I use this solution in both the home and office, and I am also a reseller of the product. It is used for Unified Threat Management for SMB to Mid-Size companies. It provides VPN solutions for our clients, and it has the absolute best UI in the industry.
Owner at Robert Obrinsky Industries, LLC
A powerful and flexible user interface makes remote client support easy
Pros and Cons
- "Configuration troubleshooting is eased by the use of the color-coded, live firewall log."
- "Support for IKEv2 is needed in this solution."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
This solution makes remote support of clients extremely easy and flexible. Modifications can be made in minutes. New definitions of network objects, users, groups, etc. can be made from anywhere in the UI.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the user interface, which is flexible, powerful, and easy to understand. Configuration troubleshooting is eased by the use of the color-coded, live firewall log. Live logs for most features are also available.
What needs improvement?
Support for IKEv2 is needed in this solution. But, the handwriting is on the wall that Sophos will probably stop development in favor of their XG Firewall. No timeframe on that yet though.
Buyer's Guide
Sophos UTM
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Sophos UTM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have been using this solution since it was the Astaro Security Gateway (/products/sophos-utm-reviews ).
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: I am a reseller of this product, and I also use it in my home and office. It is by far the best firewall/UTM solution I have tested or worked with in my career.
Senior IT Consultant at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Great security and logging.
What is most valuable?
Great security and logging. Easy GUI.
What needs improvement?
It really needs to update IPSec to enable IKEv2.
For how long have I used the solution?
Two years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
No.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
No.
How are customer service and technical support?
Customer Service:
Customer service is great and responds really fast.
Technical Support:Technical support might be a bit better and there are not enough easily accessible guides.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously used the OpenSource pfSense which works great, but Sophos adds the little extra that is needed in security.
How was the initial setup?
Straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
In-house.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated pfSense, and still go with pfSense where IPSec to AzurePack services are needed because Sophos does not support IKEv2.
What other advice do I have?
At first I did not like Sophos UTM but after second setup and config I liked it a lot and now recommend it to all my customers. It has great security features, and together with Sophos Endpoint Protection it works perfectly.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Sophos UTM
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Sophos UTM. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT and Data Security Manager at a tech services company
An Excellent Product, easy to understand for an experienced engineer
The Sophos UTM products helped us manage and a global network of more than 20 sites.
Their ability to firewall, filter and monitor network traffic and provide VPN connectivity really helped us day to day with such a complex network.
We chose the product initially because the user interface was simple to understand and made sense without requiring a long training course for an experienced network engineer to utilise.
Central Management is made easy with the Sophos UTM Manager which allows you to set configurations, see patch status and pull reports from all your estate.
While the product was originally with Astaro the low end (1xx) units had serious reliability issues and support was extremely challenging to engage with. However, once Sophos took over their world class technical support teams soon brought responsiveness up to the level I would expect from a premium product. And the newer hardware is much better quality.
The ability to have either software, hardware or virtual appliances allows excellent freedom of choice.
High Availability is easy to configure and works really well, with options to have either active \ active or active \ passive depending on your needs and budget.
The fact you can use the full product for Free at home is a wonderful idea for engineers to become more familiar with the product and keep their skills up to date.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Support Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
RED appliances and APs make a difference, however, performance is suffering under high traffic usage.
Valuable Features
I think the RED appliances and APs make a difference, and add value to Sophos. Also, it is easy to configure, robust and is a stable appliance. The licensing is great, because you don't have to pay the same license fee for a standby appliance.
Improvements to My Organization
Actually, we were not used to firewalls in our organization, but I was working at a distributor previously so I had a chance to do many demos. The customers like its GUI because it's easy to manage and RED takes attention of the customer which has distributed locations like shops, cafes, fast food stores etc.
Room for Improvement
They should have more powerful appliances. The appliances throughput and performance is suffering under high traffic usage. Also, I think they need better appliances for enterprise and high end customers.
Use of Solution
I've used it for one year.
Deployment Issues
Because we have local laws about logging, we had to get permission to develop a logging mechanism. Also, we had lots of requests to improve URL filtering categories.
Stability Issues
I had an issue with transparent mode in a demo, but mostly it is a very stable appliance and software.
Scalability Issues
Sophos has a sizing guide which is a great during the planning phase in ensuring you are getting the sizing right. I have used it many times when I preparing customer demands. I haven't had any problems yet.
Customer Service and Technical Support
Customer Service:
I was working with Sophos' Germany office, and they always supported me. It was really great working with them.
Technical Support:They're 6/10. I had many cases, but they don't like to do a remote session immediately. To be honest, I have worked with better support teams from other vendors,.
Initial Setup
It is very easy.
Implementation Team
I implemented it but got help from the vendor when I got stuck wit something. They are great.
Other Advice
It is great solution for customers who have small, branch offices. I would advise you get Sophos for distributed locations (with RED and APs).
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Architect at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Feature rich and provides good security for SMB
Pros and Cons
- "We find all of the features valuable because together they fit the needs of our customers."
- "We would like to have unique viewable IDs for rules and in the packet filter logfile, for easier debugging of old log files."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use this solution for:
- VLAN separated network
- Proxy / SSL-Interception
- VPN (IPsec and SSL)
- Reverse Proxy / Webserver Security
- Email Security / Mail gateway
- HA (Hot-Standby)
- IPS / ATP
How has it helped my organization?
This is a very good security solution for SMB, so this solution is a good fit for many of our customers.
What is most valuable?
We find all of the features valuable because together they fit the needs of our customers.
What needs improvement?
We would be happy with fewer new features over the same time, but with more stable updates!
We would like to have unique viewable IDs for rules and in the packet filter logfile, for easier debugging of old log files.
Sophos UTM shouldn't die.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for fifteen years.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
IT Security Specialist at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
It is a good source for IDS and IPS
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the IPS. It also protects us from malware."
- "The solution could be improved by adding cloud soundboxing."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case of this solution is IDS and IPS. We also use it for application availability.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the IPS. It also protects us from malware.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be improved by adding cloud soundboxing.
For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is OK.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is not something I have experience with because our organization is pretty lean.
How is customer service and technical support?
I have not used technical support.
How was the initial setup?
It was easy to set up and quite straightforward.
What other advice do I have?
When considering a new solution, I always make sure that there is good technical support. Also, the pricing is an important aspect.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sophos UTM has offered cloud sandboxing for several years. Sandstorm matured in 2017 and now would be a valuable addition to your company's security.
Good profiling but problems with auto-updating
Pros and Cons
- "Sophos UTM's most valuable features are profiling and its simple configuration."
- "There's an issue that when we deploy UTM on fiber, it automatically upgrades to the latest version without giving an option to stay on the current one."
What is our primary use case?
I mainly use UTM for app filters.
What is most valuable?
Sophos UTM's most valuable features are profiling and its simple configuration.
What needs improvement?
There's an issue that when we deploy UTM on fiber, it automatically upgrades to the latest version without giving an option to stay on the current one.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Sophos UTM for over four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
UTM is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
UTM is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Sophos' technical support is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate Sophos UTM as seven 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: Partner / Integrator
Manager at New Outlook Group
A great network security package with everything you need in a single modular appliance
Pros and Cons
- "Sophos is a unified solution. We have anti-virus protection, firewall rules, knotting, and DACC all in one box."
What is most valuable?
Sophos is a unified solution. We have anti-virus protection, firewall rules, knotting, and DACC all in one box. With Fortinet, everything is separate with multiple devices and solutions.
What needs improvement?
We are very happy with Sophos. I can't think of any pressing issues that need to be addressed.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for roughly five to six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Both the stability and scalability are great.
How are customer service and technical support?
We don't need to contact their technical support. We have our own skilled team of IT experts.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I think the pricing of Sophos is very fair.
What other advice do I have?
Sophos is good for small and mid-sized organizations. Big companies need solutions with layered security.
Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give Sophos a rating of eight.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
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Updated: February 2025
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Learn More: Questions:
- Which would you recommend to your boss, Fortinet FortiGate or Sophos UTM?
- What Is The Biggest Difference Between Sophos UTM and Sophos XG?
- What are the biggest technical differences between Sophos UTM and Fortinet FortiGate?
- What Is The Biggest Difference Between Sophos and pfSense?
- Who provides a better antivirus solution: Bitdefender or Sophos?
- What are the biggest differences between Meraki and Sophos? Which one is good for security and SD-WAN?
- What is the biggest difference between Fortinet FortiGate and Sophos UTM?
- When evaluating Unified Threat Management (UTM), what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- What UTM solution do you recommend?
- Why is a UTM solution important?
I agree with Patrik. Specially SG series devices running on Sophos UTM 9.3 are amazingly performing devices. If they are correctly sized and scoped, I gurantee they match even out perform many of their competition. They offer 360 degree Security peace of mind. Still though, my favaroutes are WatchGuard M series UTMs for SMBs.
Regards,
Serhat