SOFTCAT PLC

Sophos Firewall

XGS Firewall integrates the essential SDWAN features and capabilities such as flexible ISP and WAN connectivity,
as well as redundancy and failover, robust VPN orchestration, unique application control and visibility. Application routing over preferred links via firewall rules or policy-based routing is also one of key feature for SDWAN.

Features

• 24/7 Managed Detection and Response and Proactive Threat Hunting

Benefits

• Ransomware and breach prevention services via managed security service

£59.20 a user

• Education pricing available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  ODS

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at psitq@softcat.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

791084843264954

Contact

Charles Harrison
01628 403403
psitq@softcat.com

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
• What software services is the service an extension to: Also works best with Sophos CIXA, Switch, Access Point, ZTNA, MDR
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: No constraints
• System requirements:
  • Citrix XEN Center 6.2.0 Citrix XEN Center 7.2 XCP-ng-Center 8.0
  • Proxmox Virtual Environment 6.0-4 On Microsoft Server platform2016
  • Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows Server 2016
  • Nutanix Prism
  • VSphere Client v6.7.0.30000/6.7.0.20000/6.7.0.40000
  • VMware Workstation 12,14, 15
  • AWS - ask representative
  • Azure - ask representative

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Sophos Support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 52 weeks per year, including statutory, public, and bank holidays.; ; For Enhanced Support Plan:; Critical Within 4 hours; High Within 8 hours; Medium Within 24 hours; Low Within 24 hours; ; For Enhanced Plus Support Plan:; Critical Within 1 hour; High Within 2 hours; Medium Within 24 hours; Low Within 24 hours; ; Please see this link for details (page 9):; https://www.sophos.com/en-us/medialibrary/PDFs/Support/Sophos-Support-Services-Guide.pdf
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Web chat accessibility testing: Customers can open a web chat support for technical assistance and indicate the issue and can expect a chat technical support specialist to answer their inquiry.; Chat Support Schedule:; ACST Monday 07:30 AM Saturday 08:00 AM; IST Monday 03:30 AM Saturday 04:00 AM; GMT Sunday 10:00 PM Friday 10:30 PM; EST Sunday 05:00 PM Friday 05:30 PM; PST Sunday 2:00 PM Friday 02:30 PM
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Enhanced ; • 24/7 multi-channel support ; • Software downloads, updates, & maintenance ; • Access to support knowledgebase and support forums ; • Warranty (Appliances only) ; • Hardware replacement (Appliances only) ; • Remote assistance support; ; Enhanced Plus - includes all features of the Enhanced plan above and the following:; • Remote consulting; • Priority case and sample handling ; • Phone calls routed to senior Technical Support Engineers; ; TAM (available at additional cost) - includes all features of Enhanced and Enhanced plus with the following:; • Named Technical Account Manager (TAM) ; • Front of the line access to product information ; • Personalized communications and alerts ; • Performance and feature optimization ; • Enhanced escalation ; • Emergency Onsite Support; ; Please see this link for reference:; https://www.sophos.com/en-us/support/technical-support; ; Professional Services (available at additional cost) can be procured for implementation and configuration support:; https://www.sophos.com/en-us/support/professional-services
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: The following resources are available:; • Sophos Firewall Admin Help:; https://docs.sophos.com/nsg/sophos-firewall/20.0/Help/en-us/webhelp/onlinehelp/StartupHelp/index.html; • Sophos TechVids:; https://techvids.sophos.com/; ; Can also inquire about Professional Services.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data such as alerts, logs, and lists of devices can be readily exported out of the customer’s Sophos Firewall environment at the customer’s discretion.; Sophos Central also has a Logs & Reports section that contains several reports that can be exported to PDF or CSV.
• End-of-contract process: Enitlement ends and customer is responsible for product removal and configuration

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: No
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Description of service interface: The web-based GUI of Sophos Firewall is a single screen control center that provides the unified policy model and provides the health and security of the network.; ; The Graphical User Interface is very easy to navigate with our unified policy model combines all business, user, and network firewall rules onto a single screen with grouping, filtering, and search options.
• Accessibility standards: None or don’t know
• Description of accessibility: The web-based GUI of Sophos Firewall is a single screen control center that provides the unified policy model and provides the health and security of the network.; ; The Graphical User Interface is very easy to navigate with our unified policy model combines all business, user, and network firewall rules onto a single screen with grouping, filtering, and search options.
• Accessibility testing: Sophos Firewall does not have a VPAT compliance attestation.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Sophos Central has a public API program that can automate monitoring, security, and administration activities in Sophos Central. It can do many of the things normally done in the Sophos Central Admin Console including Live Discover queries and pulling events/alerts into a SIEM.; ; All our APIs are offered as RESTful HTTP endpoints over the public internet. We use standard authentication, JSON requests and responses, and standard HTTP verbs. All communication is over HTTPS.; ; Please see the following link for details:; https://developer.sophos.com/intro; https://developer.sophos.com/apis
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: HTML
• API sandbox or test environment: No
• Customisation available: No

Scaling

• Independence of resources: User licensing is unrestricted so the firewall is only bound on it's hardware capacity. Different Sophos Firewall models provide different throughputs which is tied on its hardware capabilties.; ; Proper sizing of the firewall is needed to get the best experience and protection.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: The report hub shows key information about the hardware, security threats, and performance against policy for your selected Sophos Firewall devices. ; See https://docs.sophos.com/central/customer/help/en-us/ManageYourProducts/FirewallManagement/FirewallReportDashboard/index.html; ; Sophos Firewall also deliver SD-WAN capabilities like link performance metrics including Latency, Jitter and Packet-Loss
• Reporting types:
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller (no extras)
• Organisation whose services are being resold: Sophos

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: None

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Managed by a third party
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest: Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
• Equipment disposal approach: In-house destruction process

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Data such as alerts, logs, and lists of devices can be readily exported out of the customer’s Sophos Firewall environment at the customer’s discretion.; Sophos Central also has a Logs & Reports section that contains several reports that can be exported to PDF or CSV.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • PDF
  • HTML
  • TAR
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data import formats: TAR

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Other
• Other protection between networks: Transport-level encryption is used to secure management communication between the client software and Sophos Central platform via certificates and server validation.
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Other
• Other protection within supplier network: It is carried out using secured services such as SFTP, HTTPS, TLS encrypted, etc.

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: User licensing is unrestricted so the firewall is only bound on it's hardware capacity. Different Sophos Firewall models provide different throughputs which is tied on its hardware capabilties.; ; Proper sizing of the firewall is needed to get the best experience and protection.
• Approach to resilience: Sophos Firewall offers High Availability functionality. High Availability (HA) support clustering two devices in active-active or active-passive mode with plug-and-play Quick HA setup.; ; Sophos Firewall can be configured to function via High Availability even if one firewall stops functioning due to power loss, disk failure, network connectivity etc.; ; Sophos Firewall supports high availability where you can place two firewalls in a group and synchronize their configuration. This prevents a single point of failure on your network.; ; Reference: https://docs.sophos.com/nsg/sophos-firewall/20.0/Help/en-us/webhelp/onlinehelp/HighAvailablityStartupGuide/AboutHA/index.html; ; Since Firewall is can also be managed in Sophos Central, Sophos Central does not provide a traditional SLA because the availability of our products is not dependent on the availability of the web portal. However, the availability of the web portal ranged between 99.99 and 100% over the past year, depending on geographic region.; ; Sophos Central status can be viewed here:; https://centralstatus.sophos.com/#!/
• Outage reporting: Since Firewall is can also be managed in Sophos Central, Sophos Central status can be viewed here:; https://centralstatus.sophos.com/#!/; ; It also has a subscribe button at the top right to receive status notifications.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Can be done via Device Access and ACL.; ; Please refer to Device Access via Role-based administration: https://docs.sophos.com/nsg/sophos-firewall/20.0/Help/en-us/webhelp/onlinehelp/AdministratorHelp/Profiles/DeviceAccess/index.html
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Coalfire Certifications
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 16/01/2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: The certificate scope comprises the Sophos information security management system supporting the operations underlying the ; Sophos Labs, Sophos Central, Sophos OPTIX, Intelix, and MDR/MDR services. The organizational scope includes the Security, ; Information Technology, Product, and Legal teams affecting the Sophos information security management system. These activities ; are governed by the implemented controls in accordance with the organizational Statement of Applicability.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: A-Lign
• PCI DSS accreditation date: 09/02/2021
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: It only covers our Sophos MDR Product.; ; Other Sophos Central products do not contain or protect any cardholder-related information and is therefore not required to be PCI Compliant.
• Cyber essentials: No
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: SOC 2 Type 2

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: No
• Security governance approach: The Sophos Information security framework (SISP) is based upon leading practices such as ISO 27001, SOX, and PCI as well as with Sophos priorities. Our ISPF and Security policy is part of a holistic approach to Information Security Management. Contents of ISP and security policy drives development of technical security standards, processes, and configurations will be utilized by staff and vendors to implement security controls. They also provide the context for training, awareness, audits, and compliance assurance activities. Lastly, they provide Sophos with necessary information to risk adjust business initiatives and improve the state of the Sophos Information Security Program.
• Information security policies and processes: SOC 2 Type 2; ; Sophos has a dedicated cybersecurity team. The team has developed and deployed security policies, standards, and procedures validated by an active governance and audit program.; Sophos aligns with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001 controls.; ; Please see this link for the High-Level Overview of the Sophos Security Policy:; https://www.sophos.com/en-us/trust/high-level-security-policy-overview

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Changes to the production environment are strictly done after following our Change management process (including approval from the Security team if needed) and are reviewed by the operational team.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: We have developed our plans with guidance from the NIST 800-61 Computer Security Incident Handling Guide and we frequently review these plans for compliance with industry standards.; ; There are many ways Sophos identifies or becomes aware of security incidents. These include:; •Security monitoring capabilities, often in our products, or complementary methods we have developed; •Bug-bounty reports; •Penetration test findings; •Vulnerability analysis; •Code and application analysis; •Research and threat intelligence analysis; •Customer notifications; To report a potential security incident, please see our Responsible Disclosure Program.; ; Please see this link for the Overview of the Sophos Incident Response:; https://www.sophos.com/en-us/trust/incident-response
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: We have developed our plans with guidance from the NIST 800-61 Computer Security Incident Handling Guide and we frequently review these plans for compliance with industry standards.; ; There are many ways Sophos identifies or becomes aware of security incidents. These include:; •Security monitoring capabilities, often in our products, or complementary methods we have developed; •Bug-bounty reports; •Penetration test findings; •Vulnerability analysis; •Code and application analysis; •Research and threat intelligence analysis; •Customer notifications; To report a potential security incident, please see our Responsible Disclosure Program.; ; Please see this link for the Overview of the Sophos Incident Response:; https://www.sophos.com/en-us/trust/incident-response
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Plans with guidance from the NIST 800-61 Computer Security Incident Handling Guide and we frequently review these plans for compliance with industry standards.; ; There are many ways Sophos identifies or becomes aware of security incidents. These include:; • Security monitoring capabilities, often in our products, or complementary methods we have developed; • Bug-bounty reports; • Penetration test findings; • Vulnerability analysis; • Code and application analysis; • Research and threat intelligence analysis; • Customer notifications; To report a potential security incident, please see our Responsible Disclosure Program.; ; Please see this link for the Overview of the Sophos Incident Response:; https://www.sophos.com/en-us/trust/incident-response

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  Softcat are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact and actively promoting sustainability. Our commitment to sustainability is a core aspect of our business strategy, driving us to innovate and lead in the creation of a more sustainable future for our company and the communities we serve. This commitment is embedded in our policies, operating procedures, and training programs.; ; We are proud to be the first FTSE 250 company to be awarded 5-star status in relation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. ; ; We aim to achieve a Carbon Net-Zero Value Circle by 2040 by prioritising renewable energy, reducing natural resource use, minimising waste, and safeguarding biodiversity in compliance with environmental legislation.; ; At Softcat, we have taken significant steps towards securing renewable energy across our organisation, reducing our scope 1 & 2 emissions. We had the target of using 100% Renewable Energy across all our locations by 2024. We successfully delivered against this target ~2 years early.; ; In May 2023 we took delivery of 15 electric vehicles, replacing all existing fossil-fuelled company cars used by employees for business means. The implementation of the EV pool fleet will see a saving of over 80 tons of CO2e per year. A huge impact on our Net Zero targets.

  Tackling economic inequality

  As a value-add reseller, Softcat outsources the products, services, and solutions through our extensive network of partners, to best suit the needs of our broad client base. We always consider and promote SMEs and local providers where appropriate, particularly for the products and services we offer via the G Cloud framework.; ; We remain dedicated to improving employability and educational awareness across schools, colleges, and universities to help break down the barriers to joining technology organisations.; ; We work collaboratively with many schools that are close in proximity to our offices, to ensure we are actively supporting the community as well as schools from lower socio-economic backgrounds. ; ; We visit the schools to talk about the IT sector and the roles in our organisation, as well as promoting work-experience opportunities during the summer. In particular, we actively encourage students from diverse backgrounds to engage in work experience to appreciate the roles available in our sector.; ; For ambitious school and college leavers, a Softcat Apprenticeship is a great first step into the world of work, with 94% of our apprentices offered a permanent position at Softcat post apprenticeships, which goes to show the amazing opportunity available with us.; ; We were ranked 1st in IT & Consultancy, and 10th overall in by RateMyApprenticeship.com - Best 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2023-2024 list.; ; Softcat now also offer 12 month paid internships to University students looking to complete a year in industry as part of their undergraduate studies.

  Equal opportunity

  Our approach to diversity and inclusion is introduced first during our induction training, as part of our Softcat values, outlining responsibility to uphold our principles. This message is reinforced by our process and policies, networks, Allyship Training and Inclusion Awareness campaigns.; ; Softcat supports diversity and inclusion through various networks including:; - Supporting Women in Business (SWIB); - The Ethnic and Cultural Network; - The Pride Network; - The Family Network; - The Empowering Disability and Neurodiversity Network (EDN); - The Faith at Work Network; - Armed Forces & Veterans Network; These networks aim to create a supportive and inclusive work environment for all employees, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or family commitments.; ; Our allyship programme, Stronger Together, is a mixture of event and workshop-based training available to all staff. Programme topics include, bias, power, privilege, and being a greater ally. ; ; Inclusion Awareness campaigns include race, disability, sexual orientation, gender, faith, and caring responsibilities. These sessions highlight and celebrate minority groups, through panel sessions, Q&A sessions and training, providing an opportunity to discuss and understand ways to be more inclusive. ; ; Our efforts to improve diversity and inclusion have been incredibly successful. Since 2020, the number of female employees below management level has increased to 35%, and the number of ethnic minority employees rose to 17%.

  Wellbeing

  At Softcat, all employees are provided with access to our multidimensional wellbeing programme which includes flexible work arrangements, free nutritious breakfast, mental health support, employee benefits scheme, health and wellbeing week activities, and online workshops.; ; Giving back to the community is an innate part of who we are as a company. All Softcat employees are therefore given two volunteer days per year to support a charitable or community cause. ; ; Each of our 10 regional offices also support local charities through fundraising, donations and events. For example, our Manchester office has raised over £30,000 for the WeLoveMCR charity. This funding has supported young, disadvantaged Manchester citizens in gaining qualifications to broaden their work opportunities and supporting local groups in delivering indispensable services that enable community cohesion.

Pricing

• Price: £59.20 a user
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  ODS

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at psitq@softcat.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.