Sophos XG 86 & XG 106 firewalls stand in as secure VPN appliances
Sophos XG 86 and Sophos XG 106 appliances are powerful next generation firewalls many small businesses use to as their primary cyber threat defense. However, these mighty little devices are far more versatile than admins give them credit for! Did you know the XG 86 and XG 106 can both stand in as dedicated VPN platforms to secure temporary remote work spikes? So you won’t need a Sophos RED (remote ethernet device) or other comparable VPN appliance.
A Sophos XG 86 firewall costs about the same as a Sophos RED and similar competing remote access devices. Yet it can perform even better than SMA devices if a split-tunnel deployment is required. This substitution is possible because Sophos XG firewalls come with a basic set of security features and services. They include the ability to deploy Sophos site-to-site VPN tunnels. Since this feature is part of the XG firewall base license, that also means no recurring fees or renewals are necessary.
Remote access security ensured
With your remote workers accessing company applications and resources through a firewall-facilitated VPN tunnel, you ensure the onboard and advanced Sophos security features they enjoy at the office protect users working from home as well. Those include Network Protection, Synchronized Security, and the Sophos Heartbeat. Bundle your Sophos XG 86 firewall with an EnterpriseProtect Plus package that includes advanced Web Protection to get a solution ideal for split-tunnel VPN deployments.
Ease management & deployment of remote access users
Another great benefit of using your Sophos XG 86 or XG 106 firewall as a stand-in for a secure remote access device is ease of management. Manage all your site-to-site tunnels and connected users intuitively through the Sophos XG Firewall single-pane-of-glass management dashboard. Simplify remote work chaos by monitoring and managing traffic with the same tools you would in the home office.
Sophos XG 86 vs Sophos RED
- Remote workers returning? XG 86 can shift back to a security role
- XG 86 offers more flexible secure access options like SSL & IPSec VPN
- Centrally manage XG 86 VPN deployments with Sophos Central
- Protect traffic routed through split tunnel setups that Sophos RED does not secure
How to use an XG Firewall for secure remote access
Using an XG 86 or XG 106 (for even more power and user support) in place of a RED or similar secure access device is simple. A Sophos XG firewall will act as a server that waits for incoming connection requests. This is quick and easy to configure with a few clicks to turn on “RED Status.” You can see full detailed instructions for this VPN setup in the Sophos Knowledge Base.
