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JamesYa - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Solutions Architect at Cloud4C Services
Vendor
Great for access control with helpful support and good performance
Pros and Cons
  • "Its initial setup is very simple and straightforward."
  • "We would like the product to be a bit more user-friendly in general."

What is our primary use case?

The product is standard software in our organization.

With this solution, you can actually control approved software for use by particular individuals in your company. You can offer it to certain users and disallow it for others. 

What is most valuable?

The product is great for allowing access to certain users for certain software.

The stability has been good overall.

The scalability is good.

Its initial setup is very simple and straightforward. 

Technical support has been helpful.

What needs improvement?

We haven't had any issues with the product. There aren't really any features missing.

We would like the product to be a bit more user-friendly in general.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for one year. It hasn't been that long. 

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Check Point Application Control
November 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. thee are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. Its performance is reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

You can scale the solution as needed.

We have 2,000 users on the product currently.

We do plan to increase usage and will add more of it as we add more employees to the organization.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is knowledgeable and quite good when it comes to helping out its user base. We are very satisfied with their level of support.

How was the initial setup?

The implementation process is straightforward and very easy. It's a central department controlled by the console, the main console, which makes it straightforward once you populate it to all of the endpoints.

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

We do need to pay a yearly subscription in order to access the product.

What other advice do I have?

We are internally using this product in our company. We are not offering it to customers. 

It's deployed directly on our laptops. 

I'd rate the solution an eight out of ten.

I would recommend the product to other users and organizations. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Java Application Developer at Oesia
User
Top 5
Reliable support, great performance, and offers efficient protection of data
Pros and Cons
  • "The central management system provides a reliable platform for application control and URL filtering."
  • "Malware threats can advance attacks when there are no timely measures to curb online phishing attacks."

What is our primary use case?

Check Point Application Control enables my team to customize websites to fit our daily needs. It provides security measures that can be set in place to safeguard our content and internal information. 

It provides reliable tools for setting up HTTPS security policies that prevent security risks related to SSL protocol. The product provides real-time insights into the data traffic from the applications and their performance. 

The security protocols have enabled my team to set restrictions for accessing confidential information.

How has it helped my organization?

There is efficient protection of data and workflows from external interferences. This platform provides basic tools for protecting applications from cyber attacks and building strong websites. 

The SmartView tracker enables my members to monitor data traffic across the applications. It has provided a great opportunity for us to set up basic rules for interacting with applications. 

This product provides reliable data controls that monitor the performance and operational capability of all the applications within the company's networking infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

The central management system provides a reliable platform for application control and URL filtering. 

The security gateways have set comprehensive security tools for protecting data from malware attacks. 

The application library can run many apps and websites at the same time without functional complications. 

The application control system blocks internet sites and cyber attacks that can affect daily operations. 

SmartEvent Analysis provides capabilities for understanding application performance with charts and reporting analytics.

What needs improvement?

The most set features have enhanced the effective management of workflows. 

Malware threats can advance attacks when there are no timely measures to curb online phishing attacks. 

The solution needs an efficient monitoring platform that provides individual employee data, and performance will boost productivity in the organization. 

Most features perform well since there are few complaints. The security tools should be empowered more to fit daily demands and prevent our systems from advanced threats. 

I recommend the use of this platform to other organizations for reliable application performance.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The application security controls and monitoring tools are powerful.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I am impressed by its great performance.

How are customer service and support?

The customer support staff has been reliable and committed to great service delivery.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

I have not worked with a similar solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

The implementation was done by the vendor team, and their level of expertise is excellent.

What was our ROI?

The recorded ROI has improved from 40% to 65% currently.

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

The setup cost and licensing terms are efficient.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I evaluated other application control products, however, Check Point Application Control was the best.

What other advice do I have?

This is great system for monitoring application performance and I recommend to others.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Check Point Application Control
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Check Point Application Control. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Firewall Engineer at a logistics company with 1,001-5,000 employees
User
Configurable, easy to administer, and offers a variety of applications
Pros and Cons
  • "Check Point Application Control offers a wide selection of applications, and even within those, you can configure uploads, downloads, et cetera, on a very granular level."
  • "If you want to use Application Control over your whole environment you have to license it for all gateways. Otherwise, you can only work with a subset of it. Therefore, pricing can be quite an issue."

What is our primary use case?

We have main and branch offices as well as on-premise and cloud data centers. Using Application Control we control the necessary applications instead of creating one or several rules for one application. 

With the AppWiki from Check Point, we can even show users that don't have a log in what applications there are and even see the risks involved at a single glance.

If you use Microsoft services, there are a lot of different applications that the firewall can differentiate and this shows also in the logs.

How has it helped my organization?

Using Application Control instead of normal rules and ports helps with ever-changing product versions. In the past, each version could add/remove certain ports which have to be added or removed by the administrators. With automatically updated applications, you don't have to do that continuously.

Enabling Application Control is unbelievably easy as once it is enabled you can use all relevant applications within the rule base.

Seeing applications within the logs also makes troubleshooting easier as you can see if the firewall recognizes the relevant application.

What is most valuable?

Check Point Application Control offers a wide selection of applications, and even within those, you can configure uploads, downloads, et cetera, on a very granular level. That way, users can use a single application for viewing data but are unable to upload potentially unwanted files. Basic functionality can be provided without decreasing security. In addition, using Check Point Logs we can also see what is allowed/blocked and can act accordingly.

Using APCL within the normal rule base also makes administration easier.

What needs improvement?

If you want to use Application Control over your whole environment you have to license it for all gateways. Otherwise, you can only work with a subset of it. Therefore, pricing can be quite an issue.

We saw that sometimes APCL stops working and can cause an impact on the rest of the rule base. Therefore, it's advisable to check that the gateway can always update itself with the newest applications.

Sometimes applications are not recognized. This may be due to HTTPS Inspection settings. It's also advisable to fully inspect traffic.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for over two years.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Our company is a Check Point partner but we also use their products for your own environment
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Associate Consult at Atos
Vendor
Good reports, great traffic control, and straightforward to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The product offers easy-to-install policies and makes it simple to troubleshoot application-related traffic."
  • "SD-WAN functionality can be added."

What is our primary use case?

Application and URL filtering is the perfect combination to block unwanted application and web browsing traffic based on the defined policy.

Customers who don't have a dedicated proxy can utilize Check Point's Next Generation Firewall as an Application Control.

It allows users to define policies based on source IP, user role, or group, which can easily identify traffic flow with SAML. You can allow or block traffic coming or going out to the internet for specific applications or websites.

Most organizations take advantage of application control, which provides the most efficient and accurate results to block or allow application traffic.

No organization requires entire access for an application running as that would cause more risk, which is not desirable. If we want to allow certain required applications, with Check Point, application control is possible.

For customers that have database servers and public-facing servers and want to provide access to specific services, Check Point is perfect.

With application control and URL filtering, it becomes possible to block/allow applications and sub-applications the maximum flexibility to allow for policy-based access roles. The solution offers user notifications for blocked access, time-defined policies, and bulk categorization of malicious applications.

How has it helped my organization?

With Check Point Application Control, it is possible to mitigate unwanted application traffic even it detects items, and allows traffic for specific ports which can be required to run the specific application successfully while blocking traffic from all remaining ports.

We get a Smart Event Report which clearly shows us how many applications are running under the Check Point Gateway and which applications require more security rules while revealing vulnerabilities.

Customization rules for custom applications help to define rules.

What is most valuable?

The application layer is the most usable feature Check Point provides to categorize and distribute the different sets of rules which work in a top-down lookup approach. This allows users to define policies separately within that particulate layer.

By default, an implicitly cleanup rule exists.

The product offers easy-to-install policies and makes it simple to troubleshoot application-related traffic.

The solution is integrated with an app wiki to provide a large application database.

Smart Event generates reports which are very useful in order to identify non-required applications running into the environment.

What needs improvement?

The working principle of Check Point Application Control is far different from all other vendors in the market. It basically works in parallel with security rules. Every time packet must go from policy lookup into security rules. It sometimes leads to a troubleshooting phase for which we can create application traffic.

SD-WAN functionality can be added.

Direct API integration for customized application features can be added.

Load balancer functionality for application traffic might be a better option.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There is no completely stable solution. Even if you consider a competitor solution, you will face some issues from time to time.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is based on the device throughput.

How are customer service and technical support?

There is dedicated TAC support for the specific blade in Check Point, which provides for a better resolution.

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

We did a direct migration from Sophos/Cisco FTD to Check Point. This has been done for many customers and usually leads to changing application control.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward in terms of the policy configuration and licensing.

What about the implementation team?

We are the vendor. We can assist in implementations.

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

The setup is very straightforward and the licensing works based on a subscription model.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did look at dedicated proxy servers.

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
Hazel Zuñiga Rojas - PeerSpot reviewer
Administrative Assistant at Tecapro
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Good granularity and integration capabilities with better control
Pros and Cons
  • "Among the features that we have used, we like being able to identify the identity of the user who is doing transactions."
  • "Seeing the capabilities and features that we are using today, we can say that we could expect an additional feature that could allow us to integrate this management and even security with APIs."

What is our primary use case?

With the growing technological advances that the organization is having and the data that the company needs to protect is no longer just at the perimeter area. We also need to protect the applications that are being developed, and we need to develop, grow, and deliver tailored services for different companies. We have looked for a line of security that could contemplate establishing and securing each of the lines of fire that could possibly be attacked at the moment that we made available a new application and a new service for each user or customer. They have come to have great importance in our company.

How has it helped my organization?

Check Point Application Control has allowed us to integrate more capabilities by limiting the use of applications. Categories can classify things so we can segment each of the features to control granularity and integrate next-generation firewall security. This allows us to consolidate security controls by reducing the costs that the company will have to invest in when it comes to having Next Generation security. This is one of the best reasons why we have invested in solutions of this type because they give us the ability to have less expense with greater security, having first-world innovation and security.

What is most valuable?

Among the features that we have used, we like being able to identify the identity of the user who is doing transactions. Thanks to that, we have greater control, and management, and have the possibility of establishing limits and controlling each of the actions that the user will establish in the application. Based on the control and capabilities of the solution, we can say today that the added value and capabilities of its features make it the ideal security solution for any company.

What needs improvement?

Seeing the capabilities and features that we are using today, we can say that we could expect an additional feature that could allow us to integrate this management and even security with APIs. Establishing passwords, communicating, and all the traffic of command data services could be established through this type of connection, and we could take advantage of secure and stable connections. This gives us the possibility to establish, place and secure the data in a safer way.

For how long have I used the solution?

The company has been around for about a year. For a few months, we have been implementing the solution to protect and control the issue of applications in the Next Generation firewalls.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Cloud Support at a tech company with 1-10 employees
User
Top 5Leaderboard
Offers easy access and granular security, Safe, modern and easy to manage from the portal.
Pros and Cons
  • "Its implementation is simple."
  • "Something important to mention is the improvement at the support level. It could be more advanced."

What is our primary use case?

In our company, when acquiring CKPOINT products to be able to have perimeter protection for our teams, both cloud and on-premise.

we are able to carry out greater protection with Check Point's gateway, integrated with access control. It is a great help.

How has it helped my organization?

Check Point Application Control has been of great help in being able to provide access and granular security improvements for different departments with different profiles within the company. It is important to be able to do this in environments that deserve greater control in different areas.

We gained a lot in control, however, also through the reports it was possible to determine what was happening, and subsequently, make security improvements in the application control blade. Its use is really simple and intuitive, and when we have had doubts we have relied on the public documentation.

What is most valuable?

One of the advantages of Check Point Application Control is the large number of profiles included within the tool to be able to generate granular policies, in addition to permissions between servers or even web access.

Its implementation is simple. It is another great advantage. In our case, we use it with our R81 Check Point Gateway. It was implemented in Microsoft Azure, being a virtual device.

On the other hand, the log reports are very good for making validations and decisions.

What needs improvement?

Something important to mention is the improvement at the support level. It could be more advanced. Sometimes the responses are somewhat slow or based on a schedule that is not always the same as the companies. It's difficult to generate a session with them to better explain your needs.

We would also like the costs to be more comfortable. Although they are not different from other security tools, they could have improvements to provide greater interest to customers who are interested or loyal to Check Point's products.

For how long have I used the solution?

In the company, we have made security improvements in recent years to be able to solve technological gaps in which vulnerabilities could greatly damage work continuity. Application control is a great help for our gateways.

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

Previously we had used Fortinet Gateways, however we liked what Check Point offered better at the level of modern security tools.

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

It is very important before implementing security improvements to have a test environment to evaluate correctly. I recommend taking previous implementations into account.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before opting for Check Point, we validated and verified several demos with other manufacturers, however, we liked it better and it was better adapted to our internal needs.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Software Engineer at CloudSense
User
Top 5
Great support, good security, and helps with monitoring
Pros and Cons
  • "This platform has fully secured our applications with very powerful firewall security upgrades."
  • "The learning curve for new users is challenging since the integrated data models are complicated."

What is our primary use case?

This software monitors the performance of applications across the company. It provides comprehensive security for all the tools contributing to the company's growth. 

Check Point Application Control has created reliable data management policies that guide employees on how to interact effectively with applications. The software assigns each sector the most suitable working tools to easily implement projects and tasks. 

We were able to customize it and make efficient configurations with data models.

How has it helped my organization?

This platform has fully secured our applications with very powerful firewall security upgrades. 

It has taught employees how to protect their work tools from external security threats. The system has a secure database that keeps information on applications in a secure environment. 

It interconnects easily any network platform that faces challenges restoring normalcy. It updates applications for compliance. It unlocks hidden security barriers that affect workflows.

What is most valuable?

All the features collaborate in the management of application security. Granular control monitors the models that create a given application. 

It tracks down the performance of all the given tools in the system to ensure there is reliable performance. 

Application groupings simplify the work of monitoring operations and checking the security situation of the entire production chain. Next-Generation Firewalls identify any malware attacks that could harm data and slow down operations. 

The Network Security monitoring system has enhanced the safety of the company's cloud-based servers.

What needs improvement?

The learning curve for new users is challenging since the integrated data models are complicated. 

The system slows down when the company has a lot of applications. 

New versions that are upgraded rarely come with new market updates. 

The cost and deployment capacity is based on the size of the company. The overall performance is excellent when the system administrators from the company work closely with the vendor-customer support team. 

It has enhanced a secure work environment and enabled employees to focus on more productive tasks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for 12 months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable and highly productive.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is highly scalable with perfect performance.

How are customer service and support?

The customer support staff is dedicated to their work, and I will always cherish their great support.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

I have no experience with a similar solution.

How was the initial setup?

We did not experience complications during the setup process.

What about the implementation team?

It was implemented through the vendor, and they provided the required support and guidelines.

What was our ROI?

The ROI has been positive with increased performance.

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

The cost is good and flexible for any organization.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We settled on this product the first time.

What other advice do I have?

I highly recommend this software for comprehensive application security enhancement.

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
Technology consultant at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Extensive application database, helps to secure our users, limits undesirable bandwidth usage
Pros and Cons
  • "This product logs & monitors event traffic for each application, giving us better visibility."
  • "We expect applications to be updated regularly."

What is our primary use case?

We use Check Point in our internal network, as well as on the perimeter & we have used the Application control-blade on the internal firewall. All of our user traffic will be terminated at the internal firewall, hence we have done primary filtering of traffic on the internal firewall only.

Basically, on the internal firewall, we are blocking all social networking sites, remote meeting applications, adult content, & torrent applications. This restriction helps us to save our bandwidth as well to ensure that users follow & maintain work ethics at the office premises.

How has it helped my organization?

Application control blades help us in two ways. The first is to allow specific applications, where earlier we have to find out all of the URLs needed for each application & then allow them one by one. Now, we now just find the application. The second way is to restrict the user from browsing unwanted websites.

Together, these improved security & help to maintain discipline & focus at work.

The application control-blade also helps us by providing visibility. We have an overview of application traffic & depending upon the content, we can decide to allow or deny the application.

What is most valuable?

Check Point has its own application database where more than 7,300 applications are known. I am able to see them using the smart console, along with details for each one. Each and every application has an accompanying category, some knowledge about the application, the protocol it uses, & the risk factor associate with it.

Implementing application control is very simple & it is designed in such a way that we can introduce it with access policy. Also, to reduce complexity, we can create an altogether different layer.

This product logs & monitors event traffic for each application, giving us better visibility. Updating the application database is very easy; we just have to schedule the update & the device will automatically fetch it on a regular schedule, such as every two hours.

What needs improvement?

We expect applications to be updated regularly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Check Point Application Control for more than three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is one of the stable modules in Check Point.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability for application control in the Check Point gateways is good & does not take need much processing power.  

How are customer service and technical support?

Check Point TAC is always helpful, although particularly for application control, we have not yet raised any tickets. For the help that they have given us with other products, I appreciate the effort from the support team, as they always help us when we ask. 

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

Prior to this, we used FortiGate but the Check Point database is far better.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very simple.

What about the implementation team?

We completed the implementation in-house.

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

I think application control has become a basic feature and it should be enabled automatically, without having to purchase a separate license for it. Alternatively, it should be available at a minimal cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have not evaluated any other options.

What other advice do I have?

The only thing we expect from a Check Point is to regularly update their database with the new applications. Other than this, specific to the application control-blade, I have not seen any issues or problems.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

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