Sophos Firewall for Business: What It Does and Why It Matters

Your firewall is the front line between your business and the internet, and an ageing box or a consumer router is a real gap. A Sophos firewall does far more than open and close ports. It inspects traffic for threats, works hand in hand with your endpoint protection, and gives you a clear view of what is happening on your network. Here is what a Sophos firewall does and when your business firewall needs an upgrade.

What does a Sophos firewall do?

A modern, or next-generation, firewall goes deeper than the port-based rules people picture. A Sophos firewall inspects the actual contents of traffic, blocks known intrusion attempts, filters risky or unwanted websites, controls which applications can run, and reports on what is crossing your network. It is the difference between a locked door and a locked door with a guard who checks what is being carried through it.

What is Synchronized Security?

This is where Sophos stands out. Synchronized Security lets the Sophos firewall and Sophos endpoint protection talk to each other through a feature Sophos calls the Security Heartbeat. If a laptop is compromised, the endpoint tells the firewall, and the firewall automatically isolates that device from the rest of the network before the problem spreads. You get an automatic response in seconds, without waiting for someone to notice and react.

Does your business need a business firewall?

If you have staff, hold customer or financial data, allow any remote access, or answer to compliance or cyber-insurance requirements, then yes. The firewall built into a consumer router does not inspect traffic for threats, cannot isolate a compromised device, and gives you no real visibility or management. For a business, that is not enough, and increasingly insurers expect better. It is one part of a wider cyber security approach, not a stand-alone fix.

How 4iT manages your Sophos firewall

We size the right Sophos model to your business, deploy and configure it, keep it patched and its protection current, monitor it, and adjust the rules as your business changes, all as part of our managed firewall service. It is looked after as part of your managed IT, so it does not become the box in the cupboard that nobody has touched in three years.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't the firewall in my router enough?

For a home, maybe. For a business, no. Consumer routers do not inspect traffic for threats, cannot isolate a compromised device, and offer no real management or reporting.

What is Synchronized Security?

It is Sophos technology that lets the firewall and endpoint protection share intelligence and respond together, automatically isolating a device that has been compromised.

Can staff work remotely through a Sophos firewall?

Yes. It provides secure remote access, so staff can connect safely from home or on the road without exposing the network.

Do you manage the firewall for us?

Yes. 4iT sizes, deploys, monitors, and maintains your Sophos firewall as a managed service.

Not sure your firewall is doing its job? See our Sophos security approach, or call 4iT on 1800 367 448 for a look at your network's front line.