Cloud security has unified hybrid policies and now protects critical energy workloads continuously
What is our primary use case?
My usual use cases for Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) involve onboarding as an energy company, where it acts as the cloud-native security platform that extends the traditional firewall and threat prevention capabilities into public cloud environments like AWS, Azure, or GCP. We set up a virtual security gateway inside our cloud network to provide unified policy management, advanced threat prevention, segmentation for the network, and visibility across the cloud and system. From an administrator standpoint, it protects the workload, inspects traffic, and enforces the necessary rules. Day-to-day, my responsibilities include logging, monitoring, and policy control for Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security), making it a strong fit for our organization, especially in the energy sector where we need critical systems to stay up to date throughout twenty-four seven.
For secure cloud migration, Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) integrates seamlessly across AWS, Azure, and GCP, supporting auto-scaling, native logging, and automation, making it a strong fit for our organization while modernizing our infrastructure and maintaining strict compliance requirements. Using this tool helps us avoid complications like needing to prove compliance for SOC 1 or SOC 2, as these platforms are already compliant.
What is most valuable?
I would say Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is valuable due to its hybrid cloud security features. It offers granular policy management across the on-premises and cloud environments, giving administrators consistent control for configuration drift. We need to change the policy and the inbound and outbound traffic settings, indicating what traffic must be blocked or allowed, and this capability with Check Point provides significant input into our security strategy.
Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) provides unified security management across both hybrid clouds and on-premises environments. Unified security management affects my security operations positively, as we maintain critical systems on the cloud that require strong security and air gap networks. This cloud-native routing and policy installation helps close gaps in protecting critical applications and environments from exposure to the public cloud.
From an administrator's perspective, Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) enhances our organization with clearer and more intuitive logging, making decisions easier to understand without deep investigation. In the CloudGuard UI, I can see which threats have triggered alerts, and this information is available on the unified dashboard that provides details of the threat analysis upon alert. As a small team, we log into the console to check specific alerts for high or low network usage or machine shutdowns. If needed, I tune the configuration policy, and the visualizing tools with reporting functionality simplify tracking changes made on the firewall, including the relevant source IP or device names. We ingest logs into our SIEM for detailed oversight, which allows us to monitor any administrative changes.
Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) has significantly reduced our organizational risk. We clearly understand our threat landscape and the associated risks. Onboarding the CloudGuard solution directly into our cloud environment has significantly lowered the risks throughout the network and it is easy to launch. When we assess our security posture with third-party assessments, we gain granular visibility into our network pre- and post-CloudGuard installation, showing how we have addressed significant risks and secured vulnerabilities.
What needs improvement?
I find troubleshooting a bit challenging with Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security); one area needing improvement is log clarity, as sometimes policy installation takes longer than expected, and resolving cloud-native routing conflicts requires advanced knowledge due to the differences in how AWS and GCP operate.
The UI is significantly good and user-friendly, but adding more advanced features to the reporting perspective, especially concerning administrative changes, would be beneficial. However, these points are not deal-breaking feedback; they would just be beneficial for future releases.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been experienced with Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) for five to seven years throughout my career because I need to check the logs for what is coming in, setting up the policy, and I have been experienced with the firewall on my current job as well. Any traffic that needs to be allowed or any application that needs to be allowed is configured through the firewall. The inbound and outbound traffic to the network is configured through the firewall.
Specifically, I have been working with Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) for four to five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For reliability, I note that Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) maintains ninety-nine point nine percent uptime and availability, providing us nearly a hundred percent uptime with constant traffic monitoring. Although it may occasionally experience downtime, it remains strong in both reliability and scalability.
Regarding improvements in reliability and stability, I do not see any need as everything performs well. No improvements are necessary in the areas of reliability and stability; they have been consistently good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Regarding scalability, Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) proves efficient; I find no issues scaling up as our growing company sees increased traffic. It is capable of managing the increased load and performs well as our needs expand.
How are customer service and support?
I have opened a troubleshooting ticket for Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security), and so far, I have had a positive experience; the support team usually responds within twenty-four hours, and they escalate cases, providing instant feedback for priority issues. In urgent situations, I can call and receive support promptly, receiving recommendations or guidance for the issues we encounter.
I would rate the technical support of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) as eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
On the POC, I looked at SonicWall and Palo Alto firewalls as competitors. We found Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) to be better because it has a robust threat prevention system, and onboarding is straightforward compared to SonicWall. We are a small security team, and we prefer not to rely on a security operation center that would help narrow down issues. It takes just a few clicks to bring the firewall up and running, allowing us to set up policies without requiring complicated knowledge or extensive training. In contrast, using Palo Alto and SonicWall requires specific training for policy creation.
I have worked with Palo Alto and SonicWall firewalls but we found that Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) offers a better pricing standpoint and security solution overall.
How was the initial setup?
I participated in the initial setup of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security). The initial setup of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security), from an integration standpoint, is straightforward. We began with vendor searches, narrowing down to three candidates, including SonicWall and Check Point.
After moving forward with Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security), we contacted them to set up a cloud VM installation, which is quite straightforward. Coordination with their representative involves scheduling calls for setting up policies and traffic management, and we test it in the QA environment before moving to production with all necessary policy modifications.
What about the implementation team?
I continue to collaborate with the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) team to ensure everything runs smoothly, and there is always room for improvement, especially as we reach out to them for support or new features.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have encountered a few subscription-based licensing models for the virtual gateway and security enablement. We have opted for a three-year contract with fixed pricing for the CloudGuard cost structure, which has enterprise-grade capabilities. Although the pricing is slightly high for smaller organizations, it offers enterprise-level security, indicating a need for improvement in the pricing model.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
In making the choice between the three products, we prioritize managing risk and the threat landscape, along with compliance and reporting capabilities. Pricing is the first consideration, followed by how well each solution meets our compliance needs, and finally, the reporting capabilities to match enterprise-level requirements.
What other advice do I have?
I have given Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) an overall review rating of ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Unified Management and Strong Threat Protection in a User-Friendly Experience
What do you like best about the product?
Enhanced unified management, strong security, and high-level threat protection help administrators manage the entire network more effectively. Overall, it feels more user-friendly.
What do you dislike about the product?
As a first-time user, I’ve found Checkpoint Security Guard can be difficult to manage at times. The console feels complex, mainly because there are so many features available within the management console.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Check Point network security feels like a strong safeguard against fragmentation because it offers a unified security management console. It has also helped me mitigate zero-day vulnerabilities, which makes day-to-day security management feel more consistent and controlled.
Well-Designed Posture Management and Upgraded IAM in Check Point Next Guard
What do you like best about the product?
Check Point Next Guard’s posture management settings are well designed and useful for effective administration. The identity and access management features have also been upgraded in the required way.
What do you dislike about the product?
Checkpoint Security Guard can be difficult to manage at times for a first-time user, since the console feels more complex due to the many features available in the management console.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Checkpoint network security feels more like a guard against fragmentation because it provides a unified security management console. It has also helped mitigate zero-day vulnerabilities.
Cloud security has protected our emails and backups and now simplifies hybrid protection
What is our primary use case?
We use Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) for most of the things in the cloud. We protect our things, especially Microsoft emails. We also have things that are actually put in the clouds like our institution's backups which are in the cloud.
How has it helped my organization?
We integrated Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) with the on-premises solutions, the normal ones, the URL filtering, such products, and the normal Check Point to other Check Point blades.
Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) streamlines our security.
Some of the risks that we used to worry about are now taken care of, and we no longer have to worry about those risks.
In the process of migrating from cloud to on-premises and from on-premises to cloud, there are threats because we are still online and there are so many threats. With Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security), we are guaranteed protection from end to end, from user to cloud and cloud to user.
What is most valuable?
First and foremost, I like the security of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security). The security is good, and the cloud security is very good, especially when nowadays you don't know what's happening in the cloud. The cloud has become a bit complex, and there are so many people offering cloud services.
When you use Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security), they guarantee you protection. That's why now you don't need to lose your sleep because your data is in somebody's cloud solution.
Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is very useful.
What needs improvement?
The pricing is a bit very high.
Especially when it comes to pricing, Palo Alto is cheaper. We have to compare pricing between the two solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
When they started with the cloud firewall, it has been about two to three years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The ability to expand showed good progress. I can give it a 10.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is wonderful and perfect.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is not very complex. It is a bit moderate.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation in conjunction with Check Point technicians.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is a good product. The only issue is that the costing is too high.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are in the process of doing a proof of concept of Palo Alto.
What other advice do I have?
I have worked with Check Point as a product for the last 15 to 16 years, not on cloud.
We buy through partners.
We are the end-user and not a partner.
I would rate this review an 8 overall.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Check Point CloudGuard provides resilient cloud security with easy administration
What do you like best about the product?
Cloud environments require even more resilient network security protection than on-prem datacenters. Check Point CloudGuard offers prevention from advanced threats and easiness in administration
What do you dislike about the product?
Additional cost is incurred when running third party firewall in the cloud, but Check Point CloudGuard offers reliable protection from the Internet based threats
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Check Point CloudGuard adds additional layer of protection to existing cloud security features, provides constant updates and wonderful single pane administrative interface
Centralized, Layered Defense with Strong Visibility and Logging
What do you like best about the product?
What I like most about Check Point security is its centralized policy management and how it brings firewall, IPS, anti-bot, anti-virus, and sandboxing together into a single, layered defense model. It also stands out for strong logging, identity awareness, and solid visibility, which is helpful for audits as well as incident response.
What do you dislike about the product?
Security is widely respected for its high catch rates and robust "single pane of glass" management, it is often a "love it or hate it" platform. So broadly no issue to be report as of now
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It performs well across multiple categories. It offers a stronger security posture, helps reduce risk, enables a faster response to threats, and supports smooth operations overall. I also find the interface user-friendly.
Effective Threat Prevention and Unified Cloud Security Management
What do you like best about the product?
It provides deep visibility and control, helping teams quickly detect, respond, and remediate threats across distributed environments.it stands out for combining scalability, automation, and high detection accuracy.
What do you dislike about the product?
The UI sometimes feel outdated or slow at times, with occasional lag while loading dashboards or navigating settings.Logs can be detailed but not always easy to analyze, making issue resolution time-consuming.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Security gaps during vulnerability remediation
Fixing vulnerabilities takes time, leaving systems exposed.
Solution & Benefit: CloudGuard can apply real-time protection and “virtual patching” while fixes are in progress, minimizing exposure windows.
Industry-Leading Threat Prevention with Seamless Unified Management
What do you like best about the product?
I like its industry-leading threat prevention best, blocking 100% of malware and exploits with zero false positives per recent CyberRatings tests. The unified management console also stands out, offering consistent policies and visibility across multi-cloud and on-premises setups for seamless operations
What do you dislike about the product?
The main drawbacks of Check Point CloudGuard Network Security are its steep learning curve and complex initial setup, often requiring deep familiarity with Check Point ecosystems or cloud architectures. Users also criticize the high pricing, dated user interface with occasional lags, and limited support for some features like IPv6, serverless, or certain VPN modes
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Main Problems Solved
Multi-Cloud Complexity: Provides single-pane visibility and consistent policies for AWS, Azure, GCP, and hybrid setups, easing migrations without policy rework.
Threat Prevention Gaps: Delivers real-time blocking of exploits/malware (100% efficacy in tests), plus IaC integration for DevSecOps.
Misconfigurations & Drift: Continuous posture analysis, auto-remediation, and context-aware alerts fix vulnerabilities from code to runtime.
Strong Hybrid Cloud Security, but Setup Is Complex and Pricey
What do you like best about the product?
It’s well known for offering consistent security rules across intricate hybrid and modern cloud options. It has defence mechanism against threats, malware & ransomeware
What do you dislike about the product?
Expensive prices and difficult initial setup and need high level tech knowledge to setup and it’s take long time into investigate, troubleshoot and finding root cause on issues found into setup
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Securing fragmented verticals, dynamic and modern cloud environments providing utility, preventive & detective functionalities, that eliminate security gaps and build shield to avoid attacks and helping zero-day attacks achievements
Clean UI, Seamless Multi-Cloud Security, and Strong AI-Driven Threat Prevention
What do you like best about the product?
What I like best about Check Point CloudGuard Network Security is how it brings together strong security with a well-rounded user experience across multiple areas. Its UI/UX is clean and intuitive, making it easier to manage complex policies without a steep learning curve, while its integrations with major cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP ensure seamless deployment in multi-cloud environments. Performance is reliable and scalable, adapting to changing workloads without creating bottlenecks. From a pricing and ROI perspective, it delivers solid value by consolidating multiple security functions into a single platform, reducing overall operational costs. The support and onboarding experience is also strong, with helpful documentation and guidance that make implementation smoother. Finally, its AI-driven intelligence and threat prevention capabilities stand out, leveraging advanced analytics and real-time threat intelligence to proactively identify and stop sophisticated attacks.
What do you dislike about the product?
What I dislike about Check Point CloudGuard Network Security is that, while powerful, it can feel complex in certain areas. The UI/UX, although functional, can sometimes be overwhelming for new users due to the number of features and configuration options. Integrations are strong overall, but initial setup in multi-cloud environments can be time-consuming and may require specialized knowledge. In terms of performance, there can be occasional latency or overhead depending on how it’s configured, especially in high-throughput environments. From a pricing and ROI perspective, it can be on the expensive side compared to some competitors, particularly for smaller organizations. Support and onboarding are generally good, but response times and the depth of assistance can vary depending on the support tier. Lastly, while its AI and intelligence capabilities are robust, they can sometimes generate false positives, requiring additional tuning to avoid unnecessary alerts.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Before using Check Point CloudGuard Network Security, we struggled with managing security consistently across multiple cloud environments, which led to fragmented policies, limited visibility, and increased risk of misconfigurations. It was difficult to keep up with evolving threats while also ensuring performance and compliance, and a lot of time was spent manually monitoring and adjusting security rules.
After implementing CloudGuard, we were able to centralize security management across all our cloud platforms, automate policy enforcement, and gain much deeper visibility into network traffic and potential threats. We struggled with inconsistent security and slow response times, but now we can detect and respond to threats in real time, which has significantly improved our overall security posture and reduced risk exposure.
As a result, we’ve seen clear benefits: security management time has been reduced by around 30–40%, incident response times have improved by up to 50%, and the consolidation of tools has helped lower overall operational costs. Additionally, automated scaling and smarter threat prevention have reduced downtime and minimized the impact of potential attacks, allowing the team to focus more on strategic work rather than constant firefighting.
