Replacing Cisco Umbrella? Here's what closes the HTTPS gap of DNS-based filtering, how the migration goes, and why VC and lean-IT teams have made the switch.

What can replace Cisco Umbrella?

dope.security is a direct replacement for Cisco Umbrella that closes the gaps of DNS-based filtering. Instead of resolving domains at the DNS layer, it runs a full on-device secure web gateway with SSL inspection, so it sees and controls the HTTPS traffic DNS filtering can miss. It deploys as a lightweight agent through your MDM, with no data-center backhaul.

Why do companies replace Cisco Umbrella?

The most common reasons are DNS-only filtering gaps and backhaul latency. Umbrella filters primarily at the DNS layer, which can miss HTTPS traffic, and its SWG component still routes traffic through Cisco data centers, adding delay for distributed teams. Greylock Partners left Umbrella for dope.security for exactly these reasons: DNS-only filtering missed HTTPS, and backhauling slowed down a device-first team.

Does Cisco Umbrella inspect HTTPS traffic?

Cisco Umbrella filters primarily at the DNS layer, which means HTTPS traffic can slip past without full inspection. Its SWG add-on can inspect more, but it does so by backhauling traffic through Cisco data centers. dope.security inspects HTTPS on the device itself, so encrypted traffic is fully inspected locally without a detour.

Cisco Umbrella vs dope.security: what's the difference?

The core difference is where filtering happens. Cisco Umbrella filters at the DNS layer and backhauls its SWG traffic through Cisco data centers. dope.security runs a full secure web gateway on the device, inspects SSL locally, and sends traffic straight to its destination. That closes the HTTPS gap and removes the backhaul latency, running up to 4x faster than legacy proxy SWGs.

How fast can you migrate off Cisco Umbrella?

Very fast, because dope.security deploys as an agent through your MDM rather than as network infrastructure. One Cisco Umbrella customer reached 2,000 machines in two days. Greylock Partners went from first proposal to signed contract in 27 days and rolled out in phases through Intune.

Is dope.security a good Cisco Umbrella alternative for a small IT team?

Yes. Lean IT teams are a core fit because there are no appliances to manage and no data-center setup. Policy pushes in seconds from one console, and deployment runs silently through existing MDM. Greylock Partners, an iconic Silicon Valley VC firm with a small IT team, replaced Cisco Umbrella with dope.security and signed in 27 days.

See it fly direct

Inspect on the device, skip the backhaul, deploy in minutes. Try dope.security free or book a 20-minute demo at dope.security.