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Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs Symantec Data Center Security comparison

Check Point Software Technologies and Broadcom are both solutions in the Cloud and Data Center Security category. Check Point Software Technologies is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.5, while Broadcom is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0. Check Point Software Technologies holds a 2.1% mindshare in CDCS, compared to Broadcom’s 1.8% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of Check Point Software Technologies users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 81% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.
Check Point CloudGuard Netw...
Read 154 Check Point CloudGuard Network Security reviews
  • 4,574 Views
  • 1,098 Comparison Views
97% willing to recommend
Symantec Data Center Security
Read 11 Symantec Data Center Security reviews
  • 763 Views
  • 481 Comparison Views
81% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 14, 2024

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security and Symantec Data Center Security compete in the realm of cloud and data center protection. In terms of features and scalability, Check Point seems to have the upper hand with its extensive offerings and integration capabilities, while Symantec is more robust in hardening and permission control.

Features: Check Point CloudGuard Network Security offers auto-scaling, centralized management, and comprehensive integration with major public cloud providers such as AWS, GCP, and Azure. It is highly scalable and focused on threat prevention. Symantec Data Center Security provides robust hardening capabilities and effective permission control, though it lacks the flexibility and feature range suitable for cloud environments.

Room for Improvement: Check Point CloudGuard Network Security users identify complexities in deployment and reporting, as well as challenges with integrations and the need for enhanced technical documentation and support. Symantec Data Center Security is noted for its complex policy structures and limited management flexibility, with calls for better integration with other solutions and more intuitive user interfaces.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point CloudGuard Network Security offers flexibility across on-premises, private, and public cloud environments, making it suitable for hybrid setups. Its customer service is generally positive, albeit with some inconsistencies in support quality. Symantec Data Center Security excels in private and on-premises deployments, but is less adaptable to public and hybrid cloud settings. Customer service is praised for prompt support and vendor engagement.

Pricing and ROI: Check Point CloudGuard Network Security is positioned at a higher price point with customizable licensing options like pay-as-you-go and bring-your-own-license models, offering competitive yet premium pricing. Users report significant ROI through operational efficiencies. Symantec Data Center Security, although frequently seen as more expensive compared to competitors like CrowdStrike, has mixed perceptions regarding ROI, with some deeming its costs reasonable and others finding it less cost-effective.

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To learn more, read our detailed Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs. Symantec Data Center Security Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs. Symantec Data Center Security
September 2025
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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

Check Point CloudGuard Netw...
Ranking in Cloud and Data Center Security
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
154
Ranking in other categories
Firewalls (8th), Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP) (2nd), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (5th), WAN Edge (3rd), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (3rd)
Symantec Data Center Security
Ranking in Cloud and Data Center Security
11th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.0
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Cloud and Data Center Security category, the mindshare of Check Point CloudGuard Network Security is 2.1%, down from 2.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Data Center Security is 1.8%, down from 2.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Cloud and Data Center Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Check Point CloudGuard Network Security2.1%
Symantec Data Center Security1.8%
Other96.1%
Cloud and Data Center Security
 

Featured Reviews

Martin Raška - PeerSpot reviewer
Unification of security features strengthens network protection
The overall network security is good. It's big-picture, all in one bundle. It's valuable to have everything in one place instead of spreading across different products. Unified security management positively affects a company's security operations. They have one unified view of the security. I can connect multiple gateways to the management and have it in one place. I can have reporting and views in a single pane of glass on the consolidated platform. It's easy to use. The management is the best on the market. It's very easy to work with, read, understand, and navigate. It helps increase our customer's security posture. We can see in some cases CloudGuard improves our customers' posture overall.
Read full review
Shahram Dehghani - PeerSpot reviewer
A robust solution that provides comprehensive protection for data centers, offering agentless security, powerful intrusion prevention, and a wide range of security features
The primary focus of data center security often revolves around serving customers who offer services to other clients within the data center. For example, if I operate a data center and provide security services, third-party customers might purchase virtual machine products within my data center. These products are automatically deployed, and we safeguard these virtual machines using intrusion prevention system features. This aspect is considered the most valuable part because when we set up these security policies, it's as if we're fortifying the entire infrastructure. It's not just about having good technical support; it's about having a robust IPS and comprehensive DOS prevention system on those operating systems. The advantage of Data Center Security is its ease of use and that it serves as a single unified platform, where I can apply all my security policies to protect that server.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We're very confident in the secure cloud deployments and migrations."
"We have unified management. It is one of the advantages of this product."
"Check Point CloudGuard Network Security provides us with unified security management across hybrid clouds as well as on-premise."
"I give it a ten out of ten."
"CloudGuard Network Security provides unified security management across hybrid clouds as well as on-prem. It's very important because when I have unified security, I have better control of the situation. If there's an attack or something like that, we can react faster. It's easier for everyone in the organization to work with the Infinity platform."
"The Identity Awareness blade and dynamic tagging in Azure are valuable because they make access management automatic. Instead of manually setting up access for each new resource, it happens automatically based on the same access policy. This dynamic setup is scalable."
"We have found the overall functionality of the product to be exactly similar to the physical product. The one good advantage is that it is cloud-based and can be deployed either as a part of a scale set or one can shut down the virtual machine and adjust the physical parameters of the virtual machine easily and bring it right back up."
"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."
More Check Point CloudGuard Network Security pros
"The monitoring in the management console allows us to find out what is going wrong, and it gets reports even before the user reports it."
"Good file integrity monitoring features."
"The most valuable feature is the centralized console, which can handle different products that we have."
"The real strength lies in its straightforward approach, offering just two key policies: prevention and detection."
"The console and tools are very user-friendly."
"The tool will then detect any anomalies, such as an intruder who has breached the network, which can trigger the system lockdown feature if it's enabled and meets the defined threshold."
"The ability to finely control permissions and restrictions on servers or assets through a customizable rule set is a key strength."
"We use the product to prevent unauthorized access to data, systems, and servers. It provides essential features for data center security."
More Symantec Data Center Security pros
 

Cons

"The operations require skilled manpower with extended experience of working with networking systems for better results."
"Everything we do with Check Point must go through the vendor first, which is somewhat inconvenient. It would be easier to deal with Check Point directly, however, it depends on the vendor."
"It's not a scale set. It's a single node. We'd need to look at the scale set to see if there was a way to get better performance."
"It is a very expensive program and there are additional costs despite the standard licensing fees."
"We are at the place where we are looking at better integration with the management system. We use an MDS today, and it is self-deployed. We want to get to the Smart-1 Cloud, but we do not know what that looks like today because it does not support a multi-domain setup. Smart-1 should either be able to do multi-domain or there should be some form of taking a multi-domain environment and putting it in Smart-1."
"While today we can manage some scopes, there are still some segments in the OSI layer we cannot manage."
"A threat categorization system can be added to give users the authority to define vulnerable attacks and classify areas that can threaten the workflow system."
"I would like to see more focus on east-west traffic inspection and AWS."
More Check Point CloudGuard Network Security cons
"A user or administrator making the policy in the DCS should have a very thorough knowledge of the operating system or policy making. You have to be very specific about the data structure."
"They need to develop a more flexible product that can be scaled such that it fits well into a small business or a bigger, enterprise-level solution."
"Adding more compatibility with common products like Microsoft would be a plus."
"Agent management is a challenging task."
"It would be advantageous if Symantec or Broadcom, given the rebranding, could simplify the process, enabling users to leverage the antivirus functionality more easily."
"The support is very bad. They're not fast at all. Trend Micro's support is much better."
"Could have better reporting capabilities and better support."
"There is room for improvement in enhancing its graphical user interface for a more user-friendly experience."
More Symantec Data Center Security cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is pretty high, not just for your capital, for what you have to pay upfront, but for what you pay for your annual software renewals as well, compared to a lot of other vendors. Check Point is near the top, as far as how much it's going to cost you."
"CloudGuard Network Security is not too cheap."
"It is the most expensive part of the product. There is a lot of room for improvement. Security comes with a price, but it is still a big chunk just for the service."
"We are using our BYOL. We are using our existing Check Point discounts to work with licensing. Overall, it is very competitive. Its pricing is reasonable to me."
"Generally, it has been fine for me. I can find my way around the price list, and it is pretty simple."
"Licensing is simply by the number of hosts that you are looking to protect within your environment. It makes it much easier to ensure that you are covering your environment."
"It is not expensive, but it is a little bit above the middle range. There are other solutions that are a little more expensive than this, but they also have some interesting features."
"You get charged only for what resources you choose and how much traffic actually passes through the firewall, which in turn saves a lot of money."
More Check Point CloudGuard Network Security pricing and cost advice
"The product is a bit costly."
"It is notably more expensive when compared to other solutions."
"Compared to some other solutions, such as CrowdStrike, Symantec is more expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Performing Arts
7%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business59
Midsize Enterprise38
Large Enterprise75
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise5
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?
The tool's most valuable feature is its management console.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?
My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security is that it was good.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?
I think Check Point CloudGuard Network Security is an ideal product, so I see no improvements needed. If I had to think of one area where it could be improved or made easier, I would say that suppo...
See all answers
What do you like most about Symantec Data Center Security?
The granularity of applying the policies is valuable.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Symantec Data Center Security?
Agent management is a challenging task. We cannot do it from the console. We will have to use other tools.
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Symantec Data Center Security?
One key use case for data center security is protecting files within the data center. This is especially important for Linux systems, where locking down specific files is essential to prevent unaut...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Fortinet FortiGate vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security
Compared 14% of the time
Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security Logo
Cisco Secure Firewall vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security
Compared 12% of the time
Azure Firewall vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security Logo
Azure Firewall vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security
Compared 9% of the time
Trend Micro Deep Security vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security Logo
Trend Micro Deep Security vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security
Compared 7% of the time
VMware NSX vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security Logo
VMware NSX vs Check Point CloudGuard Network Security
Compared 5% of the time
More Check Point CloudGuard Network Security Competitors
Trend Micro Deep Security vs Symantec Data Center Security Logo
Trend Micro Deep Security vs Symantec Data Center Security
Compared 67% of the time
Symantec Endpoint Security vs Symantec Data Center Security Logo
Symantec Endpoint Security vs Symantec Data Center Security
Compared 22% of the time
VMware NSX vs Symantec Data Center Security Logo
VMware NSX vs Symantec Data Center Security
Compared 11% of the time
More Symantec Data Center Security Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Check Point CloudGuard Network Security
October 2025
Check Point CloudGuard Network Security reportDownload Check Point CloudGuard Network Security product report
Buyer's Guide
Symantec Data Center Security
September 2025
Symantec Data Center Security reportDownload Symantec Data Center Security product report
 

Also Known As

CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point vSEC, CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point Virtual Systems, Check Point CloudGuard Network Security
No data available
 

Overview

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security offers centralized management, robust threat prevention, and seamless integration with major public clouds, ensuring consistent security for cloud and on-premises environments. It combines ease of use with flexibility across diverse IT infrastructure.

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security provides comprehensive protection for IT infrastructures in AWS, Azure, and hybrid environments. It ensures firewall security, managing traffic and securing cloud infrastructures while maintaining network protection and compliance enforcement. Organizations benefit from its centralized security governance, enhanced visibility, and threat prevention for both perimeter and internal security. It offers seamless integration with leading cloud platforms, allowing for efficient deployment and scalability, aligning with modern cloud requirements.

What are the key features of Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?
  • Ease of Setup and Use: Provides a user-friendly setup process and intuitive operation.
  • Robust Threat Prevention: Offers advanced capabilities to safeguard against potential threats.
  • Auto-Scaling: Adjusts resources dynamically to meet demand without manual intervention.
  • Centralized Management: Ensures uniform security policies across cloud and on-premises environments.
  • Integration with Major Public Clouds: Seamlessly works with AWS, Azure, and other leading platforms.
  • Intuitive ACL Menu: Simplifies access control list management with an easy-to-navigate interface.
  • Customizable Policy Options: Allows for personalized security settings suited to specific requirements.
What benefits should companies look for in Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?
  • Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Through automation and comprehensive reporting, organizations streamline operations.
  • Consistent Security Management: Offers uniform policies across different environments, reducing complexity.
  • Improved Threat Detection: Increases the ability to identify and respond to threats quickly.
  • Scalability: Easily adapts to growing or changing infrastructure needs without compromising security.

In industries such as finance, healthcare, and tech, Check Point CloudGuard Network Security is vital for protecting sensitive data, managing compliance, and safeguarding daily operations. Its robust integration capabilities support diverse infrastructure setups, assisting companies in maintaining high-security standards efficiently.

Check Point Software Technologies

Docker containers make it easy to develop, deploy, and deliver applications where containers can be deployed and brought down in a matter of seconds. This flexibility makes it very useful for DevOps to automate deployment of containers. Symantec Data Center Security: Server Advanced provides agentless Docker container protection that allows you to achieve the performance benefits of Docker without sacrificing security. Full application control enables administrator privilege de-escalation, patch mitigation, and protection against zero day threats in today's heterogeneous data centers.

Broadcom
 

Sample Customers

Physicians Choice Laboratory Services, Helvetica Insurance
Information Not Available
Buyer's Guide
Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs. Symantec Data Center Security
September 2025
Free Report: Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs. Symantec Data Center Security
Find out what your peers are saying about Check Point CloudGuard Network Security vs. Symantec Data Center Security and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
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