We’re happy to announce the provision of Sophos Firewall v20 MR1. It’s our greatest upkeep launch but, rivaling a serious firewall model when it comes to new options.
What’s new
Firewall safety and entry
Machine entry updates present extra granular management over which providers are accessible on the WAN, enhancing your firewall’s safety posture (see under for extra particulars)
New providers added to the Native ACL exceptions record: AD SSO, captive portal, RADIUS SSO, consumer authentication, Chromebook, wi-fi, SMTP, RED, and IPsec
Added flexibility in entry rule exceptions with help for FQDN hosts, host teams, and MAC addresses
OpenVPN upgraded to v2.6.0
The OpenVPN module in Sophos Firewall has been upgraded to v2.6.0 to reinforce safety and efficiency for SSL VPN. See the small print under for incompatibilities and beneficial options.
SD-WAN and VPN enhancements
Scaled SD-WAN minimal site visitors disruption with a 4x enchancment in gateway availability time throughout HA failover and gadget reboot occasions
Distant entry SSL VPN now offers an OpenVPN 3.0 consumer for customers to obtain from the VPN portal
IPsec Part-1 IKEv2 help for GCM and suite-B ciphers, offering higher interoperability and throughput
DHCP Busybox enhancements with a default lease time of 30 seconds to eradicate WAN disconnection points
Zero-touch deployment
True zero-touch deployment of recent firewalls is now potential through Sophos Central with out the necessity for a useful resource on-site with a USB key (extra on the best way to use this under)
Different enhancements
New generative-AI assistant for serving to together with your firewall administration (see instance under)
Localization language auto-detection at login based mostly on browser language choice
A brand new debug file obtain choice
New description discipline for IP, MAC, FQDN, and repair objects
Improved IPv6 DHCP-PD prefix replace
New CLI choice to bypass system-generated site visitors from IPsec site-to-site VPN within the case of “Any” matching standards
New OpenVPN v2.6.0 and StrongSwan v5.9.11 up to date
Necessary notice on SSL VPN compatibility
OpenVPN has been upgraded to 2.6.0 on this launch model. Firewalls upgraded to v20 MR1 received’t set up SSL VPN tunnels with the next shoppers and firewall variations:
SFOS v18.5 and earlier variations (end-of-life): Web site-to-site SSL VPNs received’t be established between SFOS v18.5 or earlier variations and SFOS v20.0 MR1. We advocate that you just plan an improve to v20.0 MR1 for all related firewalls on the identical time. Alternatively, you need to use site-to-site IPsec or RED tunnels.
Legacy SSL VPN consumer (end-of-life): Distant entry SSL VPN tunnels received’t be established with the legacy SSL VPN consumer, which is already end-of-life. You need to use the Sophos Join consumer or third-party shoppers, such because the OpenVPN consumer, or use distant entry IPsec tunnels.
UTM9 OS: Web site-to-site SSL VPNs received’t be established between UTM9 OS and SFOS 2v0.0 MR1. We advocate that you just migrate these units to v20.0 MR1. Alternatively, you need to use site-to-site IPsec or RED tunnels.
Full launch notes
How one can get the firmware and documentation
Sophos Firewall OS v20 MR1 is a free improve for all licensed Sophos Firewall clients and ought to be utilized to all supported firewall units as quickly as potential to make sure that you’ve got all the newest safety, reliability, and efficiency fixes.
This firmware launch will observe our commonplace replace course of. You possibly can manually obtain SFOS v20 MR1 from Sophos Central and replace anytime. In any other case, will probably be rolled out to all related units over the approaching weeks. A notification will seem in your native gadget or Sophos Central administration console when the replace is offered, permitting you to schedule the replace at your comfort.
Sophos Firewall OS v20 MR1 is a completely supported improve from all earlier variations of v20, v19.5 and v19.0. Please check with the Improve Info tab within the launch notes for extra particulars.
Full product documentation is offered on-line and inside the product.
Right here’s a take a look at a number of of those nice new options intimately…
Machine entry safety
Make sure to try the newest gadget entry enhancements and restrict the providers you make accessible on the WAN to enhance your safety posture:
What’s new:
New providers added : IPsec/RED
ACL exception rule helps new host sorts: FQDN host, FQDN host group, MAC tackle, MAC tackle record
ACL exception guidelines now help new providers: AD SSO, captive portal, Radius SSO, consumer authentication, Chromebook, wi-fi, SMTP, SNMP, RED, IPsec
Machine entry administration web page enhancements, with a brand new VPN service group and added data for exception guidelines
New zero-touch firewall deployment from Sophos Central
Now you possibly can pre-define, deploy, after which end the configuration of your distant firewalls with out having to do something on-site aside from plug it in. A USB gadget is not required!
Right here’s the way it works:
Enter the gadget serial quantity in Sophos Central
Preconfigure some important settings in Sophos Central, equivalent to time zone, LAN, WAN and DHCP settings, and preliminary safety preferences
Deploy the firewall on the distant location by connecting energy and WAN cables – and energy it on. The firewall will robotically connect with Sophos Central at start-up after which obtain and apply the configuration from Step 2.
Now you can handle the firewall and end the setup in Sophos Central
Seek the advice of the total documentation for particulars.
Generative AI firewall assistant
A brand new generative-AI powered Sophos Assistant is in-built that will help you with managing your firewall. You possibly can ask the assistant any plain-language query and the assistant will present directions and hyperlinks to useful assets.
For instance, in order for you assist configuring DNAT, you possibly can merely ask:
And you’ll not solely get a short set of directions to assist information you, but in addition a complete record of assets to do a deeper dive if wanted.
Computerized language detection at login
Your language can be robotically chosen on the login display screen based mostly in your browser preferences.
General, this launch is a incredible replace to your firewall, and as regular, it’s free for all licensed Sophos Firewall clients. With Sophos, you proceed to get great added worth with each launch.
Preserve your firmware updated
Sophos Firewall integrates an revolutionary hotfix functionality that permits us to push pressing and necessary patches out to the firewall “over the air” to handle any new zero-day vulnerabilities or different vital points that come up. This allows a fast repair to be utilized with out requiring any downtime usually related to a firmware improve and restart. You get the advantage of necessary fixes being utilized instantly with none guide effort in your half.
Nonetheless, it’s tremendous necessary to make sure your firewall firmware is stored updated as non-urgent safety fixes are sometimes built-in into upkeep releases. Since all firmware updates are free for licensed Sophos Firewall clients, there’s no purpose to not reap the benefits of all the nice enhancements in each launch.