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Sr. Network Officer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Features a great firewall but better solutions exist regarding email security
Pros and Cons
  • "The user interface is very good."
  • "We are not very happy with the customer support they provide — it's quite slow."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution as our main firewall. We also use it for email security purposes. Within our organization, there are roughly eight employees using this solution. 

What is most valuable?

The user interface is very good. As we've been using Sophos for four years now, we're very comfortable with the GUI interface. In addition, the IPS is quite good. 

What needs improvement?

We recently updated our previous version; now, the security licensing fee is quite high. I don't know if it's a bug in the OS, but it's not been very stable after we upgraded to the latest version.

For how long have I used the solution?

we have been using Sophos for XG for four years. 

Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
December 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Sophos is quite stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's not that scalable but it's good enough for us. 

How are customer service and support?

We are not very happy with the customer support they provide — it's quite slow.

A year ago, we contacted technical support regarding the high security licensing fees but they still haven't gotten back to us; they're still analyzing the log.

Support-wise, I would only give Sophos a rating of three to four out of ten. 

How was the initial setup?

For us, the installation was very straightforward. We deal with a local vendor and they guide us through the installation process. We haven't experienced any issues setting up this solution. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Sophos is reasonable. It's not too expensive — I think it's worth it. Price-wise, I'd give Sophos a rating of eight out of ten.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before Sophos, we were using Fortinet. Fortinet was also a good solution but Sophos was equipped with more features that we needed. 

What other advice do I have?

Feature-wise, I would give Sophos a rating of seven out of ten.

They need to improve their support, overall customer care, and lower the security licensing fees. If they improved these issues, I would give them a higher rating.

 Before upgrading any Sophos firmware, be sure to contact the Sophos team and upgrade it according to their advice. Without their advice, I wouldn't recommend performing an upgrade.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Engineer at FormatPC
Reseller
User-friendly and helpful interface with good support that responds quickly
Pros and Cons
  • "The VPN access for users is also a great thing, especially nowadays when working from home."
  • "Having a web portal where you could make requests for the categorization of non-categorized items, would be beneficial."

What is our primary use case?

For the primary use cases, we use SSL VPN access for rolling remote access. We use web filtering and we use the intrusion prevention that comes with network protection.

What is most valuable?

The user interface is very user-friendly and very helpful. 

The VPN access for users is also a great thing, especially nowadays when working from home. 

What needs improvement?

Categorization or uncategorized websites is an area that needs improvement.  

Having a web portal where you could make requests for the categorization of non-categorized items, would be beneficial.

The DLP rules don't cover countries such as Serbia. You cannot make custom rules. That could be added so that we could detect content that is not supposed to leave the company via email, and so that the rules could be customized by the clients.

We only have predefined rules and most of them are not for Serbia or countries from the Region.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Sophos from the time they acquired Astaro, before that it was UTM, then they released the XG firewall.

We are using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution. We have not experienced any issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable product. In the office, we have four users in our organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

Our experience with technical support has been positive.

We have support from the local distributor. We have rarely had the need to contact technical support but when we have, we have had quick responses from them.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward and the implementation takes a relatively short amount of time. The fine-tuning takes a little bit more time but in general, it can be deployed and implemented quickly. 

Also, the upgrades, backups, and recovery are very easy.

What about the implementation team?

We are Sophos partners, we sell them and implement them ourselves.

We only need one engineer to deploy and maintain this solution. If you have a bigger deployment then you need two engineers.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing fees are on a yearly basis.

What other advice do I have?

I can recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate this solution a nine 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
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Sophos XG
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Sophos XG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
Architect of solutions at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
User-friendly security with quality disk encryption but lacks on-premise deployment options and firewall rules could use improvement.
Pros and Cons
  • "Sophos offers great disk encryption, anti protection, and the interface is very user-friendly."
  • "I would like to next release to be able to support on-premise deployment. The construction of the rules within the firewall could also use some improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution to secure the computers within our environment.

What is most valuable?

Sophos offers great disk encryption, anti protection, and the interface is very user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

I would like to next release to be able to support on-premise deployment. The construction of the rules within the firewall could also use some improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for about two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution, I have not had any issues in regards to stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable solution. We have about two hundred users in our company.

How are customer service and support?

I have not needed to contact support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using ESET prior to switching to Sophos. ESET was a very simple solution that was unable to detect malware or ransomware. We had an attack and needed to switch to a solution that supported ransomware.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very straightforward and took about one week to complete.

What about the implementation team?

We used an integrator to compete the deployment. We have a contract with them so we do not need any in-house team members for maintenance. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution as it offers good protection.

I would rate the solution a seven out of ten.

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.
PeerSpot user
Real User
User-friendly, good load-balancing functionality, and it's easy to manage
Pros and Cons
  • "The interface is very user-friendly and it's easy to manage."
  • "All of the options should be available when I renew my subscription for the year. As it is now, there are some limitations."

What is our primary use case?

We are a digital design agency. We offer services such as website design and development, mobile applications, and more. We use Sophos XG to protect our network. It is also used for reporting and load-balancing.

What is most valuable?

The interface is very user-friendly and it's easy to manage.

The load-balancing capabilities are good.

What needs improvement?

All of the options should be available when I renew my subscription for the year. As it is now, there are some limitations.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Sophos XG for between two and three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product and we use it on a daily basis.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have not tried to scale this product.

How are customer service and support?

I have not had issues that required contacting technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple. It takes approximately one hour to install, create the policies, and deploy.

What about the implementation team?

I deployed it myself.

If there are any issues then I can fix them because I have the expertise.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The subscription costs approximately $300 yearly. I am satisfied with the price.

What other advice do I have?

Feature-wise, this is a good product.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Alex Clerici - PeerSpot reviewer
System Integrator IT Manager at Tecnimex S.r.l.
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Integrates well with other Sophos solutions, efficient, and is reasonably priced
Pros and Cons
  • "Sophos began with a basic version and evolved into something more efficient in terms of performance."
  • "I would like to have a more efficient login process."

What is our primary use case?

This solution is used by both us and our customers.

What is most valuable?

As this product has recently changed, we are learning about the features of Sophos XG one step at a time.

Sophos began with a basic version and evolved into something more efficient in terms of performance.

It integrates well with other Sophos products, such as the Sophos Firewall, Sophos Endpoint, and other features in a cloud platform, to help the customer better manage security on their site.

What needs improvement?

I would like to have a more efficient logging process & real time analisys. The logging, expecially with EDR subscription, is something that needs improvement.

I would like to see email management improved to have more features and options for integrating with other solutions, expecially cloud based.

For how long have I used the solution?

We started working with Sophos XG when it was known as Astaro AG. I have been working with this solution for more than 10 years.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is always an issue, not just with Sophos but also with other brands. It is extremely difficult to interact with support within the time frame that the customer expects.

In general, it takes more time to solve a problem, and better independent actions are required.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup can be difficult. You should be familiar with Sophos or have prior knowledge of it, as it requires concepts from older versions of Sophos, the Sophos SG, the Cyberoam environment, and everything that has recently been introduced.

It is better to have some training before using this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is reasonable in my opinion.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I began looking into Fortinet solutions simply to compare some features.

What other advice do I have?

I would always recommend conducting a thorough analysis before deciding on a solution because Sophos may have some oversight for some of the tasks. It is beneficial to examine the environment that the Sophos product will be used, considering the integration with other features.

I would rate Sophos XG an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
it_user736143 - PeerSpot reviewer
Operations Manager at iBound
Real User
Excellent endpoint protection and easy filtering but needs a slightly better UTM
Pros and Cons
  • "The filtering is very easy to do. You can segment and create profiles for usage very easily."
  • "The UTM itself needs improvement. When you're navigating it seems like it takes forever to load anything. The hardware is okay. It's just the software that could be more responsive."

What is most valuable?

The endpoint protection plan is the most valuable feature of the solution. 

The filtering is very easy to do. You can segment and create profiles for usage very easily.

What needs improvement?

The UTM itself needs improvement. When you're navigating it seems like it takes forever to load anything. The hardware is okay. It's just the software that could be more responsive. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We do updates periodically, but the solution is very stable. We haven't had to go back to the site to reconfigure it or anything like that.

How are customer service and technical support?

At the moment, we haven't had a reason to contact technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented the solution ourselves.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We tend to go for the bundle because it's pricing is competitive. If a unit comes out and they bundle the hardware with the software, it seems to work for us. I've seen that with future upgrades coming up, that features like this will be taken away. The option to get a combo with hardware means the software portion is mostly free, and then you pay upfront for the three-year license for everything.

However, with the changes, I don't think that's going to be available anymore. It might sway our clients away from Sophos. Maybe there's something that can be worked out. Other than that, we've been happy with the price. It's competitive if you compare it to the competition, from a price point of view.

What other advice do I have?

We use a variety of deployment models, including public cloud, private cloud, and on-premises.

For what we are using the solution for, its practically perfect. We don't need other features added. The solution offers exactly what we need.

I would rate the solution seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
System Engineer at Dhanush Infosol
Real User
Top 20
Useful reporting function, priced well, but configuration complex
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature I have found to be the reporting function."
  • "Some of the firewall rules are complicated for us to understand, they should be simplified."

What is our primary use case?

We manage other companies' IT infrastructure and some of them use this network solution.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature I have found to be the reporting function.

What needs improvement?

Some of the firewall rules are complicated for us to understand, they should be simplified.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have used many different versions. In some of the older versions, the refreshing time took approximately 20 min which is too long, and in other versions, we experienced other stability issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. We have approximately 25 clients using this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support was very good before. However, now it is very difficult for us to reach them. There are crucial times when we need to speak to support but they take up to three hours to resolve or to address the issue. Sometimes it takes them 45 minutes to answer the call. When you are with a client you cannot wait this long. 

The technical support needs to improve their response time in answering the calls and finding a solution.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is easy. However, configuring the permissions or rules in the new version is difficult and in the older version, it was simple.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of the solution is reasonable when comparing it to other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Sophos XG a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at a hospitality company with 51-200 employees
Real User
User-friendly, easy to configure, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The interface is user-friendly and the product is easy to configure."
  • "Support for this product is something that is really important, and it needs to improve."

What is our primary use case?

We are using a basic model for its security features. We are in the hospitality industry and it has all of the features that we need.

What is most valuable?

The interface is user-friendly and the product is easy to configure.

What needs improvement?

Support for this product is something that is really important, and it needs to improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Sophos XG for almost eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution has been stable so far.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable product and we have about 45 people using it.

Only one person is required for maintenance.

How are customer service and technical support?

Before the current pandemic, technical support was good, but it is becoming worse.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In the past, I have worked with SonicWall and Fortinet products.

I prefer Sophos because of the user-friendly configuration and stability.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is a budget-friendly product with reasonable pricing.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, this is a good product and other than the support, I don't think that there is anything else that will improve it for us.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Updated: December 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos XG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.