Sophos: Cybersecurity Portfolio Review

Sophos is a cybersecurity company that provides antivirus and encryption products being used by millions of users and 500,000 companies in 150 countries.

Sophos, established in 1985, is one of the select cybersecurity companies with over 30 years of experience in the market. 

The company headquartered in Abingdon, England now employs over 3,600 people.

See below for a full review of Sophos and where it stands in the cybersecurity market:

Sophos Portfolio

Endpoint

Intercept X Endpoint is comprehensive protection for all devices running on Windows and macOS.

• Manage endpoint protection from a unified console
• Beyond simple antivirus protection, Intercep X Endpoint is effective at stopping a wide range of endpoint threats:
  • Portable executables (malware): Prevent malicious software programs
  • Potentially unwanted applications (PUA): While not technically malware, PUA are generally unwanted
  • Ransomware: Avoid file and disk encryptors looking to hold your files for ransom
  • Exploit-based and file-less attacks: Weaponize software bugs and vulnerabilities that can give attackers access and control over your devices
  • Active adversary techniques: Identify additional endpoint attack techniques, like privilege escalation, credential theft, and code caves

Network

By integrating with your existing technologies, Sophos Firewall provides a reliable, secure, high-performance network security solution.

• Full range of top-performing hardware appliances
• Central cloud management platform
• Store firewall log data in the cloud for comprehensive reporting and analysis

Security Operations

Sophos is committed to providing faster and more accurate detection and response functionality for security and ITOps teams.

• Speed up incident response using a cloud management console, including the ability to remotely access devices for investigation and remediation
• Command-line tool provides the ability to terminate active processes, run scripts or programs, edit configuration files, install/uninstall software, reboot devices, and run third-party forensic tools

Messaging

Sophos Email works to keep imposters out while letting trusted senders in.

• Authenticate senders without blocking legitimate messaging, using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication techniques
• Perform header anomaly analysis
• Protection post-delivery is able to remove phishing emails first detected in other mailboxes
• Apply 35 years of threat intelligence toward eliminating malware and malicious URLs

Cloud

Sophos Cloud Security protects workloads, data, apps, and access with 24/7 detection and response.

• Cloud Edge Firewall: Maintain web application availability, and extend your secure network with SD-WAN, zero-trust network access, and VPN connectivity
• Sophos Cloud Optix: Identify cloud resource vulnerabilities and compliance risks, check for over-privileged access, optimize cloud service costs, and integrate with third-party services, such as SIEM tools using a REST API
• Intercept X: Extended threat detection and response, rapid deployment across cloud platforms, management of cloud-security posture to detect suspicious access and insecure deployments, and prevention of unauthorized programs running on cloud workloads

Sophos Partners

Sophos Global Partner Program

Built with several foundational pillars, the Sophos Global Partner Program addresses a team of partner types.

• Resellers: Includes tools for cross-selling, upselling, margin retention, discounts, and revenue multipliers
• Managed service providers (MSPs): Grants access to dedicated pre- and post-sales teams, competitive intelligence and product training, and resources for sales and marketing
• Cybersecurity experts: Teaches how to deliver skilled advice to customers on the best protections against threats

Partner Portal

Sophos partners enjoy access to a fully featured portal with a number of valuable tools.

• Manage opportunities and renewals
• Register deals and manage leads
• Manage customer devices and licenses
• Receive training and certification
• Access sales and marketing resources
• Latest news and partner blog

Partner Training

Sophos excels in training opportunities. Partners gain access to a considerable number of events, on-demand webinars, and certification training classes.

Sophos Use Case

When Del Monte Foods was acquired by a Philippines-based food producer in 2014, the company was faced with rebuilding their IT infrastructure from scratch. With the first decision made to outsource 98% of its IT functions, Del Monte turned to Sophos for consistent, flexible, and scalable security for all of their locations across North America.

Deciding on a cloud-first corporate environment, Del Monte first deployed Sophos Central Endpoint Protection. Paired with the centralized cloud-based management console, the company found the solution easy to use and intuitive.

“Ever since we switched to Sophos, we have not experienced any endpoint problems,” says P.J. Balsley, director of IT technology, security, and operations, Del Monte Foods.

Pleased with their initial Sophos solution, Del Monte has since added several additional services, including the Sophos XG Firewall and Sophos Central Device Encryption. In total, eight Sophos solutions have been integrated, all with success and customer satisfaction.

User Review of Sophos

Reviews for Sophos’ cybersecurity solutions are consistently high, with the exception of the Secure Email Gateway offering. Falling more in the mid range, some comments regarding the messaging option center around limited integration support.

Endpoint

• G2: 4.4 out of 5 for Intercept X Endpoint and  4.1 out of 5 for Mobile
• Capterra: 4.5 out of 5 for Intercept X Endpoint and 4.7 out of 5 for Mobile
• TrustRadius: 8.9 out of 10 for Intercept X Endpoint and 7.4 out of 10 for Mobile

Network

• G2: 4.5 out of 5
• TrustRadius: 8.5 out of 10

Messaging

• G2: 3.8 out of 5 for Secure Email Gateway
• TrustRadius: 6.7 out of 10 for Secure Email Gateway

Cloud

• G2: 4.1 out of 5 for Cloud Optix
• TrustRadius: 8.1 out of 10 for Cloud Optix

Industry Recognition of Sophos

Sophos is a frequent recipient of industry awards, but it is especially proud to have been recently named the European IT & Software Excellence Awards 2021 Security Vendor of the Year.

Sophos in the Cybersecurity Market

Sophos has a reasonable market share in various cybersecurity categories. Their strongest showings are in software categories. Sophos Endpoint has the strongest market share at 18.22%, followed by their antivirus with 14.96%. Weakest market share areas are network and firewall with 0.67% and email gateway with 0.11%.