favored for extensive feature integrability.

Room for Improvement: FortiSASE could improve reporting, simplify security policy management, and enhance management tools. Cisco Secure Access needs better documentation, improved initial setup support, and feedback suggests enhancing user guides.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: FortiSASE is noted for straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Cisco Secure Access is more complex to deploy, but users acknowledge attentive support accompanying its setup.

Pricing and ROI: FortiSASE is known for competitive pricing and faster ROI with affordability. Cisco Secure Access requires higher initial investment but offers long-term benefits that justify its cost, appealing to those valuing extensive features.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Secure Access vs. FortiSASE Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Access vs. FortiSASE

April 2025

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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

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) category, the mindshare of iboss is 1.7%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Secure Access is 3.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of FortiSASE is 7.1%, up from 3.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

Featured Reviews

Matt Crockford

Head of Cybersecurity at SES Water

It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless

One aspect we value about iboss is its simplicity. Their customer service is brilliant, and they are super responsive and knowledgeable. It's easy to roll out, and their understanding of our business made it seamless. We were impressed by the solution's mental health function, which can detect if someone needs help. It scans what users are browsing and flags warning signs so we can check to see if they are okay. We've had to use it a couple of times. The user interface is highly intuitive. Our IT team picked it up with minimal training. It's arranged so that it's easy to find where things are. Another advantage is the single pane of glass console, which gives you visibility into what's happening. We're not fully there yet because we haven't implemented zero trust, but we're excited about the possibilities from the demos we've seen. We launched a POC of iboss' ChatGPT Risk Protection feature two weeks ago. AI is a great tool, but you need to be careful what you put into it. My biggest fear is employees inputting sensitive corporate information or customer PII data into one of these chatbots. I was impressed by our trial of the feature. It's exactly what we wanted. Now, when a user goes to ChatGPT, there's a banner warning them not to share information, and we can block conversations containing customer data like bank details and email addresses. I don't want to stop people from using it, but we need visibility. We've only tried it on a test group of 15 people. You can configure it to look for specific keywords or integrate it with your DLP policy if you have that configured

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Aruna Udawatte

Director -Digital Transformation at Convergence

Maintaining top security with comprehensive updates and support

The most valuable feature of Cisco Secure Access is the level of security it provides. Cisco's dedication to the security industry is evident with how it remains up-to-date on current situations and recent attacks. Updates are frequent, and firmware upgrades are delivered promptly. It is very easy to stay updated, which is crucial for maintaining security.

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Peter VanDorp

Cyber Security Analyst and Network Operations Supervisor at a non-tech company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Improved our operational efficiency because we manage one system now that manages all the sub-pieces to it

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. There wasn't much of a learning curve because we are already a Fortinet organization. We still use all the same pieces, but the interface is slightly different. Still, I don't think the average user would have difficulty picking the solution up. They've got some excellent documentation and support to help you through any questions you may have. FortiSASE lets us manage everything from one web interface. That's the most significant benefit. We also use FortiManager, but it could only do so much when we only used on-prem systems. We still need to touch the EMS server and a few other interfaces to make all the pieces work. FortiSASE puts everything in one place. If something doesn't work, you've got support there to help you out. Previously, we had local support, but it's more complicated because you needed to explain your environment. The SASE environment is under their control, so they know what it looks like and what they're dealing with.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Iboss is a solution that prevents advanced persistent threats, and has a zero tolerance for attacks."

"Our primary use case for this product is DLP,"

"First of all, the security policies are essential. I do not have to rely solely on Active Directory for our users."

"It was a very easy product to install. It can be deployed very fast."

"We chose iboss for both zero trust and proxy (SWG) because their SWG was superior."

"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."

"I would definitely recommend iboss for web filtering purposes to other organizations or individuals."

"The security aspect of the solution, particularly the malware behind it, is excellent. That's something that really helped us out. It's not just a simple proxy that just blocks the insights of potential threats that come on behind it. They do malware detection and that helps us a lot."

More iboss pros

"I use this solution for securing security controls like Secure Security Control (SSC) for local Internet breakouts."

"The main feature of interest to me and the customers is DNS security and Integrated Secure Web Control (ISWC)."

"The most valuable feature is the authentication feature."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco Secure Access is the level of security it provides."

"I rate the stability of Cisco Secure Access as ten out of ten."

"I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten."

"We built a local node in Jordan, which is the main advantage. The data is localized in-country."

"Overall, I'd rate the product eight out of ten."

"This advantage is having the ability to create an SPA unit of FortiGate."

"I find Fortinet to be competitive with its firewalls."

"The technical support from Fortinet is highly commendable, and I rate it as nine out of ten."

"I feel that it is a stable solution...It is a scalable solution."

"The integration with the company's existing security infrastructure enhanced our security posture since it was a straightforward process."

"It has AI-based detections for any signature-less virus or any unknown vulnerabilities."

More FortiSASE pros

Cons

"For zero trust implementation, we encountered complexity issues, especially with a large infrastructure company ExxonMobil."

"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."

"I'd like to see them accelerate development on the security side, particularly around data loss prevention."

"File integrity monitoring would be very advantageous as an additional feature."

"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."

"To scale up, a new iboss Node Blade Chassis must be purchased."

"Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern."

"Our iboss subscription access should be more secure with an OTP or VPN etc. It is easy to gain access if, for example, hackers obtain my username and password."

More iboss cons

"Cisco is not well accepted in the market since they are somewhat behind their competitors."

"I received support from the team for Cisco Secure Access related to web services. There were occasional delays of up to two working days."

"The main issue with pricing is that it is higher compared to other competitors, making it challenging to work with customers unless they specifically request Cisco."

"Having been associated with Cisco for more than fifteen to twenty years, I find it increasingly difficult to get tech support these days. Although Cisco is reliable, the process to raise a support ticket has become more complex, requiring specific user accounts and access to specialized platforms."

"There is a need for improved global coverage since the service relies on the cloud provider's data centers."

"It is expensive."

"FortiSASE is an expensive product and the cost is indeed high."

"They need to have more concise or precise ways to come up with the return on investment for convincing or presenting this to customers."

"The GUI and connectivity, along with the support offered, are some of the areas of concern in the product where improvements are required."

"The current high-tech version of FortiSASE is not recommended due to its heavy loading."

"They are trying to improve the features of FortiSASE, however, many FortiSASE gates still cannot connect. While connectivity from outside to inside is okay, inside to outside is not."

"Some of the solution's back-end connectivity and visibility are not robust and could be improved."

"I do not recommend FortiSASE for everyone."

"FortiSASE is a work in progress. One area where there is room for improvement is the ability to use FortiSASE on an endpoint that doesn't have the client on it. Other solutions do that by building a VPN tunnel from their on-prem router into the SASE environment. FortiSASE doesn't have that feature yet, but it is on the roadmap for Q3 of this year. I've seen it in their development environment."

More FortiSASE cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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 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 probably in line with other solutions, but I do not deal with the financial side."

"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."

"It is expensive compared to one of its competitors."

Information not available

"I rate the product price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is high price, and ten is low price."

"I rate the product's price a six on a scale of one to ten, where one is low price and ten is high price."

"I can only speak about the pricing for education users because we get discounts. Other users aren't going to get the same price, but FortiSASE is competitive with the other products out there. All the solutions came in at the same price, so it just came down to the product that works best for us."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Construction Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

20%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about iboss?

Content filtering is the most useful feature of iboss.

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What needs improvement with iboss?

I have a couple of thoughts for improvement, but usually when I address them with my rep, they put it into the featur...

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What is your primary use case for iboss?

We use it primarily for simpler filtering because we're a K12 entity.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Secure Access?

Cisco is known for being a premium product, and its pricing reflects this. Although competitive, a more flexible pric...

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What is your primary use case for Cisco Secure Access?

Our primary use case for Cisco Secure Access ( /products/cisco-secure-access-reviews ) is seamless connectivity for u...

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What advice do you have for others considering Cisco Secure Access?

In terms of overall rating, I give Cisco Secure Access a nine. I would definitely recommend it to other users.

See all answers

What do you like most about FortiSASE ?

The integration with the company's existing security infrastructure enhanced our security posture since it was a stra...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for FortiSASE ?

I have not fully explored the costs yet, but when dealing solely with firewalls and switches, I find Fortinet's prici...

See all answers

What needs improvement with FortiSASE ?

I believe the SASE solution from Fortinet requires improvement by developing a cloud management platform that handles...

See all answers

Comparisons

Zscaler Internet Access vs iboss

Compared 19% of the time

Netskope vs iboss

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs iboss

Compared 15% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs iboss

Compared 10% of the time

Cloudflare One vs iboss

Compared 9% of the time

More iboss Competitors

Cisco Umbrella vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 61% of the time

Netskope vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 17% of the time

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 6% of the time

Cato SASE Cloud Platform vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 3% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs Cisco Secure Access

Compared 2% of the time

More Cisco Secure Access Competitors

Prisma Access by Palo Alto Networks vs FortiSASE

Compared 22% of the time

Zscaler Internet Access vs FortiSASE

Compared 19% of the time

Netskope vs FortiSASE

Compared 11% of the time

Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform vs FortiSASE

Compared 11% of the time

Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps vs FortiSASE

Compared 4% of the time

More FortiSASE Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

iboss

May 2025

Download iboss product report

Buyer's Guide

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

May 2025

Download Cisco Secure Access product report

Buyer's Guide

FortiSASE

May 2025

Download FortiSASE product report

Also Known As

iBoss Cloud Platform

No data available

Overview

iboss offers a comprehensive security platform designed for diverse use cases such as web filtering, data loss protection, corporate proxy services, and URL filtering.

iboss integrates advanced features to address dynamic security needs, leveraging its strength in SASE, ZTNA, AI initiatives, and cloud integration, while ensuring seamless operations for remote work. It excels in historical forensics, malware protection, and flexible cloud deployments. Users benefit from comprehensive traffic scanning, robust malware detection, and PaaS capabilities that reduce hardware management. An intuitive admin console ensures efficient management with content filtering and low false positives. SSL decryption enhances security, while DLP protects data in AI conversations. Deployment is rapid and scalable, allowing effortless integration with emerging technologies.

What features does iboss offer?

Granular Web Filtering: Provides precise control over web content access.
Traffic Scanning: Monitors data through multiple ports for security breaches.
Malware Detection: Ensures superior protection against malware threats.
PaaS Capabilities: Eliminates need for hardware management.
SSL Decryption: Enhances data protection by decrypting secure connections.
DLP Capabilities: Safeguards data during AI interactions.

What benefits and ROI should users consider?

Scalability: Adapts quickly to growing demands and emerging tech integration.
Rapid Deployment: Reduces time to implement security measures.
User-Friendly Admin Console: Facilitates efficient operations management.
Low False Positives: Increases accuracy of threat detection systems.

iboss finds significant application in sectors such as education, where web filtering for K-12 is crucial, and in corporate environments requiring robust proxy services and URL filtering for network security. Its adaptability is essential in scenarios demanding flexible, decentralized security frameworks, particularly for remote work setups.

iboss

Cisco Secure Access is a comprehensive solution that ensures secure access to networks and protects against unauthorized access. It is used for network authentication, enforcing access policies, managing user identities, securing remote access, and providing secure connectivity for devices. Users have praised its robust security measures, seamless integration with existing systems, user-friendly interface, and reliable network performance.

Cisco

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 Benefits:

Easy to use and set up
Good value for the price
Provides accurate and reliable results
Compact and portable design
Comes with helpful instructions and customer support

FortiSASE combines the following key elements:

Networking: FortiSASE provides networking capabilities, including SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network), WAN optimization, and network traffic routing. It allows organizations to optimize and secure their network connectivity.
Security: FortiSASE integrates multiple security services, including next-generation firewall (NGFW), secure web gateway (SWG), secure web application firewall (WAF), and zero-trust network access (ZTNA). It offers comprehensive protection against various threats, such as malware, intrusions, and data breaches.
Cloud Security: FortiSASE includes cloud-native security services to protect cloud-based applications and workloads. It offers secure access to cloud services, cloud-based firewalls, and security for multi-cloud environments.
Zero Trust Security: FortiSASE follows the Zero Trust security model, where all users and devices are treated as untrusted and must undergo strict authentication and authorization before accessing resources. It enforces granular access controls and micro-segmentation to limit lateral movement within the network.
Secure Web Access: FortiSASE includes secure web access capabilities, enabling organizations to enforce web filtering policies, block malicious websites, and protect against web-based threats like phishing and malware.
Visibility and Analytics: FortiSASE provides centralized visibility and analytics to monitor network traffic, security events, and user behavior. It helps organizations detect and respond to security incidents and provides insights for ongoing security improvements.

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".

Fortinet

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.

1. IBM 2. Microsoft 3. Amazon 4. Google 5. Apple 6. Cisco Systems 7. Oracle 8. Intel 9. HP Inc. 10. Dell Technologies 11. Verizon Communications 12. AT&T 13. Comcast 14. T-Mobile 15. Sprint 16. Vodafone 17. Orange 18. BT Group 19. Deutsche Telekom 20. Telefonica 21. Nokia 22. Ericsson 23. Samsung Electronics 24. Sony 25. Panasonic 26. LG Electronics 27. Siemens 28. General Electric 29. Ford Motor Company 30. General Motors 31. Toyota Motor Corporation 32. Volkswagen Group

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Secure Access vs. FortiSASE

April 2025

Free Report: Cisco Secure Access vs. FortiSASE

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Secure Access vs. FortiSASE and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.

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