Zyxel Networks, a leader in delivering secure, AI- and cloud-powered business and home networking solutions, today announced the addition of the USG FLEX Firewall series to its signature Nebula Cloud Networking Solution. Equipped with the newly-released firmware version ZLD5.0, the USG FLEX firewalls add the robust, intelligent network security capability that establishes Nebula as the most comprehensive cloud networking solution for SMBs and MSPs.

The distribution of the workforce, initially driven by COVID-19 restrictions, presents businesses with the challenge of providing critical connectivity to network resources and assets to remote employees outside of the main office. This might increase the attack surface along with the complexity and challenges of managing, monitoring and supporting a more fluid type of working. Zyxel’s new Nebula Together updates, powered by a comprehensive portfolio of high-performance, easy-to-use, Nebula-compatible wireless access points, network switches and firewalls, are designed to help customers understand the benefits provided by the Nebula cloud-managed solution, which enables users to manage, monitor and secure multiple distributed networks from a single intuitive platform.

Deliver collaborative approach to increasingly complex security threats

Increased exposure to the network from the outside by cloud-based services, remote workers, and the use of personal (BYOD) and IoT devices on the company network, create countless ways the network can be compromised, and can greatly complicate issues of network access, management and security. As a component of the comprehensive Nebula cloud-managed solution, the Zyxel USG FLEX series firewalls add a centralized approach to a company’s Zero-Trust Network Security.

The addition of USG FLEX firewalls to Nebula provides network administrators with rules-based security policies capable of identifying anomalies with anti-malware, Intrusion Detection Prevention (IDP) and URL threat filtering. If the firewalls detect a threat on any of the connected clients, they automatically sync with the Nebula Control Center and push the security policy out to all business APs across the entire network site, blocking or quarantining the compromised client at the network edge to contain the threat and prevent further damage.

Enable office-level network access and security from anywhere

Nebula maximizes the productivity of remote workers by enabling businesses to provide secure, reliable access to the company network in support of work-from-home and other remote working initiatives. With Nebula, network administrators can apply the same level of security policies across networks, whether employees are accessing the network in the office, at home, or even while working remotely from hotels or coffee shops.

Nebula’s Remote AP function enables businesses to provide employees with secure wireless access to the company network from outside of the office. Administrators can easily and quickly preconfigure Nebula Access Points to establish secure, encrypted tunnels between remote locations, such as homes and branch offices, and a USG FLEX firewall in the main office. When the pre-configured AP is connected to the internet at the remote location, it automatically configures and establishes a secure connection with the main office giving the user access to the company network as if they were physically working in the office.

Make network management simple, unified and efficient

The integrations in Nebula Together provide network administrators with greater network visibility, enabling them to configure, monitor and troubleshoot networks from any location with access to the Internet using Nebula’s intuitive single-pane-of-glass dashboard. With access to all Nebula-managed networks and devices, network administrators are able to manage multi-tenant and individual networks on a single platform, accessible via a web browser or smartphone app, to deliver a consistent and unified user experience that maximizes efficiencies, reduces on-site maintenance requirements and minimizes network downtime.

“Restrictions imposed on businesses over the past year, largely mandated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has driven the rapid shift to remote working – a shift that many industry analysts agree will remain post-COVID,” said Gordon Yang, President at Zyxel Networks. “The requirement to provide access to the company network from outside of the office creates a host of new challenges for SMBs and the MSPs that now have to support these distributed networks. Nebula Together removes the complexities of managing multiple networks and provides centralized security to provide SMBs and MSPs a complete managed networking solution once attainable only by enterprises and larger businesses.”

The ZLD5.0 firmware is offered as a free upgrade for all Zyxel USG FLEX series firewalls and can be downloaded from the cloud through the device management interface. Starting April 2021, the Nebula will migrate to a device-based licensing model for all Nebula-compatible devices, which makes the licensing service for network management and security aligned across the board to deliver a consistent and unified user experience. Find out more about the Nebula Together campaign at www.zyxel.com/nebula