Cisco Umbrella Alternative for Web Security & Internet Traffic Monitoring

Looking for an easy-to-use Cisco Umbrella alternative to stop employees from visiting dangerous, inappropriate, and distracting websites?

Both Cisco Umbrella (formerly OpenDNS Enterprise) and CurrentWare can monitor and control internet use—which should you choose?

We will compare the features of Cisco Umbrella to CurrentWare’s Cisco Umbrella alternatives so you can choose the right fit for your company.

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Find a Web Security Solution For Your Needs

When to Use CurrentWare’s Cisco Umbrella Alternatives When to Use Cisco Umbrella
  • You need a cost-effective and easy-to-use filtering solution for blocking and monitoring internet access
  • You need to gain visibility and control over locally run executable apps
  • You’d like an intuitive and flexible solution for controlling internet access, protecting sensitive data, and monitoring employee computer use
  • You want to consolidate multiple network security tools with advanced features (IPS, CASB, SWG, etc) into a single Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)
  • You need cloud DNS filtering services with full SSL inspection for inspecting encrypted traffic in your network
  • You need a comprehensive solution with advanced protection against web security threats beyond the benefits of a web filter

 

Compare CurrentWare vs. Cisco Umbrella Features

Review Cisco Umbrella vs CurrentWare’s Cisco Umbrella alternatives so you can choose the right fit for your company.

compare-forcepoint-vs-currentware
URL Filtering
Block Sites via IP Addresses
Scheduled Blocking
SSL Traffic Inspection

Block File Transfers to Cloud Storage

Block File Downloads
Time-Based Controls
Port Filtering
Block Applications ⚠️
Cloud Apps Only
Category Filtering (malicious domains, adult content, phishing URLs, etc)
User Group Policies
Computer Group Policies
Custom Block Pages
Manage Offsite Users
Antimalware Scanning
Enforce Google SafeSearch

 

Web Security

This section will compare the web content filtering features of CurrentWare’s Cisco Umbrella alternatives to Cisco Umbrella.

CurrentWare’s web filter BrowseControl is a fantastic Cisco Umbrella alternative for controlling employee internet use.

It has all the features you need to proactively block undesirable websites such as those with adult content and applications such as cloud services providers to help protect users from web-based threats and keep your workforce secure and productive. 

If you need a basic web filter for content filtering, BrowseControl is one of the top alternatives to Cisco Umbrella. If you need advanced threat protection Cisco Umbrella goes beyond internet filtering and blocks malware with real time deep analysis of web pages.

Last updated January 2023

compare-forcepoint-vs-currentware
Email Reports & Alerts
Remote Screen Capture
Scheduled Monitoring
Productive vs. Unproductive Time
Track Local Software Usage
Search Query Reports
Idle Time Tracking
USB Activity Reports & Alerts
Monitor Remote Workers
Track & Compare Activity by IP Addresses
Bandwidth Usage Tracking ⚠️
Cloud Apps Only
URL Category Tracking
Audit Logons
Track File Transfers To/From Network Share Drives
Track Downloads/Uploads

Employee Monitoring

This section will compare the employee monitoring and granular reporting features of CurrentWare to Cisco Umbrella/OpenDNS

CurrentWare’s employee monitoring software gives you the internet and application usage data you need to track employee performance, monitor remote workers, and ensure that employees are following your acceptable use policy.

The CurrentWare Suite includes a variety of user activity monitoring solutions to assist with insider threat protection, business intelligence, and employee productivity management.

Last updated January 2023

 

compare-forcepoint-vs-currentware
Block USB & Storage Devices
Malware Sandboxing
USB Activity Reports & Alerts
Allow Trusted Peripherals
Block High-Risk Websites
Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
Intrusion Prevention System (IPS)
Block External Devices
Block USB File Transfers
In-Line Content Inspection
Block File Transfers to Cloud Storage
Block File Downloads
Track File Transfers To/From Network Share Drives
Track Downloads/Uploads

Data Loss Prevention & Cybersecurity

This section will compare the data loss prevention features of CurrentWare to Cisco Umbrella/OpenDNS.

Monitoring and restricting USB file transfers is critical for protecting data against insider theft. CurrentWare’s AccessPatrol lets you restrict the use of a wide variety of peripheral devices including external storage hardware, Bluetooth, WiFi, and printers.

While Cisco Umbrella has excellent DNS security options, it lacks USB control features. For comprehensive protection you can combine the cloud based service of Cisco Umbrella with CurrentWare’s endpoint security solutions. This will ensure that both your endpoints and networks are secure.

Last updated January 2023

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Central Admin Console
On-Premises

Self-Managed Cloud
Cloud Platform
Local & Remote Client Install
Command-line Deployment
Active Directory Installation
Active Directory Integration
Compatible with Windows
Compatible with MacOS
Manage Remote Users

Setup & Deployment

Thanks to its simple interface and setup process, getting started with CurrentWare is easy—whether or not you’re an experienced system administrator. CurrentWare is easy to deploy and offers a variety deployment options that suit the installation needs of organizations of all sizes.

That said, CurrentWare is only available for the Windows operating system. Companies searching for MacOS web security solutions will benefit from Cisco Umbrella’s roaming clients for Mac or other solutions.

Last updated January 2023

compare-forcepoint-vs-currentware
8:00 AM – 7:00 PM EST, Monday to Friday Support Availability 24 x 7
Live Chat Feature ⚠️
AI Chat Bot
Phone Support
Training Videos
Email Support
Knowledge Base

Customer Support

Even the best Cisco Umbrella competitors have to have a reliable technical support team to ensure that its customers get the services they need to integrate the filtering solution. This section will compare the customer support options of Cisco Umbrella to CurrentWare.

Last updated January 2023

CASE STUDY
Web Filtering & Internet Safety In Education

Exposing students to the digital world comes with a responsibility
to protect them. Students love BrowseControl because it gives them a safe working environment and prevents potential bad actors from interrupting their educational experience."

Tennessee College of Applied Technology

We’re Here to Help

The CurrentWare team prides itself on its high-quality customer support. We will support you every step of the way—whether you’re just starting your free trial or actively using CurrentWare in your network.

At CurrentWare, customer success is our priority at every stage of your journey. We take pride in providing high-quality and reliable pre and post-sale support to make your experience exceptional.

We offer the same level of high-quality support to all of our customers—no extra fees or packages necessary!

Mike Noseworthy
Customer Support Lead

Product Training

CurrentWare provides the documentation, training, and other resources you need to take full advantage of the capabilities of our products.

Technical Support

Our expert support team is here to help you. Reach out to us over email, live chat, or phone from 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM EST, Monday to Friday.

Check Out Our Great Reviews!

"As a 'novice' I was able to set up with help from support in about an hour. Previous software took forever and didn't work as advertised. This software worked right out of the box."

Dr. Gerard B, Office Manager
Medical Practice, 2-10 Employees

"This software was easy to install and customize to our needs. Category Filtering is such a time saver and of course saving time is saving money!"

Scott S, Senior Systems Engineer
Maritime Industry, 201-500 Employees

"BrowseControl is the best software for internet filtering. We can block specific websites and applications...[being able to] add and remove the restrictions instantly is a great feature. They have a great customer support to solve our queries."

Ajoob S, Engineer
Chemical Industry, 501-1000 Employees

In my nearly 40 years in the IT business I’ve worked with a lot of support teams. I really appreciate CurrentWare going the extra mile to help me get the most out of the product. They’ve definitely outweighed any of the other competitors that I’ve looked at.

Jerry Slocum, Managed Services Provider
Haggerty Auto Group, 150-200 Employees

Expand your capabilities with CurrentWare's award-winning productivity and security software

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Switch to Us & Get a Discount

Make the switch to CurrentWare today to save up to 25% on your first year!

CurrentWare’s Advantageous Pricing

Why pay thousands of dollars for Cisco Umbrella when you simply want to restrict internet access and monitor employee web browsing and application usage?

The full CurrentWare Suite starts at a cost-effective $8.99 USD per user per month. When purchased individually,  BrowseReporter, BrowseControl, and AccessPatrol starts at $3.99 USD PUPM

Education Discounts

Education & Nonprofit Discounts

CurrentWare offers educational and nonprofit organizations 10% off of any of the products in the CurrentWare Suite.

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Deals for Managed Service Providers

CurrentWare’s managed service providers and resellers get advantageous pricing on their licenses

volume licensing

Volume Licensing

Volume-based licensing starts as low as 100 users to provide advantageous pricing for any business that needs to manage multiple devices.

Prepurchase Discounts

Pricing breaks are available for businesses that sign up for multi-year plans, or have future growth planned and can commit to bulk orders.

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Cisco Umbrella Packages & Pricing

Looking for Cisco Umbrella pricing? Unfortunately there is no Cisco Umbrella cost publicly listed on their website. Potential Cisco Umbrella customers will need to request a quote from Cisco Systems Inc directly to get an accurate view of Cisco Umbrella pricing.

There are four distinct Cisco Umbrella packages: DNS Security Essentials, DNS Security Advantage, SIG Essentials, and SIG Advantage.

The DNS Security Essentials package of Cisco Umbrella focuses on basic DNS layer web filtering by domain or category; it does not include support for URL filtering. To get URL filtering you will need to upgrade to their SIG (secure internet gateway) plans.

Cisco Umbrella also offers a DNS Monitoring Package that provides free, recursive DNS services with real-time reporting and categorization.

Cisco Umbrella has paid support tiers. Pricing is not publicly available, though they do provide a support packages datasheet with more information.

This section will further compare the other features between CurrentWare’s Cisco Umbrella alternative and Cisco’s various DNS protection and secure internet gateway plans.

 

compare-forcepoint-vs-currentware
Full SSL inspection
Web filtering by domain or category
DNS Filtering
Custom block/allow lists of domains
Custom block/allow lists of URLs
Block files based on AV Engine and malware defense
Sandboxing
Cloud app discovery ⚠️
Partial Support
Scan and remove malware from cloud-based file storage apps
Block domains with malware, phishing sites, botnet, or other high risk items
Block specific IPs, ports, and protocols
Layer 7 protection including an Intrusion Prevention System
In-line DLP inspection and blocking capabilities
Remote browser isolation ❌ 
Create policies and generate reports by network, device, and user ✅ 
Customize block pages
compare-forcepoint-vs-currentware
Proxy and inspect web traffic (incl. decryption of SSL (HTTPS) traffic) ⚠️
Partial Support
DNS Filtering
Web filtering by domain or category
Custom block/allow lists of domains
Custom block/allow lists of URLs
Block files based on AV Engine and malware protection ⚠️
Partial Support
Sandboxing
Cloud appdiscovery ⚠️
Partial Support
Scan and remove malware from cloud-based file storage apps
Block domains with malware, phishing, botnet, or other high risk items
Block specific IPs, ports, and protocols
Layer 7 protection including an Intrusion Prevention System
In-line DLP inspection and blocking capabilities
Remote browser isolation ❌ 
Create policies and view reports by network, device, and user ✅ 
Customize block pages
compare-forcepoint-vs-currentware
Proxy and inspect web traffic (incl. decryption of SSL (HTTPS) traffic)
DNS Filtering
Web filtering by domain or category
Custom block/allow lists of domains
Custom block/allow lists of URLs
Block files based on AV Engine and malware protection
Sandboxing ⚠️
500/Day
Cloud app discovery
Scan and remove malware from cloud-based file storage apps ⚠️
Partial Support
Block domains with malware, phishing, botnet, or other high risk items
Block specific IPs, ports, and protocols
Layer 7 protection including an Intrusion Prevention System ⚠️
Add-On
In-line DLP inspection and blocking capabilities ⚠️
Add-On
Remote browser isolation ⚠️
Add-On
Create policies and reports by network, device, and user ✅ 
Customize block pages
compare-forcepoint-vs-currentware
Proxy and inspect web traffic (incl. decryption of SSL (HTTPS) traffic)
DNS Filtering
Web filtering by domain or category
Custom block/allow lists of domains
Custom block/allow lists of URLs
Block files based on AV Engine and malware defense
Sandboxing
Cloud app discovery
Scan and remove malware from cloud-based file storage apps
Block domains with malware, phishing, botnet, or other high risk items
Block specific IPs, ports, and protocols
Layer 7 protection including an Intrusion Prevention System
In-line DLP inspection and blocking capabilities
Remote browser isolation ⚠️
Add-On
Create policies and view reports by network, device, and user ✅ 
Customize block pages
CurrentWare

Take Back Control Over Employee Internet Usage Today

Get started with a FREE trial of CurrentWare’s Cisco Umbrella alternatives

Real-Time Employee Computer
Activity Dashboards & Reports

BrowseReporter’s real-time user activity dashboards and reports give you the insights you need to identify productivity leaks, detect excessive bandwidth usage, reduce software costs, and improve business intelligence.

BrowseReporter productivity dashboard - individual user

User Activity Dashboards

  • Use the collected data to review aggregated results of your entire workforce or drill down to individual users
  • Select the date range and activities you want to populate the dashboard with
  • Use the activity log to review raw data; add/remove columns, sort data, and export to .XLSX or .PDF
Employee Productivity Dashboard

Track Productive vs Unproductive Time

  • View time spent on productive vs unproductive web browsing & app use
  • Customize to what is considered productive in your organization
  • Compare trends in aggregated & individual productivity over time
  • Use IP-based location tracking to compare productivity levels between time spent in-office vs time spent working remotely
Screenshot of BrowseReporter's employee idle time tracking dashboard

Idle Time Tracking

  • Find out when remote employees are idling for too long or spending too much of their working hours on non-work related activities
  • Customize idle time based on the last keyboard/mouse inputs
  • Discover which departments or employees are the most active
BrowseReporter bandwidth tracking dashboard

Bandwidth Monitoring

  • Detect bandwidth-hogging websites on your network
  • Review bandwidth usage trends to inform network capacity planning
  • See which individual users or groups have the greatest bandwidth usage
Application activity log with app titles

Track Website & Application Usage

  • Detect the use of unauthorized software applications
  • Track which apps & sites employees use solo, as a team, or as a company
  • Determine software adoption rates with usage data for apps and SaaS sites
BrowseReporter's employee desktop screen capture feature with a grid of screenshots displayed

Take Screenshots Of Your Employees’ Desktops

  • Capture high-resolution and compressed screenshots of your employee’s desktops to see exactly what they're doing on their computers.
  • The employee screenshot monitoring software feature can be configured to automatically delete older screenshots to reduce storage requirements
  • Screenshots are tagged with the website or application that was being used, the time, and the name of the computer that was captured
today's insights user score cards

Keep a Pulse on Team Activity in Real-Time

  • Get high-level views of the recent activity of individual users and teams
  • Easily see who is online now and who hasn’t logged in today
  • Track your users’ most recent productivity, activity, availability status
CurrentWare

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Fully functional. Easy to use. Install in minutes.

Flexible Deployment Options

With CurrentWare’s user activity monitoring solutions you’re in complete control of how your data is stored, secured, and retained. Your employees' data cannot be accessed by CurrentWare.

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On Premises

Have Complete Control of Your Data

 

Install the management software on a standard computer, then deploy the client software to your users' computers

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Remote Workers

Monitor & Manage Your Users on Any Network

 

Connect your remote employees’ computers to the management software with simple port forwarding rules

manage-remote-workers-and-users

Self-Managed Cloud & VDI

Citrix, Azure, AWS, GCP, and More!

 

Enjoy the scalability and availability of the cloud alongside the security, control, and flexibility of our on-premises solution.

CurrentWare

Get Started Today
With a Free Trial

Fully functional. Easy to use. Install in minutes.

CurrentWare Features

Internet Off

Internet ON/OFF

One click to completely block
the Internet

Internet Off

URL Filter

Allow or block specific URLs;
customize policies for each group

Internet Off

Category Filtering

Block websites based on
content categories

Internet Off

Internet Scheduler

Set unique restrictions at specific
times of the day

Internet Off

Internet Monitoring

Monitor web browsing,
keyword searches, and more

Internet Off

Computer Activity Reports

15+ different detailed web
activity reports

Internet Off

Track Application Use

See what applications are being
used by employees

Internet Off

Email Reports

Automatically email user activity
reports to designated inboxes

Internet Off

Block USB

Block unauthorized USBs to protect
against data theft

Internet Off

Block External Devices

Easily block DVDs, external drives
& other peripherals

Internet Off

Device Permissions

Set full access, read only or no
access on storage devices