Every enterprise security administrator has faced this critical question: “How long will our current security solution be supported?” For organizations running ForcePoint Web Security, understanding the product lifecycle and licensing policies is essential for maintaining robust security operations.

This comprehensive guide covers everything IT professionals need to know about ForcePoint Web Security’s EOS (End of Sale)/EOL (End of Life) schedules and licensing policies, based on the latest available information.

 

 

 

1. ForcePoint Product Lifecycle Policy Framework

ForcePoint operates a unified product lifecycle policy as of January 2023. This policy is divided into four main categories:

Main Policy Categories

• Appliance & Hardware Life Cycle: Hardware and appliance products
• Enterprise Software & Software Versions Life Cycle: On-premises commercial software
• Cloud-Delivered SaaS Solutions Life Cycle: Cloud-based SaaS solutions
• Global Governments Software Life Cycle: Government-specific software

ForcePoint Web Security primarily falls under the Enterprise Software category, while cloud versions follow SaaS solution policies.

 

 

2. ForcePoint Web Security Software Version Support Status

Current Supported Versions

Version	Release Date	Support Status	End of Maintenance	Key Features
8.5.6	September 19, 2024	Currently Supported	TBD	4 new AI/ML categories, Trellix engine integration
8.5.5	April 29, 2022	Currently Supported	TBD	VMware ESXi 7.0 support, OpenSSL 1.0.2y
8.5.4	June 8, 2020	Currently Supported	TBD	Red Hat 7.9 requirement, stable release
8.5.3	November 30, 2018	End of Maintenance	~2022	Last version for G3 series appliances
8.5.0	March 2018	End of Life	2020	V20000 G1 initial support

Lifecycle Stage Definitions

General Availability (GA): Production-ready official release End of Maintenance: Minor releases discontinued, critical security patches only End of Support: Technical support services completely discontinued End of Sale: License sales discontinued End of Life: All support completely terminated

Web Security Lifecycle Policy

• New major release impact: Versions 2 major releases back or 18+ months old enter End of Maintenance
• Difference from NGFW: Web Security provides longer support periods than NGFW (which only supports 1 major release back)

 

 

3. Hardware Appliance Models and Actual EOS/EOL Timeline

V-Series Appliances Support History and Current Status

Model	Generation	Launch Period	EOS/EOL Date	Last Supported Version	Current Status
V20000 G1	4th Gen	2018	Active	8.5.6+	Currently Supported
V10000 G4 R2	4th Gen	2018	Active	8.5.6+	Currently Supported
V10000 G4	4th Gen	2016-2018	Active	8.5.6+	Currently Supported
V5000 G4 R2	4th Gen	December 2019	Active	8.5.6+	Currently Supported
V5000 G4	4th Gen	2017-2019	Active	8.5.6+	Currently Supported
V10000 G3	3rd Gen	2015-2016	EOL: November 2018	8.5.3 (Final)	End of Life
V10000 G3 R2	3rd Gen	2016-2017	EOL: November 2018	8.5.3 (Final)	End of Life
V5000 G3	3rd Gen	2014-2016	EOL: November 2018	8.5.3 (Final)	End of Life
V10000 G2 R2	2nd Gen	2014-2015	EOL: March 2018	7.8.x (Final)	End of Life
V10000 G2 R1	2nd Gen	2013-2014	EOL: March 2018	7.8.x (Final)	End of Life
V5000 G2 R2	2nd Gen	2014-2015	EOL: March 2018	7.8.x (Final)	End of Life
V5000 G2 R1	2nd Gen	2013-2014	EOL: March 2018	7.8.x (Final)	End of Life

X-Series Appliances (Blade Server)

Model	Generation	EOS/EOL Date	Last Supported Version	Current Status
X10G G2 R2	2nd Gen	Active	8.5.6+	Currently Supported
X10G G2	2nd Gen	Active	8.5.6+	Currently Supported
X10G G1	1st Gen	EOL: November 2018	8.5.3 (Final)	End of Life

I-Series Appliances (Hybrid Deployment)

Model	Form Factor	Support Status	Primary Use Case
i500	1U rackmount	Currently Supported	Cloud on-ramp, Network Agent
i500v	Virtual appliance	Currently Supported	Virtualized environment integration

Virtual Appliances

Type	Supported Platform	Current Version
Web Security VA	VMware ESXi 8.0/7.0/6.7/6.5	8.5.6

 

 

4. ForcePoint Appliance Lifecycle Pattern Analysis

Historical EOL Pattern (2018-2024)

Based on actual EOL dates, ForcePoint follows a 4-5 year hardware lifecycle:

Wave 1 (March 2018): G2 Series Complete EOL

• All G2 generation appliances discontinued with ForcePoint 8.0.0 release

Wave 2 (November 2018): G3 Series EOL

• V5000 G3, V10000 G3, V10000 G3 R2, X10G G1 received final support with version 8.5.3

Current Generation (2024): G4 Series Active

• V5000 G4/G4 R2, V10000 G4/G4 R2, V20000 G1, X10G G2/G2 R2

Predicted Next EOL Wave (2025-2026)

Based on the 4-5 year cycle pattern:

• Early G4 models (launched 2016-2018) may reach EOL in 2025-2026
• V5000 G4 R2 (launched December 2019) likely supported until 2027-2028

 

 

5. Hardware Appliance Lifecycle Policy Details

Appliance Support Phases

Support Item	GA Period	EOS Years 1-2	EOS Year 3	EOS Years 4-5
Critical Security Patches	✓	✓	✓	✓
Content Updates	✓	✓	✓	✓
New Major Software Versions	✓	✓	✓	–
Minor Releases	✓	✓	–	–
Hardware Repair/Replacement	Free warranty	With warranty extension	With warranty extension	With warranty extension

Warranty Policy

• Basic warranty: 36 months NBD (Next Business Day)
• Maximum extension: Up to 5 years from purchase date
• Critical note: Once a model reaches EOL, software support immediately ceases

 

 

6. ForcePoint ONE Web Security Edition (Cloud)

Cloud Service Lifecycle

ForcePoint ONE Web Security Edition follows a distinct lifecycle:

• End of Sale notice: 1-3 months advance (vs. 3 months for on-premises)
• Renewal period: 1 year after EOS
• Service termination: Immediate discontinuation at EOL

Minimum License Requirements

• Minimum users: 500 users (AWS Marketplace standard)
• Auto-renewal: Monthly auto-renewal after expiration
• Non-cancellable policy: All orders non-cancellable

 

 

7. Web Security Upgrade Paths and Compatibility

Software Upgrade Paths (to 8.5.6)

Current Version	8.5.6 Upgrade	Intermediate Steps	Notes
8.5.5	Direct upgrade	–	Recommended path
8.5.4	Direct upgrade	–	Recommended path
8.5.3	Staged upgrade required	8.5.4 → 8.5.6	Last version for G3 appliances
8.4.x and below	ISO method required	8.5.0 → 8.5.6	Professional support recommended

Operating System Requirements (8.5.6)

Operating System	Supported Version	Status
Red Hat Enterprise Linux	7.9+	Required
Windows Server	2022	New support
Windows Server	2019, 2016	Supported
Windows Server	2012 series	End of support
VMware ESXi	8.0, 7.0	Recommended

Appliance Upgrade Compatibility Matrix

Appliance Generation	8.5.6 Support	Latest Software Support	Hardware Status
G4 Series (Current)	Full support	8.5.6+	Active production
G3 Series	Not supported	8.5.3 (Final)	Hardware replacement required
G2 Series	Not supported	7.8.x (Final)	Hardware replacement required

Critical Migration Requirements

Organizations using G3 or older appliances must:

1. Immediate Action Required: Plan hardware replacement
2. No Software Path: Cannot upgrade to 8.5.4+ without new hardware
3. Security Risk: Missing 6+ years of security updates (G3 users on 8.5.3)

 

 

8. Web Security License Policy

On-Premises License Structure

Component	Description	Renewal Policy
License Fee	Software usage rights	Based on License Term
Maintenance Fee	Updates, patches, technical support	Based on Maintenance Term

License Renewal Critical Points

Non-Cancellable Policy:

• All orders non-cancellable after confirmation
• No fee adjustments or refunds for decreased usage

Support Gap Penalties:

• Reinstatement fees for support lapses exceeding 1 year
• Retroactive payment required for lapsed periods

ForcePoint ONE Web Security Subscription

Basic Requirements:

• Minimum 500 users
• Monthly/annual subscription billing
• Auto-renewal (30-day notice for termination)

 

 

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Reference Documentation:

• ForcePoint Product Life Cycle Policy
• ForcePoint Customer Hub
• ForcePoint Appliance Release Notes