SonicWall NSM 3.5 SaaS Delivers Security That’s Built In, Not Bolted On

With NSM 3.5 SaaS, SonicWall integrates credential protection, data security and visibility directly into everyday firewall operations.

Security shouldn't be an afterthought added after deployment, it should be integrated into the platform from the start. The latest NSM 3.5 SaaS release from SonicWall further emphasizes Secure by Design (SbD) philosophy, incorporating protections directly into the management, configuration and monitoring of firewalls.

NSM 3.5 doesn't rely on manual procedures or reactive measures; it automatically minimizes risk by securing credentials, configurations and operational data at scale.

Protecting Against Publicly Known Passwords 

Compromised credentials remain among the most common attack vectors. With Credential Auditor now powered by Network Security Manager (NSM), this protection is no longer limited to specific firewall generations.

Credential Auditor automatically detects firewall passwords and keys that match publicly known exposed credentials, such as those found in breached credential databases. By identifying weak or compromised secrets early, NSM enables teams to remediate risk before attackers can exploit it, reinforcing secure configurations across your entire firewall fleet.

This is our Secure by Design principles in action: proactive, automated and built directly into platform operations.

Protecting Configuration Data by Default

Firewall configuration backups are often overlooked as a security risk. NSM 3.5 addresses this head-on with password-protected export backup files and per-tenant encryption.

Each tenant’s configuration backups can now be protected with a password and a unique encryption key, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access or misuse. This ensures that sensitive configuration data remains secure at rest and aligns with modern expectations for data protection and isolation in multi-tenant environments.

Turning Logs into Actionable Security Intelligence

Visibility is only valuable when it’s usable. NSM 3.5 enhances analytics logs and system events with advanced search and filtering capabilities, making it easier to surface meaningful security insights when they matter most.

With support for multi-column queries, logical operators, saved searches and custom report queries, security teams can quickly identify anomalies, investigate incidents and support auditing and compliance efforts without needing to export data or rely on external tools.

Improved Visibility into Your Overall Security Posture

The Security Assessment Report, previously only available to SonicWall’s Managed Security Services (MSS) team, is now available to all partners and customers through NSM with an advanced reporting and analytics license.

This report provides a structured view of your environment, highlighting areas for improvement and helping organizations take a more proactive, informed approach to risk reduction.

NSM 3.5 SaaS also supports SonicOS 8.x. Keeping your firewalls up to date and compliant has never been easier.

Why NSM 3.5 Matters

With these updates, NSM 3.5 SaaS not only simplifies management across multiple firewalls and tenants but also strengthens your security posture. From proactive credential auditing to enhanced analytics and secure backup options, NSM continues to empower IT teams and partners to operate confidently in today’s threat landscape.

Explore what’s new in NSM.

For optimal results, SonicWall recommends upgrading to the latest firewall hardware to take full advantage of modern security, analytics and management capabilities. 

Learn more about upgrade options.