<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nTo analyze Sophos Firewall and the XGS Series, I developed a product scoring rubric that included six major categories firewall buyers should consider. I weighted each of the six categories based on their relative importance, and each included multiple subcriteria with their own weighting. How well Sophos met the subcriteria determined its final score of 3.9 out of 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Evaluation Criteria<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I first looked at core firewall features, including application control, firewall groups, and TLS inspection. Then I considered pricing, since Sophos is known for its small business appeal, and ease of use, which included documentation and deployment methods. I evaluated administrative features like high availability, policy management, and reporting. Lastly, I scored Sophos based on customer support, including available channels, and advanced features like sandboxing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Core features (25%):<\/strong> I considered the most important features of firewalls, including routing and SD-WAN connectivity.\n
\n- Score:<\/strong> 4.2\/5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pricing (20%):<\/strong> I evaluated pricing for firewall appliances, from the smallest desktop models to enterprise-grade hardware.\n
\n- Score:<\/strong> 3.8\/5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ease of use (20%):<\/strong> This category examined usability factors like firewall rule options, product onboarding sessions, and availability of managed services.\n
\n- Score:<\/strong> 4\/5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Administration (15%):<\/strong> I looked at features for network admins, like single-console firewall management, access controls, and reports.\n
\n- Score:<\/strong> 4.3\/5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Customer support (10%):<\/strong> I evaluated customer support channels, including phone and web; demo options; and availability of technical account managers.\n
\n- Score:<\/strong> 3.8\/5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Advanced features (10%):<\/strong> This category included nice-to-have features like advanced threat protection and privilege access management.\n
\n- Score:<\/strong> 3.2\/5<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Bottom Line: Consider Sophos for Usability & Small-Team Needs<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSophos stands out in the network security industry for its general popularity and customer-celebrated ease of use. It’s a good option for smaller or less experienced teams that prefer not to use a more complex firewall. However, this doesn’t mean Sophos is only suitable for smaller businesses \u2014 enterprises will find plenty of value here, too, even if they’re limited in some advanced features. Sophos is great for any team dipping its toes into next-gen firewalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Firewalls are critical for protecting your business’s networks, but they’re only one facet of a thorough security strategy. Read next about the best ways to secure your business network<\/a>, including documenting processes and completing audits.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
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