Check Point Application Control Reviews

The primary use case of Check Point Application Control is to enhance network security by providing granular control over applications and web traffic. It prevents unauthorized access by allowing or blocking applications based on predefined policies, ensuring that only authorized applications are used within the network. 

Additionally, it improves productivity by restricting access to non-business-related applications and websites, helps maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies by monitoring and controlling application usage, and mitigates risks by detecting and preventing the use of high-risk applications, thereby reducing the likelihood of malware and data breaches. 

This comprehensive control over application usage makes us more secure and efficient. 

The solution allows us to enforce policies that ensure only authorized applications are used, reducing the attack surface for potential threats such as malware. Restricting access to non-business-related applications and websites helps boost employee productivity and focus. 

Moreover, the solution aids in maintaining regulatory compliance by monitoring and controlling application usage, ensuring sensitive data is protected according to our standards. 

Overall, Check Point Application Control contributes to a more secure IT environment, enhances operational efficiency, and supports compliance efforts, ultimately safeguarding our organization's assets and reputation.

The application control capabilities allow for precise management of which applications can access the network, helping to prevent unauthorized or risky applications from compromising security. This feature enhances network protection and supports regulatory compliance efforts by ensuring that only approved applications are used. 

Additionally, the solution's ability to categorize and prioritize applications based on their risk levels enables us to allocate resources more effectively, focusing on mitigating the most significant threats first. 

Furthermore, the real-time monitoring and reporting functionalities provide visibility into application usage patterns and potential security incidents, enabling proactive responses to emerging threats.

Firstly, enhancing the user interface and overall user experience could simplify configuration and management tasks, making it more intuitive for administrators to navigate and utilize the solution effectively. 

Additionally, improving the scalability and performance to handle larger networks and increasing traffic volumes would ensure consistent reliability under heavy usage conditions.

Looking forward, additional features that could enhance Check Point Application Control in future releases might include more advanced machine learning and AI capabilities for threat detection and anomaly detection within application traffic. 

Integration with cloud services and applications, as well as enhanced reporting and analytics functionalities, could provide deeper insights into application usage patterns and security posture.

I've used the solution for three years.

Its ability to effectively enforce application policies without causing disruptions to network operations. 

It maintains stability even during periods of high network traffic or when handling a wide variety of applications. 

The scalability of Check Point Application Control can be influenced by factors such as hardware resources, network complexity, and the number of concurrent users and applications. 

Organizations with very large networks or high traffic volumes may need to ensure adequate hardware resources and optimization of configurations to maintain optimal performance and scalability.

Technical support was not as expected.

Neutral

We did not previously use a different solution. 

The initial setup was complex.

We implemented the solution via the vendor.

By effectively managing and controlling application usage, we are reducing the risk of security breaches and data loss. This can lead to potential savings associated with avoiding financial penalties, reputational damage, and remediation costs related to security incidents. 

The setup cost is reasonable. That said, pricing should be reduced further. 

We did evaluate Fortigate.

This solution is meeting all our expectations; support and subscriptions should be taken into account. 

We use Check Point Application Control to control VPN and bandwidth. 

The tool's most valuable features are VPN access, website defense, and maintenance. 

Check Point Application Control needs to ensure that they release up-to-date security patches regularly. It should release better documentation so end-users can use the product without depending on the support team. 

I have been working with the product for three years. 

Check Point Application Control's stability is good. 

The tool is scalable. My company has 1000 users. 

The tool's support is good. 

Positive

You need guidance to do the product's deployment. It cannot be done directly. You need two people to handle the deployment. 

Check Point Application Control is expensive. The tool's licensing costs are yearly. 

I rate the product an eight out of ten. 

I am using Check Point Application Control for controlling streaming, social media, and video sites.  Additionally, we control VPNs and peer-to-peer sites. We use it to control sites that use a lot of bandwidth.

Check Point Application Control has resulted in fewer outside attacks, increased bandwidth for communication to the outside, more control for the CPA and users, and improved remote access management. We have numerous external collaborators working with our organization, and we have strict protocols for them to follow, which Check Point Application Control has helped us enforce. The VPN feature is also very helpful for remote users. Overall, Check Point has provided our organization with increased security, better performance, improved network response, and fewer issues.

The most valuable feature of Check Point Application Control is VPN access and the ability to lock out sites we do not want users to have access. The reporting monitoring software in Check Point Application Control is fantastic. For example, log filtering is beneficial.

There are many aspects we do not like about the solution and there are a lot of alternatives available on the market. Some of the settings are buried deep within the solution making it a challenge to navigate. It would be helpful if it was more intuitive. Additionally, there can be some settings that are in multiple places, this leaves the user not knowing what settings are needed to be modified for the wanted result. I have lost confidence because I do not know if I change a setting or if it is going to have the desired result I intended it to do.

I have used other solutions, such as Palo Alto and I did not experience these types of problems.

When we apply a change in Check Point Application Control there can be some time for the changes to take effect. The time is too long, and we have experienced approximately five minutes on occasion for modifying some rules or filtering.

When there are outside-of-the-network threats, such as DoS attacks, Check Point Application Control should have more integrated ways to deal with the attacks. We should not have to purchase add-ons or secondary solutions or patches.

There is some functionality that is not working anymore as it once did, such as HTTP filtering. The complexity of application usage is increasing day by day, and it seems that at some point, we will need to initiate specific projects to tackle the issue of application filtering. Check Point Application Control has been instrumental in addressing this challenge, but with the continued growth in complexity, more advanced features would be necessary to make the solution even more effective.

I have used Check Point Application Control within the last 12 months.

Perhaps due to inadequate planning during the initial installation, we encountered numerous issues that persisted over the years. For instance, we faced challenges with VPN connectivity in certain locations, and at times, multiple CPU calls occurred while SharePoint failed to utilize all available machine resources. These problems led to daily performance issues and crashes, causing considerable headaches.

It seems that the lack of careful planning during the installation phase was the root cause of these problems. With better planning and attention to detail, we could have avoided these issues altogether.

I rate the stability of Check Point Application Control a seven out of ten.

We have approximately 2,000 simultaneous VPN access. We have a total of approximately 4,000 users using the solution.

I rate the scalability of Check Point Application Control an eight out of ten.

The support we received was very good.

I rate the technical support from Check Point Application Control a nine out of ten.

Positive

I have used other solutions.

The first deployment of Check Point Application Control posed significant complexity challenges in our large-scale operation. With numerous employees and diverse needs, attempting a self-setup proved to be a daunting task. However, despite the initial ease of implementation, performance degradation gradually surfaced over time, whether after several weeks, months, or even a year or two.

The root cause of the problem lay in inadequate planning and suboptimal configuration at the outset. Our policies failed to work correctly, and we encountered multiple issues that necessitated reaching out to the vendor for assistance. While the system provided many customization options to cater to our specific requirements, uncovering the hidden settings proved to be a stumbling block. Ultimately, we struggled to identify the optimal configuration that would best serve our organization. The default settings are easy to find but the advanced settings are not easy to find and use.

I rate the initial setup Check Point Application Control an eight out of ten.

We use consultants and integrators to install Check Point Application Control. Additionally, we had an external course to improve our knowledge. The solution is complex and we were not able to do the implementation with the knowledge we had. We are discovering more options as we continue using the solution.

The price of Check Point Application Control is high. The support and ecosystem around the solution are expensive.

I rate the price of Check Point Application Control a seven out of ten.

I would advise others before choosing any solution to look at many of the solutions on the market and compare them. It would be helpful to do a proof of concept and test the solutions before purchasing. What the Gartner Magic Quadrant research site advertises sometimes does not translate into the actual performance of the solution. It is important to test the solutions.

Check Point Application Control is a sophisticated powerful solution that makes it difficult to customize. The price and the complexity of the solution might not be the best choice. Planning is a very important aspect of having the smooth operation of the solution if one chooses to use it.

I rate Check Point Application Control an eight out of ten.

The solution's primary use cases include application visibility and control, enforcement of security policies, risk mitigation, and bandwidth management. 

It has enhanced security posture, increased visibility and control, policy enforcement, and improved compliance, etc.                     

The best features of this application include visibility, granular policy enforcement, application risk assessment, and compliance reporting. 

These features collectively contribute to enhancing network security, improving operational efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance, and mitigating risks associated with unauthorized or malicious application usage within an organization using Check Point Application Control.

The following aspects need to be improved:

• Application detection and classification
• The user interface 
• Usability
• Threat detection and prevention
• Reporting and analytics

I have been Check Point Application Control for the past two years.

The stability is good.

The scalability is good.

Technical support is good.

Positive

No, I didn't previously use any other solution. 

The initial setup is clean.

We had a vendor, and they were good.

The ROI is nice.

The pricing should be reduced, and the licensing needs to be improved.

We did evaluate Forcepoint Application Control.

We needed a solution that would allow us to protect the applications that we were constantly developing. Those applications needed to be classified by categories, including integrity, risk level, and productivity issues, as well as identity per user. We needed all these characteristics to safeguard a library, repository, or platform that could allow us to manage it in a secure, fast, and scalable way. We tried more than one solution that would allow us the required granularity in the teams and management so that we could implement it according to the regulations that we had internally.

At the time of implementation, we had a great feeling of satisfaction with the solution as it allowed us to have granularity across types of applications - by the network, identity, social networks, the function of the application, et cetera. We were able to do more than what we really needed, and this gave us that feeling that we now had the internal compliance that we did not have before. The libraries are much larger and grouped by application in categories to protect us from attacks or threats.

The most outstanding feature is the Check Point APK wiki, which is a product that is incorporated into the solution that allows us to naturally and dynamically apply internal applications to the application database. It is continuously updated, which allows us to have constant detection capabilities and more than 8000 different applications at different sites. It allows us to be more dynamic and have greater control. Additionally, it has blocking via content filtering or HTTPS inspection, which we can combine with identity. That gives us a more centralized correlation and management for more granular policies and more expeditious control over each activity from the users.

The blocking characteristics for filtering content currently are not so customizable. I would like to be able to modify them a bit. I hope that customization will be incorporated in the future. Right now, we must educate the users who are constantly violating or in fear of violating an issue. We would like to be able to incorporate filtering with notifications in a learning portal so users can be educated and will no longer have a lack of experience. A portal will help make better, more educated, and knowledgeable users. 

I've used the solution for two years.

Check Point Application Control is a one-stop shop for providing the strongest security to an organization's business verticals in the most efficient and effective manner. 

It eases the business working as it enables smooth flow of information and helps businesses to create micro-managed accurate, granular policies, and helps in strengthening the organization's security by blocking and restricting the unknown and unsecured phishing widgets and applications across multiple integrations. 

It limits the usage and utilization of any unknown malware attempts from any application

Check Point Application Control improved the productivity of our workforce by reducing the coordination time and efforts involved in strengthening the system's security through a traditional manual way or path. 

It improved the performance outcome for all our verticals due to more automation in system security, which helped in the identification and blockage of malware-affected applications and widgets.

It helps in categorizing the basis of the application, its types, security level, the usability of resources, and its implications on productivity as a whole.

The solution is great at blocking and stopping unidentified and malware-affected applications.

The next-gen firewall system is inbuilt and is highly efficient in restricting terminated and unsecure applications.

It ensures smooth and secure API integrations with other system firewalls and applications due to advanced next-gen identification of malware-affected applications. 

Unauthorized and unsecured applications would not pose any risk to the organization's effectiveness if carried out efficiently by application control security.

In my view, more efforts are required with the business development and customer service team to create more and more awareness across businesses of all sizes on the benefits of deploying the Check Point application control security across all business verticals and improving the performance outcomes for the organization.

More and more product specifications should be infused with new incumbent features in the market to stay relevant and concurrent with the organization's needs.

They need more and more secure integration features should be included with less cost so that the adoption rate can be increased multifold amongst new business users.

I've been using the solution for over six months now.

The product is stable and highly recommended.

The solution is highly scalable and replicable across multiple platforms and systems.

We get great support and services from business and corporate customer service teams.

Positive

An in-house solution was utilized for application security previously.

The product is easy to comprehend and deploy.

We implemented the product through the vendor only.

We've seen an ROI of over 80%.

To every business out there, I strongly recommend trying Check Point Application Security and analyzing the utilities independently. It's one of the best security application software with advanced features to strengthen security with integrated applications and other platforms.

We evaluated McAfee and Trend security applications before making a final selection.

I'd advise users to go for its mandatory trial and explore the gamut of facilities on their own.

Our primary use case of Check Point Application Control is to filter which application categories we want to allow our organization members to have access to so that they are secured. 

For example, we don't allow access to malicious applications and some categories that could be threats. We only allow organization members to access secure applications and applications that are aligned with the company's strategy. 

The user interface is easy and dynamic. You can drag objects around the screen to facilitate their use. Besides, it is quite easy to understand and apply changes.

It also enables us to save internet bandwidth by filtering applications that are not work-related and helps us to easily create granular policies based on users to identify the usage of applications.

We can easily switch from a classical firewall to a next-gen firewall using application security. 

We implemented application control at MDM global security policies, which helps us set general security standards for all managed devices. 

Identity awareness module integration is to be used for user/group-based controls.

Application control and having features like completeness and validity, identification, authentication, and granularity with unified layers is awesome. The most important aspect is that it allows users to define policies based on source IP and user role, quickly identifying traffic flow with SAML.

You can allow or block traffic coming or going out to the internet for specific applications or websites.

It offers user notifications for blocked access, time-defined policies, and bulk categorization of malicious applications.

Sometimes, documentation is not accurate and with the support issue we have to wait a long time for an engineer to understand the errors. I would like to see if they can help with the issue of service and more qualified staff. They need to have good service with Check Point products.

The load balancer functionality for application traffic might be a better option.

Configuration and deployment are a little bit difficult. 

This product works only when the user is in traffic flow through NGFW. 

Sometimes there are more than one category tag to an application which can be tricky.

We have been using the product for more than 12.5 years.

We are satisfied with the stability.

We are satisfied with the scalability.

The product provides the largest database about application control and we can create granular policies to identify the usage. Overall it's been a very good experience, working with this product.

Positive

We didn't use any solutions previously. Check Point Application Control is easy and user-friendly. We're able to control and manage all applications with it.

The initial setup is straightforward.

The help we had was excellent.

The pricing has to be more economical.

It helps us to discover applications that run across the organization network and admin accounts that are generated within the ecosystem. 

Monitoring the performance of applications has been easy since we deployed this platform. 

Check Point Application Control gives the IT team permission to deploy and assign tasks to various apps. 

It gives us the authority to eliminate unnecessary admin accounts and blacklist applications that are not required anymore. It protects apps from malware attacks with powerful security tools.

Setting up new applications and testing the suitability of deployed tools has been efficient since we deployed this platform. 

It blocks ransomware attacks that can affect performance-enhancing secure work environments with zero-day attacks. 

We are able to manage workstations and servers across remote offices with a unified control system. Setting up a default system for allowing applications that are useful and blocking untrusted platforms has saved time and cost. 

This product has enabled my web development team to set reliable control policies for managing applications.

Policy management features have enabled the organization to set up achievable goals and programs that can be implemented successfully. 

The security systems prevent external attacks from affecting workflows and compromising data. 

Customization has enabled us to create policies that can easily meet our requirements with flexible features. 

The overall cost of deployment and maintenance has been efficient and affordable. Application blacklisting helps us to filter our tedious apps that can negatively affect operations. 

The current features have great performance capabilities and have highly boosted production in the organization. I recommend network upgrades in the next release to meet most company demands and daily changes. 

The performance has been stable, and we really appreciate the great results. The security tools and policy enhancement tools perform effectively. The overall productivity of the current features is excellent, and I recommend the use of this product to other companies. 

We have longed for a reliable Application Control platform for a long time, and finally, we have received the best solution.

I've used the solution for two years.

This tool is highly stable.

I am impressed by the product's great performance.

The customer support staff responds effectively.

Positive

I have not worked with any other similar solution before.

The setup was straightforward.

Implementation took place through the vendor.

ROI has grown from 40% to 65% from the previous year.

The cost and licensing terms have been reliable.

I settled on this product due to its stable performance after evaluating several products.

I highly recommend the use of this product to other organizations for reliable application control services.