Check Point Security Management and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint compete in the cybersecurity segment, offering distinct advantages. Check Point is often favored for its detailed log management and centralized control, which are critical for large-scale security management. Microsoft Defender, however, shines with its effortless integration within the Microsoft ecosystem, providing a seamless experience for users of Windows-based environments.
Features: Check Point Security Management is highly regarded for its centralized log management, efficient policy configuration capabilities, and integration with a wide range of security blades, enhancing overall firewall management and threat prevention. Additionally, it boasts a feature-rich SmartConsole for unified management of networks. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, however, excels with real-time antivirus protection, effective threat hunting capabilities, and strong integration with Microsoft services, boosting security for Windows systems.
Room for Improvement: Check Point users note that the interface could be more resource-efficient, with enhancements desired regarding integration with third-party products. There's a call for extended support to macOS and Linux platforms. Microsoft Defender is often critiqued for its sometimes complex interface, performance impact on devices, and limited integration with non-Microsoft applications. There is a request for more intuitive dashboard features and enhanced configuration options for non-Windows platforms.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Check Point Security Management typically requires on-premises setup and may need assistance from technical partners for optimal management. It involves more complex deployment compared to Microsoft Defender, which benefits from its seamless integration with the Windows environment, offering easier deployment for Microsoft users and an organized support structure.
Pricing and ROI: Check Point is viewed as a premium solution owing to its comprehensive feature set, with costs seen as justified by the security returns and time-saving benefits provided. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is often included within Windows 10 or as part of an Office 365 subscription, offering significant cost savings for Microsoft-centric organizations and enhancing its appeal as a budget-friendly option with strong security measures included.
We have seen a return on investment when using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, as it saves labor by reducing the need for staff to focus on it.
The biggest return on investment for me when using Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is the time saving.
The return on investment is primarily in time savings and better observability of what's happening.
We have partner support that helps us mitigate vulnerabilities reported by our infrastructure team.
The challenge was with drivers due to the size, and we had not provisioned the partition to the right size.
The level-one support seems disconnected from subject matter experts.
I rate Microsoft support 10 out of 10.
Due to our size, we don't have access to direct technical support, but the knowledge base, Microsoft Learn, and the articles available are really good.
We managed to scale it out in a short amount of time, with two months of planning and three months of implementation on 10,000 computers.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is scalable enough to handle various devices across environments, whether they are laptops, Android devices, or operating in hybrid environments.
Compatibility is its main feature.
I haven't seen any outages with Microsoft.
I rate Defender 10 out of 10 for stability.
Defender for Endpoint is extremely stable.
We had to provision the virtual machine twice.
Repeated interactions are necessary due to Level One's lack of tools and knowledge, hindering efficient problem-solving and negatively impacting our experience with Microsoft support.
We use Microsoft partners to help govern the platform, and as part of an alliance, we want to gather data from each tenant and combine them for a complete view.
Providing more detailed information on how Microsoft Defender for Endpoint detects vulnerabilities.
Since we are using it extensively, we get significant discounts during procurement.
Given our extensive Microsoft licensing, transitioning to Defender for Endpoint did not affect licensing costs.
It costs $15 per VM for the P2 plan, which is seen as affordable for customers.
The pricing, setup, and licensing were very easy and simple.
We can't work without Check Point because it provides the real visibility needed to manage the environment.
It's already helped secure our organization effectively.
Defender for Endpoint's coverage across different platforms in our environment is pretty good. We have devices running Linux, Mac OS, Windows, iOS, and Android. It covers all of them.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint provides a unified management interface allowing customers to manage their on-premises and hybrid infrastructures from a single pane.
Web filtering is the most valuable feature of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint because it effectively maintains security for website access.
Check Point Security Management is an advanced security management platform for enterprises. The platform integrates all aspects of security. A single platform manages the entire infrastructure, from data centers to private/public cloud deployments.
Check Point Security Management is a reliable and easy-to-use security platform. It integrates all aspects of your security environment to strengthen the security posture without impairing productivity. The system has a layered policy model. This means the security policy can be separated into layers for network segmentation. Different administrators can manage different policies. The policy layer automates the tasks.
The platform is extensible, scalable, and integrates easily with orchestration systems and change management.
Basic Components of the Infrastructure
The smart console offers several advantages. Changes in security policies and logs can be done with a click. You can navigate from an item within a log to the policy. There are also built-in multi-language support and accessibility features.
1. Security Management Server: The server manages security gateways with set security policies and monitors security events on the network.
The automation server is an integrated part of the management server. The API server is active by default on servers with 4 GB of RAM or more and on standalone servers with 8 or more GB of RAM.
The automation server communicates with the management server the same way as the Smart Console. This architecture allows the same validation errors and warnings to be presented when using an automation session.
The same audit logs generated using the Smart Console are also generated using an automation session. If you have a multi-domain environment, there is only one automation server that monitors all the IP addresses of the multi-domain management server.
2. Security Gateway is placed at the edge of the network. It monitors and filters traffic and enforces security policies.
Logging, Event management, and Monitoring
With Check Point Security Management, logging, reporting, event management, and monitoring are integrated. The platform features widgets and chart templates that optimize visibility. One of the best features is the one-click exploration. This simplifies going from a general overview to specific event details.
Benefits of Check Point Security Management
The unified console also means a single policy for users, data, applications, and networks. The granularity control helps accelerate administration processes. This feature, together with automation, is key to achieving reduced operational overhead. Security teams can automate tasks and even create self-service security web portals with the Check Point Security Management platform.
Threat management is fully integrated, with reporting, logging, and monitoring all in one dashboard. This provides full visibility into the security of the network.
Security Management Suite
The Security Management Suite consists of the following modules:
Reviews from Real Users
A Network Security Engineer/Architect at a tech services company says, "The features we like and find the most valuable are the ways we can manage the policy, create objects, and drag and drop objects in our daily operation. It makes our daily operation on the firewall management much easier than going, for example, to one firewall, then going to the other."
"The management API is the best new feature for me. It allows us to further automate our customers' automated server ordering," says a System Engineer Network & Security at OTTO GmbH & Co KG.
A Senior Infrastructure Services Specialist at St.George Bank Limited adds that "The solution is ideal for use and deployment in a large infrastructure environment."
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a comprehensive security solution that provides advanced threat protection for organizations. It offers real-time protection against various types of cyber threats, including malware, viruses, ransomware, and phishing attacks.
With its powerful machine-learning capabilities, it can detect and block sophisticated attacks before they can cause any harm. The solution also includes endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities, allowing organizations to quickly investigate and respond to security incidents. It provides detailed insights into the attack timeline, enabling security teams to understand the scope and impact of an incident.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint also offers proactive threat hunting, allowing organizations to proactively search for and identify potential threats within their network. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft security solutions, such as Microsoft Defender XDR, to provide a unified and holistic security approach. With its centralized management console, organizations can easily deploy, configure, and monitor the security solution across their entire network.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a robust and scalable security solution that helps organizations protect their endpoints and data from evolving cyber threats.
We monitor all Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.