WatchGuard recently announced the General Availability of major new releases of both the Fireware operating system and WatchGuard Dimension, both of which are now available to download at the software center. These releases provide increased visibility across the entire network for distributed enterprises and small and midsize businesses (SMBs). I was in Europe last week at a number of WatchGuard events and I heard a lot of positive reaction firsthand. Many partners and end users are already quite familiar with the new capabilities because we conducted extensive beta testing for these new releases over the last two months. The Beta participation numbers are impressive:
- 640 users logged into our Beta portal from 45 different countries
- Over 220 unique pieces of feedback were submitted, including bugs and suggestions for product improvement
- 176 users filled out a survey sharing their thoughts on the Beta and the new software
So what is everyone excited about? Key highlights in the new releases are:
Fireware 11.11:
- Network Discovery: a subscription service that generates a visual map of every connected device, providing Firebox administrators total visibility into all assets on their network. Included in all UTM Security Suites on Firebox and XTMv models.
- Botnet Detection:integrated into the Reputation Enabled Defense service. Customers gain real-time visibility into infected clients and command and control communication is immediately blocked. This feature is available on all XTM and Firebox appliances for any customer with a license for Reputation Enabled Defense (which is included in the UTM security suite).
- Mobile Security:allows Firebox administrators to enforce access controls and only allow mobile devices that adhere to current corporate policies, and are free of malware. Available as an optional subscription service on all Firebox and XTMv models.
Dimension 2.1:
- Subscription Services Dashboard: a reporting interface that gives businesses a comprehensive performance summary with statistics to show what has been scanned by a Firebox and attacks or malware that have been prevented.
- Policy Usage Report: a new report that provides valuable insight into how frequently policies are used, thereby enabling IT teams to keep firewall policies current and eliminate unnecessary or unused policies.
- User Anonymization: an innovative feature that enables businesses to conform to data privacy regulations, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation framework.
There are hundreds of more features than what we can cover in a short blog post. Check out the What’s new in Fireware 11.11 and What’s new in Dimension 2.1 presentations to find out full details, including screenshots. Also, watch for more posts on this blog over the next few weeks that go into depth for some of these features.