Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Reviews & Product Details

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly FTDv/NGFWv) is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect virtualized environments across private and public clouds. It integrates Cisco's proven network firewall capabilities with advanced threat defense features, including Snort Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), URL filtering, and malware defense. This virtualized firewall ensures consistent security policies and deep visibility into network traffic, enabling organizations to detect and mitigate threats before they impact operations. Key Features and Functionality: - Advanced Threat Defense: Combines network firewall with Snort IPS, URL filtering, and malware defense to protect against known and emerging threats. - Consistent Security Policies: Maintains uniform security policies across physical, private, and public cloud environments, ensuring seamless protection as workloads move. - Deep Network Visibility: Provides comprehensive insights into network traffic, allowing for quick detection of threat origins and activities. - Automated Risk Ranking: Prioritizes threats with automated risk rankings and impact flags, enabling efficient resource allocation to critical events. - License Portability: Offers flexibility to move from on-premises private clouds to public clouds while maintaining consistent policies and unified management. - Centralized Management: Utilizes Cisco Smart Software Licensing for easy deployment, management, and tracking of virtual firewall instances. Primary Value and User Solutions: Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual addresses the need for robust security in dynamic, virtualized environments. By providing consistent security policies and deep visibility across various cloud platforms, it simplifies threat protection and management. Organizations benefit from automated threat prioritization, flexible deployment options, and centralized control, ensuring efficient and effective defense against a wide range of cyber threats. This solution is particularly valuable for businesses undergoing data center consolidation, office relocations, mergers, acquisitions, or experiencing fluctuating application demands, as it offers the agility and scalability required to adapt to changing security needs.

Seller

Cisco

Discussions

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Community

Solution Type

All-in-One

Overview by

Sofia Fanelli

Value at a Glance

Averages based on real user reviews.

Time to Implement

3 months

Return on Investment

20 months

View More Pricing Information

Top-Rated Alternatives

Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls

4.5/5(171)

Sophos Firewall

4.7/5(881)

Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)

4.5/5(596)

View All Alternatives

User Insights

Average based on 93 real user reviews.

Implementation Time

3 months

Perceived Cost

$$$$$

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Reviews FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: Nov 01, 2026

What is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv), and what problem is it built to solve?

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual is used as a virtual firewall to protect cloud, data-center, and other network environments. It helps teams control network access and traffic while defending against threats.

What company sizes and industries is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) the best fit for?

It appears best suited to mid-market and enterprise environments, with positive use also represented in several security-sensitive and network-focused industries.

Company size: Mid-market and enterprise organizations are the most represented segments.
Industries: Information technology and networking, higher education, financial services, healthcare, and telecommunications are recurring areas of use.

How long does it take to implement Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) across a team?

Reported implementation times most often fall under one month, though deployments can take longer depending on the environment and rollout. The other reported ranges include:

Time to go live	Relative frequency
Under one month	Most common
One to three months	Also reported
Three to six months	Also reported
Six months or longer	Less common

What customer support options does Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) provide, and how do users find the overall support experience?

The support experience is often described as knowledgeable and helpful, particularly when technical assistance is needed. Users also value access to Cisco support, though resolving a complex issue can take time.

Is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) considered safe and secure for handling data?

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual is used to protect network traffic and sensitive information, with users describing it as effective at blocking malicious activity and controlling access. Some deployments also encounter false positives or gaps in traffic visibility, so teams should assess how well its monitoring and threat controls match their security needs.

G2 reviews are authentic and verified.

Here's how.

Cory V.

Network and Telecommunications Engineer

Legal Services

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/4/2016

"Cisco ASA 5500-Series Firewalls"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Cisco ASA5500 Series firewalls are very robust appliances. Between the ASDM interface and the CLI interface, most users will find management easy once you understand the basics of how the device works. Advance users will find tons of tools and debugging options for troubleshooting and granular management.

The appliances are powerful, allowing you to size your device for your user load. Cisco has a great chart to show you this plus the licensing schema. Contacting your Cisco Rep or partner is the best way to make sure you size your appliance the proper way.

Failover works extremely well if you are in an environment that cannot have downtime at your site. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

JAVA! The ASDM is still based on Java; the sooner Cisco can eliminate this, the better. The licensing schema can be a bit tough sometimes, so you need to make sure you check for what you need - especially on the VPN side of things. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv):

Do your homework to make sure this device will suit your needs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) solving and how is that benefiting you?

Using the ASA-5500 series firewalls (along with Sourefire IPS Modules) we are able to mitigate threats from our environment.

VPN Deployment has been great, and Cisco Support is second to none when it matters.

SourceFire IPS / IDS sensors have come a long way from Cisco's original in house IPS solution. The system is very robust and the management interface is light years ahead of the old management system. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Higher Education

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

9/2/2016

"Cisco ASDM provides a solid GUI interface to manage their firewall appliances"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Cisco ASDM may seem complex at first, but it doesn't take long to learn to use it effectively to manage an environment's network traffic. With each iteration of the application, more useful features have been introduced, from rule hit counts to the ability to create network objects using FQDN to being able to quickly identify orphaned network objects, while the core features continues to deliver. The CLI provides users who prefer to perform management tasks using command line the options to do so, and the overall GUI is organized and simplifies the firewall management experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Two things come to mind - Java dependency on launching ASDM and duplicate network objects. With Java dependency, being able to launch the ASDM successfully becomes a challenge. At one point it was necessary to roll back Java to a previous version in order for ASDM to work, and a more common nuisance is finding which web browser will actually launch ASDM successfully. For example, I'm only able to launch ASDM through Firefox but not any other popular browsers. With regards to duplicate network objects, it may be specific to our company's deployment but after a recent firewall context upgrade, several existing network objects were duplicated. Furthermore there is no easy way to eliminate them so they end up sitting in the network objects list, not being used anywhere, until they are manually deleted. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv):

There's a reason why Cisco Systems is a leader in the technological world. Their solutions are proven to be reliable and effective, and their firewall products are exceptional. It'd be hard-pressed to find a company needing commercial-grade firewall integration that doesn't consider Cisco's products. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) solving and how is that benefiting you?

Cisco appliances serve as a critical component in our company's network infrastructure backbone and having an effective software to manage the appliances is crucial. The ASDM provides useful tools for network administrators to perform their job efficiently and exposure of the tools to various IT units allows teams to support each other using a common language. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Shaifali G.

Quality Assurance Associate

Information Technology and Services

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5/12/2016

"CISCO Firewall"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

It provides great control over incoming and outgoing traffic with most secure rules implemented for best network security. When acting as VPN- Cisco anyconnect VPN also provides most secure connection and I am able to do my work from anywhere with the key on my side. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Its packet filter sometimes drops packets which are of use and skips sending any error. So it becomes hard to track when you lose one. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv):

It is a great firewall with ease of access and great tunneling process and set of rules for network security management. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) solving and how is that benefiting you?

There are many benefits. It provides a better set of rules that can be applied differently on incoming or outgoing packets. The tunneling process is very good and helps control traffic. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jeffrey A.

Director of Infrastructure Services

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

10/18/2016

"Excellent support and stability"

5/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Reliability is unquestionably the best on the market. The features available are also hard to beat. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

CLI can be problematic for those without knowledge. But that can also be a positive Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Government Administration

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/27/2016

"No one ever got fired for buying Cisco"

3/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Clean command line, and the ability to quickly navigate the device over CLI. Uniform IOS CLI makes it easy to manage with simple cisco route/switch background. Ability to run for long periods of time without intervention. It doesn't do random things, or act funny and need a reboot. It just runs and runs. It's also a bit like a swiss-army-knife for the network. You can divide traffic up how you want to. Multiple NAT pools, source based routing, etc. QoS and packet prioritization. It can even provide DHCP and other basic network services. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

On Cisco IOS firewall, I have been unable to get a given NAT group to utilize a NAT pool of address with PAT overload. Since I was overloading the NAT group, I eventually needed to switch over to PAT only, which was an acceptable solution, but not what I had wanted to do. Debugging can also be difficult. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv):

If you don't currently have IOS expertise in-house, you are best off looking at other products that provide a more intuitive graphical user interface. But if IOS administration is not a deal-breaker, cisco IOS firewall is a solid, basic firewall for small offices and remote branch offices. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) solving and how is that benefiting you?

I have used Cisco IOS firewall in places where I already had an existing router need, so the IOS router was available. This has been cost effective for small sites. The benefit has been a low cost firewall, that provides solid firewall and VPN functionality. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Higher Education

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4/22/2016

"Solid support, documentation and product."

3.5/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Cisco firewall's are one of the leaders in security appliances and the Adaptive Security Appliance line is no exception. Configuration through the ASDM web interface is simple and quick. Configuration through the command line requires more knowledge but is far more customizable to business needs. Cisco ASA Firewalls support interopability with many vendors and documentation is widely available. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Understanding the full suite of features is a difficult task, as well as learning the licensing structure. Cisco nickels and dimes for many features such as 'inside hosts' that refers to how many devices can be connected at once. It seems like you hear about security vulnerabilities every week on Cisco Firewalls, however Cisco is quick to respond and release updates to fix these issues. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv):

Understand your licensing needs and how this coincides with what Cisco offers. You don't want to need to upgrade later on. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) solving and how is that benefiting you?

Quick and easy configuration of remote access and site to site tunnels. This allows employees to work from home. Site to site tunnels allows connectivity of internet connected areas. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jason C.

Account Executive

Computer Software

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

7/22/2016

"No More Malware with Cisco Firewall"

5/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Since we switched to Cisco Firewall I have seen no threats, malware, or issues at all with my system over the past 3 years Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Cisco firewall does block some sites that are business relevant but we have setup an internal process to allow certain types of access to these sites with permission Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv):

Take a look at all the subscription options thoroughly before making a decision as there are tons of options and additional components with Cisco Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) solving and how is that benefiting you?

We have essentially controlled user access and provided defense against malware attacks for tons of applications Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Joe C.

Network Engineer

Telecommunications

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

Originally submitted 8/25/2016

"Cisco ASA fw"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

The easy to use commands. It's very user friendly. If you have Cisco switches, makes it very simple to use Asa firewalls in your environment Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Gui not as nice as other brands. It could use more advance features. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv):

Yes, if you have a lot of Cisco products in your network, it makes sense to add Asa firewalls as well in your environment Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) solving and how is that benefiting you?

Provide security and protect our network from threats or intrusions Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jalen B.

ITWorks Noc Supervisor

Information Technology and Services

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

6/7/2016

"Jalen's Cisco Review"

5/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

My favorite thing about Cisco is simply that it seems to work always without fail. Regardless of the configuration you need you can make it happen and keep it working. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

It is challenging to find staff qualified to make configuration changes, although that is still part of the allure of Cisco. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Steven P.

Senior Director of Network Services

Sports

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

10/14/2016

"Best in class firewall"

4/5

What do you like best about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Fairly easy to manage. Gets the job done. Backed by a well known vendor in the IT industry Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)?

Product receives several security patches a month. GUI is flaky at times. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Questions about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)? Ask real users or explore answers from the community

Get practical answers, real workflows, and honest pros and cons from the G2 community or share your insights.

Guest User

What is your experience with Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual, and how has it impacted your network security?

0 Upvotes

Join the conversation

View all Discussions

Pricing Insights

Averages based on real user reviews.

Time to Implement

3 months

Return on Investment

20 months

Average Discount

22%

View More Pricing Information

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Comparisons

SonicWall Next Generation...

4.1/5(155)

Compare Now

FortiGate-VM NGFW

4.5/5(311)

Compare Now

FortiClient

4.4/5(278)

Compare Now

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Features

Administration

Policy Management

Logging and Reporting

Application Gateway

Monitoring

Load Balancing

Continuous Analysis

Intrusion Prevention

Functionality

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Antivirus

URL Filtering

View More Features

Categories on G2

AWS Marketplace Firewall Software Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS)

Explore More

Which Salesforce AppExchange apps survive an org upgrade without breaking the customisations already in place?Best container monitoring solutions for hybrid cloud deployments What corporate volunteering software integrates with leading HRIS and CRM systems so volunteer hours and impact data flow into the tools the company already uses for reporting?

Which Blockchain as a Service platforms remove infrastructure management overhead so developers can focus on building product?Which sensitive data discovery tools automate compliance reporting for privacy regulations in enterprise environments?Pros and Cons Details

Show MoreShow Less

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Reviews & Product Details

Profile Status

Value at a Glance

Time to Implement

Return on Investment

Top-Rated Alternatives

User Insights

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Reviews FAQs

What is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv), and what problem is it built to solve?

What company sizes and industries is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) the best fit for?

How long does it take to implement Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) across a team?

What customer support options does Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) provide, and how do users find the overall support experience?

Is Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) considered safe and secure for handling data?

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Reviews (93)

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Reviews (93)

What do users say?

Pros & Cons

Filter Reviews

Questions about Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)? Ask real users or explore answers from the community

Pricing Insights

Time to Implement

Return on Investment

Average Discount

Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv) Features

Categories on G2

Explore More