CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Cisco vs Forcepoint

Cisco sells security products that protect users, devices, apps, and data. Forcepoint sells data security products covering DLP, DSPM, Secure Web Gateway and AI Data Security, with the same data classification, analytics and reporting across them. CISO Tribune files both under Firewalls and NGFW and SASE and SSE. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

Change the companies

Up to four companies side by side.

  • Cisco
  • Forcepoint
Cisco vs Forcepoint: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
CiscoCisco sells security products that protect users, devices, apps, and data.cisco.comForcepointForcepoint sells data security products covering DLP, DSPM, Secure Web Gateway and AI Data Security, with the same data classification, analytics and reporting across them.forcepoint.com
What it sells
  • Cisco HypershieldA security architecture for data centers that segments workloads and closes exploit gaps at scale.
  • Cisco Secure AccessA secure access service edge (SASE) product that unifies networking and security policy for a distributed workforce.
  • Cisco Duo[1]An identity security product that gives visibility into an organization's identity ecosystem and enforces access policy.
  • Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)A network access control product that uses data from across Cisco's stack to enforce policy, manage endpoints and grant trusted access.
  • Splunk Enterprise Security[1]A security information and event management product that detects and responds to threats using collected logs and events.
  • Cisco Talos[1]A threat intelligence and research organization that supplies threat data used across Cisco's security products.
  • Forcepoint Data Security CloudA single control plane for the Forcepoint security suite.
  • Forcepoint ARIAAn intelligence layer in Forcepoint Data Security Cloud.
Categories
Headquarters
San Jose, United States[3][13]Not stated on its pages
Founded
1984[4]Not stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Public (NASDAQ: CSCO)[1][2][10][12][13]Not stated on its pages
Named customers
  • Marriott[5]
  • United States Golf Association[6]
  • Rosen Hotels & Resorts[7]
  • Elon University[8]
Not stated on its pages
Recent news
  • August 12, 2026Cisco reported fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 revenue of $17.3 billion for the period ended July 25, 2026.[2]
  • May 13, 2026Cisco reported fiscal third-quarter 2026 revenue of $15.8 billion for the period ended April 25, 2026.[9]
  • May 4, 2026Cisco announced its intent to acquire Astrix Security, a non-human identity security company, and completed the acquisition on June 29, 2026.[10]
  • April 9, 2026Cisco announced its intent to acquire Galileo Technologies, Inc.[11]
  • November 25, 2025Cisco completed its acquisition of EzDubs, a privately held AI software company based in San Francisco.[13]
  • July 22, 2026Forcepoint launched AI Data Security, a cloud platform that follows sensitive data across autonomous agents, shadow AI and sanctioned AI applications.[10]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 5, 2026[12]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[11]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Cisco sells mainly to enterprises that need to secure hybrid environments spanning data center, cloud, campus, and IoT. Cisco addresses organizations with a global workforce that need secure access for humans, things, and agents under one consistent policy model. Cisco addresses enterprises that want to govern an agentic AI workforce. Security teams are addressed with unified intelligence and operations for visibility across users, systems, and AI agents.Not written yet
Last verified
October 10, 2026November 3, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Cisco and Forcepoint are both filed under Firewalls and NGFW and SASE and SSE.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Cisco's primary category is Firewalls and NGFW; Forcepoint's is Data loss prevention.
  • Cisco is also filed under Network access control and SIEM. Forcepoint is also filed under Data security posture management.
  • Cisco lists Cisco Hypershield, Cisco Secure Access, Cisco Duo, Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), Splunk Enterprise Security and 1 more. Forcepoint lists Forcepoint Data Security Cloud and Forcepoint ARIA.
  • Cisco is headquartered in San Jose, United States.
  • Cisco was founded in 1984.
  • Cisco is a public company listed on NASDAQ as CSCO.
  • Cisco publicly names Marriott, United States Golf Association, Rosen Hotels & Resorts and Elon University.

What it sells: Forcepoint

What Forcepoint Data Security Cloud does
Forcepoint Data Security Cloud serves as a single control plane for the Forcepoint security suite, including Data Loss Prevention, Data Security Posture Management and Data Detection and Response. Forcepoint Data Security Cloud has a cloud-native architecture that supports both cloud and hybrid environments. Policy is configured once and enforced across AI, web, cloud, endpoint, network and email.
What Forcepoint ARIA does
Forcepoint ARIA is an intelligence layer in Forcepoint Data Security Cloud that correlates cross-solution risk signals and behavioral insights. Forcepoint ARIA analyzes signals across the platform to surface insights, identify protection gaps and activate enforcement using natural language. ARIA is an always-on integrated AI assistant that deploys policies directly from the chat interface.

Questions about Cisco and Forcepoint

What do Cisco and Forcepoint sell?
Cisco sells Cisco Hypershield, Cisco Secure Access, Cisco Duo, Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), Splunk Enterprise Security and 1 more. Forcepoint sells Forcepoint Data Security Cloud and Forcepoint ARIA.
Are Cisco and Forcepoint in the same category?
They share Firewalls and NGFW and SASE and SSE. Cisco's primary category is Firewalls and NGFW and Forcepoint's is Data loss prevention.
Where are Cisco and Forcepoint headquartered?
Cisco is headquartered in San Jose, United States.
When were Cisco and Forcepoint founded?
Cisco was founded in 1984.
Who owns Cisco and Forcepoint?
Cisco is a public company listed on NASDAQ as CSCO.
Which customers do Cisco and Forcepoint name?
Cisco publicly names Marriott, United States Golf Association, Rosen Hotels & Resorts and Elon University.
Who are Cisco and Forcepoint sold to?
From its own pages, Cisco sells mainly to enterprises that need to secure hybrid environments spanning data center, cloud, campus, and IoT.
What have Cisco and Forcepoint announced recently?
August 12, 2026: Cisco reported fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 revenue of $17.3 billion for the period ended July 25, 2026. July 22, 2026: Forcepoint launched AI Data Security, a cloud platform that follows sensitive data across autonomous agents, shadow AI and sanctioned AI applications.

About Cisco

Cisco sells security products that protect users, devices, apps, and data. Cisco describes the offering as an open, network-native platform built to handle today's threats and enable the agentic enterprise at scale.

Cisco says its security applies policy, inspection, and enforcement at every connection. Cisco also describes unified data for earlier detection and faster response, powered by AI-driven context.

For cloud protection, Cisco describes securing modern cloud and AI apps at runtime with segmentation that keeps up with change, vulnerability shielding to close the patching gap, and protection for AI workloads. Cisco Encrypted Visibility Engine (EVE) is used to find malicious flows in encrypted traffic and to decrypt without sacrificing performance. Cisco says it stops zero days using Snort ML and Talos Threat Intelligence. Cisco offers distributed, optimized enforcement with unified management across a hybrid enterprise, and the same enforcement is described for data center, cloud, campus, and IoT environments.

Cisco describes a security architecture designed to defend modern, AI-scale data centers. Cisco says the architecture closes exploit gaps, segments everywhere, and self-qualifies updates and changes.

For workforce protection, Cisco describes secure access for humans, things, and agents with one consistent policy model. Cisco offers a cloud-native security service edge (SSE) that includes digital experience monitoring. Cisco offers a single-vendor SASE that unifies networking and security for a global workforce. Cisco offers identity security for the workforce that helps see across the entire identity ecosystem. Cisco offers multicloud NAC with zero trust, which uses intel from across the stack to enforce policy, manage endpoints, and deliver trusted access.

For threat intelligence and response, Cisco describes detecting, investigating, and responding faster with unified intelligence and operations. Cisco says this gives a team continuous visibility across users, systems, and AI agents in a single platform. Cisco describes unifying the data fabric, analytics, tooling and AI to automate the mundane, clarify the complex, and proactively mitigate risk.

Cisco also addresses agentic AI. Cisco describes safeguarding the agentic workforce against malicious attacks and data leakage. Cisco says it integrates identity, access, and behavioral controls to govern an agentic AI workforce and reduce risk. At RSAC 2026, Jeetu Patel, Cisco's President and Chief Product Officer, challenged the industry to fundamentally reimagine security.

Cisco Services provide expert guidance to plan, design, implement, operate, and optimize an IT environment. Cisco says support for Cisco Security products is available through the Cisco support hub, which provides product-specific resources, documentation, downloads, and expert assistance.

Cisco on the record

Sources

Cisco full record

  1. [1]Security Products and Solutions for Cloud and Workforce Protection - CiscoCisco · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Cisco reports fourth quarter earningsCisco · newsroom.cisco.com · published August 12, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]IndexCisco · cisco.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Cisco systems reaches agreement with state city on major land purchaseCisco · newsroom.cisco.com · published April 17, 1996 · Tier A
  5. [5]MarriottCisco · cisco.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]cisco.comCisco · cisco.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Rosen hotels and resortsCisco · cisco.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Elon universityCisco · cisco.com · undated page, accessed October 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Cisco reports third quarter earningsCisco · newsroom.cisco.com · published May 13, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Cisco announces intent to acquire astrix securityCisco · blogs.cisco.com · published May 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Making AI Trustworthy and Observable in Real-Time: Cisco Announces Intent to Acquire GalileoCisco Blogs · published April 9, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Cisco Security Services Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier C
  13. [13]Cisco completes EzDubs acquisition - CiscoCisco · published November 25, 2025 · Tier A

Forcepoint full record

  1. [1]Forcepoint: AI Data Security | Secure Agents, Stop Shadow AIForcepoint · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Fortune 50 oil and gas companyForcepoint · forcepoint.com · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]NewsroomForcepoint · forcepoint.com · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Forcepoint AI Data Security Platform: Unify Data Security for AIForcepoint · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Forcepoint Data Security Cloud | AI-Native, Real-Time SecurityForcepoint · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention SoftwareForcepoint · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Medicover Group | ForcepointForcepoint · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Guy Shamilov : Chief Information Security Officer | ForcepointForcepoint · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Product Support Life CycleForcepoint · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Forcepoint Defines How Agentic Enterprises Control Data with AI Data Security Launch | ForcepointForcepoint · published July 22, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Forcepoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Reviews 2026G2 · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier C

Spot a factual error? Request a correction.