What type of IP address does an endpoint use to establish a heartbeat with Sophos Firewall?

In the context of Sophos Firewall, endpoints establish a heartbeat to communicate with the firewall for security and management purposes. The heartbeat mechanism is designed to keep the firewall aware of the endpoint's status, which includes its security and compliance posture.

Using a public IP address for this heartbeat communication is effective because it allows endpoints that may be located outside a corporate network, such as remote workers or devices operating in different geographical locations, to connect with the Sophos Firewall. This connection is essential for the firewall to manage policies, enforce security settings, and ensure that the endpoints remain compliant with the organization's security protocols.

It is important to note that private IP addresses are typically used within internal networks; thus, they wouldn't be suitable for endpoints communicating over the internet. Static IP addresses refer to a fixed IP assigned to a device and can be used for extended connectivity, while dynamic IP addresses change and may not provide a consistent link necessary for the heartbeat function. However, the flexibility of a public IP address enables reliable communication irrespective of the endpoint's physical location.