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Presales Manager at provad
Real User
Good central management of encrypted devices, and strong anti-theft protection against data leakage
Pros and Cons
  • "Policy deployment is easy and quick to do."
  • "Having a DLP integrated with the encryption engine would be very good."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for encrypting our laptops.

This is an anti-theft solution because I can even encrypt the boot sector, which means that the user has to enter a password to unlock the operating system. If the laptop is stolen then everything is encrypted.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution helps us to improve security, especially for sensitive data. It helps to prevent the leakage of data from the laptops.

What is most valuable?

This solution allows us to easily manage devices from Sophos Central cloud.

Policy deployment is easy and quick to do.

This solution integrates well with the antivirus solution.

What needs improvement?

I would like to have more control over the files in the Sophos encryption system.

This solution needs to have more data loss prevention techniques. Having a DLP integrated with the encryption engine would be very good.

Buyer's Guide
Sophos SafeGuard
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Sophos SafeGuard. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for about a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable solution. We have had no issues with it.

This solution is used on a daily basis.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The cloud version is easy to scale. I just add a new license with the number of users. It is already deployed, and there is no more configuration.

We have about ten technical people, including admins, and about seventy-five end-users. As the company grows, so will our use of this solution.

How are customer service and support?

The Sophos technical support is very helpful. We can open a chat or email them. They have a knowledge base for all cases of deployment.

Sometimes we have issues that take a long time to solve. They have a lot of teams, so once in a while, we open the case with one person but somebody else completes the ticket. This does not happen for the majority of the time.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use another solution prior to this one.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of this solution depends on the deployment model.

The cloud version is very straightforward to set up. Just select the package you want and send it to the client.

The on-premises version is very complicated. You have to first create the policy, then apply it and integrate your Active Directory, then install it on the machines. It's a very complicated process.

For the on-premises version, it takes about fifteen minutes to deploy after the initial setup and configuration. The initial configuration takes perhaps two days. It involves setting the policies for each of the users. 

What about the implementation team?

Our in-house team performed the implementation. There were five people involved.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing for this solution is on a yearly basis. They tell you from day one how much it costs and what features you get. One of the great things about Sophos is if we have any added features that they send out, it will be included in the pricing. The price will not increase.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated other encryption solutions and we found that this was the easiest one to use, especially with cloud management.

Another reason that we chose this solution is that it is a standalone package. Kaspersky have an encryption solution, but it is part of a bundle with their endpoint solution. The advantage to standalone is that you can use it even if you don't have any Sophos endpoints. 

What other advice do I have?

We are using the cloud version of this solution because the on-premises version does not have anti-ransomware or machine learning capability.

My advice for anybody who is implementing this solution is to also use the cloud version, rather than the on-premises edition. This is especially true if they have teleworkers or mobile users that are often off-premises.

The security of our data is important. One of our teams has a person who lost their laptop, and the team was not using this solution so it was not encrypted. We consider that to be data leakage.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Very good user experience and stability with good reporting features
Pros and Cons
  • "The user experience and the quality of the features are good."
  • "The tutorials need to be simplified. The existing ones need to be easier to follow and we could use some tutorials for basic setups. They should aim to be more like Cisco, which offers very good tutorials and materials."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for file encryption.

What is most valuable?

The reporting and file encryption are the solution's most valuable features.

The user experience and the quality of the features are good.

What needs improvement?

The tutorials need to be simplified. The existing ones need to be easier to follow and we could use some tutorials for basic setups. They should aim to be more like Cisco, which offers very good tutorials and materials.

If there was a way to automate the configuration, that would be ideal.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for almost one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't attempted to scale up yet, so I can't really comment on the scalability of the solution. Right now we have about 50 people using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've never needed to contact technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. When we deployed it, it was very fast. Even the configuration was easy. We had everything done within a week. It could have even been done faster, but the distributor was waiting on some information from the customer. We only needed two people for deployment.

What about the implementation team?

We had the assistance of a distributor for the implementation.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the solution nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Sophos SafeGuard
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Sophos SafeGuard. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Manager at a comms service provider with 11-50 employees
Real User
Easy to deploy, good performance and monitoring capability
Pros and Cons
  • "The monitoring features are easy to use."
  • "I would like to see a support-cloud, where Sophos creates a single package that contains all of its products."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution integrator, and this is one of the products that we supply to our clients.

The primary use of this solution is to protect data, and we have clients such as hotels who use it.

How has it helped my organization?

When our clients know that they have the ability to monitor their network security, they are satisfied.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the cloud-based supervision that is offered by Sophos Central.

The performance of this solution is good.

The monitoring features are easy to use.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see a support-cloud, where Sophos creates a single package that contains all of its products.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is very stable. To this point, we have had no problem with any of our clients.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a scalable solution.

One of our clients is a hotel and they have thirteen users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support for this solution is good, but we rarely contact them because we rarely see problems.

How was the initial setup?

This solution is very easy to configure and deploy.

What about the implementation team?

I perform the deployment myself.

What other advice do I have?

Sophos has another cloud platform that supports firewall management, and it is very easy to deploy.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
IT Specialist at a non-tech company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Good performance with a user-friendly interface and a very easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The user interface is simple, It makes it very easy to use."
  • "The cost is rather expensive. It's a pain point for many clients. They should work to see if they can reduce pricing."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used for data protection.

What is most valuable?

The solution offers very good performance.

The user interface is simple, It makes it very easy to use.

What needs improvement?

We've only really been dealing with this solution for six months, so I haven't had time to note anything that is lacking in the solution.

The cost is rather expensive. It's a pain point for many clients. They should work to see if they can reduce pricing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. It's easy to expand the platform if you need to.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never had to contact technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I didn't previously use a different solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

In general, clients are able to handle the implementation themselves.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost is not cheap. It's a rather expensive solution.

What other advice do I have?

We're a reseller. We handle the on-premises deployment models.

I'd recommend the solution. I'd rate it eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Technical & Pre-Sales Manager at GateLock
Real User
A stable, easy to scale solution with very good encryption capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of the solution are the fact that they are able to encrypt the hard disk and to encrypt USB sticks."
  • "The solution is not using other features like booting encryption, because it causes very heavy processing of the workstation. If they could find some way to handle the encryption and decryption to be lighter on the workstation it would be better."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of the solution are the fact that they are able to encrypt the hard disk and to encrypt USB sticks. 

What needs improvement?

The solution is not using other features like booting encryption, because it causes very heavy processing of the workstation. If they could find some way to handle the encryption and decryption to be lighter on the workstation it would be better.

It would be ideal if the solution could make the processing possible on an appliance, instead of having to install it on a machine. Also, it should be in the network layers and communicate with more workstations. The encryption and decryption processing should not be on the workstation; rather it should be on the appliance.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's very, very easy to scale the solution. You do not need to make any upgrades. You just need to adjust the sizing to expand. You can expand at any time.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is very good, but sometimes they take a while to respond. This solution's very complex and still in the development process. Sometimes customers will ask for items that need to be developed or are not easy to develop. The solution is putting out a lot of updates, however, so they're constantly working to create a better product.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straight forward. The settings are not complex. However, sometimes some encryption settings have a complex configuration.

What about the implementation team?

We are a distributor of the solution. We recommend users use professional services to assist us with the implementation.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend the solution.

I would rate the solution eight out of ten.

There's not a good market for this type of solution here in Egypt. It might be because here in Egypt there isn't a great need for this kind of solution yet. There are no compliance regulations from the government. However, the solution offers good features and I believe would be good for customers. There are so many areas where customers need encryption technology. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user968241 - PeerSpot reviewer
Project Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Secures the network, defends it from attacks, and is easy to install
Pros and Cons
  • "The Intercept X feature is the most valuable feature. You can't find this feature in other firewalls because Intercept X works as if it has an interaction between the endpoint and the firewall."
  • "Sophos SafeGuard is a German product. Sophos isn't really active in Europe. The Middle East, Africa, South Africa works with Sophos but their primary users aren't in Europe. They should market and push this solution to the European market."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case of this solution is for security and VPN connection.

The uses can vary per customer. For example, one customer wanted to protect their network, with VPN connectivity. Sophos has good features that customers know and like. It is also less expensive than other firewalls. Other customers, for example, wanted to publish their websites and their servers. They wanted to protect their servers and publish them on the internet. Another customer needs to have security because they were attacked by ransomware. 

What is most valuable?

The Intercept X feature is the most valuable feature. You can't find this feature in other firewalls because Intercept X works as if it has an interaction between the endpoint and the firewall. It makes a connection between the endpoint protection and the firewall. If Intercept X finds some behavior that's not right, it separates it and it secures the network to defend it from this attack. This is a good feature and development that Sophos implemented around five years ago.

What needs improvement?

Sophos SafeGuard is a German product. Sophos isn't really active in Europe. The Middle East, Africa, South Africa works with Sophos but their primary users aren't in Europe. They should market and push this solution to the European market. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for four years. It's been at my company for around eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This product is stable but we have had some complaints from other customers. There is a loop on the internet. Once we deploy Sophos in our topology or in our infrastructure, the behavior or their action creates a loop on the internet. Otherwise, it's easy to install and offers good security.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable. If you compare the price of Sophos to Fortinet or Cisco, it's as expensive. 

How are customer service and technical support?

I would rate their technical support eight out of ten. There's a bit of a delay in their response time to tickets. 

How was the initial setup?

The setup is very easy because you just need to make the arrangements for your interfaces and your network port. After that, you can make your policy and can publish the servers. You might need more technical support for the security and for the firewall. If you come from an advanced organization, it might be more difficult and not as easy at first.

The amount of time it will take will vary per customer. If they ask for network protection features it will take, for example, a maximum of one hour. But if your customer has a topology in his network and he needs to make certain policies and synchronization with Active Directory, that will take time. The deployment can take a few days. It depends on the customer. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing costs depend on the series. For example, XG 85 can be around $200. If you go to ACC or to a four or five-year enterprise solution, you will find these devices can cost $10,000. It depends on the series. 

What other advice do I have?

Working with this solution will depend on your budget. If you purchase Sophos your data and your network will be secured. It's not more expensive than similar products. I recommend going with Sophos. 

I would rate Sophos a 7.5 out of ten because there are better firewalls out there. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Operator at Halliburton
Real User
Top 20
Offers a three-click policy setup.

What is most valuable?

  • The software offers a three-click policy setup
  • There is no key management servers to install
  • The compliance and reporting features are simple
  • The option for self-service key recovery for the user or administrator is simplistic.

How has it helped my organization?

As part of security consulting, different projects and clients require different levels of security. For the last few years, I used Sophos high security routers. I have come to find the full disk encryption and enterprise management options in SafeGuard to rank very well.

What needs improvement?

I do not see very many downfalls, but I would recommend adding a few different encryption algorithms. For example, adding Triple DES, Blowfish, and Twofish, would only provide added value to the users. They could then decide how to secure the data they are using the product for.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for three years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

No deployment problems were encountered in any respect. Even using it on an Android phone was seamless.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There were no stability issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

From single, high net worth people to a 430 person law firm, I have yet to hear a concern with scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Customer service is very good. There have been no issues.

Technical Support:

The two times tech support was needed, we received great service.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not try other solutions

How was the initial setup?

It was easy to setup.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation in-house.

What was our ROI?

Compared to the potential loss if a breach occurred, the little higher investment is worth protecting data.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Pricing is a little more than similar products. However, the name and bullet proof security offered is superior once you get into the fine details of what the product offers.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated BitLocker and Symantec PGP.

What other advice do I have?

For high security routers, whole disk security, and enterprise management, Sophos is and will continue to remain a leader.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Darren Chaker - PeerSpot reviewer
Darren ChakerOperator at Halliburton
Top 20Real User

A revised review of Sophos SafeGuard by Darren Chaker

it_user8430 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Administrator with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Sophos SafeGuard: Custom Info Items for Absolute Manage

Whenever we implement new software, I try to include some tracking that can be used in Absolute Manage. Recently we’ve been working to get our Macs encrypted using Sophos SafeGuard full disk encryption. To make some reporting that is easy for our guys to use, I created two simple custom info items.
The first custom info item is for tracking the current encryption status of the Mac. This will list three different states of the drive including Not Installed, Encrypting, and Encrypted. This status will update in Absolute Manage every time inventory is taken of the machine, or you can force it by gathering inventory.

1 #!/bin/sh
2
3 #Check to see if SafeGuard is installed
4 if [ -f "/usr/bin/sgadmin" ]; then
5 /usr/bin/sgadmin --status | grep -A 3 "Volume info" | grep "| 0" | awk -F '|' '{print $5}'
6 else
7 echo "Not installed"
8 fi
9 exit 0

The second custom info item will show the last time the computer checked into the Enterprise console with it’s encryption status. We do our own tracking of the Macs using this field in Absolute Manage, but management does it’s tracking of both PCs and Macs in a separate central console.

1 #!/bin/sh
2
3 #Check to see if SafeGuard is installed
4 if [ -f "/usr/bin/sgadmin" ]; then
5 /usr/bin/sgadmin --status | grep "Last contact" | awk '{print $4, $5, $6, $7, $8}'
6 else
7 echo "Not installed"
8 fi
9 exit 0
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos SafeGuard Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Sophos SafeGuard Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.