Fortinet versus Cisco ASA Series

(Updated February 2010) Summary Products: Target market: Price: Cisco ASA 5500 series (ASA 5505, 5510, 5540, 5550, 5580-20, 5580-40) SMB to Enterprise $495 to $129,995 for ASA series appliances only $4,500 to $10,500 for the Anti-X module (CSM module) $5,000 to $19,000 for the IPS module (AIP module) Firewall, VPN (SSL/IPSec), Content Security, and IPS AIP-SSC, AIPS-SSM, and CSC-SSM modules for IPS and Anti-X Cisco Self Defending Networks Best of Breed security approach Offers one of the broadest product & services

How to Beat Cisco

Better Consolidation & Lower TCO
Cisco only consolidates firewall, VPN, while the content security & IPS is bolted-on, while additional expenses are required for SSL VPN and the number of users for content security. They do not consolidate Application Control, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), SSL Content Inspection, Endpoint Control, Wireless Controller, & WAN Optimization.

Key features: What they say:

Cisco disadvantages The ASA-5500 requires an extra module for IDS and anti-X services. This add-in module can be ordered at purchase time or added in to the platform later at a higher cost. These modules are not available for the 5580 series. The lower models of the ASA-5500 platform have a single expansion slot that must be used for either IDS OR anti-X services. The Anti-X CSC-SSM module has a license per user model. Customers must choose how they will provision the ASA and deploy it accordingly. In contrast, some competing platforms can offer integrated anti-X and full IDS/IPS services in a single chassis. The SSL VPN licensing and pricing for the ASA-5500 series is based on a per-user model, in addition to requiring the appropriate hardware to support the number of users in the enterprise. The 5580 series is intended as a firewall and VPN only, so that IDS/IPS, load balancing, etc. could present an architectural and operational challenge to a customer using the 5580 in an enterprise deployment. The ASA-5500 lacks the ability to schedule and receive automatic real time updates from Cisco or other third parties. Without such a real-time service update mode, it is difficult to compete with products that offer three-, four- or even 24-hour assurance that there will be protection against a known virus. Cisco does offer a structured defense solution for this platform, but it lacks the up-to-the-minute threat defense nature of some competitors.

Better Performance & Scalability

The ASA 5500 is a multiprocessor architecture with specific hardware resources for accelerating encryption operation, but does not offer the same level of performance enhancement that an ASIC architecture can achieve. Fortinet delivers a purpose built appliance with ASIC based performance, which is faster than Cisco, meaning that your customers network security wont become a network bottleneck.

Security without Compromise

Fortinet delivers real-time protection and have proven 3rd party security validation of 100% coverage of the viruses on the Wild List. Fortinets unmatched multi-threat security protects against todays sophisticated threats.

Confidential - Not for External Distribution Fortinet and Authorized Partners Only

FORTINET Fortinet vs. Cisco ASA series

Performance FortiGate FortiGate Cisco ASA FortiGate FortiGate Cisco ASA FortiGate Cisco ASA 50B 80C ASA 5505 111C 200B 5510 310B 5520 100 Mbps 700 Mbps 150 Mbps 1 Gbps 5 Gbps 300 Mbps 8 Gbps 6 Gbps 160 Mbps 800 Mbps 600k/ 20k 10xGigE $6,995 450 Mbps FortiGate 620B 16 Gbps Cisco ASA 5540 65 Mbps FortiGate 1240B 40 Gbps 16 Gbps/ 900 Mbps 1.5 Gbps 2M/ 100k 40xGigE, 1xAMC $19,995 1M/90k 2M/150k 2xGigE $49,995$129,995 Cisco ASA 5580-20 5580-40 10 Gbps 20 Gbps 1 Gbps/ 10k

Firewall (1518 bytes) IPSec VPN/ Tunnels Antivirus (File Based Scanning) IPS Concurrent Sessions; New Sessions/ sec System List Price (US)

48 Mbps/ 80 Mbps/ 100 Mbps/ 100 Mbps/ 2.5 Gbps/ 170 Mbps/ 20 200 10 1,500 2k 250 19 Mbps 50 Mbps 30 Mbps 100 Mbps 25k/2k 5xFE $495 100k/5k 2xGigE, 7xFE $895
Not Supported

225 Mbps/ 12 Gbps/ 20k 325 Mbps/5k 750

Requires CSM module Requires AIP module

65 Mbps 95 Mbps 200 Mbps 500 Mbps 400k/10k 500k/15k 2xGigE, 8xFE $2,995 8xGigE, 8xFE $2,995

Requires CSM module Requires AIP module

250 Mbps 1 Gbps 1M/ 25k 20xGigE, 1xASM $12,995

Requires CSM module Requires AIP module

Requires AIP module

10k/4k 8xFE $595$1,695

50k/9k 2xGigE, 5xFE $3,495$5,995

280k/12k 4xGigE, 1xFE $7995

400k/25k 4xGigE, 1xFE $16,995

Features Application Control WAN Optimization SSL Content Inspection Wireless Controller SSL VPN Antispam Virtualization

FortiGate FortiGate Cisco FortiGate FortiGate Cisco ASA FortiGate Cisco ASA 50B 80C ASA 5505 111C 200B 5510 310B ASA 5520

FortiGate 620B

Cisco ASA 5540

FortiGate 1240B

Cisco ASA ASA 5580

Module

Module

Module

License

License Module

License Module

License Module

License

Positioning Fortinet against Cisco ASA series

1. 2. 3. Better Security Consolidation & Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Lower cost appliances and simple per-device licensing for wide range of security technologies More technologies on a single appliance to solve customers security needs Better Performance & Scalability The FortiGate superior firewall, VPN, antivirus, IPS and more gigabit interfaces compared to the Cisco ASA series. Per-device licensing eliminates need to purchase additional licenses as network or technology needs change Easier Management Web-based management from anywhere, as well as FortiGuard Analysis & Management Services (FAMS) and advanced management, reporting, competitive configuration converter, and audit tools Intuitive and easy to use UI to create firewall, AV and IPS policies, site to site VPN tunnels, create custom signatures Security without Compromise Industry-certified protection: ICSA Antivirus, IPS, SSL VPN, IPSec, and firewall; NSS Labs & VB 100, FIPS-140, and Common Criteria Antivirus Coverage: 100% coverage of the Wild List viruses, Fortinet maintains its own AV signatures. No 3rd party licensing.

4.

Confidential - Not for External Distribution Fortinet and Authorized Partners Only competitive@fortinet.com