New high-performance Firebox M Series appliances provide simplified, extensive and flexible security for organizations managing the increased shift to remote workforces

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SEATTLE – December 15, 2020– WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in network security and intelligence, secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication and advanced endpoint protection, today announced the release of its new Firebox M4800 and M5800 appliances. These new firewalls provide the powerful performance, security services and flexibility businesses need as they become increasingly distributed and have more employees on the move or working outside the traditional corporate network perimeter.

“Organizations of all types and sizes have undergone a profound transformation over the past year, and many are grappling with how best to maintain security from the core network to remote employees and endpoints,” said Brendan Patterson, vice president of product management at WatchGuard. “The industry-leading speed and performance of our new M Series appliances, paired with their simplicity, modularity and affordability gives our partners and customers a Unified Security Platform that can adapt to remote work deployments and evolve along with the business.” 

Recent WatchGuard threat intelligence shows that organizations that aren’t able to effectively analyze encrypted traffic will miss 54% of incoming attacks, emphasizing the need for HTTPS inspection in today’s threat landscape. The new Firebox M4800 and M5800 achieve throughput of 5.2 Gbps and 11.3 Gbps respectively with UTM services enabled. The Firebox M5800 has achieved certified performance results through open, standardized testing developed by NetSecOPEN and adopted by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). In the NetSecOPEN testing, the Firebox M5800 is certified for speeds up to 4.9 Gbps with all security scanning and HTTPS content inspection enabled. As WatchGuard’s highest performing Firebox appliances to date, these new models ensure that users don’t have to choose between throughput and security. The complete report is available for download here.

As business operations continue to change in response to COVID-19, organizations and their trusted IT solution providers need a security platform that can adapt as networks evolve. Both new M Series appliances provide this flexibility through two available slots for network modules with additional fiber and copper port options (two 40 Gb fiber, four 10Gb fiber, eight 1Gb fiber or eight 1Gb copper). The M4800 and M5800 expansion modules match those of WatchGuard’s mid-range Firebox appliances, further enabling users with the flexibility they need to quickly and simply adjust and reinforce their network security posture over time.

The new Firebox M4800 and M5800 offer a range of additional features and benefits, including:

• Secure Remote Access Made Easy – Usage of Access Portal, WatchGuard’s clientless VPN service for secure remote access, has grown by over 85% over the past year. With the M4800 or M5800, users can simply leverage web browsers to securely connect to third-party web applications, internal applications, and Microsoft Exchange services, as well as create RDP and SSH sessions to local resources, wherever they are.
• Simplified Cloud-Based Visibility and Management –The WatchGuard Cloud platform makes it easy for users to quickly and simply manage these appliances, and provides deep network visibility that makes it possible to execute timely, informed, and effective security actions anytime, anywhere. WatchGuard Cloud offers over 100 dashboards and reports, displaying both high-level and in-depth insights on trends and anomalies. M4800 and M5800 appliances with the Total Security option come with one month of log and report retention included at no extra charge.
• Automation to the Core – The new M Series appliances are designed with automation to the core, allowing both midmarket organizations and IT solution providers to do more with less. WatchGuard’s automated capabilities make it possible to deploy new appliances from the cloud, block threats, update signatures, detect and kill malware, and streamline management processes.

“Our top priority as a managed service provider today is to be able to deploy and maintain high-performing and secure networks for our customers. We have got a significantly lower latency and increased performance, while extending protection to our remote workforce,” said Carsten Alnoe, CEO at aimIT Denmark. “WatchGuard’s new M4800 – M Series firewalls allow us to consolidate critical network and security functions under a single platform to better inspect encrypted traffic, handle remote work security considerations, and in general, simplify how we manage and secure our customers’ distributed enterprise deployments.”

To learn more about WatchGuard’s complete product portfolio click here, and for more information on availability, support and migration paths for WatchGuard products, click here.