We use Sophos Central to ensure compliance activity.
Senior Manager ICT & Innovations at Bangalore International Airport Limited
A user-friendly solution that provides total threat hunting and detection response
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Sophos Central are total threat hunting and detection response."
- "Sophos Central must incorporate a diagrammatic graphical user interface for its practices and compliances."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Sophos Central is a user-friendly solution, and its configuration is very easy. The most valuable features of Sophos Central are total threat hunting and detection response.
What needs improvement?
Sophos Central must incorporate a diagrammatic graphical user interface for its practices and compliances.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos Central for two years.
Buyer's Guide
Sophos Central
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sophos Central. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Sophos Central a nine out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Sophos Central is a scalable solution. Around 1,500 users are using the solution in our organization.
I rate Sophos Central a nine out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
The solution’s technical support is very good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial deployment is very easy.
What about the implementation team?
One engineer can deploy the solution in around three days.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment with Sophos Central because its threat-hunting detection is very good. The solution has saved around 60% of our organization’s money.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Sophos Central is moderately priced. We have to pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution.
On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate Sophos Central's pricing a six to seven out of ten.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before choosing Sophos Central, we evaluated other options like SonicWall, Juniper, and WatchGuard. We chose Sophos Central because of the cost and better endpoint detection.
What other advice do I have?
Sophos Central is deployed on-cloud in our organization. The solution’s maintenance is easy and can be done by one person.
As the endpoint and applications increase in an organization, Sophos Central can detect and protect from Trojans, viruses, and spyware.
Overall, I rate Sophos Central an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
System Engineer (macOS) at Kristal.AI
Excellent Solution for Endpoints Identification and Mitigating Malware Threats
Pros and Cons
- "The user interface of Sophos Central is excellent. One standout feature is the ease of identifying endpoints. Another noteworthy aspect is the real-time visibility into malware threats. The solution is stable. I contacted the support team two or three times, and they responded promptly each time. They addressed my queries and concerns quickly. The initial setup was straightforward."
- "Integration with third party applications should be improved."
What is our primary use case?
Regarding use cases, our main focus with the solution is on endpoints and endpoint security. We've acquired around a hundred licenses and deployed them to our employees to ensure comprehensive security and avoid any potential security risks.
What is most valuable?
The user interface of Sophos Central is excellent. One standout feature is the ease of identifying endpoints. If you have the serial number, that's sufficient to fetch the relevant endpoint. For instance, if you want to identify devices with the solution, you can easily do so using the serial number. Another noteworthy aspect is the real-time visibility into malware threats. In the malware alerts, you can precisely see the issue, where it occurred, and the recommended actions for IT personnel. This real-time insight is incredibly valuable.
What needs improvement?
Integration with third party applications should be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I used the solution for around three years but last used it in September 2022, about a year ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have had 100 people using the solution in our organization.
How are customer service and support?
I contacted them two or three times, and they responded promptly each time. They addressed my queries and concerns quickly.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product's pricing was somewhat high. We paid Rs. 1500 INR per license, approximately equivalent to 20 USD.
What other advice do I have?
Users can check out other solutions like CrowdStrike too.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Sophos Central
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sophos Central. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Information Technology Security Engineer at Direct Choice
A flexible solution that provides reports on downloads and malware
Pros and Cons
- "Sophos Central provides reports on downloads. It alerts the admin when users use their personal computers. The product is also flexible."
- "The tool needs to improve its pricing."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to protect endpoints and emails.
What is most valuable?
Sophos Central provides reports on downloads. It alerts the admin when users use their personal computers. The product is also flexible.
What needs improvement?
The tool needs to improve its pricing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for one and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Sophos Central is stable. It never breaks down.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My company has 170 users for the product.
How are customer service and support?
The technical team is very flexible and responds fast. I encountered an issue when my CEO wanted me to have admin access with a simple, one-time, secure code. They needed to repair my account and provide a new secure code to achieve this. I contacted Sophos support in the UK, and they responded promptly. The entire process was completed within two hours.
How was the initial setup?
Sophos Central's deployment is easy. When you sign in with your domain, you create a user associated with your domain name. The license package is then purchased from Sophos under your domain name. If you install the application on your laptop, the organization can access it because the domain is for the organization.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive. However, you can get discounts for over 100 users.
What other advice do I have?
For anyone looking to use the solution, I would first ask the desired level of security. Do you want high control over your users and employees, monitoring their downloads and internet access, or are you simply looking to scan files for malware? Depending on their security needs, I would recommend Sophos Central, especially if they want security, including email protection software.
I rate it a ten out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Technology Specialist at Locuz
A user-friendly tool that needs low-cost maintenance
Pros and Cons
- "The product's initial setup phase is easy and user-friendly."
- "The tamper protection password is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required."
What is our primary use case?
My organization uses the solution because it is user-friendly, available at a low cost, and needs low-cost maintenance for the company's customers to use and modify a single console in different branch locations so that you can handle many branches with a single sign-in on the tool.
What is most valuable?
The product's best features are its antivirus scanning, vulnerability scanning, web filtering, and application control, including the tool's ability to offer characteristics like peripheral device control. The product has many features to protect our organization's sensitive details.
What needs improvement?
I did not find any particular area where improvements are required in the product. Improvements are needed in Sophos Central from the agent side, especially in the area of tokens when selling and uninstalling during a change of products owing to security reasons. The ability to randomly use the initial passcode provided by Sophos Central needs changes. The tamper protection password is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required. If users forget the tamper protection password, then it is not possible to uninstall the agent, after which they have to use the removal tool from the agent side, during which I do not have the ability to create another setup.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos Central for five years. I am an end-user of the tool.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't faced any issues with the product during the five years that I have used it. The product is good, and I would recommend it to my organization's customers or vendors. My company can synchronize the antivirus and firewall we use with Sophos Central and use it globally from wherever we want since it offers its users a centralized console and cloud console.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Previously, I worked in a product support company where we supported each product our clients preferred, starting from installation, organization, and implementation, and troubleshooting at an L1 and L2 level with the help of Sophos Central.
How are customer service and support?
I contacted the product's technical support for some of the organization's issues. Once, a person who was taking care of the Sophos Central console completely changed the console's password, so I contacted the tool's technical team to change the administrator passcode, which took around three to four working days. When my company faced the aforementioned issue related to passwords, Sophos Central was not able to change the password immediately. As a customer, if someone has hacked my console's password, then I won't be able to log in to the cloud of Sophos Central, especially in cases where it shows a different email address and the registered user's email address is different. The priority has to be to ensure that my organization changes the email address and the phone number in the product to the ones that were used when we obtained the licenses, which can be re-registered later if needed. The main issue revolves around the fact that Sophos Central takes around three days to register the new email address and to create a new password ID at a channel account manager level.
I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase is easy and user-friendly. There is nothing difficult when it comes to Sophos Central because it is a completely user-friendly product with a user-centric GUI mode that allows users to configure anything in the solution easily.
The solution is deployed on the cloud and on an on-premises model.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Though I don't know the exact price of the product, I know that the tool is worth the money.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. The security part offered by the product is strong, especially when compared to other products like Trend Micro or CrowdStrike. Sophos Central is a very helpful tool since users can't delete or modify agents without administrator permission. With the product, when there are constant changes in the tamper protection password, some users are unable to uninstall the agent from the users' end. Sophos Central's console can be configured from anywhere, especially in the cloud. On an on-premises model or in the cloud, users can use the synchronization capabilities of the tool.
I have five years of experience with the product, and I haven't seen any compromises made in the product's quality.
I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Industry Advisory at 2M.ma
Excellent ransomware protection, suitable for customers facing ransomware threats, and multiple support options available
Pros and Cons
- "One significant advantage is its competitive dashboard compared to Trend Micro."
- "In future releases, I would like to see a complete XDR solution in Sophos. I want to see its capability. I want to understand how it works compared to Trend Micro, specifically its features and how it gears up."
What is our primary use case?
My role is to bridge the gap between customer needs and my team's technical expertise. We collaborate to design and implement solutions that fit their specific requirements.
We cater to a wide range of organizations, from large enterprises in banking to small and medium businesses, call centers, and warehouses. Essentially, any company registered in Pakistan that requires endpoint security, next-generation firewalls, or other cybersecurity solutions can consider us.
How has it helped my organization?
The ransomware protection is exceptional, offering a strong defense against outsider attacks and viruses. This has proven extremely valuable to customers facing ransomware threats.
What is most valuable?
One significant advantage is its competitive dashboard compared to Trend Micro.
What needs improvement?
I did encounter a limitation during a Proof of Concept with a large customer. The DLP (Data Loss Prevention) functionality wasn't fully functional when enabled in the central dashboard. I reported this to the distributor and technical team but couldn't get a definitive answer.
In future releases, I would like to see a complete XDR solution in Sophos. I want to see its capability. I want to understand how it works compared to Trend Micro, specifically its features and how it gears up.
Moreover, integration options with Trend Micro would be ideal, too.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been with Sophos Central for about three and a half years now, so I've been exposed to Sophos Central through customer interactions and team collaborations.
We work with a range of solutions, including Sophos XDR, Endpoint Protection (both cloud and on-prem), and Central. Additionally, we've sold the XG Firewall in the past.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is almost a ten out of ten. We haven't encountered any issues.
The solution has been very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. It is very good in terms of scalability.
We have around seven to eight customers using this solution. We have large enterprises and small to medium enterprises as our customers.
How are customer service and support?
The OEM support is excellent, and the second-level distributors like SoftStack and Avan Distribution have the technical expertise.
As a partner, we also have sales and after-sales teams with expertise in troubleshooting and resolving customer issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
Setting it up is easy. Compared to Kaspersky or Trend Micro, it's no more difficult. Sophos is user-friendly.
I would rate my experience with the setup a nine out of ten; one is difficult, and ten is easy. It is very easy; there's always room for improvement.
We have both cloud and on-premises deployment models. The cloud is a bit expensive compared to the on-premises version. The deployment model depends on the customers.
We actually operate as a cloud solution provider ourselves. We have a sister company called CloudKind, and we offer various cloud environments through our own data centers. We deploy HCI solutions and complete cloud solutions and even offer VM solutions for customers. They can get Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, Software as a Service, Disaster Recovery as a Service... everything comes from our cloud, not AWS or any other external provider.
What about the implementation team?
I focus on commercial aspects like pitching features and convincing customers. Once we receive a confirmed order and payment, we send it to our distributor, EZ Technology, which handles license key distribution and activation over email. The post-sales team then takes over, working with the customer to configure and manage the deployment based on their specific needs and devices.
The deployment usually takes around three to four weeks. It's safe to say three to four weeks. It depends on our team's workload and the customer's availability. Since customers are running live applications, they usually provide us access outside their working hours, like after 6:00 P.M. or 8:00 PM. That's why deploying the DDR and Central dashboard solution takes three to four weeks.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten, with one being the cheapest and ten being the most expensive. It is rather expensive.
Compared to Kaspersky's EDR and centralized solution, which offers more discounts, Sophos Central seems a bit more expensive. That's our observation so far.
What other advice do I have?
I always tailor my advice to the customer's specific needs. If their top priority is protection against ransomware and ICS/IDH attacks, I recommend Sophos.
For complex networks with a large threat landscape, Trend Micro's XDR solution might be a better fit. Ultimately, I analyze the customer's network and requirements before suggesting the most suitable solution. I don't favor any specific brand like Trend Micro, IBM, or Kaspersky.
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: reseller
Technical Lead at Cyber Retaliator Solutions
Affordable, scalable, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The best thing about Sophos Central is how it brings all its security solutions together in one place."
- "The user interface could be more intuitive and user-friendly."
What is our primary use case?
I mainly use Sophos Central to keep our clients' digital world safe. I focus on three main things: making sure emails are protected, managing the firewall, and handling endpoint protection to stop viruses and other threats on devices. These are my key areas, but I'm also familiar with other parts of Sophos' tech to ensure our clients have solid overall security.
How has it helped my organization?
Sophos Central made it easier to manage the multitude of Sophos Solutions currently in the market. It easy to switch between different products to quickly address alerts or make policy changes.
What is most valuable?
The best thing about Sophos Central is how it brings all its security solutions together in one place. It is like having a control center for everything. Since Sophos has been doing this for a while and has many tools, having them all in one platform makes my job a lot simpler. It beats jumping around different tools all the time. Having it all in one spot is a game-changer.
What needs improvement?
One area that could use some work in Sophos Central is the user experience. Despite the continuous improvements, the user interface could be more intuitive and user-friendly. It feels like there is still room to make it smoother and simpler for users to navigate and manage security settings.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos Central for ten months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In terms of stability, Sophos is generally solid and robust. However, during significant system updates or internal migrations by the Sophos team, there can be some shakiness. Overall, the solution has been reliable with minimal downtime or performance issues. I would rate its stability at a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of Sophos Central as an eight out of ten. In my experience, if a client needs to scale up, like adding more licenses to protect additional devices, it is a relatively smooth process. Communication with the Sophos team and getting things in order doesn't take too long. So, in terms of scalability, it has been quite effective in adapting to changing needs. There are eight to ten users within our organization.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate the support as a six out of ten. They do respond when necessary, but it seems like they are often busy. While they are continuously improving their technology, there are times when they don't respond promptly. If they don't reply immediately, it usually takes them until the next day to get back to you. There is room for improvement in terms of responsiveness, but they eventually address the issues.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used IBM Reaqta now formally known as IBM Security QRadar EDR for our endpoint protection and response. We always had Sophos Central but made the switch not too long ago.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Sophos Central depends on the specific technology being implemented. For software-based solutions like Intercept X or email protection, it is generally straightforward, with the bulk of the work handled by the software agents. However, if something goes unplanned, it may require a bit more technical know-how to troubleshoot. On the other hand, setting up hardware like firewalls varies based on deployment methods, each with its own challenges. It can be more complex, requiring a good understanding of deployment methods to navigate through the setup process. All in all, the ease or difficulty of the setup depends on the specific technology and deployment approach. The deployment time for Sophos solutions varies based on the type of technology. In my experience, it usually takes about three to five days to complete the installation and configuration for a hardware-based solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Sophos solutions are generally affordable, especially considering that we manage them in South Africa and Africa at large. The pricing is particularly favorable for software-based solutions, while the hardware side can be a bit more challenging. Overall, for software-based Sophos solutions, the pricing is reasonable and not overly expensive.
What other advice do I have?
My advice for those looking into using Sophos Central for the first time would be to invest time in training. Sophos, particularly through its partner program, offers training courses for most of its solutions. From my experience, these courses are comprehensive, self-explanatory, and often include practical labs. Some are free, and some may have a cost, but they provide valuable material and hands-on experience. For newcomers, I highly recommend going through these training sessions to navigate the maze of Sophos solutions effectively. Overall, I would rate Sophos Central as an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: MSP Distributor
Senior Systems Tech/Admin at a computer software company with 1-10 employees
Easy to monitor and troubleshoot issues, helping prevent malware and virus attacks
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's most valuable feature is the ease with which admins can monitor and troubleshoot issues related to any emails coming into our environment with malware or viruses."
- "Compared to GFI KerioControl, Sophos Firewall can be made much faster at setting up VPN clients and site-to-site VPNs."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution in my company to manage client firewalls. It is also used to manage all the endpoints.
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable feature is the ease with which admins can monitor and troubleshoot issues related to any emails coming into our environment with malware or viruses. The malware and viruses get blocked with the antivirus endpoint functions offered by Sophos.
What needs improvement?
I am okay with the product. I don't need any more features in the solution since it is already too large of a system.
The solution has new services that are a big improvement from Sophos and Tron, but my company hasn't utilized them because we don't need them. There are no customizations that we need to deal with in the product. My company is satisfied with the current features offered by the tool.
Compared to GFI KerioControl, Sophos Firewall can be made much faster at setting up VPN clients and site-to-site VPNs.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos Central since 2017. My company operates as a reseller of the product. My company has a partnership with Sophos.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There is no need to scale up the product since it is a robust tool.
My company works mostly with e-commerce businesses, retailers, and accounting professionals.
There is no limit if we want to increase the use of the product since all we need to do is just add desktops or new computers for each customer every time they acquire a new device.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is good. I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
My company has used only two products, GFI KerioControl and Sophos. We only use Sophos for the endpoints. If we talk about firewall products, there are two different computations in GFI KerioControl and Sophos Firewall. Both the tools are easy to maintain, but compared to Sophos Firewall, GFI KerioControl is much faster at setting up VPN clients and site-to-site VPNs. Both the tools are pretty good for protecting offices with site-to-site connectivity.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase is straightforward. If ten were the easiest, I would rate the setup phase as a ten on a scale of one to ten.
Once you have the endpoint software through Splashtop SOS on the client's desktop, install and download the program. In less than five minutes, it can be installed and protected.
Only one person is required to deploy the product through Splashtop SOS.
The product does not require maintenance since it is not an automatically managed process.
The solution is deployed using the cloud services offered by Sophos.
What was our ROI?
In terms of ROI, the tool pays off within a few months. The tool has big clients with good businesses that are maintained on the tool, so the firewalls are not that much for them.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a one-time fee for the hardware and an annual subscription fee, which is pretty good because we can get free updates.
What other advice do I have?
In terms of the product's integration capabilities with other security tools, I would say that they are centralized and easy to manage. You just click on the customer and launch that customer, and you will see everything from that customer, including all the endpoints and firewalls that are being monitored.
I don't know whether the product offers any AI features.
I am not really keen to find out if the product offers features like predictive analytics or automated responses.
As an admin, it will give you a feeling of ease since your endpoints are protected, meaning the real computers are protected from viruses and malware.
I rate the tool a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Last updated: Aug 1, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSystem Administrator at PT. Intikom Berlian Mustika
A tool with an easy-to-setup phase that offers endpoint security to users
Pros and Cons
- "The product's initial setup phase was easy."
- "Sophos Central is not available in small packages in Indonesia."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution in my company for endpoint security of our servers, especially in our workspaces where we have many devices, like laptops and PCs. Basically, my company's customer uses Sophos Central for endpoint security in their company, where I manage and install the tool to support around 1000 to 2000 laptop pieces in Indonesia.
What is most valuable?
I think that in Indonesia, many companies don't use cloud services because there are problems with the internet connections. Sophos Central is a product that is available on the cloud, so it is safer than the on-premises version. When it comes to the on-premises version of the product, users may have to face a lot of scenarios where they have to deal with damaged computers and server crashes. My company can shift access with the help of a phone or laptop from anywhere or any location with Sophos Central's cloud version, allowing everyone to access the servers centrally, but it is not something that is possible with the on-premises version. For me, the product is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
Sophos Central is not available in small packages in Indonesia. I think Sophos Central needs to be made available in a smaller package because the problem in Indonesia is that there is no good internet connectivity.
I have so much trouble with the tool in Indonesia since the internet connection is bad, so it is difficult to reach the Sophos Central server or get connected to the server. Sophos Central can give better features to help establish a better connection between the server and a client.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Sophos Central for around five years. My company has a partnership with Sophos. I work as a distributor of the product in Indonesia.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In Indonesia, Sophos Central is the first choice that comes to my mind if my customers need an endpoint security product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is deployed on 2000 devices.
I deal with my companies where the employee count ranges from 1000 to 4000
How are customer service and support?
I have experience with the product support team in Indonesia. The solution's technical support was very good and communicative, which were factors that helped me resolve my problems.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase was easy.
In one of the cases where I had to take care of around 1000 installations, I initially built a dummy for the on-premises version, after which I collected updates on the on-premises version, post which the PCs and laptops can download or update it from the main server, which is an easy process.
The solution is deployed on a private cloud.
The solution can be deployed in an hour or two. The problem during the deployment phase can only arise due to some internet connectivity issues. If a company has a good internet connection, then the deployment process takes less time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In my opinion, it is not a very pricey product. The product is not expensive.
What other advice do I have?
The tool has improved our company's ability to monitor network health and security.
I recommend the solution to others who plan to use it because it is one of the best and the point security solutions available on the cloud for me. The product is also easy to use, install, control, and manage.
I have used the product's automated threat response feature. With the help of the automated threat response feature, I can get a report and track malware and services.
I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
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