As a Sophos Gold Partner, Cyfer Tech is excited to share the latest advancements in cybersecurity from Sophos. The newly released Sophos ZTNA 2.1 is a game-changer for organizations looking to enhance their security posture and streamline their network access management. 

Key Features of Sophos ZTNA 2.1 

1. Support for On-Premise Microsoft Active Directory: Sophos ZTNA 2.1 introduces support for on-premise Microsoft Active Directory (AD) as an identity provider. This addition complements the existing cloud-based Microsoft Entra ID and Okta solutions. Organizations without cloud infrastructure can now leverage their in-house Microsoft AD system for authentication, providing a seamless and secure access management solution. The integration supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) through captchas or email OTPs, enhancing security further. 
2. Zero Downtime and Seamless Failover: One of the standout features of this release is the support for zero downtime and seamless failover between cloud points-of-presence. This ensures that in the event of an outage in the preferred gateway region, the system automatically transitions to the next closest regional gateway, maintaining uninterrupted ZTNA access. This capability is available for cloud gateways running on virtual platforms such as ESXi and Hyper-V and will soon be available for Sophos Firewall-integrated ZTNA Gateways with the release of firmware update v20 MR2 later this month. 
3. Enhanced Security: Sophos ZTNA 2.1.1 includes crucial security and vulnerability fixes. After updating to ZTNA 2.1, it is essential to apply the 2.1.1 update to ensure the highest level of security. These updates fortify the system against emerging threats, keeping your network secure and resilient. 

How to Get the Updates 

To take advantage of these new features, follow these steps: 

1. Gateway Image Updates: 

• Navigate to the gateways page on Sophos Central and look for the update notification. This is applicable to gateways hosted on ESXi and Hyper-V platforms. For gateways on Sophos Firewall, the update will be available with the firmware update v20 MR2. 
• Initiate or schedule the upgrade, which may take up to 30 minutes. 
• Once the gateway is back to the “Active” state, verify the gateway’s diagnostics console before proceeding to the next update. 

1. Security Update 2.1.1: 

• After updating to ZTNA 2.1, apply the 2.1.1 update for important security enhancements. 
• The upgrade to version 2.1.1 also takes around 30 minutes for a single node. Multi-node clusters will take proportionately longer. 
• Check the diagnostics console after the update to ensure all tests pass and resume resource access. 

Conclusion 

The Sophos ZTNA 2.1 update is a significant leap forward in providing robust, seamless, and secure network access management. By supporting on-premise Microsoft AD, ensuring zero downtime, and offering critical security enhancements, Sophos continues to lead the way in cybersecurity solutions. 

At Cyfer Tech, we are committed to helping our clients implement these cutting-edge technologies to protect their networks and data. For more information on how Sophos ZTNA 2.1 can benefit your organization, contact our team today!