The latest news from Sophos Firewall reveals that their Early Access Program (EAP) is now officially underway, bringing exciting enhancements and top-requested features to their users. The new release includes added protection, enhanced scalability, seamless upgrades, streamlined management, and more.
One of the key highlights of the latest Sophos Firewall release is the added protection it offers. The Active Threat Response feature has been expanded to support third-party threat feeds, making it easier to integrate specialized and custom threat intelligence sources. Additionally, the Synchronized Security feature now provides automated responses to active threats from third-party threat feeds.
In terms of enhanced scalability, high-availability deployments now have added resilience and smoother transitions for reduced downtime. The IPsec VPN feature has also seen improvements in manageability, configuration, and performance. Other enhancements include authentication and web enhancements for better overall performance.
Seamless upgrades are also a focus of the latest release, with the introduction of any-to-any backup and restore for added flexibility when upgrading. Port mapping support has been added to simplify the process of upgrading to a different port configuration on the appliance.
Streamlined management is another key area of improvement in the new release, with multiple user-experience enhancements. This includes improvements to the overall look and feel, Control Center cards, VPN, static route configuration optimization, and Let’s Encrypt certificate support across various areas of the firewall. Additionally, network object visibility has been expanded to provide users with more insight into where objects are being used.
For users interested in exploring all the new features and enhancements in Sophos Firewall v21, a comprehensive “What’s New Guide” is available for download. To get started with the upgrade, users can download the package or installer for v21 from the Sophos Firewall v21 EAP Registration Page. It is important to note that Sophos Firewall v21 does not support XG and SG Series appliances, with the XG Series end-of-life date set for March 31, 2025.
During the EAP period, support will be provided through the Sophos Firewall EAP Community forums. Users are encouraged to provide feedback on the new release through the feedback option available on every screen in the Sophos Firewall or via the Community Forums.
Overall, the latest Sophos Firewall release aims to deliver a more secure and efficient experience for users, with added protection, enhanced scalability, seamless upgrades, and streamlined management. With the EAP now underway, users can explore the new features and provide valuable feedback to help shape the final release.