The enterprise branch has evolved from a simple extension of the data center into a critical gateway for cloud applications, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms, and an increasingly AI-driven workforce. But as encrypted traffic and threat volumes surge, IT leaders face an impossible choice: robust security or acceptable performance. Most branch deployments sacrifice one for the other.
To avoid compromising security or performance, branches have traditionally turned to a two-box model: a router for connectivity and a firewall for protection. This legacy approach increases complexity, costs, and operational risk. Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers change that model by converging industry-leading routing and next-generation firewall into a single, purpose-built platform for the branch WAN edge.
Better yet, independent testing by NetSecOPEN proves that with Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers, IT leaders no longer have to choose between performance and security.
Why independent validation matters
NetSecOPEN is a widely trusted, vendor-neutral organization known for its rigorous security efficacy and performance testing. Their evaluations use real-world traffic mixes, enterprise workloads, and current threat samples following RFC 9411 open-standard testing methodology.
NetSecOPEN’s independent validation provides an objective, unbiased assessment. Transparency and impartiality are crucial in helping to inform vendor selection and confirm that products meet industry standards and perform as claimed in practical scenarios.
Test results: setting a new benchmark
In NetSecOPEN’s rigorous evaluation, our latest generation 8375-E-G2 Secure Router sets a new benchmark for branch security and performance, with proven intrusion prevention system (IPS) effectiveness of 99.3%, 99.8% malware detection, and HTTPS and HTTP throughput of 1.63 Gbps and 8.01 Gbps, respectively. These results validate the router’s ability to block exploits, malware, and evasive threats under real-world conditions without compromising performance.
Figure 1: Test configuration: IPS + AMP + TLS + app ID + logging enabled
What this means for organizations
Powered by the new secure networking processor and unified Cisco platform, Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers combine multi-threaded parallel processing, hardware-accelerated cryptography, an integrated artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) engine, hardware trust anchor, and a post-quantum cryptography (PQC)-ready encryption engine. It’s built to deliver high-performance encrypted traffic inspection without impacting application experience—game-changing capabilities in today’s AI-driven enterprise.
This also delivers end-to-end operational and business benefits to the branch:
- Simpler operations: One platform, one dashboard for networking and security.
- Comprehensive security: Efficacy delivered with no performance trade-off.
- Continuous innovation: Access to new features and capabilities through software-driven updates, eliminating the need for disruptive hardware refreshes.
- Lower total cost: A single secure edge platform that replaces the need for standalone router and firewall appliances—reducing hardware footprint, power, space, and licensing complexity across branch deployments.
Taking the next step
The convergence of routing and secure access secure edge (SASE) with comprehensive security capabilities represents the future of branch connectivity. That future is available today with proven, independently validated performance.
See the full NetSecOPEN Certification Report on the Cisco 8375 Secure Router
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this is a very prudent innovation!
Thank you! We’re excited about what these results mean in practice!
well written!
Thanks, mvb! Really appreciate you reading.
Awesome news, Sravani. This sounds like a big deal for performance and security. Congrats on the post!
Thanks, Niral Shah!
Clear and impactful read. The NetSecOPEN validation strongly highlights how converged secure routing can deliver high security and performance for modern enterprise branches.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment! You’ve hit on exactly what we wanted to demonstrate – that converged secure routing delivers both robust security and strong performance. The NetSecOPEN validation confirms enterprises don’t have to choose between the two.
it sounds like a great product, backed by thorough validation that gives more assurance it will walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
Post‑quantum‑cryptography‑ready future‑proofing it. Just love it
Exactly right – the independent validation was crucial for us. Post-quantum-cryptography readiness is such an important consideration for future-proofing, and we’re glad that resonated with you. If you’re interested in learning more about PQC, I’d recommend checking out my colleague Sumant Mali’s blog on safeguarding your WAN from quantum computing threats: https://blogs.cisco.com/networking/safeguard-your-wan-from-quantum-computing-threats
Strong analysis, Sravani Sareddygari. NetSecOPEN’s results—99%+ IPS and malware detection with encrypted traffic inspection—are a compelling proof point for converged routing and security at the branch.
Thanks, Vivek! This is the proof that branches can maintain full security visibility without impacting user experience. Appreciate your feedback!
Kudos to the team for highlighting the importance of vendor-neutral evaluation and demonstrating results that truly align with real enterprise deployment scenarios
Thank you, Ferdi! Appreciate your feedback!
This is an impressive and timely validation of the Cisco 8000 Secure Router’s capabilities. Independent testing by NetSecOPEN — using real-world traffic, genuine threat samples, and open standards (RFC 9411) — clearly shows that Cisco’s secure branch platform delivers outstanding intrusion prevention (99.3 %) and malware detection (99.8 %) without sacrificing performance.
What stands out for me is how this validation reinforces a critical shift in branch networking: security no longer needs to come at the expense of throughput and user experience. By converging routing and next-generation firewall functions in a single platform, Cisco simplifies architecture, reduces operational overhead, and provides measurable protection exactly where modern businesses need it most.
Thanks, FS! You’ve captured exactly what this validation demonstrates. Thanks for taking time to summarize it!