Cisco VPN (AnyConnect / Secure Client)
OnePAM vs Cisco VPN (AnyConnect / Secure Client)
Compare OnePAM's Unified PAM Solution with Cisco AnyConnect — and see why a Zero Trust approach is fundamentally safer than even the most widely deployed VPN client.
Feature Comparison
See how we compare across key capabilities
| Capability | OnePAM | Cisco VPN (AnyConnect / Secure Client) |
|---|---|---|
| Security model |
Zero Trust — per-resource, per-session verification
|
VPN — full network access once connected
|
| Client software required |
No — browser-based access
|
Yes — AnyConnect / Secure Client on every device
|
| Hardware appliance |
No — fully managed SaaS
|
Yes — requires Cisco ASA or Firepower appliance
|
| Lateral movement risk |
Eliminated — users reach only authorized resources
|
High — VPN grants subnet-level access by default
|
| Session recording |
Full visual playback (SSH, RDP, VNC, DB, Web)
|
Not available for VPN sessions
|
| Protocol-aware controls |
SSH keystroke logging, DB query audit, RDP/VNC screen recording
|
Protocol-agnostic encrypted tunnel only
|
| Identity-based access |
Per-user, per-resource RBAC with IdP integration
|
Group-based ACLs on ASA / Firepower
|
| Just-in-time access |
Built-in approval workflows with time-limited grants
|
Not available natively
|
| Deployment time |
Minutes (SaaS, no hardware)
|
Weeks (ASA provisioning + AnyConnect rollout)
|
| Split-tunnel complexity |
Not needed — each resource is individually authorized
|
Complex split-tunnel configuration required
|
| Multi-protocol support |
SSH, RDP, VNC, K8s, gRPC, Telnet, databases & web apps
|
IPsec / SSL VPN tunnel (all traffic in one tunnel)
|
| Audit & compliance |
Full audit trails, session recordings, exportable logs
|
ASA syslog (connection-level only, no session visibility)
|
| BYOD / contractor access |
Browser-only — no agent install needed
|
Requires AnyConnect install and posture assessment
|
| Pricing transparency |
Per-user, published pricing
|
ASA + AnyConnect Plus/Apex + SmartNet licensing
|
| Data masking |
Built-in database query masking
|
Not available
|
Why Choose OnePAM
Key advantages for secure infrastructure access
True Zero Trust, not VPN + bolt-on ZTNA
- Users never touch the network — access is per-resource, not per-subnet
- No implicit trust after authentication; every request is verified independently
- Cisco's own ZTNA (Secure Access) is a separate product requiring additional licensing
- OnePAM eliminates lateral movement by architecture, not by firewall ACLs
With OnePAM, a compromised credential can't scan your network. AnyConnect hands over the keys to every routable subnet.
No client software, no hardware appliance
- Browser-based access — nothing to install on user devices
- No Cisco ASA or Firepower appliance to buy, rack, and maintain
- No AnyConnect package rollouts, version management, or posture module conflicts
- Works from any browser on any device — including BYOD and contractor machines
Stop managing AnyConnect deployments and ASA firmware upgrades. Users just open a browser.
Full session visibility across every protocol
- SSH sessions recorded with keystroke-level detail
- RDP sessions with full screen recording and playback
- Database queries logged with optional data masking
- VPN tunnels provide none of this visibility — only connection timestamps
Know exactly who did what, when. AnyConnect logs show connection times — OnePAM shows every command and query.
Simpler operations, dramatically lower TCO
- No ASA HA pairs or Firepower clusters to manage
- No AnyConnect Plus/Apex license tiers to navigate
- No SmartNet renewals or ASDM/FMC management overhead
- Transparent per-user pricing vs. multi-SKU Cisco licensing
Replace a stack of Cisco hardware and licenses with a single SaaS platform at a fraction of the total cost.
Our Focus
We specialize in secure infrastructure access with full session visibility. We don't try to do everything — we focus on what security and operations teams need most.
- We don't provide endpoint security or posture assessment (AnyConnect Secure Endpoint modules)
- We don't replace site-to-site VPN between branch offices or data centers
- We focus on secure human-to-resource access, not network fabric or SD-WAN
- We complement existing network security infrastructure for privileged access
Works with your existing tools: OnePAM integrates with your identity providers, alerting tools, and SIEM platforms.
Common Questions
What customers often ask when comparing
We already have Cisco AnyConnect deployed everywhere
Many organizations run OnePAM alongside existing VPN. Start by moving high-value access (production databases, critical servers) to OnePAM for Zero Trust controls and session recording, then gradually reduce VPN scope. You'll immediately gain visibility and security controls that AnyConnect can't provide.
Cisco has their own Zero Trust solution now (Secure Access / Duo)
Cisco Secure Access is a separate product with separate licensing that primarily covers web and SaaS application access. OnePAM provides native multi-protocol support (SSH, RDP, VNC, databases), built-in session recording with visual playback, per-query database auditing, and data masking — capabilities not available in Cisco's ZTNA offering today.
AnyConnect gives us more than VPN — posture, web security, umbrella integration
AnyConnect's modules for posture assessment and web security solve different problems than infrastructure access. OnePAM focuses specifically on secure access with session-level controls. You can keep AnyConnect for endpoint posture and replace only the VPN access component with OnePAM's Zero Trust approach — they complement each other.
Our VPN handles all protocols since it works at the network level
That's exactly the problem. Network-level access means once someone is on the VPN, they can reach anything routable — creating lateral movement risk. OnePAM provides per-resource access with full application-layer visibility. You see what users do, not just that they connected.
We need VPN for compliance requirements
Most compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, HIPAA) require access controls, audit trails, and session monitoring — not a VPN specifically. OnePAM exceeds these requirements with identity-based access, full session recording, and per-query database auditing — controls that AnyConnect simply cannot provide.
Is OnePAM Right for You?
OnePAM works best for teams that need secure access with full audit trails
OnePAM is ideal for
- Organizations moving from VPN to Zero Trust architecture
- Teams frustrated with AnyConnect client deployment, version management, and posture module issues
- Companies needing session recording and audit trails for compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS)
- Cloud-first teams that don't want hardware-dependent access (ASA / Firepower appliances)
- Security teams concerned about lateral movement risk from VPN subnet-level access
- Organizations paying for ASA + AnyConnect + SmartNet and wanting to reduce TCO
OnePAM replaces Cisco AnyConnect with true Zero Trust access — no client software, no ASA appliance, no lateral movement risk. Every session recorded, every action audited, every connection least-privilege by default.
Ready to See the Difference?
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