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Sophos strengthens network security portfolio


Johannesburg, 30 Oct 2014

Sophos has announced additions to its range of SG Series firewall/UTM appliances, WiFi access points as well as a new dedicated virtual reporting appliance, Sophos iView.

By extending its network security portfolio with new entry-level and enterprise-class appliances, Sophos now provides businesses of any size with the flexibility to consolidate their security with a complete solution set.

Sophos SG Series Appliances

Sophos has announced six additional firewall appliances. Sophos customers and partners can now choose from 12 SG Series models. As with the existing models, each uses the latest Intel multi-core technology to provide optimal performance.

The new appliances include four desktop models that are ideal for small office deployments, and two new 2U models that use the fastest Intel chips and deliver extensive redundancy and customisation features. Further desktop models will be available later in the year, with integrated wireless connectivity, including two which support the 802.11ac standard.

Sophos iView

The release of the Sophos iView virtual appliance addresses what a recent Sophos survey on Spiceworks of SME IT managers identified as their most significant frustration with existing firewalls from any vendor - insufficient reporting. This was the number one complaint, with 35% of respondents saying they'd like greater reporting options. With over 1 000 built-in reports, including regulatory compliance reports, Sophos iView will give IT managers the extra depth they need. Users can also build their own custom reports and dashboards, focusing on problem areas or users on their network. Available as a virtual appliance only, Sophos iView supports VMware, Hyper-V, Citrix and KVM virtual environments.

As a dedicated reporting appliance, Sophos iView can offload reporting duties and provide a range of added capabilities, such as:
* Compliance reporting for industry standard regulations such as HIPAA, PCI, SOX and GLBA;
* Consolidated reporting across multiple UTM firewalls for a complete view of all network traffic from a single console;
* Long-term persistent log management and storage for security and backup with convenient access for audits or forensics; and
* Licensing that is based on storage requirements, with the entry level vSI-Light including 100GB of storage and the vSI-Unlimited.

Wireless access points

Sophos also announced the AP 100, the first in a new generation of wireless access points that support the latest 802.11ac protocols, as well as an entry-level access point, the AP 15. As with previous Sophos wireless access points, the new AP15 and AP100 models can be managed directly from the Sophos SG Series appliances, meaning the wireless network is tightly integrated with the firewall protection.

"Small and medium business have a diverse set of needs when it comes to the locations they need to secure, firewall performance requirements and reporting capabilities," says Brett Myroff, MD of Sophos distributor, NetXactics.

"By extending its portfolio with the new SG Series models and virtual reporting appliances, Sophos is making it easier for customers and partners to simply secure their increasingly distributed environments."

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NetXactics

Established in 1998, NetXactics is a South African company that specialises in sales, marketing and distribution of IT and related products. Its approach is unique, focusing on long-term growth coupled with exceptional customer stability. NetXactics has attained a level 4 B-BBEE rating.

Editorial contacts

Adriaan du Plessis
Me Talk Pretty
(011) 782 1345
metalkpretty@telkomsa.net