it_user1364367 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sales Engineer at Unistar
Real User
Good technical support, reliable, and offers effective threat prevention
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are application control, regulation, and threat prevention."
  • "Compliance and centralized management can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are a system integrator and the Check Point Next-Generation Firewall is one of the solutions that we implement for our clients. It is primarily used for data protection, VPNs, and sandboxing. We also use it in our own data center.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are application control, regulation, and threat prevention.

What needs improvement?

Compliance and centralized management can be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the Check Point NGFW for perhaps ten years.

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Check Point NGFW
May 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This firewall runs 24 hours a day and it is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It scales okay because they are SCADA compliant and follow the industry standards. It is best suited to enterprise-level organizations.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is located in Prague, Israel, and America. The support is good and they are quick.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have also worked with Fortinet a little bit. We switched to Check Point because our team is a perfect fit for it. We know the solution well.

How was the initial setup?

The length of time required for deployment depends on the size of the environment. Our largest solution took us between 10 and 20 days.

What about the implementation team?

We have a contract with the vendor to implement and deploy this solution for customers. There are three engineers on the staff who are responsible for maintenance and support, including dealing with tickets.

In total, working with this solution, we have four engineers and two junior administrators.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is quite an expensive product, although security is a top priority. For people who want security, the price is not a problem, and everything is included in the price of the license.

What other advice do I have?

This is the number one, best firewall on the market. My biggest complaint is that the centralized management has to be improved.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Commercial Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Effective security and local support have been the key features for us
Pros and Cons
    • "We looked very closely at ArcSight's solution because it's a multi-vendor solution. With ArcSight we could have Check Point, we could have RSA, we could have any brand and integrate several brands, from a security point of view. With Check Point, you cannot do so, you can integrate with Check Point products."

    What is our primary use case?

    It is our next-generation firewall and IPS.

    How has it helped my organization?

    We had some security issues that WatchGuard could not resolve. Since installing Check Point, we have not had any troubles. We don't have any security problems anymore.

    Also, as we are systems integrators, we could not offer only one brand to our customers. We had to expand to several solutions to enable customers to make their own decisions.

    What is most valuable?

    It's a gateway and we can integrate some of their functionalities. It's a gateway for us to work with them. Compared to the previous solution we had - WatchGuard - Check Point really works.

    What needs improvement?

    We looked very closely at ArcSight's solution because it's a multi-vendor solution. With ArcSight we could have Check Point, we could have RSA, we could have any brand and integrate several brands, from a security point of view. With Check Point, you cannot do so, you can integrate with Check Point products. Check Point forces the customer to buy only one vendor's solution but the trends of the market are not to work with only one vendor. If Check Point could work with other vendor solutions, that would an improvement.

    It would also help if they had solutions for the SMB market. Check Point is only useful for customers that have a big IT budget. If they don't have the IT budget, the customer has to buy a solution that from another vendor.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    One to three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    For the last 10 or 12 years, Check Point has been at the top of the industry ratings, so this demonstrates they make good products. The stability is really good.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Technical support is really good. We work with a partner from Check Point, a very good partner. The time of response is very good. We are satisfied with the solutions that Check Point has provided us.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    Before using Check Point we were using WatchGuard, but it was not a good brand. Support from them was very difficult. We decided on Check Point because, first of all, their salespeople did a good job. In addition, their position in the market helped us decide to buy. Also, we are systems integrators and many of our customers use Check Point. Their feedback helped us make the decision to go with Check Point.

    An important criterion when selecting a vendor is that the vendor has to provide support here in Peru. Our experience with WatchGuard not having a local representative was that the support was not good in terms of time of response as well as difficulties with the idioms of the language. We speak Spanish and the support was only in English, so it was difficult.

    How was the initial setup?

    I'm not part of the technical staff. But from what I heard, the setup was fine. I believe the installation and deployment were without any problems.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Check Point solutions are very expensive here. It's good, but it's expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    Some vendors offer a PoC. When you do a PoC you can more easily see which is the better solution. We would recommend requiring a PoC.

    I would rate Check Point an eight out of 10. They're not a 10 because of their pricing.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Check Point NGFW
    May 2024
    Learn what your peers think about Check Point NGFW. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2024.
    771,212 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    General Manager with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Beneficial hybrid cloud, effective application protection, and simple installation
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature of Check Point NGFW is it is a complete solution for protecting not only the network but the applications. Additionally, it provides a hybrid cloud solution."
    • "The whole solution has room for improvement."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our primary use of Check Point NGFW is for network protection.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of Check Point NGFW is it is a complete solution for protecting not only the network but the applications. Additionally, it provides a hybrid cloud solution.

    What needs improvement?

    The whole solution has room for improvement.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Check Point NGFW for approximately five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is very stable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Check Point NGFW has been scalable.

    How are customer service and support?

    I would rate the technical support of Check Point NGFW a seven out of ten.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is straightforward.

    What about the implementation team?

    We have one staff member that does the implementation of the solution.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would say that the customer has to implement Check Point NGFW with the reseller. They have experience in the implementation and with security.

    I rate Check Point NGFW a ten out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Co-Founder at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Reporting need improvement and the stability is poor, but we have no complaints about the web-filtering capabilities
    Pros and Cons
      • "I still don't have access to the reporting service."

      What is our primary use case?

      We use this solution for web filtering and threat analysis.

      What needs improvement?

      The reporting needs to be improved. I still don't have access to the reporting service.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been using Check Point NGFW for three years.

      I am not sure which version is being used at this time. If we are not using the latest version, we are using the version before that.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      We have recently had some issues with the stability of this solution. It is not stable.

      We had an issue when we made some improvements to our power supply and the Check Point stopped working and needed to be recovered. There were many errors in the file system and it could not start. It blocked the work for the entire factory. We lost three days where we could not work.

      That was the final straw for us and why we are moving to FortiGate.

      How are customer service and technical support?

      Our company is outsourcing the support.

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      We are also using Fortinet FortiGate 600 and 200. We have also just ordered Palo Alto.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      We pay the licensing fees on a yearly basis.

      What other advice do I have?

      We are one of the largest manufacturers of steel in Europe.

      I would not recommend this solution to others. I am very disappointed.

      I would rate Check Point NGFW a five out of ten.

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      On-premises
      Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
      PeerSpot user
      PeerSpot user
      Co-founder & CTO at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
      Real User
      Great firewall and IPS features
      Pros and Cons
      • "The firewall and IPS are the most valuable features of the solution."
      • "Third-party integration could be improved."

      What is our primary use case?

      We are Check Point partners and I'm a co-founder and CTO of our company. 

      What is most valuable?

      The firewall and IPS are the most valuable features of the solution. 

      What needs improvement?

      I think third-party integration could be improved. We have also faced some performance-related challenges and there is some work to do in that area too. 

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I've been using this solution for two years. 

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      We're satisfied with the stability. 

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      The solution is easy to scale. 

      How are customer service and technical support?

      The technical support response time needs to improve. 

      How was the initial setup?

      This solution was moderately difficult to implement. We had some help from the distributor. We receive automatic updates but no maintenance is required. We have two people administering the solution. 

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      The solution offers good value. 

      What other advice do I have?

      I recommend this product. It offers good value, and it's a high-quality product. I rate the product eight out of 10.

      Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

      On-premises
      Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
      PeerSpot user
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Check Point NGFW Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
      Updated: May 2024
      Buyer's Guide
      Download our free Check Point NGFW Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.