What is Cisco Talos?
Cisco Talos Intelligence is one of the largest commercial threat intelligence operations in the world, powering security across Cisco Umbrella (DNS-layer security), Cisco Secure Firewall, Cisco Secure Email, ClamAV, and Snort IPS/IDS. Talos analyzes 1.5+ million malware samples daily and evaluates reputation for billions of domains and IPs. Their classifications propagate automatically to all Cisco security products deployed at enterprises, ISPs, and government agencies worldwide.
Why Cisco Talos flags legitimate domains
- Talos automated systems detected malware, phishing, or spam activity from your domain/IP
- Your email IP sent messages that triggered Talos spam traps or honeypots
- Behavioral analysis identified your domain in command-and-control communications
- Your domain resolved to an IP with poor sender reputation in Talos SenderBase
- Cisco Secure Email users reported your emails as spam or phishing
- Your IP lacks proper reverse DNS (PTR) records or has generic/dynamic PTR entries
What a listing means for your business
A Cisco Talos "Untrusted" or "Questionable" reputation blocks your domain across Cisco Umbrella DNS (used by 100+ million users), Cisco Secure Firewalls, Cisco Email Security Appliances, and all Snort-based IDS/IPS systems. This creates a near-complete block for organizations in the Cisco security ecosystem.
How BrandsDefender gets you delisted
We verify that your domain is clean, prepare the evidence Cisco Talos needs, file the false positive dispute through the right channel and follow up until the flag is removed. No cure, no pay.
Frequently asked questions
Can Talos manually fix my IP reputation?
No. Talos explicitly states they cannot manually adjust IP scores. All IPs are subject to the same automated calculation. Focus on fixing root cause and sending legitimate traffic; reputation recovers organically over days to a week.
Does fixing Talos also fix Cisco Umbrella?
Yes. Talos and Cisco Umbrella use unified security categories. A reputation improvement in Talos propagates automatically to Umbrella DNS, Cisco Secure Firewall, and all other Cisco products.