The main function is to securely manage and deploy configurations to firewall devices and logs through its security management console. We configure and test all settings within the security manager and subsequently push these configurations to the relevant firewall devices.
Check Point Security Management
Check Point Software TechnologiesExternal reviews
External reviews are not included in the AWS star rating for the product.
Securely manage and deploy configurations to firewall devices with IPS protection
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Check Point Security Management in cloud environments focuses on securing cloud services and managing traffic within the cloud environment. Network security typically involves managing Layer 3 to Layer 4 services. Access Control Lists are used to secure network access.
What is most valuable?
It offers numerous features and blades, including intrusion prevention (IPS) and malware detection. It excels in network security and VPN capabilities, including IPSec VPNs. IPS is particularly powerful due to its signature-based detection, which automatically checks for and identifies malicious software.
What needs improvement?
Check Point is highly regarded for its effectiveness and the three-layer architecture for security, comprising the client, Security Management, and secure management console, integrated with firewall capabilities. This architecture differentiates it from other security solutions like Palo Alto, Cisco, and FortiGate. Our files are more secure against potential compromises with three layers, as configurations are managed centrally on the Management servers. The SmartConsole facilitates easy configuration and management, aligning with modern automation trends. Integrating Check Point with AI and API security features enhances its effectiveness and user-friendliness. Customizable logs tailored to sources, businesses, and IPs can be automated for delivery via email, ensuring accessibility without needing to log into devices directly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Check Point Security Management as a partner for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable. I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
600 users are using this solution.
I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
There are multiple ways to contact Check Point Security Management, such as phone calls, chats, and emails. We receive responses based on the ticket's priority and the business need.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward and takes three hours to complete. I rate it a ten out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is a bit expensive. It has yearly licensing, costing around 48 bucks.
What other advice do I have?
It is very effective nowadays due to its ability to provide feedback from DDoS attacks and man-in-the-middle attacks, which are powerful and useful in today's enterprise scenarios. It integrates with various software APIs and provides web firewalls and security, which are crucial in security. These features protect against DDoS attacks, man-in-the-middle attacks, and other implementation vulnerabilities. It provides security and ensures that our services are available 24/7.
I recommend the solution because it is proactive and easy to use.
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Easy to open and edit policies, search within them, and view logs
What is our primary use case?
We utilize the security management solution to oversee all our Check Point products, including firewall, IPS, and antivirus policies. It serves as our primary tool for managing all Check Point devices.
What is most valuable?
Check Point Security Management excels over Forti Management in daily operations, policy management, and graphical interface. It is easy to open and edit policies, search within them, and view logs.
What needs improvement?
The only issue is that, you need to install an application instead of managing it through a browser. Thus, it requires installation. Additionally, it can be slow when multiple users access the manager simultaneously. Even with increased CPU and memory resources, some performance issues may still occur when multiple users check simultaneously.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Check Point Security Management for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Sometimes, we encounter crashes while working on Check Point Security Management, necessitating application restarts. We also face connectivity issues with certain firewalls, making it less stable than other products.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution’s scalability is good ; adding more CPUs and memory can give you more gateways.
20 managers are using this solution.
I rate the solution’s scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
We currently have at least two or three cases open, and some are regarding demand. We struggle to find a good engineer who can truly help us instead of just sending some comments for us to run and provide feedback. They need to improve, especially in their initial client support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is complex.
Compared to Forti Management, Check Point Security Management involves much more work and is more difficult. You need to establish connections to all the firewalls manually, one by one. However, with the function manager, you point the firewall to the manager and accept it on the Management, and it's done. Additionally, you need to manage certificates on Check Point, making the process less straightforward than FortiManager.
You depend entirely on the manager to edit the security gateway policies. If the manager encounters an issue with Fortinet, you can still access the FortiGate and delete policies. In Check Point, you cannot delete firewall policies directly on the firewall itself if you encounter a Management issue.
Deployment, including firewall synchronization, takes about four days to complete.
You usually need to create and use the VM Manager VM. So, you need to deploy the VM, configure the IPs, and install the Check Point console software. Then, you need to perform an SIP IT connection to all the firewalls to manage them. After that, you need to configure the firewall networks and public IPs.
I rate the initial setup as seven out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is more expensive than Fortinet. We need to pay the license for the Management. I rate the product’s pricing a seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
It enhances our daily operational efficiency. Therefore, all management personnel prioritizing working on Check Point policies over Fortinet would benefit. However, maintenance upgrades, backups, snapshots, and synchronization between primary and secondary management can become cumbersome. These tasks tend to be more challenging and time-consuming.
The learning curve for Check Point is quite steep. Sometimes, when we recruit new members to our company, they take a lot of time to understand how our Check Point system works, including the connection between the Management and the firewall, among other components. With Fortinet, it takes only two or three weeks for them to get acquainted with everything. With Check Point, they need at least three months to become accustomed to upgrades, managing policies, and maintenance of the Management system. So, it takes at least three or four times longer than with Fortinet.
AI is essential for correlating logs and presenting the ones that matter. They could strengthen how they present logs by giving more attention to the ones that matter most.
Check Point is easy to use, allowing users to drag and drop objects effortlessly. However, it's essential to note that deploying and maintaining the solution may require a bit more expertise than some competitors.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Centralized management, intuitive user interface, and comprehensive security features
What is our primary use case?
Check Point Security Management Server is a comprehensive solution designed to streamline and centralize the management of security policies across an organization's network infrastructure.
One of the standout features of the Check Point Security Management Server is its ability to manage security policies across multiple Check Point security gateways centrally. This centralized approach simplifies policy deployment, monitoring, and updates, making it easier for administrators to maintain a consistent security posture.
How has it helped my organization?
The Check Point Security Management Server has the ability to centrally manage security policies across multiple Check Point security gateways. This centralized approach simplifies policy deployment, monitoring, and updates, making it easier for administrators to maintain a consistent security posture.
It offers high-performance capabilities to handle large volumes of traffic while maintaining low latency, ensuring minimal impact on network performance. This product greatly improved our company customers and allowed us to implement the solution easily.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspects of the solution are:
1. Centralized Management: It can centrally manage security policies across multiple Check Point security gateways. This centralized approach simplifies policy deployment, monitoring, and updates, making it easier for administrators to maintain a consistent security posture.
2. Intuitive User Interface: The management console provides an intuitive user interface that allows administrators to configure and monitor security policies with ease. The interface is well-designed, with clear navigation and comprehensive options for managing security rules, network objects, and logs.
3. Comprehensive Security Features: Check Point Security Management Server offers a wide range of security features, including firewall, intrusion prevention, VPN, application control, and threat prevention capabilities. These features work together to provide multi-layered protection against various cyber threats.
What needs improvement?
Check Point Security Management Server integrates seamlessly with other Check Point security products, providing a cohesive security ecosystem for organizations. It also offers compatibility with third-party security solutions, however, it is not a lot. This needs to be improved.
Check Point offers comprehensive product support and documentation, including online resources, knowledge bases, and technical support services. This ensures that administrators have access to the assistance they need to deploy and maintain the Security Management Server effectively, but when customers raise issues, the support is not satisfactory and timely.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for more than one and a half years.
Provides security and reliability, integrates well with other products, and the exceptions work well
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution mostly for policy pushing to other gateways.
How has it helped my organization?
We deployed the tool for a customer. They faced an attack, but Check Point did not allow it. Check Point does not allow unauthorized access to the network. It just sends a message to the person saying they are not authorized to access the network. The exceptions work very well. Most of the attacks go through the web path. The tool does a good job of securing the web path.
What is most valuable?
We can easily push the policies to any of our gateways. The solution manages the gateways. It works well with other products. It integrates well with Cisco products, too.
What needs improvement?
The tool is expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the last two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is very stable. The equipment is never down.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have more than ten customers.
How are customer service and support?
The support is very good. We get a response immediately whenever we enter a support request on the website. We do not have to wait for one or two hours. The team also offers remote support. The support provided by Check Point is one of the best in the market.
How was the initial setup?
We have most of the products on-premise. We have only one client on a VM. Check Point offers training for their products. They usually send us a link every time they launch a new feature. Unless we go through the tutorials, it will be difficult for us to deploy the solution. However, it is easy to deploy when you know how to do it. It is easy to navigate if we have read about the gadget.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The tool is expensive. However, if we buy Check Point Security Management, we do not have to buy anything else. We get all the features we need in a single solution. We get value for our money.
What other advice do I have?
If we want to troubleshoot, we just have to log in to the SMS. Everything is listed there. We just have to log in to the gateway we have an issue with. We need not go to the server rooms. I see no improvements needed in the product. The other gateways and SD-WAN could be improved. If someone wishes to use the product, they have chosen the best option. It provides security, reliability, and support. Though it is expensive, it is the best. It has all the features we need. The product is absolutely excellent. Overall, I rate the tool a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Alert classifications help prioritize critical issues
What is our primary use case?
We utilize Check Point Security Management for our daily security operations, including managing firewall rules, reviewing alerts, and generating reports on a weekly basis.
How has it helped my organization?
We've integrated Check Point Security Management with some of our business associates' portals for HR, finance, and payroll activities, which are outsourced. Check Point alarms us about any version changes on these sites, allowing us to block unauthorized changes. So far, we haven't encountered any serious incidents that require immediate action. We receive incident reports, but they usually involve blocked or quarantined threats rather than major security breaches. Additionally, our internal management console provides us with alerts, adding another layer of security monitoring.
What is most valuable?
Over the past 1.5 years, we've started monitoring it more regularly, analyzing alerts closely. The most beneficial features for us are the alert classifications, which help us prioritize critical issues, and the detailed reports that provide insights into attack origins and purposes, such as TLS violations or content violations.
While we use a cloud-based Security Control console, we primarily conduct in-depth analysis of reports on a weekly basis to enhance our security posture.
What needs improvement?
Check Point EDR has room for improvement, especially in the area of Data Loss Prevention where it currently lacks functionality.
I'd also like to see enhancements in content filtering and categorization features.
I would appreciate the ability to restrict forwarding of confidential documents to specific groups, ensuring tighter security measures.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Check Point Security Management for the past 1.5 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability 9 out of 10.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability 8 out of 10.
How was the initial setup?
We faced issues, but with the help of tech support, it was solved. It took almost one week approximately to set the solution through firewall.
What about the implementation team?
We rely on tech support to enhance our capabilities.
We have a small, focused team of four engineers.
What was our ROI?
Currently, we only use Check Point and are satisfied with its benefits in terms of time-saving and security performance, estimating a 30% time savings.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing can be estimated around 3 or 4 out of 10 in terms of expense.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated another product before Check Point but found the local account manager to be more aggressive.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the product overall at 8 out of 10, mentioning that while functionalities are there, improvements could be made to make it more user-friendly for laymen, such as incorporating drag-and-drop functionality.
Great DDoS protection, high availability, and useful firewall rule implementation
What is our primary use case?
We use the product as a primary gateway firewall for all offices at different locations.
We have deployed their high-end firewall UTMs to medium business grade devices 1400 series. They are easy to manage either centrally or as separate devices. We are using them for Network security including firewall rules, NATTing, Web application access, IPSec VPN tunneling between offices and cloud services, user VPN clients for access from home, data encryption, anti-malware/anti-virus solutions, and as network gateway devices for routing and DNS.
How has it helped my organization?
We have seen tremendous improvement in the overall security of the organization's IT assets. We performed Pen Tests and External vulnerability audits on our network and we always scored top-rated thanks to Check Point.
Their management portal and firmware are very stable and don't require frequent maintenance. Their IPSec tunneling is very stable, especially with Azure and AWS networks.
Access to detailed network logs in real time helps us decide and take prompt action to block/fix threats.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspects of the solution include:
- IPSec VPN Tunneling: they are easy to configure and offer multiple options to set them up with Cloud services and other vendor firewall products over certificates, shared keys etc.
- DDoS Protection: Firewall cleverly handles such attacks without compromising on performance.
- HA and Clustering: Seamless load management and High Availability between nodes of firewall clusters.
- Firewall Rules: You have access to set up rules at a very granular level and all are accessible through the GUI platform as well as over CMDLET.
What needs improvement?
We didn't find any major feature missing or lacking in Check Point products that we used. We'd just like them to continue to improve their products with new features and updates.
We'd like to see more and more integration possibilities between Checkpoint and other vendor security solutions such as Malwarebytes, SIEM solution providers, and standalone vulnerability scanners.
The Check Point SandBlast platform could also be merged with the Check Point GAIA platform for a central management console and easier controls.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable compared to peers.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is highly scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is satisfactory, however, it takes some time to escalate your ticket.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did use Sophos and Cisco ASA, however, they were either complicated products to manage or lacked features.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup wasn't difficult after you attended free platform support sessions by Check Point.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the initial setup in-house.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Good support, minimizes threats, and offers complete endpoint security
What is our primary use case?
One of the recent use cases for this solution has been related to a power company, which was facing issues but was able to get its infrastructure secured and get back its business continuity and growth. In addition, its management was able to get back its confidence with solutions or services provided by Check Point.
The client was able to quantify its security elements. As a result, a strong defensive framework was developed. Deployment of Check Point's solution resulted in the evasion of any existing and potential threats.
How has it helped my organization?
Check Point is not just a firewall. They deliver everything including IPS, application control, threat emulation and extraction, identity awareness, and more. In line with the quantum security gateways, other elements and services as provided by Check Point have also proven to be very helpful and reliable in keeping the company environment secured. The organization has also gone a great mile to tag itself as a proactive threat elimination expert in the industry viz a viz its competitors.
What is most valuable?
Harmony Endpoint is one of the great solutions by Check Point; it ensures compliance with policies and minimizes the risk of threats entering through endpoints.
It's a great complete endpoint security solution that prevents the most imminent threats to the endpoint such as ransomware, phishing, or malware.
It has proved to be very successful in identifying ransomware behaviors such as file encryption or attempts to compromise operating system backups and safely restore ransomware-encrypted files automatically.
What needs improvement?
While the console and administration work well, they have to work on performance since it consumes a lot of CPU and memory. There is also latency in the administrative panel when entering. There has been a problem with updating licenses as well. There is ground-level feedback based on interaction with the relevant stakeholders that states implementing it would make a major difference in the overall experience.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution has not caused major deviations and the historical experience has been quite good. The stability and reliability of the solution is pretty much appreciated
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The overall impression of the scalability is good and impressive.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support has been pretty good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have been involved with a lot of other partners in parallel, depending on the requirements of the customers.
How was the initial setup?
I am not directly involved in the setup and deployment of the product.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was handled by an in-house team.
What was our ROI?
I've witnessed an ROI of 25% to 30%.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Users should actively evaluate the existing options available in the market and finalize the one that matches their requirements, budget, and priorities. Check Point can definitely be considered based on my personal experience.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
The choice to evaluate would not be my personal decision but the requirement raised by the customers.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Enterprise level scalability and meeting all the PCI guidelines regulating financial market players
What is our primary use case?
Our use cases are protection infrastructure in a financial corporate environment.
How has it helped my organization?
Check Point firewalls meet all the PCI guidelines that regulate players in the financial market.
What is most valuable?
The support is pretty incredible.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in reliability.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for ten years. I worked from version 840 to 8120.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a six out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable. I would rate the scalability for this solution a ten out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I initially took Cisco training for routers, switches, and firewalls. I did actually work up the Cisco firewalls long enough to convert them to Check Point.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was complex. But that was really the fault of Check Point just because we deployed it into the Google Cloud environment, and their environment is a little different.
We have security management deployed on-premises and on the cloud.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is about par for the enterprise-class firewalls.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Palo Alto and Cisco. And the reason for going with this solution was the price. So, with Cisco, it was priced. We actually checked the overall price of the cost of ownership. When you talk about support costs and everything else, was cheaper than Cisco. And with Palo Alto, also had reliability issues that could not be overcome by their support.
What other advice do I have?
I definitely recommend it, but unless you're fully trained and experienced on Check Point, you should get the better support program.
Check Point has support rep programs that go all the way up to putting one of their own people in your business to help you. Then, they have support programs. If you're an expert, you just need to be able to download updated files and stuff. They have support programs like that, too. The worst possible situation is if somebody isn't really skilled with the thing and they cheap out on the support program, and they'll just flounder.
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Enhanced security with centralized control for threat prevention
What is our primary use case?
Check Point plays a crucial role in enhancing our security firewall solution in our company. It has brought significant improvements, including features like spam and anti-spam measures, intrusion prevention (IPS), and advanced filtering.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature for me is the firewall. Whether it's five stars or even higher, the analytics reports it provides are truly impressive. They offer valuable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that shed light on various situations and different logs.
What needs improvement?
They could offer educational courses to help individuals improve their knowledge and skills.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with it for two years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It provides good stability features. I would rate it eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate its scalability capabilities nine out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In my previous company, I had experience using Fortinet and Palo Alto.
How was the initial setup?
I find that the setup process is somewhat distinct from other solutions. I believe that having some guidance from the website or tutorials would make it easier.
What other advice do I have?
I strongly recommend this solution because it's a highly effective and reliable choice. I would rate it nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
An expensive solution with easy life cycle management
What is our primary use case?
We use Check Point Security Management for firewall management.
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to use and comes with few vulnerabilities. You don't have to worry about release upgrades. Life cycle management is very easy.
What needs improvement?
Check Point Security Management lacks some of the competitor features.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Check Point Security Management is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have around 4,500 users for the product.
How are customer service and support?
Check Point Security Management doesn't have good support since it is difficult to get the right person.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive.