Security company, Sophos, has updated its network security gateway hardware, the SG Series, claiming the new appliances can deliver four times the speed of previous versions of its unified threat management (UTM) appliances.
Targeted at small offices to large, distributed enterprises, the sixth generation SG Series is now based on Haswell, the fourth generation of Intel’s Core processors. The appliances also include Intel’s LAN interfaces, solid state drives (SSDs), and AES-NI acceleration.
The 1U products are available in mid-range 200, 300 and 400 models, and promise more than 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) firewall throughput.
“By using Intel Architecture, Sophos has been able to use the performance gains we have been able to deliver with the fourth generation Intel Core processors which delivers improved software processing architecture,” Intel communications and storage infrastructure division director, Bob Ghaffari, said.
The hardware operates version 9.2 of Sophos’ UTM operating system which the vendor said is optimised to “get the most” from Intel chipsets. Sophos said it has made more than 150 improvements to the OS, including new advanced threat protection and SPC email encryption functionality.
Version 9.2 can also be deployed on Intel-compatible servers as virtual appliances and in the Cloud using Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Convergent Information Security Solutions, a Sophos partner which was involved in the UTM 9.2 beta program, claims the new software combined with the refreshed hardware increases performance and simplicity across the board.
