Cisco packages security under five major lines (Umbrella, Duo, XDR, Secure Firewall, Secure Endpoint), bundled into the EA security pillar. This guide maps the metric, the bundle math, and the seven renewal levers.
Cisco packages enterprise security under five product lines. Umbrella covers DNS layer security, Duo covers MFA and identity, XDR covers detection and response, Secure Firewall covers network firewall, and Secure Endpoint covers endpoint detection. Each line is priced separately, with a meaningful discount only on the EA security pillar bundle.
The 2026 EA security pillar list price sits at roughly 60 USD per knowledge worker per year for the Standard tier and 110 USD per knowledge worker per year for the Advantage tier. Both tiers ship Umbrella, Duo, and XDR. Advantage also ships Secure Endpoint and an enhanced XDR feature set.
Read this alongside the Cisco knowledge hub, the Cisco services page, the Cisco ELA guide, the security stack guide, and the Vendor Shield subscription.
The table below maps the five Cisco security product lines against their metric, indicative list price, and primary use case.
| Line | Metric | 2026 indicative list | Primary use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Umbrella | Per user per year | 30 to 60 USD | DNS layer security and SWG |
| Cisco Duo | Per user per month | 3 to 9 USD | MFA and identity |
| Cisco XDR | Per user or per asset | 40 to 80 USD per user per year | Detection and response |
| Cisco Secure Firewall | Per device subscription | 4K to 80K USD per appliance per year | Network firewall |
| Cisco Secure Endpoint | Per endpoint per year | 30 to 65 USD | EDR |
Umbrella is the Cisco DNS layer security platform. It covers DNS filtering, secure web gateway, cloud delivered firewall, and zero trust network access against DNS based threats.
Duo is the Cisco MFA and identity platform. It covers MFA, single sign on, device trust, passwordless authentication, and adaptive policy enforcement.
Cisco XDR is the cross domain detection and response platform. It correlates telemetry across endpoint, network, cloud, identity, and email into a single analyst console.
Cisco XDR is positioned as a SIEM replacement on most Cisco accounts. The buyer side question is whether the XDR data lake replaces the existing SIEM (Splunk, Sentinel, QRadar) or augments it. A replacement narrative needs a documented data retention plan and a migration timeline before the EA pillar signature.
Secure Firewall is the Cisco network firewall product line. It covers physical appliances (Firepower 1000, 2100, 3100, 4100, 9300), virtual appliances, and cloud delivered firewall via Umbrella.
Secure Endpoint is the Cisco EDR platform. It covers endpoint detection, response, threat hunting, and integration into the broader XDR platform.
The Cisco Enterprise Agreement (EA) bundles security under one of three pillars (Networking, Collaboration, Security). The security pillar bundles Umbrella, Duo, XDR, and (Advantage) Secure Endpoint into one subscription per knowledge worker.
| EA tier | List per knowledge worker per year | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| EA Security Standard | 60 USD | Umbrella SIG Essentials, Duo Advantage, XDR Standard |
| EA Security Advantage | 110 USD | Adds Umbrella SIG Advantage, Duo Premier, XDR Advantage, Secure Endpoint Advantage |
| EA Security Premier | 160 USD | Adds Talos Managed Threat Response and Identity Threat Detection |
The eight step checklist takes a Cisco security inventory from a default vendor recommendation to a buyer side renewal position.
Cisco packages security under five product lines.
Umbrella covers DNS layer security at 30 to 60 USD per user per year, Duo covers MFA at 3 to 9 USD per user per month, XDR covers detection and response at 40 to 80 USD per user per year, Secure Firewall covers network firewall at 4K to 80K USD per appliance per year, and Secure Endpoint covers EDR at 30 to 65 USD per endpoint per year.
The EA security pillar bundles Umbrella, Duo, XDR, and (Advantage) Secure Endpoint into one per knowledge worker subscription.
The Cisco Enterprise Agreement (EA) is a multi product, multi year contract structured into three pillars (Networking, Collaboration, Security). The security pillar bundles Umbrella, Duo, XDR, and (on Advantage) Secure Endpoint into one subscription priced per knowledge worker per year.
The Standard tier sits at 60 USD per worker per year, the Advantage tier at 110 USD, and the Premier tier at 160 USD with Talos Managed Threat Response.
Cisco XDR is a cross domain detection and response platform that correlates telemetry across endpoint, network, cloud, identity, and email into a single analyst console. A traditional SIEM is a log aggregation and correlation platform.
Cisco positions XDR as a SIEM replacement on most accounts, but the buyer side question is whether the XDR data lake replaces or augments the existing SIEM (Splunk, Sentinel, QRadar). A replacement narrative needs a documented data retention plan and a migration timeline.
Cisco Secure Firewall prices per device subscription. Each appliance carries its own subscription license, with the Threat license (URL filtering, malware defense, Snort intrusion prevention) sitting on add on lines. The hardware appliance is a separate one time cost. Cisco Defense Orchestrator, the cloud management plane, prices per device.
The buyer side lever is to unbundle the Threat license and quote each module against the documented use case.
The Cisco EA True Forward clause bills any growth in licensed users at the pre committed unit rate going forward, not retroactively. A 5,000 worker EA that grows to 5,500 mid year does not trigger a back charge. The increment bills at the contracted unit price from the next anniversary date.
The buyer side lever is to lock the EA pre commit at the documented active user count, not at an aggressive headcount projection.
Redress runs Cisco security license advisory inside the Vendor Shield subscription, the Software Spend Assessment, the Renewal Program, and the Benchmark Program. Every engagement is led by a former enterprise security commercial lead on the buyer side. The output is a tier mix memo, an EA bundle vs standalone math, an XDR vs SIEM scope review, and a tracker against the seven renewal levers.
Redress runs Cisco security license advisory inside the Vendor Shield subscription, the Software Spend Assessment, the Renewal Program, and the Benchmark Program.
Read the related Cisco hub, the Cisco services page, the Cisco ELA guide, the security stack guide, the Duo MFA tiers, the ELA renewal playbook, the benchmarking page, the about us page, and the contact page.
Buyer side reference on the Cisco Enterprise Agreement structure. Pillar choice, True Forward math, and the seven clause levers procurement carries to the table.
Independent. Buyer side. Written for CIOs, CFOs, and CISOs carrying Cisco Networking, Collaboration, and Security EA contracts. No Cisco kickback. No conflict on the table.
The single biggest Cisco security saving sits in the tier mix. Most enterprises buy Advantage by default and use the Standard feature set. A documented adoption review clears 50 USD per knowledge worker per year on the renewal.
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