Cisco Umbrella vs Zscaler
March 18, 2025 | Author: Michael Stromann
20★
Cisco Umbrella offers flexible cloud-delivered security when and how you need it. It combines multiple security functions into one solution, so you can enrich your incident response data and easily extend protection to devices and locations anywhere.
20★
Zscaler is working to make the internet safe for business. Go beyond basic internet security with our 100% cloud solution. Zero hardware and zero backhauling.
Imagine, if you will, two futuristic security systems, both floating serenely in the cloud, keeping the digital universe free from the chaos of malware, phishing and nefarious websites. They both offer web filtering and threat intelligence, ensuring that no rogue packet gets past them. Both are designed to protect remote workers, a species that now roams the Earth in a far more scattered fashion than in the halcyon days of corporate offices. And naturally, you can subscribe to either service—no need for a spaceship or a particularly fancy computer to get started.
Now, let’s talk about Cisco Umbrella. Born in 2006, it was swiftly scooped up by Cisco in 2017 and now it provides an elegant DNS-layer security solution with all the grace of an intergalactic traveler trying to avoid asteroids. It integrates effortlessly with Cisco's other products—perfect for enterprises already drowning in Cisco hardware. It’s easy to deploy, it’s flexible and it provides that extra layer of security without too much hassle, like a seatbelt for the digital road. It’s very much about making sure the small-to-medium enterprises stay afloat in the vast ocean of internet dangers.
Meanwhile, Zscaler, which launched just a year later, has a somewhat different approach—more Zero Trust, more high-performance. It's built for those vast, sprawling enterprises where security must scale like a giant beanstalk, towering above the masses. Zscaler doesn’t just secure internet access; it guards the very access to applications, ensuring that no one gets in without express permission—kind of like a bouncer at a very exclusive club. If you're dealing with a complex web of security needs, Zscaler’s the one to call, assuming, of course, you don’t mind being a part of a system that’s designed for the bigger players, but still operates like a well-oiled machine in the cloud.
See also: Top 10 Cloud Security Software
Now, let’s talk about Cisco Umbrella. Born in 2006, it was swiftly scooped up by Cisco in 2017 and now it provides an elegant DNS-layer security solution with all the grace of an intergalactic traveler trying to avoid asteroids. It integrates effortlessly with Cisco's other products—perfect for enterprises already drowning in Cisco hardware. It’s easy to deploy, it’s flexible and it provides that extra layer of security without too much hassle, like a seatbelt for the digital road. It’s very much about making sure the small-to-medium enterprises stay afloat in the vast ocean of internet dangers.
Meanwhile, Zscaler, which launched just a year later, has a somewhat different approach—more Zero Trust, more high-performance. It's built for those vast, sprawling enterprises where security must scale like a giant beanstalk, towering above the masses. Zscaler doesn’t just secure internet access; it guards the very access to applications, ensuring that no one gets in without express permission—kind of like a bouncer at a very exclusive club. If you're dealing with a complex web of security needs, Zscaler’s the one to call, assuming, of course, you don’t mind being a part of a system that’s designed for the bigger players, but still operates like a well-oiled machine in the cloud.
See also: Top 10 Cloud Security Software