As you may know, there have been two main versions of HSM, 4.X, which focuses on security device management, and 5.X, which features more extensive security operation scenarios. For ease of maintenance and completeness of features, Hillstone is committed to providing a unified offering. This latest version, 5.5.0, is a start. Now, let me explain the scenarios where you should upgrade or not.
Go 5.5.0 When Centralized ZTNA & ADC Management Is What You Need
ZTNA enables secure access to internal applications for remote users, which is strongly valued by enterprises with connection needs from remote employees and partners. Usually, there will be dozens of ZTNA gateway devices and thousands of ZTNA policies, or even more, involved in the complete ZTNA structure within an enterprise. Therefore, a centralized platform that is able to manage the devices and policies centrally and in bulk is critical.
The same applies to managing ADC devices. As the workhorse of load balancing, ADCs can have many units when there are massive backend servers. This is where HSM 5.5.0 is called upon to centrally manage them.
Try 5.5.0 If Hillstone and 3rd-party NGFW Device Policy Audit Is What You Want
Your network is constantly changing. New users and new devices, new services and new applications mean you need new security policies. In the ever-changing network environment, once-popular applications may no longer be popular, and security policies may become outdated. As the list of security policies continues to grow longer and management complexity skyrockets, security risks can be hidden, and firewall performance begins to suffer. Regular audits are an effective way to address this challenge. HSM 5.5.0 allows you to audit the policies of not only Hillstone but also 3rd-party NGFWs.
Stay 4.X To Keep WAF & BDS Management And High Availability
WAF (web application firewall) filters and monitors HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet, therefore protecting web applications. BDS (breach detection system) detects cyber threats on corporate networks and incorporates incident response. The management of them are currently only available in HSM 4.X and will be included in 5.X in future updates.
Additionally, high availability, which ensures continuous operation and minimal downtime even in the event of system failures, is currently not available in 5.X and is only present in 4.X.
For more differences between 5.X and 4.X, please contact your Hillstone representative or authorized reseller. Also, stay tuned for future updates of HSM 5.X, which are sure to introduce a wealth of valuable features designed to enhance your experience.
