XG Firewall v18 is now available

XG Firewall v18 is now available, and it’s sporting the all-new Xstream Architecture, which delivers extreme levels of visibility, protection and performance.

We’ve packed this release with new and enhanced features for you, including:

• Xstream SSL inspection. Get unprecedented visibility into your encrypted traffic flows, support for TLS 1.3 without downgrading, powerful policy tools, and supreme performance.
• AI-powered threat intelligence. Extend your protection against zero-day threats and emerging ransomware variants with multiple best-in-class machine learning models and unmatched insights into suspicious files entering your network.
• Application acceleration. Optimize network performance by putting your important application traffic on the fast path through the firewall and routing it reliably out through your preferred WAN connection.

Watch the overview video to see everything that’s new in XG Firewall v18:

Sophos Central

XG Firewall v18 also includes support for all new central management, reporting, and deployment options launching on Sophos Central next week:

• Group firewall management. Easily keep your full estate of firewalls consistent using groups that automatically keep policies, objects, and settings synchronized.
• Central reporting. Network activity and insights across all your firewalls are now at your fingertips in Sophos Central, with several pre-packaged reports and flexible reporting tools to create your own.
• Zero-touch deployment. Conveniently setup a new firewall in Sophos Central, export the config, load it on a flash drive and have your new firewall automatically connect back to Sophos Central without having to touch it.

And, there’s more!

In addition, there are also a ton of other new features that will enhance your protection, visibility, management experience, and network versatility:

• Synchronized SD-WAN brings the power of Synchronized Security to reliably and accurately route application and user-based traffic over your preferred WAN links
• Firewall, NAT, and SSL Inspection rules and policies are now more powerful, flexible and easier to work with than ever before
• Plug-and-play high-availability (HA) makes it easy to enable business continuity and adds peace-of-mind – simply connect two XG Series appliances together and you’ll be up and running in no time
• Real-time flow monitoring provides at-a-glance insights into active bandwidth consuming hosts, applications, and users
• Expanded notifications and alerts ensure you never miss an important network security event whether it’s related to a threat, service, or important performance metric

How to get XG Firewall v18

As usual, this firmware update comes at no charge for licensed XG Firewall customers.  The firmware will be rolled-out automatically to all systems over the coming weeks, but you can manually update at any time via MySophos.

Head on over to the XG Firewall Community Blog to get the full release notes.

Also check that your current hardware appliance supports v18.

Making the most of your new XG Firewall features

Free online training – available to all XG Firewall customers, our delta training program will help you make the most of the new features in XG Firewall v18.

It walks you through the key enhancements since v17.5 and takes about 90 minutes to complete.  Get started on the XG Firewall training program.

Customer resources and how-to videos – be sure to visit the Customer Resource Center for the latest how-to videos and links to documentation, the community forums, training and other resources.

Take advantage of Partner and Sophos Professional Services:  To augment your local Sophos partner’s services, we offer services to help you getting up and running and make the most of your XG Firewall, including the latest capabilities in v18.

While Sophos Professional Services can help with any task, here are the most common services they provide:

• XG Firewall deployment and setup
• XG Firewall v18 DPI, FastPath and SSL Engine Optimization
• XG Firewall Health Checks

Here are some direct links to helpful resources:

• Customer Training Portal (free Delta Training)
• Customer Resource Center (with how-to videos)
• Community Forum Recommended Reads
• What’s New and Release Notes
• XG Firewall v18 Complete Documentation

New to XG Firewall?

If you’re new to XG Firewall, see how it provides the world’s best network visibility, protection and response on the new XG Firewall website.