Cisco Umbrella vs Palo Alto: Difference and Comparison

Keeping your computer, privacy, and important documents safe by protecting them against malware (such as computer viruses, worms, spyware, botnet software, and ransomware)

and giving virus removal tools. Malware is a major problem.  

Malicious programs can be physically delivered to a computer by USB drive or other means, or they can be sent electronically via the Internet via drive-by downloads,

which automatically downloads malicious software to users’ computers.  

Harmful websites and phishing (scam emails that appear to be legitimate but contain malicious links or files) are two common dissemination methods. To protect your gadgets, you can utilize a variety of malware software. 

Key Takeaways

  1. Cisco Umbrella offers cloud-based security solutions, while Palo Alto provides on-premise and cloud security.
  2. Umbrella focuses on DNS-layer protection, while Palo Alto offers a comprehensive suite of security features.
  3. Cisco Umbrella requires minimal hardware, while Palo Alto solutions may involve more complex infrastructure.

Cisco Umbrella vs Palo Alto 

The difference between the Cisco umbrella and Palo Alto is that the Cisco umbrella was founded in 1984 and offers threat protection in the form of live threat intelligence and protection from online threats, whereas Palo Alto was founded in 2005 and offered advanced threats protection and recovery from risk. 

Cisco Umbrella vs Palo Alto

Cisco Umbrella is described as cloud-based security that is adaptable, quick, and effective. It integrates several security features into a single solution, allowing you to safeguard devices, remote users, and distant sites from anywhere.

It is the quickest and most efficient approach to safeguard your users anywhere in minutes. 

Palo Alto Networks is referred to as “the worldwide cybersecurity leader.” It assists your team in preventing successful cyber-attacks through the use of an automated technique that ensures consistent security across cloud settings.

With technology altering how individuals and businesses work, it is shaping the cloud-centric future.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison Cisco Umbrella Palo Alto 
Features Offered Live threat intelligence and network security Recovery from risk and behavior monitoring 
Threat Protection Live threat intelligence and protection from online threats are offered. Advanced threat protection is offered. 
Suitable for Best for medium-sized companies looking for protection from online threats (mid-sized enterprises and MSPs). Best for large corporations who require an advanced and fully-featured CASB solution (govt, healthcare, and financial services) 
Founding Year 1984 2005 
Deployment Cloud via DNS resolution Only cloud-based 

What is Cisco Umbrella? 

Cisco Umbrella, a critical component of Cisco’s secure access service edge (SASE) architecture, combines several security services into a single, centrally managed, cloud-native solution to

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protect internet access and govern cloud app usage.  

By combining secure web gateway, firewall, DNS-layer security, threat intelligence, and cloud access security broker (CASB) technologies, Cisco Umbrella minimizes the resources required for deployment, configuration, and integration.  

You can also scale to meet the demands of a mobile workforce, a shifting network perimeter, and a multi-cloud environment by providing this capacity from the cloud, all while simplifying security.  

Cisco Umbrella protects users both on and off the network. Many of our students and faculty members bring their gadgets home with them on a regular basis.

The same degree of security and monitoring may be extended to wherever the device travels by using simple methods to deploy safeguards.  

Cisco Umbrella is compatible with a wide range of other Cisco products. [Cisco] Umbrella works nicely with SecureX, Talos, other Cisco security platforms, and the Meraki wireless platform.

The Meraki connection enables policy to be implemented directly at the SSID level and is an excellent approach to managing guest devices. 

Cisco Umbrella is a rather simple device that does not require any assistance. Subscribing to a higher level of support can improve the response.

Assistance is excellent, and the Cisco Umbrella staff is really helpful in general.  

They are also quite receptive to suggestions for product enhancements. Cisco Umbrella is an excellent option for safeguarding our network and users from dangerous websites.

It also serves as an excellent secondary layer for other sorts of sites that we wish to restrict. 

What is Palo Alto? 

Palo Alto secures our network at various tiers, safeguarding edge networks from attacks on the internet as well as internal client networks from risks

that may exist in shared services environments or each other in the case of a few unique clients who are authorized to communicate with each other.

It may also be used to shield the company’s presence from the internet and remote hosting environments. 

Palo Alto Networks is perfectly suited for almost every situation where you want the most up-to-date network security.

It is incredibly effective at defending you against the most recent malware attacks that may pose a hazard to your network/endpoints. 

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Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls eliminate cyberattacks across physical, virtualized, and cloud environments.

You’ll simplify your security deployments and management with built-in analytics, increased visibility, and policy control. 

It leverages artificial intelligence to create a dynamic security landscape. You’ll gain world-class threat prevention, detection, automation, and response — all in a single platform. 

Palo Alto Network’s next-generation firewalls give you a lot of flexibility when it comes to setting up your network.

The same consistent next-generation firewall functionalities are available in PAN-OSTM are supported by firewall platforms, which are available in both hardware and virtualized platforms.  

Panorama management platforms, which allow for centralized policy and device control across a network of next-generation firewalls, are available in both virtualized and hardware platforms. 

palo alto network

Main Differences Between Cisco Umbrella and Palo Alto 

  1. Cisco umbrella offers live threat intelligence and network security in terms of features, whereas Palo Alto offers recovery from risks and behaviour monitoring as features. 
  2. The threat protection offered by the Cisco umbrella is live threat protection and protection from online threats. The threat protection offered by Palo Alto is advanced threat protection. 
  3. Cisco Umbrella is best suitable for medium-sized companies who are looking for protection from online threats, whereas Palo Alto is best suited for large corporations who require an advanced and fully-featured CASB solution. 
  4. Cisco Umbrella was founded in 1984, and Palo Alto was founded in 2005. 
  5. The deployment used by Cisco Umbrella is cloud via DNS resolution, and the one used by Palo Alto is the only cloud-based. 
References
  1. https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/121796 
  2. https://www.docutek.com.tw/upload/doc/2019_11_Gartner_MQ_WebSecurityGateway.pdf 

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023

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10 thoughts on “Cisco Umbrella vs Palo Alto: Difference and Comparison”

  1. The article is too lengthy to maintain reader engagement. While the information is valuable, the length can be overwhelming for some readers.

    Reply
    • I see your point, Ben53, but the in-depth comparison between Cisco Umbrella and Palo Alto is thorough. Lengthy, yes, but adds value to those seeking a detailed understanding.

      Reply
    • I agree that the article is quite long. However, it offers a wealth of information that might be valuable for people in the tech industry.

      Reply
  2. This article serves as a comprehensive guide on protecting computer and privacy against malware and the options for virus removal tools. Both Cisco Umbrella and Palo Alto offer remarkable security solutions with distinctive features. Excellent read.

    Reply
    • Absolutely, it’s a great piece that offers useful insights into the world of cybersecurity and tackles the key differences between Cisco Umbrella and Palo Alto with accuracy.

      Reply
  3. This article opens up important discussions on the necessity of having robust cybersecurity measures. A highly educational post that imparts fundamental knowledge.

    Reply
  4. The author did a great job of breaking down the essentials of cybersecurity and the overview of Cisco Umbrella and Palo Alto. A fascinating piece.

    Reply
  5. While the post does provide a fair amount of information, it fails to address specific applications of these security solutions. An oversight in an otherwise well-informed article.

    Reply
  6. This information is interesting and certainly helps in understanding the basics of cybersecurity, however, the comparison could be more in-depth about the technical aspects of each platform.

    Reply

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