What is our primary use case?
We use it to protect our network from the outside world and unsecured networks. We also use it to provide a safe, secure network to the internal users of our organization.
I am using various versions on the model, like R80.10 and R80.30.
What is most valuable?
- Antivirus
- Threat Prevention
- The central management
These are vital, advanced firewall features for the market. They protect the environment more than the usual firewalls.
What needs improvement?
Check Point's study materials should be provided by the company directly and be of very good quality. This is not provided right now and something that the company can improve.
A disadvantage about Check Point is people in the market are not too familiar about its usage and people lack training on it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for the last six years (since 2014).
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Check Point Firewalls are very stable. Check Point is one of the oldest company in firewalls with a very stable product. They provide good, stable updates.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It scales well. Recently, during COVID-19, we did the scalability process, and it was easy.
Currently, this is used only for our inbound networks to provide security to our internal network. Around 6,000 people are taking advantage of this technology directly and indirectly in our organization.
We have certainly increased number of firewalls in our organization. In the future, if is required, then we will definitely use more.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have used the technical support very frequently. I would give them around a nine out of 10. They have very good support. In critical scenarios, they provide us very quick solutions, are very well-trained, and have a good knowledge about the product. That is what we expect from them. I am deducting one mark to allow room for improvement.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we were using the Cisco ASA Firewalls, which are one of the most demanded firewall in the market. We switched to Check Point because their firewall is more advanced than Cisco ASA. They are also providing us the extra benefit of features, like their central management system, Antivirus, and Threat Prevention, which were not provided by Cisco ASA.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward; it was not too complex. It was simple to install and use the features, as we were already trained. Our company used their trainers before installing it. Getting all the knowledge of the firewall's features beforehand worked very well for installing/deploying the solution in our environment.
We were using different firewalls that we had to replace. For that replacement, we required two years for the transition to Check Point to get it to work.
For our implementation strategy, we used three-tier architecture strategy in which we have a console, three-tier management Gateway, and the firewall.
What about the implementation team?
We have around 20 people on the team, because it is a large company. So, I deployed it with the help of 19 members. The team of 20 people work on different shifts and we manage all the organization's firewalls. We are all network engineers, though some of us have different designations.
What was our ROI?
It has a good return in terms of usage and the security that it provides. We are very happy with the security capabilities that this firewall has.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Check Point Firewall costs more compared to the other firewalls in the markets, as pricing is little high. However, it is easy to take the license and use it in the firewall.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did an evaluation between Cisco ASA and Check Point. We had options to extend Cisco ASA or switch to Check Point, but we switched to Check Point Firewall.
What other advice do I have?
Be knowledgeable before implementing this firewall because it has many advanced features compared to the normal firewalls in the market. If you want to use it in a better way, then you need to be trained on it.
There were a few members who joined our organization who were familiar with Check Point, but they do not know about every feature which could be used and taken advantage of to better secure our network. I recommend getting proper training before using it.
I would rate this solution a nine out of 10 because I am a very happy customer of Check Point. I have had a good experience with this firewall. I like is the way it is improving a lot with the times.
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.