Connected by a network

Zyxel Networks announced the inclusion of USG FLEX Series firewalls in the list of devices supported by Zyxel Nebula’s centralized network management system. Using the latest version of ZLD5 firmware.0, USG FLEX firewalls add robust, intelligent network security to Nebula, making it the most powerful cloud-based networking solution for small and medium-sized businesses SMBs and service providers.

A comprehensive approach to security – USG FLEX gateways

The use of external cloud services, the mass shift to telecommuting, personal mobile devices BYOD and Internet of Things IoT connectivity to the corporate network create new cyberthreat threats, significantly complicate network management and protection. As a component of the comprehensive Nebula solution, Zyxel USG FLEX Series firewalls implement a centralized approach to network security that adheres to the Zero-Trust Network Security principle.

With the addition of USG FLEX firewalls to the Nebula-compatible device list, system administrators can enforce rule-based security policies and detect and suppress suspicious activity and events using anti-virus, Intrusion Detection Prevention IDP and URL filtering functionality. If the USG FLEX firewall detects a threat on any client device connected to your network, it automatically synchronizes the threat information with the Nebula Control Center and forcibly enforces security policies on all access points on your network. Compromised customers will be blocked or quarantined at the edge of the network to isolate the detected threat and prevent further damage.

Access to the office network from anywhere in the world without compromising security

Nebula maximizes the productivity of your remote workers by giving them secure, reliable remote access to the corporate network. Nebula allows the system administrator to apply all security policies for the corporate network and for employees working from home, hotel or café. Using the Remote AP feature in Nebula, companies can provide employees working away from the office with secure wireless access to the corporate network.

Remote AP lets you quickly and pre-configure Nebula access points to establish secure tunnels between remote sites and an organization’s headquarters. As soon as a pre-configured AP deployed at a remote office has access to the Internet, it immediately gets the right settings and connects to the main office over a secure connection. That way, remote office employees can use the corporate network just as if they were at the central office.

Simplified and unified network management

Nebula Unified Network gives the system administrator a detailed view of network health. Admin configures, monitors and repairs network outages via management console. The administrator can be located anywhere in the world and work from any device. With access to all networks and devices managed with Nebula, the network administrator can manage both individual networks and multi-tenant networks from a single platform using a web browser or mobile app. This consistent and unified user interface greatly increases administrator efficiency, greatly reduces the number of site visits by service engineers and minimizes network outages.

Gordon Yang, President, Zyxel Networks

“The restrictions placed on business operations over the past year, primarily related to the COVID-19 pandemic, have resulted in a rapid transition to remote. As many industry analysts predict, this trend will continue after the pandemic is over. The need to provide access to the corporate network for those working away from the office has created a new set of challenges for SMBs and service providers: the need to support geographically dispersed networks. Unified Nebula Network leverages the complexity of managing multiple networks and provides a centralized security framework for building a fully managed infrastructure for SMBs and service providers. Previously, this was only available to large enterprises and corporations.”.

ZLD5 firmware.0 will be distributed as a free upgrade for all Zyxel USG FLEX series firewall models. It can be downloaded from the cloud through the device management interface. Beginning in April 2021, all Nebula-compatible equipment will use the new device-based licensing model, which allows coordinated licensing of network management functions and information security functions for consistent and unified user experience.