Sophos UTM Reviews

Name: Sophos UTM
Brand: Sophos
Rating: 4.2 (111 reviews)

Vendor: Sophos

4.2 out of 5

111 reviews
89% willing to recommend

7,911 followers

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What is Sophos UTM?

Sophos UTM is a unified threat management platform designed to protect your businesses from known and emerging malware including viruses, rootkits and spyware. The solution provides a complete network security package with everything your organization needs in a single modular appliance.

Get the Sophos UTM Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about Sophos UTM, Meraki MX, Check Point NGFW and more!

Sophos UTM is the #2 ranked solution in top Unified Threat Management (UTM) solutions. PeerSpot users give Sophos UTM an average rating of 8.4 out of 10. Based on the analysis of the 111 most recent Sophos UTM reviews, the overall sentiment is positive, with a sentiment score of 7.1. (Among the lowest in the category). Sophos UTM is most commonly compared to Meraki MX: Sophos UTM vs Meraki MX. Sophos UTM is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 44% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 18% of all views.

Helped 824,053 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

Emanuele-Gnali

Owner at NetArt

The primary use case for the solution is as a perimeter protection firewall, which includes functionalities such as VPN, web control, and traffic inspection. It is used in various customer environments, providing comprehensive security management and network protection The platform's most…

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SherifFouad

ICT Manager at a mining and metals company with 1,001-5,000 employees

From Cyberoam and the early builds of Sophos SG, they have developed higher integration between Sophos UTM and the computers' endpoint antiviruses. We can isolate the infected machine from the network, but an IT technician or cybersecurity professional can remove it from the machine and disinfect it. It has the capability of blocking HTTPS traffic, but you need the Sophos Central Intercept X subscription for that. It gives us the ability to manage our firewalls from the cloud and deploy a unified configuration onto them. Other competitors like Meraki have that ability, but they fail to optimize it in the way that Sophos has.

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Fathi Kharfi

Head Of Network & Technical Support at Tadhamon International Islamic Bank

We primarily use the solution for security purposes. We use it as a WAF with an application firewall. We can use it for VPN SSL as a remote-access VPN. We have used it on the internet for applications and web servers The product is easy to manage and easy to install. It's straightforward to…

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Sophos UTM mindshare

As of December 2024, the mindshare of Sophos UTM in the Unified Threat Management (UTM) category stands at 18.2%, up from 17.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Unified Threat Management (UTM)

PeerAnalyst reports

Type	Title	Date
Category	Unified Threat Management (UTM)	Dec 21, 2024	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Dec 21, 2024	Download
Comparison	Sophos UTM vs Check Point NGFW	Dec 21, 2024	Download
Comparison	Sophos UTM vs Meraki MX	Dec 21, 2024	Download
Comparison	Sophos UTM vs WatchGuard Firebox	Dec 21, 2024	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Meraki MX	4.1	18.7%	93%	62 interviews Add to research
Check Point NGFW	4.4	N/A	96%	306 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

Sophos UTM offers valuable features such as ease of configuration, strong threat management, and advanced web filtering. Remote access, scalable solutions, and centralized management appeal to users. Features like WAF, RED appliances, and VPNs enhance security and connectivity. Integration with AWS, flexible firewall policies, and intuitive interface further simplify administration. Reporting capabilities and cost-effective licensing add to its appeal. Customers appreciate the stability, scalability, and robust security features provided by Sophos UTM.

"The platform's most valuable features include the integrated multifactor authentication (OTP) for VPNs, which enhances security, and the flexible and intuitive firewall policy settings that simplify management."
"The most valuable feature of Sophos UTM is the endpoint protection feature."
"The most valuable features of the solution are application filtering and web filtering."

Room for Improvement

Sophos UTM faces challenges with scalability, distinct stages including complex HA deployments, inefficient internet failover, and limited VPN and certificate management. The web filtering experience can be unpredictable. User identification and configuration complexity could benefit from refinements. Performance issues arise under heavy traffic, requiring more robust appliances. Reporting lacks detail, while the UI can be slow and cumbersome. Administration could be centralized further, and spam protection is inadequate for environments beyond on-prem Exchange servers.

"Enhancing the user interface to achieve the same level of flexibility as the older UTM interface could improve the product."
"The technical support team’s response time could be improved."
"The scalability of the product is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required."

ROI

Sophos UTM offers high returns, often within six to sixteen months, driven by reasonable management fees and competitive licensing costs. It enhances network management, security coverage, and administrative efficiency, reducing time spent on maintenance. Users appreciate streamlined security management and bandwidth savings, translating to significant financial advantages. While most report gains, setup requires specialist expertise. Some are still evaluating the financial impact, highlighting improved security and network optimization as key benefits.

Pricing

Enterprise buyers evaluating Sophos UTM note pricing is competitive but can vary based on configuration and region. AWS deployments are straightforward with hourly or Bring Your Own License options, while on-premise implementations may involve more detailed licensing considerations. Costs are typically reasonable, offering a range of licensing terms with potential savings, such as three years for the price of two. Some find it pricey compared to other vendors, but many agree it delivers strong value with its comprehensive feature set.

"The product pricing and licensing are higher, but they offer good value for the features and stability provided."
"You cannot really say that the solution is expensive, given the protection it gives."
"I rate the product's price a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use Sophos UTM as a firewall and VPN for network and endpoint security. It supports functionalities like web filtering, email filtering, antivirus, intrusion prevention systems, and application control. Sophos UTM is deployed both on-premises and in cloud environments such as Azure, providing security for servers, web applications, and remote offices. The system facilitates secure internet connections, remote access, and user management, offering robust protection and access control for diverse sectors and business sizes.

Service and Support

Sophos UTM's customer service is consistently praised as excellent, with issues typically resolved swiftly. Their technical support receives mixed feedback. Many users commend it for being knowledgeable and responsive, with significant improvements noted recently. However, some users experience delays, especially in certain regions, and suggest that technical support could benefit from quicker response times and improved expertise. Communication ease and availability through various channels, including a call portal, are appreciated by many.

Deployment

Sophos UTM's initial setup is widely perceived as straightforward, especially with its browser-based tool and helpful wizards. Users find it easy to configure basic settings and deploy in various environments, including small networks and cloud platforms like AWS. However, advanced configurations may require network expertise and can be challenging for beginners. While some report initial complexities, especially with specific features, the setup is generally rated positively, with many completing it quickly and efficiently.

Scalability

Sophos UTM offers notable scalability, primarily when accurate sizing guidelines are followed. Organizations have found it supports various environments effectively. While some report no scaling issues, others highlight potential improvements with hardware upgrades. High availability and cluster capabilities are praised, and the platform adapts well to growing needs. Users find Sophos UTM scalable across different deployment sizes, rating it highly in flexibility, with both virtualized and hardware options facilitating expansion as requirements increase.

Stability

Users find Sophos UTM generally stable with few exceptions. Stability issues often arise when hardware is improperly sized or due to firmware updates. Some users experience slowdowns with specific features like intrusion prevention or bugs on initial releases, but these are usually quickly addressed. Sophos UTM's overall performance is noted as stable, not encountering frequent crashes or bugs. Users give the stability a high rating, appreciating its reliability and ability to handle high-demand environments.

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our Sophos UTM Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers

By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

18%

Government

Educational Organization

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Construction Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Media Company

University

Energy/Utilities Company

Healthcare Company

Hospitality Company

Insurance Company

Non Profit

Wholesaler/Distributor

Legal Firm

Outsourcing Company

Transportation Company

Consumer Goods Company

Recreational Facilities/Services Company

Performing Arts

Pharma/Biotech Company

Logistics Company

Compare Sophos UTM with alternative products

Learn more about Sophos UTM

Sophos UTM Features

Sophos UTM has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Web and Email Filtering
General Management
Network Protection
Network Routing and Services
Advanced Threat Protection
Authentication
Email Encryption and DLP
Web Policy
End-User Portal
VPN IPsec Client, VPN SSL Client, and Clientless VPN
Web Application Firewall Protection
UTM Endpoint Protection and Management
SEC Endpoint Integration
Logging and Reporting

Sophos UTM Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Sophos UTM. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Simplifies your IT security without the complexity of multiple point solutions
Intuitive interface to help you quickly create policies to control security risks
Provides clear, detailed reports to give you the insight you need to improve your network performance and protection
Complete control to block, allow, shape and prioritize applications
Two-factor authentication with one-time password (OTP)
Integrated wireless controller
Allows you to connect remote offices with easy VPN and Wi-Fi

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the Sophos UTM solution.

PeerSpot user Dana B., Network Administrator at a manufacturing company, says “The web and email filtering are the two biggest and most valuable aspects of the solution for us. The solution overall has just been a good, cost-effective solution for us. The solution offers a lot of functionality. The solution scales well. We've found the technical support to be helpful. The stability and performance are quite good.”

A Technical Director at a security firm mentions, "Sophos SG UTM had all the basic functionality that you needed. It is user-friendly and easy to manage for any integrator."

Marek M., Senior Network Engineer at a computer software company, comments, “Sophos UTM is the simplest of these products to set up. If you follow the instructions using the wizard, which is just a few steps, then you will have a firewall to protect you and your customer.”

A Software Sales Manager at a tech services company explains, “The overall visibility of the console is what I find most valuable, plus it's very user-friendly. It can be integrated with other solutions such as SOAR, SIEM, etc., even when you have an existing firewall. I really like that the console can be integrated. You'll see everything on the same window, and the single window feature of the machine is so good. These are the features I really like.”

James D., IT Manager at Manual Workers Union, states, “The fact that it's on the cloud means we don't have to administer it on our network or deal with a physical machine, which saves us money. The solution has many great features. From the console, we can start different scannings on different machines. We enjoy the centralized reporting part of it. The initial setup is simple. We enjoy its general stability. The solution can scale. So far, the solution has been problem-free.”

Sophos UTM was previously known as Astaro.