Cisco Secure Endpoint vs. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco Secure Endpoint
Score 9.3 out of 10
N/A
Cisco Secure Endpoint is a comprehensive, cloud-managed endpoint security solution designed to protect devices from advanced malware and cyber threats throughout the entire attack lifecycle—before, during, and after an attack. It offers powerful prevention capabilities to identify and stop threats before they compromise your systems, using multifaceted techniques including risk-based vulnerability management and posture assessments. The solution provides deep visibility and advanced detection…N/A
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (formerly Microsoft Defender ATP) is a holistic, cloud delivered endpoint security solution that includes risk-based vulnerability management and assessment, attack surface reduction, behavioral based and cloud-powered next generation protection, endpoint detection and response (EDR), automatic investigation and remediation, managed hunting services, rich APIs, and unified security management.
$2.50
per user/per month
Pricing
Cisco Secure EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Academic
$2.50
per user/per month
Standalone
$5.20
per user/per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco Secure EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco Secure EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Considered Both Products
Cisco Secure Endpoint
Chose Cisco Secure Endpoint
I was not part of the selection process but know this was purchased on a suite of tools. We get so much more from MDE, CSE doesn’t compare.
Chose Cisco Secure Endpoint
Cisco Secure Endpoint provides better overall support and detection compared to other products used. Strong visibility and a strong range of tools when researching an issue to find either information or resolution. Dashboards are also a lot cleaner than most products and easier …
Chose Cisco Secure Endpoint
Cisco Secure Endpoint is an advanced EDR solution that is highly effective and scalable. Our experience previously with MalwareBytes and Microsoft Defender was not horrible, but these products were not as effective and did not integrate well with our other security products to …
Chose Cisco Secure Endpoint
Cisco Secure Endpoint provides much more protection, reporting, and features than Microsoft defender did for us.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Chose Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint has the best integration for us in our (mostly) Windows environment. Also we are using M365 E3 so this already included Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P1. The extra cost for Defender for Endpoint P2 is definitely worth it. You need to see these …
Features
Cisco Secure EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Endpoint Security
Comparison of Endpoint Security features of Product A and Product B
Cisco Secure Endpoint
7.2
28 Ratings
17% below category average
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
8.4
56 Ratings
2% below category average
Anti-Exploit Technology6.527 Ratings7.953 Ratings
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)8.528 Ratings9.155 Ratings
Centralized Management3.928 Ratings8.955 Ratings
Hybrid Deployment Support8.55 Ratings7.210 Ratings
Infection Remediation7.228 Ratings9.154 Ratings
Vulnerability Management6.827 Ratings7.852 Ratings
Malware Detection8.628 Ratings8.855 Ratings
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Cisco Secure EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
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Score 9.4 out of 10
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Score 9.4 out of 10
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Score 9.1 out of 10
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Enterprises
BeyondTrust Endpoint Privilege Management
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Score 9.8 out of 10
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Score 9.8 out of 10
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User Ratings
Cisco Secure EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(31 ratings)
8.5
(99 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
4.5
(1 ratings)
8.4
(8 ratings)
Usability
7.2
(26 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.6
(28 ratings)
9.0
(5 ratings)
Implementation Rating
4.5
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco Secure EndpointMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
Cisco Secure Endpoint is well suited for keeping track of the many different and points that we have in our organization. All of these devices can easily be monitored with Cisco Secure Endpoint. It can monitor our servers and our desktops and laptops in our environment. It isn’t as appropriate for our student devices. However, those aren’t as critical since they are just Chromebooks.
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Microsoft
Because of its integration with Windows, it is very easy to deploy and manage. Any IT department should be able to leverage the software and interface. The admin portal provides weighted recommendations that comprise the Secure Store, offering admins, security teams, and business owners valuable insights into their security footprint without requiring a strong security background. The software would be ideal for small and mid-sized businesses that cannot dedicate resources to security. Larger enterprises would also benefit, but may require the enhanced license.
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Pros
Cisco
  • Once we, I guess one turned out that path because we have a small IT team, one of the big factors that came into play is how easy it was to deploy and the kind of security it provides for your endpoint devices. For us, it's got all those AI capabilities that really help. So traditionally when there was an incident on Alert on an antivirus program, you'd have a couple of guys run across the office to try to pull a plug. One of the awesome features with Secure Endpoint is its isolation mode that clamps down endpoint devices and then just isolate it. It's connected to, I think Cisco's tell us the threat intel environment. So they've got up-to-date metrics and fixes on threats out in the wild. And once they detect that, they apply it across your whole brand. So yeah, really effective for us.
  • One of the things that really stands out is the retrospective detections. So say something's detected two weeks later of a product that you had on your system. Initially it scanned it past, but then they discover vulnerability. The product has the ability to come back and retrospectively apply restrictions on specific applications you have on your environment. So I think that's one key winner.
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Microsoft
  • One, it's crazy lightweight, so compared to some of the competitors that we also have used with our security services, it's really lightweight and so I don't have a lot of overhead on the system that it's running on.
  • It does really fantastic PowerShell integration.
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Cons
Cisco
  • The interface has many views that all look the same, except that functionalities are different. This makes it incredibly difficult to find the action you want to take.
  • Built-in exclusion sets are missing a number of notable Anti-Malware products and must be manually implemented.
  • High learning curve due to complexity of the solution and the range of features it contains. Provided documentation is hidden in a small icon at the top of the page which is often off-screen when needed.
  • Color choices lead to panic situations during deployment. 1 questionable file could lead to the main display showing a large, bright red alert which makes customers think their whole environment is compromised.
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Microsoft
  • So the fact that Defender for Endpoint still works with signatures is actually, I don't know, a little difficult for us because, I mean, since Microsoft trusts those signatures, you can easily inject code. And we've done it many times. To show that you can inject code through vulnerabilities like CV 2013, 99, and 33 but still keep the signature. So because of the trust of those signatures, the malware just kind of slides into the environment without Defender knowing. That's the first part. The second part is that the behavioral analysis is not precisely its Prime. It's not Defender's best capability for endpoints. So, Defender does not identify all behaviors considered by other EDRs in the market.
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Likelihood to Renew
Cisco
the renewal must be studied with different factors
Read full review
Microsoft
Cost add-ons for Security features is nickel and diming the process to keep pace with cybercrime. Limited Education budgets require us to be more pro-active in finding cost-effective measures to protect our devices, staff and students. Defender is a strong, well-featured product that is pricing itself out of the education market
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Usability
Cisco
AMP is very difficult to use compared to other products we've seen. It's hard to understand why there are so many different logins for the various products that supposedly integrate with AMP. We had weekly phone calls for months to implement the product yet none of the IT department really enjoys using this product or feels comfortable with the accuracy of detections. The number of false positives is high.
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Microsoft
It offers multiple security features and integrates well with Microsoft ecosystems. A workflow for threat detection, investigation, automated remediation, and a centralized dashboard is an added advantage. This application is mainly designed for experienced users; new users may feel challenged.
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Reliability and Availability
Cisco
no complain and no issue with availability
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Microsoft
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint chugs along just fine no matter what we throw at it and what systems it's running on. It doesn't take up a lot of resources either, so that's welcomed.
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Performance
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is easy on memory and resources on clients.
Read full review
Support Rating
Cisco
In terms of technical support for Cisco Secure Endpoint, the support has been pretty good. All the cases I submitted were solved in a reasonable time frame, and it was a good experience. However, I find that not as many vendors have the expertise I would expect.
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Microsoft
The first time I tried to onboard my macOS endpoints to MDE I struggled for quite a bit. I had to reach out to Microsoft's MDE support team. The tech was very helpful in walking me through the steps during a screen share session
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Implementation Rating
Cisco
no participation in implementation
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Microsoft
Deployment was handled by our team here and everything went pretty smoothly. We did have a few hiccups in our test group, but that only took a bit to get ironed out.
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Alternatives Considered
Cisco
Cisco Secure Endpoint is an advanced EDR solution that is highly effective and scalable. Our experience previously with MalwareBytes and Microsoft Defender was not horrible, but these products were not as effective and did not integrate well with our other security products to allow us to monitor and react quickly to address threats that were within our network. Key to any security effort is mitigation and the ability to quickly identify and respond so any damage can be avoided or limited.
Read full review
Microsoft
Cylance's policy is to block everything and requires an active person to monitor and unblock legitimate processes. As updates and software continue to evolve, it is a full-time job to be a Cylance administrator. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a set-and-forget solution that catches threats when they occur and leaves you to focus on your work unimpeded.
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Scalability
Cisco
No answers on this topic
Microsoft
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is easily scaled from small orgs to giant enterprises.
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Return on Investment
Cisco
  • It ensures minimal spread of cyber threats in case of infiltration thanks to containment response capabilities.
  • By keeping our endpoints threat-proof, our systems and devices run efficiently hence better productivity.
  • It frees IT staff thanks to its automation and ability to keep threats away with minimal intervention.
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Microsoft
  • Reduced incidents of security breaches lead to lower remediation costs and avoid potential financial losses and reputational damage.
  • Reduces the need for additional third-party security solutions and training, thereby lowering overall security management costs.
  • Increased efficiency and productivity of IT staff lead to better allocation of resources and cost savings.
  • Reduces the risk of fines and sanctions associated with non-compliance, ensuring business continuity and protecting revenue.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Screenshots

Screenshot of blocked activitiesScreenshot of Detects & respondsScreenshot of discovers vulnerabilityScreenshot of Eliminates blind spotsScreenshot of Risk management