Added peace of mind for security customers
There are at least three very good reasons why customers should be excited about the latest firmware update for Zyxel’s security appliances, says Thorsten Kurpjuhn, Market Development Manager Europe.
I’d imagine that most of you reading this blog would consider a firmware update for our security gateways as being important, but nothing to get too excited about. Based on that assumption, I hope you will forgive me for my indulgence, because I am a little bit excited about our latest “ZLD4.60” firmware upgrade, which is now being made available to our customers all over Europe and the world.
There are three reasons why (in my view) everyone who uses or supports Zyxel USG appliances should be keenly anticipating this new firmware release. I will talk about them below – but in no particular order, as they are all pretty amazing.
Better, faster encryption
The first is that it brings support for TLS 1.3 – the latest version of the encryption protocol that is both faster and more secure. TLS stands for Transport Layer Security and it’s really the evolution of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption method, of which I am sure you will have heard.
TLS 1.3 provides a much more secure and private communication between connected points. To encrypt data, it uses a technique called symmetric cryptography in which unique keys are created for every single connection. This latest version is better and faster than ever, so it means added peace of mind for Zyxel customers, who will always know that their VPN and other connections are completely encrypted and secure.
2FA log-on
The second main reason I’m being so enthusiastic about this firmware release is the addition of the Google Authenticator two-factor log-in process for administrators. With this, as well as a username and password, admins will also need to provide a unique key – which they will be able to get from the Google Authenticator on their smartphone or tablet – to gain entry.
Google Authenticator is recognised and renowned as just about the best two-factor authenticator available. It is quick, simple, and easy to understand and use, and it’s another great addition for our customers.
Advanced content filtering
The third main reason to be excited about this firmware release is that it will switch all our ATP (advanced threat protection) appliance customers over to McAfee-powered website content filtering. McAfee is a name you will already know as a world-leader in endpoint protection software and its domain-name services (DNS) filtering is the most revered in the digital security industry. This too is a really great addition to the overall protection that is provided by our security gateways and appliances.
By the way, this update also supports the new USG FLEX 700 and USG FLEX 100W appliances, which we only announced very recently. These are great new additions to our range and with the update, they have even more appeal.
The best possible protection
There are many other enhancements and additions in the 4.60 firmware, but the three above the ones that stand out for me - and will also make the most difference to our customers. Your local Zyxel office or partner will be able to provide more details, and help you check that your licensing is fully up to date – which is an important point. You do need your licence to be current to receive the firmware update.
As long as that is the case you can be sure that your Zyxel security appliance will continue to provide the best possible protection for your network. To me that’s pretty exciting and for all our customers it is certainly very reassuring.
