Really good product
I'm really not sure why this product is getting so much negative reviews. Here's my 2 cents:
1. This is probably the only device that can give you VPN + MFA (a Sophos mobile app soft token) right out of the box. Other big name network security devices usually require you to integrate with another service like Okta or add another server like a RADIUS server.
2. Has multiple Site to Site VPN and Remote Access VPN protocols builtin.
3. Can directly dump its log to CloudWatch logs, other network devices require you to add another syslog server to do the same thing
4. Has great IPS, IDS, Firewall functionalities, it is actually difficult to outgrow this device's capability.
5. Sophos charges $.1/hr for t2.small. You have to pay multiple of that price to get equivalent features from large vendors. And you would have to pay $$$$ to hire a competent network engineer to duplicate Sophos features on a vanilla linux box.
6. I've called Sophos Technical Support @ 1 888 767 4679 for difficult problems, such as configuring Sophos in a complicated VPC setup, ask them to explain vague documentations, work some obscure features, etc. Their support has been patient, staying on the phone for hours to diagnose the problems. And the support is getting a lot more AWS knowledgable over the past 2 years I've been using Sophos. So good job Sophos!
I've deployed and have seen deployed 10s of Sophos in a variety of projects for different tasks, remote access VPN, site to site VPN, NAT-T, WAF, packet inspection, firewalls etc. This little device has been solid.
Great device to protect your network from intrusion
What do you like best about the product?
I would say that I like the easy to use interface the best
What do you dislike about the product?
Some features are hidden and difficult to find.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
The Sophos is a true unified threats management device that works great for point of sale networks to maintain PCI compliance.
Sophos UTM
What do you like best about the product?
Objects can be created and re-named on the fly. Firewall rules and policies are very easy to configure. The live log feature is very easy to navigate and see what is being blocked where.
What do you dislike about the product?
I wish that the interface would not time out and have issues when first logging into the web interface.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
We solved the problems of other firewall vendors going end of life with no replacements. The benefits of Sophos was the ease of use with a very responsive web interface.
Recommendations to others considering the product:
The web interface takes a little bit of getting used to, but once you have learned how to get around, it makes a lot of sense and can be very easy to configure.
Have been using product for years successfully
Product does a great job at protecting our infrastructure, we use all features, and find the product easy to manage and configure. We use on a small environment, under 20 servers.
Sophos UTM - Powerful yet easy to use
What do you like best about the product?
The ease of use. The Sophos interface is really clean and easy to understand. You don't need very much training to be able to use. It is almost like the Mac for UTMs (I know some may not like that, but I mean that it is less console/script based set-up/admin and more UI and friendly, yet still secure).
What do you dislike about the product?
The method of opening ports is slightly different from most other 'firewalls' and takes some getting used to, but once you understand the process and how it works it is fine, you just have to re-train your brain a little. I prefer the interface for the current models compared to the UTM 9.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Protection of our systems. This is our firewall. It not only protects our network, but it acts as our content filter. We can warn users when they are about to download a filetype the could be dangerous, as well as limit or warn for certain website types that might be dangerous. We also use one for a remote office location so the VPN tunnel is of great benefit.
Recommendations to others considering the product:
Give it time. Be prepared to learn the nuances. Find a good resource for if/when you need help. We rolled it out and I have added/turned on features in stages. Their customer service is good as well. I had a unit whose HD failed and they overnighted a new unit to me. Really appreciated that to get me back up and running.
Best Unified Threat Management
What do you like best about the product?
Sophos UTM Appliances with Firewall Sandboxing Provides Maximum Network Protection at an Affordable Price.
What do you dislike about the product?
Single Sign-On(SSO) user authentication is not possible prior to version 9.2
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Good threat protection
Sophos UTM - My Gatekeeper
What do you like best about the product?
Our Sophos SG230 has provided as much bang for the buck as we could get when it comes to protecting and administering our network security. It has all of the baseline firewall functionality in the definitions and rules that are either automatically set up or added by the user. I love the additional security I see as it blocks traffic to known bad actors using the Sophos database which though not as extensive as Cisco's is still quite substantial. I've seen this thing alert and block the wrong thing enough times to know I don't want to live with anything less and am seriously considering an XG230 in the near term. It also does a great job with the Sophos Wireless Access points.
What do you dislike about the product?
It is complicated at times and you have to manually perform firmware updates. I would love to see that scheduled from the dashboard. I would love to see more granularity on the monitoring and reporting of traffic.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Before Sophos we had an infection that would have been stopped by the Sophos SG230. The current situation is so bad it's depressing. The network is under constant attack and probing for absolutely the worst of reasons. There is an army arrayed against us and products such as the Sophos UTM are our early warning system, first line of defense and counter-intelligence agency.
Recommendations to others considering the product:
Look at Sophos and keep in mind the companion products such as endpoint protection, WAPs, the variety of VPN flavors.
Sophos UTM
What do you like best about the product?
Absolutely the best security software in the business with the VERY best customer service.
These folks go above and beyond to help you out of a jam or fix issues with security whether you are new and have viruses and holes in your security or if its just something simple they are the best of the best for security
What do you dislike about the product?
Absolute do not dislike anything about
Sophos I was actually the one who recommended them from prior experience with them at my home. I had called them randomly with a problem with my home computer and they walked me through fixing it without me ever being a member or having their software.
Thjat is impressive!
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Well obviously security. There are multiple properties that we communicate with online and we had a lot of issues with hacking and it was getting really bad. Once this was in place life as a manager was much easier.
Recommendations to others considering the product:
Do not hesitate to get this for your company they are the best in the business and I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for security services.
Great mechanism for IPsec
What do you like best about the product?
Ease of use and overall security mechanism
What do you dislike about the product?
Only 30 days trial period. Can be a bit more
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Internet security
A great tool for enterprise security
What do you like best about the product?
Ease of use but also the capabilities to get granular with the setup. Administration is very clear cut as well.
What do you dislike about the product?
Its on the high end on price. The original product was a little clunky but has been much more streamlined since using the sophos cloud to manage utm.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Prevention of ransomware or other malware activities.
