Check Point Security Management Reviews

My main use case for Check Point Security Management is to troubleshoot or add policy, depending on the situation. It could be both, but mainly troubleshooting. We go and take care of the customer's management and resolve issues, create new configurations, and such.

I find very useful the central view offered by Check Point Security Management, as you're able to have all your gateways and policy and different policy packages. The maintenance and addition of new policy is fairly easy. The GUI is also very simple and user-friendly.

The logging feature in Check Point Security Management is effective because the view is one single view and you can have multiple log servers to retrieve the logs from.

The needed improvements in Check Point Security Management depend very much on the customer's infrastructure. For example, an appliance has an easier time than someone with VMs. With VMs, there can be multiple issues related to performance.

I have been working in my current field for around two years.

Since I mainly work on other customers, Check Point Security Management does not much affect my scenario positively, so I cannot provide specific information about deployment issues.

Check Point Security Management has experienced some reliability issues, but it depends on VM, appliance, and any other implementation.

The scalability of Check Point Security Management for a VM depends because you can only enlarge the disk size once and then you probably have to remake it. Also, when you upgrade multiple times, you leave many files that are useless. They are dated, so it's always better to create a new machine every few versions, for example, three or four major versions.

I reach out for help multiple times with Check Point Security Management because many issues are related to the hotfix and known issues or new issues, which we have to work with R&D. The customer support quality varies significantly depending on who you get, what you get, and what the issue is.

I would rate the customer support of Check Point Security Management around a six because recently there's been a decrease in quality.

I am not sure if I previously used a different solution before Check Point Security Management.

I am not aware of the specifics regarding pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Check Point Security Management, but as far as I know, licensing is quite expensive.

My company is not a customer for Check Point Security Management specifically, but we are a partner.

I am not sure if I have seen a return on investment with Check Point Security Management.

I am not aware of the specifics regarding pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Check Point Security Management, but as far as I know, licensing is quite expensive.

I evaluated other options before choosing Check Point Security Management, specifically the Panorama equivalent from Palo Alto Networks.

The challenging part I have experienced with Check Point Security Management has been related to the central licensing. We had some issues where the license got duplicated and it's been a year going around and trying to clean it, but it also made me able to learn multiple things, which included CME and the VSec licensing.

If you have VSec licensing and you add a license that's central, you're going to be able to see it inside the CPMELG file as a VSec common.

I would advise others looking into using Check Point Security Management to put their hands on it. It's easier to learn that way. It's really something you can study, but you're going to be able to know it better when you work on the management itself. At first, people are going to make policy, which is fine. It's the beginning of the CCSA certification. That's the first step.

I was offered a gift card or incentive for this review.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Check Point Security Management a 7.

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 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.

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.

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.

I have been using Check Point Security Management as a partner for ten years.

The product is stable. I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.

600 users are using this solution.

I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.

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.

Positive

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.

The product is a bit expensive. It has yearly licensing, costing around 48 bucks.

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.

The Security Management server provides centralized management to manage all the security gateways.

Many organizations will have more than one firewall. This may be in the same location or in a different location. Users can manage all the firewalls from a single location.                                    

It provides centralized logging for all incoming and outgoing traffic.

The solution centralizes licensing and auto-licensing with smart updating. 

In organizations where there are many firewalls, one firewall license may expire. We can easily update licenses from the smart console from the same location or from different locations.                                               

It also provides centralized logging that helps during troubleshooting - which provides detailed logging of access rules, NAT rules, application filters, VPNs, etc.                                                                                                              

The centralized logs and management are helpful. All of the logs are stored in an external server or within the Management Server. All of the logs are very easy to understand and provide detailed information about the instance. 

Through the Management Server we can easily enable all the features and easily disable them as well. 

Check Point offers PS services in India. As per personal experience and based on many organizations, Check Point needs to improve PS services. 

For the past one and a half years, I have been using a Check Point Firewall and Check Point Management Server.

The stability is the best.

I am satisfied with the scalability.

So far, there is no point reach out to technical support.

Positive

No, we have not selected any other solution.

As a Check Point implementation engineer, I found the setup process easy. 

The vendor expertise is very good.

The licensing price is a bit expensive. However, it provides very good security at the perimeter level.

No, we have not evaluated other options.

They just need to improve PS service in India.

We utilize Check Point Security Management for our daily security operations, including managing firewall rules, reviewing alerts, and generating reports on a weekly basis.

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.

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.

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.

I have been using Check Point Security Management for the past 1.5 years.

I would rate the stability 9 out of 10. 

I would rate the scalability 8 out of 10. 

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.

We rely on tech support to enhance our capabilities.

We have a small, focused team of four engineers.

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.

The pricing can be estimated around 3 or 4 out of 10 in terms of expense.

I have evaluated another product before Check Point but found the local account manager to be more aggressive.

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.

Our use cases are protection infrastructure in a financial corporate environment.

Check Point firewalls meet all the PCI guidelines that regulate players in the financial market.

The support is pretty incredible.

There is room for improvement in reliability. 

I have been using this solution for ten years. I worked from version 840 to 8120.

I would rate the stability a six out of ten.

It is very scalable. I would rate the scalability for this solution a ten out of ten.

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.

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.

The pricing is about par for the enterprise-class firewalls.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

I've used the solution for more than ten years.

The solution is very stable compared to peers.

The solution is highly scalable.

Technical support is satisfactory, however, it takes some time to escalate your ticket.

Positive

We did use Sophos and Cisco ASA, however, they were either complicated products to manage or lacked features.

The initial setup wasn't difficult after you attended free platform support sessions by Check Point.

We handled the initial setup in-house.

We evaluated Sophos, Cisco ASA, SonicWall, and FortiGate.

We use the product as a perimeter and core firewall for multiple clients at different locations.

We have physical Smart-1 appliances and virtual appliances in our environment. We merged all of the old managers into these managers and managed to centralize the management of firewalls and see the logs altogether.

We are using management API for large configs, and clear rules, blocking malicious IP addresses with SAM rules, and migrating the VLANs with it.

We have deployed Check Point high-end firewall UTMs to medium business-grade devices with different models. We also have a cloud-based Check Point firewall for one of our clients. It's easy to manage either centrally or as separate devices. We use 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.

Check Point's 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 and fix threats.

Centralized management is great. With this, we manage all of Check Point products from one central management, we can apply rules, and NATS and manage app and URL Policies, threat prevention, and IPS protection rules.

Secondly, centralized log and report management is important. We can distribute logs to our log appliances with centralized management and view logs without logging additional devices.

HA Structure provides good coverage and works fine. With the HA structure, we can manage two data centers as one, and this is helping much.

We can keep old revisions, and with that, we can check or revert to one when needed.

The most valuable aspects of the solution include:

• IPSec VPN Tunneling, 
• DDoS Protection, 
• HÀ and Clustering, 
• Firewall Rules, 
• Proxy support, 
• Revision history
• Detailed audit log, 
• Smart Event
• Filter syntax.

These features are easy to configure and offer multiple options to set them up with cloud services and other vendor firewall products.

We can always feel secure if some things go wrong, I'm sure that we can restore to the old one.

We can apply centralized proxy settings to get additional databases when we need them.

We can get a graphical view of the traffic and provide history when we need it.

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.

However, license update and upgrade processes can be made a little easier.

Also, I'd like to see more integration possibilities between Check Point and other vendor security solutions.

The Check Point SandBlast platform could also be merged with the Check Point GAIA platform for a central management console and easier controls.

I have been using Check Point for more than 10 years for different clients.

The solution is highly scalable.

Check Point's knowledge base is very vast and provides lots of information if we need some help. The community is very helpful as well.

Positive

We have multiple clients and use different technologies, so we work on other vendor products also.

We have a professional service team that we work together for setup-related work to Check Point appliances.

We handle the initial setup in-house.

We have multiple clients and use different technologies, so we work on other vendor products also like Cisco ASA, FTD, Palo Alto, FortiGate etc.

Overall I am fully satisfied with Check Point

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.

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.

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. 

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.

I've used the solution for two years.

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

The overall impression of the scalability is good and impressive.

Technical support has been pretty good.

Positive

I have been involved with a lot of other partners in parallel, depending on the requirements of the customers.

I am not directly involved in the setup and deployment of the product.

The implementation was handled by an in-house team.

I've witnessed an ROI of 25% to 30%.

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.

The choice to evaluate would not be my personal decision but the requirement raised by the customers.