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Sophos UTM Software

Software Releases

Sophos UTM Software improvements are offered in the following ways:

Major release
(every 1-2 years)
Minor/Feature release
(every 4-6 months)
Maintenance release
(every 1-2 months)
Pattern updates
(up to multiple times per day)
  • Feature release with significantly improved functionality.
  • Automated migration paths will be offered on Sophos appliances but some features might require manual reconfiguration.
  • Older appliance models/revisions might no longer be supported hence requiring a HW refresh.
  • Feature release with new/improved functionality.
  • Migration is possible via automated updates. No manual reconfiguration is required.
  • 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

Customers are entitled to receive software and pattern updates depending on their contract:

  • Software upgrades (new major/minor releases including new features and bug fixes) require a valid support contract
  • Bug fixes & vulnerability fixes (delivered via maintenance upgrades) are included with any software subscription contract

Software Version Numbering

Sophos UTM software version numbers use the following format:

"Sophos UTM version numbering".

  • So 9.210 is maintenance release 10 of minor version 2 of major version 9.
  • Minor UTM feature releases may also be treated technically as a feature release, but indicated by giving the maintenance release number a significant increment.

Example

9.315 incremented to 9.350

Such releases will not be considered a full feature release, but both (e.g. 9.31x and 9.35x) will receive updates in parallel to each other, so customers aren’t required to move to an unproven feature release to receive a maintenance update.

Software Support Policy

The following support policy applies to Sophos UTM Software:

Maintained Software Releases

Sophos maintains the latest two minor versions of the latest (current) major version by providing maintenance releases for each.

Example

Sophos UTM 9.4 and 9.5 might be maintained through maintenance releases at a given time.

Supported Software Releases

  • Customers can continue to receive support as long as their support contract is in effect for all versions until End of Life (EoL) of the product. However, 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 software 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 is usually sent out to the public 90 days in advance.

Sophos UTM Software lifecycle

"Sophos UTM Software lifecycle".