We are excited to announce the release of Sophos Firewall v20, which comes with a range of new features and enhancements. One of the standout additions is the active threat response capability, which allows security analysts to share threat information with the firewall, enabling it to automatically respond to active threats without the need for firewall rules. This feature extends the Red Heartbeat automated response to MDR/XDR identified threats, ensuring compromised hosts are contained and details are readily available for follow-up.
In addition to the active threat response, Sophos Firewall v20 also offers improved support for remote workforce security. By integrating a ZTNA gateway directly into the firewall, organizations can provide remote access to applications hosted behind the firewall without the need for a separate gateway. Combined with the single-agent deployment on remote devices, this creates a zero-touch zero trust solution, making remote worker protection even easier.
Another notable enhancement is the integration of third-party SD-WAN, which allows organizations to onramp SD-WAN traffic onto Cloudflare, Akami, or Azure backbone networks, taking advantage of their infrastructure and security services. Sophos DNS Protection is another new addition, providing a cloud-delivered web security service that prevents access to known compromised or malicious domains.
Sophos Firewall v20 also brings several networking enhancements, including a new VPN portal for end users, IPsec and SSL VPN improvements, and increased scalability for SD-WAN gateways. IPv6 enhancements and streamlined management capabilities, such as interface enable/disable and object reference lookup, further contribute to the overall performance and usability of the firewall.
To access Sophos Firewall v20, licensed customers can log in to their Sophos Central account and download the firmware update. It is recommended to apply the update as soon as possible to benefit from the new features and important security fixes included in the release.
Key Points:
– Sophos Firewall v20 introduces an active threat response capability, extending automated response to identified threats.
– The integration of ZTNA gateway and single-agent deployment simplifies remote worker protection.
– Third-party SD-WAN integration enables organizations to leverage their infrastructure and security services.
– Sophos DNS Protection offers a cloud-delivered web security service for preventing access to malicious domains.
– Networking enhancements include VPN improvements, increased SD-WAN scalability, and IPv6 support.
– Streamlined management features provide greater control and usability.
– Sophos Firewall v20 is a free upgrade for licensed customers and should be applied promptly for improved performance and security.
