Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Check Point Software Technologies and Proofpoint are both solutions in the Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.4, while Proofpoint is ranked #16 with an average rating of 9.0. Additionally, 96% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Proofpoint users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 13, 2026

Check Point Cloud Firewall and Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management compete in the cybersecurity field. Proofpoint has the upper hand due to its comprehensive data protection features, despite higher pricing, while Check Point is strong in support and network security.

Features: Check Point Cloud Firewall offers advanced threat prevention, automated protection in cloud settings, and seamless integration with various cloud platforms. It is effective in protecting large network infrastructures. Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management centers on data protection, with capabilities for sensitive data discovery, risk assessment, and managing posture across complex environments, suiting organizations focused on data security.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point Cloud Firewall is known for easy cloud deployment and responsive support, providing robust setup guidance across different environments. Proofpoint offers a more tailored deployment approach, potentially requiring more time initially due to its comprehensive nature, with prompt service aimed at specific user scenarios in data protection.

Pricing and ROI: Check Point Cloud Firewall is cost-effective, offering competitive ROI due to its security effectiveness and quality support. Proofpoint's initial setup cost can be higher but is often viewed as worth the investment because of its extensive data protection and management capabilities, providing significant long-term ROI for businesses focused on complex data security needs.

To learn more, read our detailed Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) Report (Updated: October 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)

October 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Qualys TotalCloud

Featured Reviews

reviewer2859021

Sr Security Engineer at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Risk-based triage has transformed container security and now prioritizes high-impact threats

The best features Qualys TotalCloud offers currently include managing cloud infrastructure and container security while facing major challenges such as alert fatigue. Traditional vulnerability scanners flag hundreds of CVEs on short-lived Kubernetes containers, some of which have no internet exposure or are gone before we can even triage them. I leverage Qualys TotalCloud to move beyond static CVSS. I use it to implement runtime exposure, correlation risk reprioritization, and shift-left integration. This notifies developers to fix a base image upstream rather than patching live ephemeral instances. In my work with cloud and container security, the biggest operational hurdle was alert fatigue. I use Qualys to shift left from static CVSS severity to context-aware risk prioritization. I correlated raw vulnerability data with real-time risk factors such as public network exposure, active runtime execution, or overly permissive IAM roles. This allows us to immediately drop the priority of isolated containers and escalate lower-severity CVEs that sit on an exposed, high-risk path. We can map these findings directly back to our CI/CD pipelines so developers can patch the root base images upstream. We have drastically cut down the signal-to-noise ratio, saved a lot of manual hours doing triage work, and ensured engineering effort goes directly towards high-impact risk reduction.

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Oscar Nunez

Ingeniero en redes y Telecomunicaciones at K-IT

Centralized management has reduced policy time and provides reliable multitenant protection

What I would like, what I think they should improve a little is the management of objects at large scale. When you work with multiple domains, there are thousands of network objects. Detecting duplicates and consistency across domains is a very manual process that should be more automated. Another thing: the SmartConsole interface is very powerful and very good, but the learning curve, compared to other solutions in the market from other manufacturers, could be modernized. I think it does not necessarily have to be done from a client application; it could be done via web, because via web I know that not all the options you have in SmartConsole are available. So it would be good if it could also be done from the web and all the options were available. Another thing that I would really like is more automation with Ansible or Terraform. I know it has improved in recent versions, but I think it is still not mature enough. Compared to other manufacturers that do have a bit more in terms of automation capabilities in integration flows with Ansible or Terraform, Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) could improve. Another thing that could be improved a little would be the TAC response time, because when there are very complex cases, I think there should be more speed initially, more ownership of those urgent cases, and not leave the customer waiting. This has happened to me: when I have cases open with Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) TAC, sometimes they do not respond and I have to keep insisting, and I think that part should improve. I do not know if it depends on who takes the ticket or on the severity of the ticket, but sometimes I have had to insist a lot, and that would be the only problem. Once they attend to me and become involved in the case, the responses they give are very professional and really help directly resolve the problems when there is a bug or troubleshooting to do. As I said, I would like to see a specific improvement in SmartConsole. I think if they improved it—how to say it—gave it a facelift so you could access all the options directly from a browser, that would be great, because sometimes, for one reason or another, you cannot download SmartConsole or, for some reason, the SmartConsole client does not start correctly, and you could do it directly from the browser. I think that would be a good option to improve. Another thing would be that in multidomain environments, I would like a global search function for objects and rules. That is, you could enter and search across all domains at once, because right now you have to go domain by domain, and in environments with many customers, you spend quite a bit of time; you have to exit one domain and enter another. So those would be the improvements I would like to see.

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Edwin Osiago

Senior Solutions Architect at Cyber Knight Technologies FZ LLC

AI classification has transformed data visibility and now simplifies policy‑driven protection

In my opinion, what should be improved about Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management is that it is quite advanced. I think they should ease it up a bit. When it comes to setting of policies, I wish there were a single policy that deals with multiple channels of exfiltration instead of having to do multiple policies to deal with maybe data exfiltration through web upload, data exfiltration through USB, data exfiltration through print, copy and paste, and so forth. It would have been much easier if I had one policy, and then I could turn on the light for all of these different exfiltration channels. A critical example is saying I want to put up a PII policy that will secure social security numbers. That is the condition, social security number. Then in the same policy, I should be able to state that I want this to block exfiltration through USB. However, I want it to allow uploads through web or uploads to a particular website or URL. I want it to allow that kind of granularity where you can flick around things on the same policy. Currently, with Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management, you have to build multiple policies for different channels. Most importantly, the Boolean logic in their policies is incomplete. It just has the AND function. Boolean should carry AND and OR. I am saying if this data contains PII data OR PCI data—either of them—it flags either PCI or PII. But what it has now is AND. For it to fire or trigger, both must be triggered. So if somebody puts only one, maybe PII, and does not put PCI, then it does not trigger. It should have an OR, so that I can have multiple policies and then differentiate them so that if this OR this OR this, either of these triggers. I have flagged that and raised that as a concern to the product team. I expect additional features from them in the next release, specifically the OR feature for the conditions. However, I am happy with the agent, the lightweight agent, the amount of activities it captures. Beyond just the DLP, it looks at the sites and URLs you are going to, it looks at the file renaming, it looks at the attempt to uninstall, and it looks really deep even though it is user mode. I am happy with that. The Boolean logic is what I think is incomplete at the moment.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I found the initial setup user-friendly."

"Qualys TotalCloud is overall the best tool available in the market for scanning purposes."

"TotalCloud has been excellent in providing us with immediate access to all the products and features we need, such as CSPM, TruRisk Insights, and compliance reports, including CIS and HIPAA."

"Qualys TotalCloud's most valuable features are its security capabilities that help identify and mitigate risk factors."

"Qualys TotalCloud's most valuable feature is its ability to link clusters of assets, providing a clear model of deployments, vulnerabilities, and statuses."

"We were able to realize its benefits within 24 to 48 hours."

"Qualys TotalCloud has positively impacted our organization by helping us save time and manage all assets and remediation, allowing us to achieve quarterly and half-yearly goals."

"The biggest strengths of Qualys TotalCloud are that it is pretty good at cloud visibility, has easy integration, and also has multi-cloud compatibility."

More Qualys TotalCloud pros

"Check Point CloudGuard CNAPP delivers strong visibility, clear risk prioritization, and real value in daily cloud security work."

"One of the main characteristics that Check Point CloudGuard Network Security has given us is granularity and visibility."

"Advanced check prevention is a great feature that provides threat intelligence at speed."

"I found the access control policy through SmartConsole, which was formerly SmartDashboard, to be very valuable. It deeply explores source, destination, and port protocols. Competitors struggle to match this simplicity and effectiveness."

"It gives us all-encompassing security and overview. Previously, we did not have any kind of overview of what was happening with the network."

"The solution could improve to have a DLP feature."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is that you can start off with a simple firewall and expand it to UTM."

"The scalability is very good; again, very user-friendly. I wouldn't even say "user-friendly" because, as long as you deploy it properly, you can kill an EC2 and it will spin up another one right away, within about a minute and a half. And it will be ready for production right away."

More Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) pros

"It has helped my data security strategy very well because one thing is to set static DLP rules, however, how do you start setting rules when you have little or zero visibility as to where your critical or sensitive data resides?"

Cons

"With the growing integration of AI, I would like Qualys to enhance its service offerings to better accommodate AI-related risks."

"To improve the user experience, reporting could be simplified for better comprehension by end users and project managers, facilitating issue resolution."

"Qualys TotalCloud needs to enhance its scanning capabilities in the IP domain, as it currently lacks the functionality to resolve IPs to their corresponding domain names."

"It is already perfect, but they can bring some newer dashboards and customization options for the dashboard. It would be great to be able to include on-prem assets on the dashboard."

"The patching process with Qualys Patch Management, which is part of TotalCloud, does not cover installing certain prerequisites on the servers or workstations. This shortcoming means we must rely on SCCM when any service stack updates or additional prerequisites are needed."

"Qualys TotalCloud can be improved in the integration piece, especially with ServiceNow, where there's a bidirectional sync integrated, as there is no native capability from Qualys that can give monitoring metrics of how many assets came in and how many failed or were not properly reconciled or combined."

"Customer support with Qualys TotalCloud needs a little improvement with the response times."

"There is room for improvement in vulnerability scanning, particularly for PaaS environments. Currently, Qualys does not have full access to these instances, which limits its effectiveness."

More Qualys TotalCloud cons

"The support for Dome9 is not thrilling. It was degraded when Check Point took over."

"Every now and then, we feel that their team's training and orientation process on orienting the clients and partners is low and needs to be strengthened so that every single individual is completely aware and informed of the features and their utilities."

"The cost is relatively high compared to the cost of other products in the market."

"Support is one area where efforts should be required from Check Point."

"Check Point CloudGuard Network Security could be improved by enhancing its user interface, simplifying policy management, and expanding third-party integrations."

"The main issue that we found with Dome9 is that we have a default rule set with better recommendations that we want to use. So, you do a clone of that rule set, then you do some tweaks and customizations, but there is a problem. When they activate the default rule set with the recommendations and new security measures, it doesn't apply the new security measures to your clones profile. Therefore, you need to clone the profile again. We are already writing a report to Check Point."

"The solution’s technical support, DNS security and training could be improved."

"There is definitely some improvement required. We currently use a deployment template provided by AWS each time."

More Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) cons

"In my opinion, what should be improved about Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management is that it is quite advanced."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"As a middle management member, I do not have direct pricing knowledge, but based on the knowledge from our meetings, its pricing is competitive."

"TotalCloud's price is about right where I would expect it to be."

"The cost is high, but it meets our organizational needs."

"Its price seems higher compared to other tools, but it is worth it. If they could adjust the pricing and make it comparable with other tools, that would be great."

"Qualys TotalCloud is expensive."

"Qualys TotalCloud offers cost-effective licensing flexibility."

"Although Qualys TotalCloud is relatively expensive due to its unique automation features, its cost-effectiveness is rated an eight out of ten, with ten being the most costly."

"Qualys TotalCloud is cost-efficient and was selected for its value compared to other products."

More Qualys TotalCloud pricing and cost advice

"There is flexibility in the different licensing models that are offered."

"We have the enterprise-level license and we renew it annually because it is worth the cost."

"It is fairly priced, but it can be a little expensive from time to time."

"We pay approximately ‎€150,000 ($166,000 USD) per year."

"Generally, it has been fine for me. I can find my way around the price list, and it is pretty simple."

"The product is expensive but also valuable."

"The licensing and costs are straightforward, as they have a baseline of 100 workloads (number of instances) within one license with no additional nor hidden charges. If you want to have 200 workloads under Dome9, then you need to take out two licenses for that. Also, it does not have any impact on cloud billing, as data is shared using the API call. This is well within the limit of free API calls provided by the cloud provider."

"We explored both pay-as-you-go and build-your-own-licensing models, and found both to be competitive."

More Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

18%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Outsourcing Company

16%

Construction Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

16%

Outsourcing Company

12%

Construction Company

Media Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	16
Midsize Enterprise	11
Large Enterprise	39

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	133
Midsize Enterprise	56
Large Enterprise	146

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Qualys TotalCloud?

We purchased Qualys TotalCloud for GCP and Azure as well. It is comparatively better than others regarding pricing. T...

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What needs improvement with Qualys TotalCloud?

I am unsure about how Qualys TotalCloud can be improved. I do not have anything else to add about the needed improvem...

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What is your primary use case for Qualys TotalCloud?

My main use case for Qualys TotalCloud is telemetry, although I am unsure about the specifics. A quick specific examp...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

Since we use a unified standard for using policies and modules in Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Net...

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What needs improvement with Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

The main limitations of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) are not in Check Point itse...

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What is your primary use case for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is the main manager that provides network security ...

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What needs improvement with Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management?

In my opinion, what should be improved about Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management is that it is quite advanced...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management?

I have been dealing with Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management as a distributor. If you are speaking on the Pro...

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What advice do you have for others considering Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management?

It has improved my compliance efforts absolutely because first and foremost, with the classification, it guides users...

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Compared 14% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Qualys TotalCloud

October 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

November 2026

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Download Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) product report

Buyer's Guide

Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)

October 2026

Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management report

Download Proofpoint Data Security Posture Management product report

Also Known As

Qualys TotalCloud with FlexScan

CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point vSEC, CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point Virtual Systems, Check Point CloudGuard Network Security, Check Point CloudGuard CNAPP

No data available

Overview

Qualys TotalCloud enhances security posture across cloud environments with continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and risk visualization, ensuring efficient threat assessment and automated remediation for improved cyber risk reduction.

Qualys TotalCloud offers a robust suite of security tools essential for organizations managing multi-cloud infrastructures. By integrating cloud accounts and automating workflows, it supports AWS, Azure, and GCP, offering comprehensive vulnerability management and zero-day detection. The platform's user-friendly design, combined with its extensive risk management and unified threat assessment capabilities, enables organizations to prioritize and remediate vulnerabilities effectively. TruRisk Insights provides clear insights on cyber risks, while the automation options streamline patch management and scanning processes. API integration across IaaS and SaaS environments further enhances resource allocation efficiency and saves time, addressing misconfigurations across cloud environments.

What are the most important features of Qualys TotalCloud?

Accurate Vulnerability Reports: Delivers precise and actionable insights for risk mitigation.
Zero-Day Detection: Identifies and addresses zero-day vulnerabilities proactively.
Unified Threat Assessment: Offers comprehensive evaluation of threats across the environment.
Extensive Risk Management: Manages risks effectively with advanced insights and prioritization.
Continuous Monitoring: Provides non-stop surveillance for vulnerabilities and threats.
Cloud-Native Automation: Streamlines processes and reduces manual efforts using automation.
FlexScan for Internet-Facing VMs: Scans external VMs efficiently to detect vulnerabilities.
Dashboard Risk Visualization: Clear visualization helps prioritize vulnerabilities.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Improved Security Posture: Enhances threat detection and response across clouds.
Time Savings: Automation reduces time spent on manual vulnerability management.
Resource Efficiency: Better allocation of resources through streamlined workflows.
Enhanced Risk Prioritization: Focus on critical vulnerabilities for effective mitigation.
Integrated Cloud Accounts: Facilitates seamless cloud management and security.

Qualys TotalCloud is deployed in sectors needing rigorous vulnerability management, such as finance and healthcare. Companies utilize it to secure multi-cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and GCP, focus on compliance, and integrate security into CI/CD pipelines to detect and remedy threats pre-deployment.

Qualys

Check Point Cloud Firewall, previously known as CloudGuard Network Security, provides advanced threat prevention, centralized management, and VPN capabilities, enabling robust cloud security across various platforms including Azure and AWS.

Check Point Cloud Firewall delivers seamless cloud integration with advanced automated threat prevention and centralized management to enhance security posture. It offers auto-scaling for dynamic environments and a comprehensive policy enforcement framework in hybrid settings. The unified interface streamlines administration across cloud infrastructures, ensuring consistent protection and reducing risk.

What important features does it offer?

Advanced Threat Prevention: Safeguards against sophisticated threats.
Centralized Management: Simplifies control for cloud infrastructures.
Auto-scaling: Adapts to changing workloads seamlessly.
VPN Capabilities: Enables secure connections across environments.
Integration with Azure and AWS: Ensures compatibility with leading cloud services.
Visibility Tools: Enhanced monitoring and management for security enforcement.

What benefits can users expect?

Enhanced Security: Comprehensive threat management reduces risk.
Operational Efficiency: Automation capabilities streamline processes.
Cost Management: Efficient resource usage with auto-scaling reduces expenses.
Integration Flexibility: Adapts easily into existing cloud platforms.
Simplified Administration: Unified management reduces complexity.

In manufacturing and conglomerate sectors, Check Point Cloud Firewall is utilized for protecting cloud environments and implementing network segmentation. It supports secure cloud migration on AWS, Azure, and GCP, ensuring compliance, perimeter defense, and traffic inspection, facilitating sophisticated threat prevention strategies.

Check Point Software Technologies

Normalyze is a versatile data security platform that simplifies data classification and protection across diverse environments. It supports regulatory compliance through continuous monitoring and detailed analytics. Users value its intuitive interface, advanced data visualization, robust security measures, and automation tools, enhancing efficiency and productivity across organizations.

Proofpoint

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Physicians Choice Laboratory Services, Helvetica Insurance

Information Not Available

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Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)

October 2026

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