Cisco Umbrella vs Zscaler: What are the differences?

Introduction: Cisco Umbrella and Zscaler are both security solutions that provide protection from online threats and secure internet access for organizations. While they have similar objectives, there are key differences between the two.

1. Deployment Methods: Cisco Umbrella is primarily a cloud-based security service that routes web traffic through its global network of data centers for analysis and protection. On the other hand, Zscaler offers both cloud-based and on-premises deployment options, giving organizations more flexibility in their security implementation.

2. Security Architecture: Cisco Umbrella uses DNS (Domain Name System) and IP (Internet Protocol) layers to identify and block malicious activities. It leverages real-time threat intelligence to proactively prevent attacks and apply policies across all devices and locations. In contrast, Zscaler adopts a proxy-based architecture that inspects and filters traffic at the application layer. It ensures secure access to applications irrespective of the device or location.

3. Scalability and Performance: Cisco Umbrella has a vast infrastructure with a global network of data centers, allowing it to handle massive amounts of traffic and provide fast and reliable performance. Zscaler, however, has a more significant number of points of presence (PoPs) globally, which enables it to offer localized security and better performance for geographically distributed organizations.

4. Integrated Services: Cisco Umbrella integrates with other Cisco security solutions, such as Cisco Firepower and Cisco AnyConnect, enhancing overall security and providing seamless visibility and control across the entire security stack. On the other hand, Zscaler provides a comprehensive security platform that includes web security, cloud application control, and network access control, eliminating the need for separate security tools.

5. Granular Policy Control: Cisco Umbrella offers extensive policy control options, allowing organizations to define policies based on users, groups, devices, and locations. It enables dynamic content filtering and provides granular visibility into internet activity. Zscaler, too, provides extensive policy controls, leveraging user and device identities, application-level controls, and geolocation data, empowering organizations to apply security policies tailored to their requirements.

6. Threat Intelligence and Analytics: Cisco Umbrella combines threat intelligence from various sources with machine learning algorithms to detect and block sophisticated threats. It provides real-time visibility into internet activity, generates detailed reports, and offers data for analysis. Zscaler also harnesses threat intelligence and advanced analytics to identify and mitigate threats across all ports and protocols, ensuring comprehensive protection and proactive threat response.

In Summary, Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-based security service with DNS/IP layer protection, while Zscaler offers both cloud-based and on-premises deployment options with proxy-based application layer security. Cisco Umbrella integrates with Cisco security solutions, provides granular policy controls, and combines threat intelligence with machine learning. Zscaler has a higher number of global PoPs, offers a comprehensive security platform, and utilizes user and application-level controls for policy enforcement.