Cisco Umbrella
Cloud edge security software
DNS security solutions
Secure web gateways
Cloud security software
Network security software
Web security software
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- Ease of management
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What is Cisco Umbrella
Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-delivered security service that uses DNS-layer enforcement and web proxy controls to block access to malicious and unwanted internet destinations. It is used by IT and security teams to protect users on and off the corporate network, including branch offices and roaming endpoints. The product combines DNS security, secure web gateway capabilities, and cloud-delivered firewall features, and it integrates with Cisco networking and security tooling for policy and telemetry.
Strong DNS-layer protection
Umbrella provides DNS-based security controls that can stop many threats before a connection is established, which is useful for roaming users and unmanaged networks. It supports policy enforcement via DNS resolvers and endpoint roaming clients, helping maintain consistent controls outside the corporate perimeter. DNS-layer controls also reduce reliance on full traffic tunneling for basic protection in some use cases.
Multiple enforcement options
The service supports DNS security, proxy-based web filtering, and cloud-delivered firewall capabilities, allowing different enforcement modes by user group or location. This flexibility helps organizations apply lighter controls for low-risk traffic and stronger inspection where needed. It also supports branch and remote-user scenarios without requiring identical network architectures everywhere.
Cisco ecosystem integration
Umbrella integrates with Cisco identity, endpoint, and network/security management components to share telemetry and apply policy. This can simplify operations for organizations already standardized on Cisco tooling and licensing. Integration can also improve incident investigation by correlating DNS activity with user and device context.
Feature set varies by package
Capabilities such as full secure web gateway inspection, cloud firewall features, and advanced reporting depend on the purchased tier and enabled modules. This can make it harder to compare configurations across vendors or to estimate total cost without a detailed requirements review. Organizations may need multiple add-ons to match a broader cloud edge security stack.
Not a full SASE stack
Umbrella focuses on DNS security and web security controls and may require additional products for a complete secure access service edge architecture (for example, private application access or broader data security controls). Teams seeking a single consolidated platform for network and security services may need to integrate multiple components. This can increase architectural complexity compared with more unified offerings in the space.
Proxy inspection trade-offs
When using proxy-based web inspection, organizations may need to manage certificates, client configuration, and exceptions for applications that do not tolerate interception. Encrypted traffic inspection can introduce operational overhead and requires careful policy design to avoid breaking business applications. Performance and user experience depend on inspection depth, routing choices, and regional service availability.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| DNS – Essentials | Not publicly listed (contact Cisco sales/partner) | Recursive DNS-layer security; blocks malware, phishing, malicious domains; simple DNS enforcement and category/domain filtering. |
| DNS – Advantage | Not publicly listed (contact Cisco sales/partner) | Everything in DNS Essentials plus additional threat insights, application discovery/monitoring, risk scoring, and extended investigative capabilities. |
| SIG – Essentials (Secure Internet Gateway) | Not publicly listed (contact Cisco sales/partner) | Includes DNS-layer protections plus Secure Web Gateway (SWG) functionality for web traffic inspection and basic cloud-delivered firewall capabilities. |
| SIG – Advantage (Secure Internet Gateway) | Not publicly listed (contact Cisco sales/partner) | Full Secure Internet Gateway features: DNS, IP and web-layer protections, advanced SWG, Cloud-Delivered Firewall (CDFW), and broader threat protection/integrations. |
Seller details
Cisco Systems, Inc.
San Jose, California, USA
1984
Public
https://www.cisco.com/
https://x.com/Cisco
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cisco/
