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Sophos Firewall Software

Software Releases

Sophos Firewall Software (SFOS) improvements are offered in the following ways:

Feature releases
(every 6 months to 1 year)		 Maintenance release
(every 1-2 months)		 Pattern updates
(up to multiple times per day)
  • Feature release with significantly improved functionality.
  • Migration is possible via automated updates. Some features might require manual reconfiguration.
  • Older appliance models/revisions might no longer be supported hence requiring a HW refresh.
  • Primarily deliver bug fixes and vulnerability fixes.
  • In rare cases also offer small feature enhancements which don’t change the behavior of the existing system
  • Automatically provided to the gateway to maintain security effectiveness of the system
  • Different components of the gateway receive updates at different intervals but include the following: antivirus updates, IPS updates, web categorization updates, email filtering updates, WAF signature updates, and application control updates. Some of these updates happen automatically in the cloud while others reside on the appliance which pulls them down automatically.
  • Periodically, a maintenance update is required if the security update requires a change to the security engine that consumes the patterns.

Software and pattern update entitlements

Sophos Firewall Software base licenses entitle customers to receive software (feature and maintenance releases) and pattern updates. Pattern updates will be available only on the supported software releases.

Software Version Numbering

Sophos Firewall software (SFOS) version numbers use the following format:

"Sophos XG version numbering".

Software Support Policy

The following support policy applies to Sophos Firewall Software:

Maintained Software Releases

Sophos maintains the following two feature release versions (by providing maintenance releases):

  1. The current feature release version.
  2. Another feature release version identified by Sophos at its sole discretion and published in its Retirement Calendar. (These are usually slightly older, but well-adopted feature release versions.)

Supported Software Releases

  • Sophos aims to support the last two maintenance releases of each maintained feature release. Supported maintenance releases are published in the Retirement Calendar.
  • In addition, Sophos aims to support specific accredited releases (e.g. certified by Common Criteria or FIPS) for 2 years or until a successor release has been accredited, whatever will be earlier. Please refer to the Retirement Calendar for the latest maintained and supported releases.
  • Customers can continue to receive support as long as their support contract is in effect until the End of Life (EoL) of the software version or the product.
  • In the rare and unlikely event (for example, a third-party component ends support), if Sophos cannot support one of the last two maintenance releases, public notification will be sent out with the upgrade details.
  • If issues on a supported software release require a vulnerability or bug fix then customers might need to upgrade to a maintained software release.
  • The duration of the supported feature release phase is variable (typically between 24 and 36 months) and depends on numerous factors like technology innovation, market changes, and customer demands.
  • An EoL notification for the Feature releases is usually sent out to the public 90 days in advance. EoL for the Maintenance releases is published in the Retirement Calendar.

Sophos Firewall Software lifecycle

"Sophos XG Firewall Software lifecycle".