Sophos UTM Reviews

My company deals with eight clients who use Sophos UTM. My company's clients mainly use Sophos UTM for protection against threats and for other purposes like content filtering, web filtering, and VPNs.

The most valuable features of the solution are application filtering and web filtering.

Sophos UTM needs to streamline the VPN configuration. It also needs to fix the concerns related to the solution's Port Address Translation (PAT) rule.

In the future, I want Sophos UTM to provide users with sandboxing features.

The scalability of the product is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required. Sophos should give some flexibility to users, especially when you run low on things like memory and storage.

The support team's turnaround time is an area of concern where improvements are required.

I have been using Sophos UTM since 2018. My company has a partnership with Sophos UTM.

It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a five out of ten.

With Sophos UTM, I have noticed that you cannot upgrade the physical devices, meaning you cannot change the memory or the hardware. If you want an upgrade, then you have to go to select the next model or a bigger model offered by Sophos.

One of my company's clients uses the tool in an environment consisting of 20 people, while another client uses the tool in an environment consisting of 20,000 people.

Whenever my company contacts the support team of Sophos, we get really good support.

I rate the technical support a seven out of ten.

Neutral

I have experience with Fortinet FortiGate, Check Point, and Cisco ASA. My company uses different products depending on the preferences of our customers.

The product's initial setup phase was relatively easy. I rate the product's initial setup phase a six out of ten.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

The solution can be deployed in three days, depending on the size of an organization. If it's a small company, you can finish the deployment process in a day, but if it's a big company with a lot of requirements, it could even take a week to do the full deployment. The product's initial deployment takes a few hours, but the customization to be carried out to suit an organization's structure takes time, and it depends on how big the company is and what customizations the customer wants in terms of modules.

Sophos UTM is a reasonably priced product.

I rate the product's price a five on a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.

Sophos UTM is a good tool, especially for SMBs. Sophos UTM has a lot of features that enterprise-sized businesses ask for, but they don't really work very well. For SMBs, the product's features are very good. The setup phase of Sophos UTM can be carried out quickly. In Sophos UTM, it is easy to troubleshoot.

I rate the overall tool a seven out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for firewall security.

The protection on offer is pretty good.

Direct controller management has been quite useful.

It offers reasonable pricing.

The scalability is good.

It is stable. 

Technical support has been fine. 

I don't have any notes for improvements at this time.

I'd like to see some filter features added in the next release. 

There can be a delay when it comes to reaching out to technical support. 

I've been using the solution for one year. 

The solution is stable. I'd rate it nine out of ten in terms of reliability. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

We have about 1,000 users on the solution at this time. The solution is very scalable. I'd rate it nine out of ten. 

We use the solution quite extensively. 

Technical support has been fine. They are helpful and responsive. That said, sometimes, there is a delay when we try to reach out to them. 

Positive

It is very simple to set up. I'd rate the ease of implementation nine out of ten. 

I cannot recall how long the original deployment took. 

We did not use any outside assistance. We handled the setup ourselves. 

I'd rate the affordability of the solution seven out of ten. The pricing is decent. 

We're a customer and end-user.

I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. I do not have the version number on hand. 

Overall, I would rate the solution eight out of ten. I'd recommend the solution to others. 

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 manage.

It is stable.

The solution is scalable. 

They could use more SSL VPN support.

We'd like the setup to be even easier, if possible. 

I've been using the solution for four to five years.

It is stable and reliable. The performance is good. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash.

The product can scale well.

We have about 500 users on the solution. We don't have plans to increase usage at this time. 

We have three years of support services. 

We have the Juniper SRX firewall, for local zones, process zones, and server zones.

The initial setup is very straightforward. It's not complex at all. 

It takes about two hours to set up. 

We have three to five engineers that are able to handle deployment and maintenance tasks. 

We handled the implementation ourselves. 

We have a three-year license and have support services as well. 

I'd recommend the solution to others.

I would rate it nine out of ten.

Proven UTM technology, excellent security and threat management are valuable features. The fact that I can provide scalable solutions for a SoHo environment on a small appliance, run on my own PC/server or even a virtualized environment allows me to accommodate almost any business, regardless of size. The software works in the same way across all the models. I have managed all my clients via the Sophos UTM Manager, a centralized console. I am a MSP, so having a centralized system to managed and maintain all of my client UTM firewalls is just gravy.

Customers appreciate the extensive built in reporting, rock solid IPS and security features. Coupled with a centralized Wireless and Remote Ethernet Device (RED) Device extends my service offerings. Lastly, the Total Protect bundle offers an affordable, comprehensive solution for the SMB market.

Using the SUM (Sophos UTM Manager) Central Console, each client UTM is configured to report to my RMM and CRM system for monitoring, SLA, ticketing, and support. We can administer a majority of our management such as firmware updates from our Sophos UTM manager. With many other products, this needs to be done and case by case basis.

We also schedule weekly automatic backups of the clients UTM configuration. These backups are emailed to our support portal and preserved. We keep spare/loaner equipment in stock so if a client’s UTM has a catastrophic failure, we prep a spare unit, apply their most recent configuration, and within 5 minutes have a functioning loaner unit we can deliver while their warranty replacement is processed. A simple drive to the client’s location and a swap out is done which gets them back in business on the same day. You can also get a 30 day full trial license for appliance or software. My sales staff can place a 30 day trial of fully functional unit as part of a proof of concept.

The unit offers great failover and load balancing features that can be complex to understand, some streamlining of the process would help. More predefined port rules would help the novice user/technician as well.

I have been a Sophos/Astaro Partner for over 10 years. I started with Astaro v6 and have continued with them following their acquisition by Sophos a few years ago. The product keep getting better and better. I have over 200 units I have installed and managed. I am currently selling the SG Series with UTM v9.309. The SG series have models that fit small business up to large enterprise environments.

Alongside the hardware versions, we also use a virtualized version running UTM 9.

The only issues I have, have been due to human error.

The solution is very stable if you size the unit to the environment. An SG125 is great for a 25 person office with web, email filtering, application control, etc. but it would not work well in a 100 person office. You need to know the proper sizing prior to deployment.

As stated, unit needs to be scaled to the environment. So if I don’t do my job of understanding the client's environment, it is possible to undersize the unit just like every other product. For clients who are planning major growth, we tend to sell either a virtualized UTM or software base unit. Then it is simply a matter of adding license capacity, RAM, CPU, etc. when needed.

They have a great account team and customer service is solid. 85% of the time the issues are resolved on the same day, and 97% by the next business day.

They have excellent technical support. I can submit a ticket request via their portal, with a call, etc. I can get someone 24/7 and usually within an hour. They also have a great escalation procedure.

I have used many, such as SonicWALL, Cisco, Juniper, WatchGuard, and FortiGate. Sophos is consistent and deep in their solutions and I like a consistent platform and support.

Simple small offices are a breeze. We have some template configurations, which only require us to stage and activate a license(s), install a basic template and modify the interfaces to meet client specifics and then add the unique definitions. More complex setups start with a basic template which even my technicians can load, and then require an engineer or security specialist to finish off.

We are a managed service provider (MSP) so we do it in-house for clients. We provide our customers with basic training and complete documentation package.

As with most hardware, margins could always be better. I can get competitive pricing on larger deals. Our biggest ROI is the monthly management fee, which is very reasonable for our clients. Since we do all of our management (updates, reports, etc.) from the SUM we spend very little time on this and a technician can do it. It has a very good economy scaling and the annual subscription renewals are pretty standard with not much of a margin. This solution fits the MSP model very well due to it being a centralized control/management solution.

A SoHo setup takes about an hour, which is US$125 and the monthly management/maintenance is US$30, but it all adds up.

We have evaluated many

• WatchGuard
• SonicWALL
• Cisco
• FortiGate
• Smoothwall, etc.

The product has a shallow and a deep end. Getting a small business/SoHo running up quickly and reliably is straight forward, but the deep end takes some technical skills, just like any solution. What I really like is that my Tier One guys can get a quick status update, have a look very quickly, and then resolve most basic issues. Tiers two and three are not as involved unless there is a major issue or complexity. Also, when buying the product, get the audit/chance tracking built in too!

There are multiple use cases, and a few examples would be its use in the education, banking, or financial sectors. There are so many other locations and sectors where they deploy this solution.

One of the features of Sophos UTM that I find valuable is its user authentication functionality.

In Sophos UTM, there is room for improvement in certain areas. For instance, I believe that its feature known as Synchronized Security could be enhanced. The solution's technical support for India needs to be improved.

I will need to think about the additional features the solution needs to include in its next release.

I have been using Sophos UTM for almost ten years now. It is a good solution. My company is a partner and an integrator of Sophos UTM.

Stability-wise, I rate this solution a ten out of ten.

Scalability-wise, I rate this solution a ten out of ten. If I talk about the solution's suitability, then it is suitable for enterprises.

Dealing with technical support can be time-consuming when communicating over the phone. I am unable to provide a rating for the technical support team. My suggestion to others would be that they provide the country location of the toll-free number in the solution. Although a toll-free number has been provided for India, the people in India are good. Compared to the UK, there may be issues with understanding and timing, which could lead to many problems.

We use Sophos Access Point, Sophos Firewall, Sophos Switches, Sophos MDR, and Sophos XDR. We have been using Sophos MDR for three years.

Whether the initial setup is straightforward or complex depends on the number of users or people to whom the solution is given.

Compared to the current market offerings, like FortiGate or SonicWall, Sophos offers its solution at a good price.

I compared Sophos UTM with Fortinet and found that Fortinet's EPP, ATP, and hardware are good. Sophos UTM has also improved its hardware by updating its dual-core processors with a second processor that uses advanced technology, whereas previously, the hardware was handled by a single processor. However, we are still facing some problems with Multicast User Authentication.

I recommend Sophos UTM, Sophos Access Points, Sophos Endpoint, and Sophos Switches to other users. Overall, I rate this solution a ten out of ten.

This solution can be deployed on-premise and on the cloud.

The most valuable feature of Sophos UTM is reporting, it is flexible. I can monitor the end user's devices, even when they are not on my network. It has good drill-down capabilities.

The reporting could improve by providing information on where, or from which device attacks are coming from. We are already given the country where the attack is coming from but more information would be beneficial.

I have been using Sophos UTM for approximately five years.

The stability of Sophos UTM is good.

I rate the stability of Sophos UTM an eight out of ten.

Sophos UTM is scalable.

I rate the scalability of Sophos UTM an eight out of ten.

I have used the support from Sophos UTM a few times. My experience was good. However, the resolution time can improve.

I rate the support of Sophos UTM a seven out of ten.

Neutral

The initial setup of Sophos UTM is simple. It can be down within one hour.

I rate the initial setup of Sophos UTM a seven out of ten.

The solution is affordable compared to others, such as FortiGate. The price is important.

I rate the price of Sophos UTM a seven out of ten.

I rate Sophos UTM an eight out of ten.

We are a solution provider and I am the architect of solutions that employ Sophos UTM.

Sophos was one of the first firewall products that were free, so you can install it at home and test it. Then when you have the experience, you can recommend it to customers.

Sophos UTM is the simplest of these products to setup. 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.

Sophos UTM is sensitive when it comes to setting up the SSL VPN, with the certificate.

The bandwidth speeds are limited, although this could be because they're doing web filtering. They need to have the time to filter all of the traffic.

The logs are not clear, which means that you need an additional piece of software in order to read them clearly. This is the main issue with Sophos UTM. Essentially, you need to spend time looking through the logs and if you want quicker access then you need to have third-party software.

I have been working with Sophos UTM for eight years.

This is a stable product. In my experience, I have only seen one case where, after four years, a customer's UTM was completely dead. The motherboard just died.

This customer had a license, so they contacted Sophos and within one week, they had a replacement.

It is easy to scale. You can set up a failover with a second Sophos device, where the second one is available as a backup. You have the option to set up Sophos Lite, which is a small device from Sophos that can link with your main unit.

For example, if you have remote offices, you can have the main Sophos device in your main office, and then all the branch offices connected using the lite model. All of the traffic goes to your main site, and it will provide all the web filtering.

The quality of technical support depends on who answers the call. When you reach the proper support person, they are really good and know what they're doing.

There is a lot of information available online, partly because Sophos is the old Cyberoam. Most of the time, I try to solve problems by myself. However, if I can't, I contact Sophos.

I am a certified Sophos architect, so I help to create the solution.

I have never had any trouble setting it up. There are some things that you have to do from the command line, but that's how Sophos and other products work. It is the same with Meraki and FortiGate. 

For the most part, it's straightforward and you just follow the wizard. The questions regard your internet connection, what service you expect Sophos to provide, and of course, the main one is the license because, for home users, it is free.

This product is free for home users. There is a limitation to the number of devices that can be connected, but nobody expects at home that there will be more than 50 devices connected to the firewall.

For business users, if you have the proper license, it will provide full protection not only as a firewall, but will protect your web server, Exchange Server, network, and provider web filtering capabilities. These days, that is really important. You don't want somebody to get in, or when a user clicks a link, they could lose some information.

The more expensive products have better performance. If you have fast broadband then you will need a bigger device, otherwise, it will slightly reduce the speed of your throughput. For example, if you have a gigabit connection with the cheapest model, perhaps a UTM 320, then it will cut the speed by approximately 50% to 500 megabits.

We sell the Meraki MX solution to protect some of our customers, and we are resellers of FortiGate as well.

Sophos is easier to set up than Meraki.

When it comes to reading the logs of other devices, it is much easier with Meraki, FortiGate, or even the Sophos XG firewall.

At the moment, all of the firewalls on the market are doing the same thing. Once you buy the license, it will cover everything.

Sophos UTM is a comprehensive product that does the job that it should. They have another product now, called the XG firewall, that covers everything that UTM does not. The best part about this is that you can run the XG firewall on the same hardware where UTM is installed. This means that if you're thinking that Sophos UTM is not good for you, you can always migrate to the XG firewall. That said, I have never had a problem setting up UTM and can't think of a problem that I couldn't solve with it.

Overall, UTM is good, but if you want something better that can handle more complex rules then you can use the XG firewall. My only complaint is that they limit the bandwidth, depending on the model.

The suitability of this product depends on the customer's needs. If they don't need really complicated firewall rules, yet want to protect the network and want really good web filtering, then I recommend using Meraki. If on the other hand, they have a really complicated setup and want better filtering, then Sophos is the better option.

Also, if you have your own web server or mail server on-site, then I recommend Sophos. If instead, you have a normal office network with mail stored in the cloud, then I recommend Meraki.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Our company is a partner and reseller of the solution. We lease, sell, and license boxes for our clients. Use cases are rather unique and not uniform. 

We provide support for a few SMBs around the country. 

Some customers are heavy users, with involved configurations, and the setup may include high availability configured with two boxes. 

Others use it as just a gateway between their infrastructure and the internet with very simple configurations that don't include web filtering. 

Active directory integration domain is used for some, but not all customers. Common items include DNATs and SSL VPN. Most customers use VPNs, and site-to-site connections (REDs or IPsec).

We also use virtualized UTMs for LABs.

The firewall itself is very strong and provides great security for the internet. Some clients don't use any other special feature but all customers depend on the firewall as a secure gateway.

A lot of thinking went into the user experience because the UTM interface is streamlined, good, and feels like a web application. It does have hiccups here and there but effectively treats everything as an object. You can quickly see where objects are being used or referred to and change them. 

The UTMs are end-of-life so the web interface is not top-notch and needs more speed. There is still support for the UTMs so they are the best we have right now. 

The solution needs better captive portals and they could have faster UIs. 

An improvement to the transparent proxy would help. A user should be able to open a webpage and be redirected to the captive portal like with WIFI or XGs. From there, the user should be able to log in with a username and password to gain internet access. Many clients migrate to XG due to this missing feature. 

I have been actively using the solution for a some time.

The stability is pretty good and better than XG. We don't have any issues directly related to the solution.

Stability is rated a ten out of ten. 

The solution scales pretty well. Even with a heavy load, the solution shows no issues. 

Scalability is rated an eight out of ten. 

Technical support is not stellar. We have some good experiences and some not so good experiences. We do not have a lot of support requests for the solution.

Support is rated a seven out of ten. 

Neutral

The setup is straightforward.

We implement the solution for customers. We have a specialist, an architect, and four analysts who handle implementations and maintenance. 

I recommend you complete the solution's training because it is pretty good. Rely on the documentation and any tech training available.

I rate the solution a nine out of ten.