Cisco’s recent changes to its Umbrella platform have left many organizations rethinking their DNS protection strategy. Forced auto-updates, higher renewal costs, and a push toward bundled licensing are creating frustration across IT teams that once valued control and transparency.

At ThreatSTOP, we believe that customers should decide when and how their systems update — not their vendor. Our Protective DNS solutions put control back in your hands while enhancing protection against the threats that matter most.

The Problem: Loss of Control and Rising Costs

Cisco’s latest Umbrella updates now enforce automatic updates on roaming clients, removing the ability to defer or stage versions for testing. This means administrators can no longer validate compatibility or maintain configuration stability across production systems.

At the same time, hardware and support price increases, including a 3.4% hardware hike and rising service rates this fall, are tightening budgets and limiting flexibility. The forced migration into Cisco’s Secure Client suite compounds these challenges by bundling features that many organizations neither need nor want.

For IT leaders who prize operational control and predictable costs, this shift creates unnecessary risk.

ThreatSTOP: Protection on Your Terms

ThreatSTOP’s Protective DNS platform (DNS Defense Cloud and DNS Defense) is built for flexibility and transparency. Whether deployed in the cloud or on-prem, ThreatSTOP gives you complete control over how and when updates are applied. No forced migrations. No bundled software. No hidden costs.

Organizations that switch to ThreatSTOP see stronger protection at a lower cost. Our Protective DNS and IP Defense platforms provide deeper visibility, faster updates, and broader coverage than legacy systems, all without the hidden fees, forced bundles, or licensing surprises. ThreatSTOP delivers enterprise-grade protection that’s both more effective and more affordable.

Every layer of our protection is powered by thousands of curated threat intelligence feeds from the ThreatSTOP Security, Intelligence, and Research team, covering command-and-control activity, data exfiltration, phishing, DDoS behavior, and more.

 

Capability

Cisco Umbrella

ThreatSTOP Protective DNS

Updates

Forced automatic updates

Customer-controlled update cadence

Licensing

Bundled features

Modular pricing — pay only for what you use

Renewal Costs

Rising annually

Rate-locked multi-year options

Agent Dependency

Secure Client required

Agentless DNS or lightweight optional agent

Policy Visibility

Limited configuration

Full policy customization and API integration

 

With IP Defense, customers can extend the same intelligence to routers, firewalls, IPS devices, and even cloud firewalls like AWS WAF, ensuring consistent protection across every IP-based system.

Why Organizations Are Moving Now

Between rising prices, forced updates, and reduced flexibility, Cisco Umbrella users are actively seeking alternatives. ThreatSTOP’s Protective DNS gives organizations what they’re losing elsewhere:

  • Control over deployment and updates

  • Transparent pricing with no surprise renewals

  • The freedom to integrate protection without vendor lock-in

Special Offer for Umbrella Replacements

So let's get to the meat and potatoes part of the announcement:


Now through December 31, 2025, ThreatSTOP is offering:

  • Free migration assistance for Cisco Umbrella replacements

  • Rate lock through 2028 for 3-year terms

  • Enhanced threat intelligence bundle (including OFAC and ITAR compliance feeds) at no additional cost, upon renewal, this would be an additional charge.  (Cisco offers nothing like this, and it's still cheaper than you think!)

Take Back Control of Your Protective DNS

For organizations seeking predictability, transparency, and control, ThreatSTOP’s Protective DNS platform is the smarter path forward.

Our solutions protect every layer of your network, DNS, IP, and beyond, so you can stay connected with customers while disconnecting from risk.

For those interested in joining the ThreatSTOP family, or to learn more about our proactive protections for all environments, we invite you to visit our product page. Discover how our solutions can make a significant difference in your digital security landscape. We have pricing for all sizes of customers! Get started with a Demo today!

Connect with Customers, Disconnect from Risks.