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reviewer2540445 - PeerSpot reviewer
Student at a university with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
Top 5
Effortless configuration with deep packet visibility across layers
Pros and Cons
  • "Check Point IPS is very easy to configure. It's part of Check Point's blade architecture, where firewall, VPN, and IPS configurations are identical, making the learning curve minimal. The feature can be enabled with a straightforward process, allowing default or customized configurations."
  • "From the product perspective, there have been instances where the signature download caused issues."

What is our primary use case?

Initially, the requirement was just to have a stateful inspection firewall to control traffic entering our network. Later, we needed deep packet inspection to look into packets deeply to identify any kind of malicious content. This led us to start using Check Point IPS to have visibility across all the seven layers of traffic entering the network.

How has it helped my organization?

The solution is consumed by our SOC to ensure we have visibility into traffic entering our network. With IPS's logs, we began to get a lot of visibility into the type of traffic flowing into our network. It fulfills our SOC's need and has become our standard for deep packet inspection, which is easy to deploy.

What is most valuable?

Check Point IPS is very easy to configure. It's part of Check Point's blade architecture, where firewall, VPN, and IPS configurations are identical, making the learning curve minimal. The feature can be enabled with a straightforward process, allowing default or customized configurations.

What needs improvement?

From the product perspective, there have been instances where the signature download caused issues. However, it happened only once, and some QA is needed on signatures. Overall, the product is robust.

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For how long have I used the solution?

I have had experience with Check Point IPS for ten years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is excellent. There haven't been any issues after enabling certain features, and it hasn't caused outages in traffic. During certification, we considered exceptions to avoid IPS inspection for legit traffic.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability depends on hardware platform certification. Check Point's Maestro solution allows up to thirty-four firewalls in a load-sharing configuration. Properly sizing the appliance for IPS makes it a scalable solution.

How are customer service and support?

Customer service is a significant drawback. Support is challenging during weekends, and support personnel often require unnecessary details, slowing resolution processes.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We use both Check Point and Palo Alto. Palo Alto is more expensive, with a front-end focused design lacking on the CLI. Check Point provides flexibility with Linux commands, reducing deployment hassle.

How was the initial setup?

Setup is straightforward, rated as ten on a scale of one to ten. Configuration involves enabling the IPS feature and publishing changes, identical to setting up a firewall.

What about the implementation team?

Three engineering team members worked on solution certification. The operations team, supported by four to five people, ensured deployment across global firewalls during limited change windows.

What was our ROI?

The solution fulfills the SOC's need for visibility and easy deployment of deep packet inspection, with no operational impact reported.

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

As a global customer, we receive decent discounts and expand our infrastructure using the solution. There have been no pricing issues.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We also evaluated Palo Alto and previously worked with Juniper long ago. Palo Alto has a steeper learning curve with proprietary terms not aligned with industry standards. Check Point follows standard conventions, simplifying deployment.

What other advice do I have?

Check Point IPS is a preferable solution for its price, stability, and deployment ease compared to more complex solutions.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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reviewer2029350 - PeerSpot reviewer
Database Administrator at Ordina
Real User
Great unified system with impressive protection and helpful support
Pros and Cons
  • "Real-time protection has blocked most threats that could affect system operations."
  • "The cost is high."

What is our primary use case?

This tool seals any loopholes that could be detected by ransomware attackers and may lead to data loss. It has protected the organization from potential vulnerabilities affecting operations and the slowdown of workflows. It ensures that the applications are performing efficiently based on the set objectives. It delivers many signatures that enable teams to ascertain the security situations in various departments. It saves the organization a lot of costs since it is less costly and more powerful than many versions in the market.

How has it helped my organization?

Digital transformation has been efficient and productive thanks to the operation of this great product. After the implementation of IPS, there is increased production, and teams can easily focus on more productive tasks without fear of being attacked by cybercriminals. We have accelerated operations with the modern data management models that come with this application. It is easy to detect threats in advance and plan effectively how to eliminate them. Our organization has been secure since we deployed this tool without cases of external attacks.

What is most valuable?

Most features in this platform have been of great importance in the organization. The unified system controls the security situation in any system, reducing the total cost of ownership. Real-time protection has blocked most threats that could affect system operations. It can detect and prevent the entry of known and unknown data vulnerabilities. 

The customer support services are efficient and have always helped us achieve most goals. The platform provides continuous cyber security reports that enable us to plan and make informed decisions.

What needs improvement?

The set features have played important roles in transforming the organization to meet the basic security standards. 

The cost is high. That said, depending on the company's size, there can be a mutual agreement for efficient licensing terms. We are satisfied with the set performance parameters that have enhanced the smooth running of workflows. 

The team should focus more on timely updates and configuration processes that sometimes may fail. I like the performance of this product and the achievements we've made so far.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for eight months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable, and I recommend it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I am impressed by the performance.

How are customer service and support?

The customer support staff is always supportive.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

I have not used a different solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial set up was not complex.

What about the implementation team?

Implementation was done through the vendor.

What was our ROI?

There is increased ROI.

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

The setup cost is good.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have not evaluated other options.

What other advice do I have?

The security measures are effective and I'd recommend the product to companies seeking great performance.

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?

Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Check Point IPS
March 2025
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Tshidiso Sehloho - PeerSpot reviewer
ICT Security Consultant at National Treasury of the Republic of South Africa
Consultant
Top 20
Robust network security with comprehensive protection, and continuous improvement, offering advanced features like signature-based detection, behavioral analysis, and mobile solutions
Pros and Cons
  • "It offers robust protection with features such as Next Generation firewall capabilities, mobile solutions, and proactive threat prevention."
  • "Enhancements are necessary for the proficiency of notifications in the event of a Social Security incident, whether through email or alternative channels such as SMS."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use cases include application security control, comprehensive security management, and proactive protection against a wide range of threats. It serves as a crucial component for safeguarding applications and ensuring overall security effectiveness. It contributes to proactive protection and plays a pivotal role in firewall protection strategies.

How has it helped my organization?

The focus is on safeguarding the departmental environment, and it is effectively fulfilling its role in environmental protection.

What is most valuable?

It offers robust protection with features such as Next Generation firewall capabilities, mobile solutions, and proactive threat prevention.

What needs improvement?

Enhancements are necessary for the proficiency of notifications in the event of a Social Security incident, whether through email or alternative channels such as SMS.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with it for ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It offers excellent stability. I would rate it ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate its scalability abilities nine out of ten. Currently, 1,800 users within our organization actively use it.

How are customer service and support?

I would rate its customer service and support nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup can be somewhat intricate, involving coordination with the OEM and service provider. I would rate it a six out of ten.

What about the implementation team?

For the deployment, we conducted a refresh last year, which took approximately two to three weeks to complete. It is essential to have at least two individuals involved in the process, with one requiring additional expertise. This team typically consists of a Check Point specialist, an expert, and an administrator.

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

The pricing is quite reasonable.

What other advice do I have?

It is highly efficient and it provides a mobile solution for various devices, including cell phones and iPads, catering to mobile workflows. The system is not only efficient but continually improving. I would certainly recommend it. Overall, I would rate it eight 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
Mamadou Fallou Diagne - PeerSpot reviewer
IT security and network analyst at Québec Government
Real User
Top 10
Efficiently protects workstation, but some lacks automation features
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to configure."
  • "It requires a lot of people to maintain the solution."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case is to protect the workstation. The IPS blade is integrated into our Check Point environment. We have many blades in Check Point IPS representation, each with a specific function.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is very good and easy to use. Configuration is straightforward, and support is fast, usually within one hour. The IPS blade is integrated into our Check Point environment and is used for intrusion prevention.

What needs improvement?

There is room for improvement in the pricing model, and it can be more competitive.

Moreover, another area of improvement is in the maintenance of the solution because it requires a lot of people to maintain the solution. Some tasks can be automated, and I would like to see a feature where we can automate the tasks.

For how long have I used the solution?

The company has been using Check Point for around 20 years, and I have been with the company for two years. The IPS blade is integrated with Check Point, and we use R81.20.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It is easy to configure.

What about the implementation team?

The solution requires proper maintenance because there are several tasks to check for updates and more. We have five people on the maintenance team. Our company has many firewalls since it is big, and the number of endpoints is more than 5000. Moreover, we have various roles like engineers, system administrators, or network administrators.

What other advice do I have?

I would give Check Point IPS a seven out of ten. We started using this product a year ago, and it has worked well for us.

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.
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PeerSpot user
Network Engineer at LTTS
Real User
Helps prevent unwanted and unknown attacks
Pros and Cons
  • "IPS can protect our organization with any old vulnerabilities or if any vulnerability detected minutes ago IPS can protect us as per our configured policy."
  • "I observed on our management that sometimes IPS does not connect to the threat cloud, we have to check and improve it. Otherwise, all of the features are good."

What is our primary use case?

I work in MNC company and we have 6 GEO locations in India and all of our locations are using Check Point as a perimeter firewall. I sit in our HO Office and I am maintaining all the location firewalls with my team, except for 1 location. We regularly monitor the security alerts on our perimeter and based on that we will align our location IT to check and update us. IPS is our core blade for network security, it is provide the details that some suspicious activities happen on our network as per the IPS signature database, and based on that we will work on that.

As our primary use case with IPS blade we are daily receiving non-compliant IKE alert, and we know if we prevented it then what impact will happen, our all site to site tunnel will stop working which is running with noncompliant IKE and we are not forcing our client to update that noncompliant IKE protocol. 

How has it helped my organization?

We have configured the IPS daily report on our Check Point Gateway so we get daily reports with details of IPS related alerts. Based on the report we will check whether it is in prevention or detection mode and based on that we will check with the internal team and work on that. This is a very useful blade to prevent unwanted and unknown attacks. We can also create strict policies in the IPS blade to prevent high and critical severity but in our organization, we follow the same but in some cases, we have created exceptions.

Overall with the IPS blade we can say we are secure with unknown attacks. 

What is most valuable?

The default category (Low, Medium, High, Critical) is the most valuable feature because we don't know what type of attack will happen, but with this category, we can create a policy to prevent any high and critical severity behavior. With this, we can protect our organization from weakness exploit of vulnerable systems.

IPS can protect our organization with any old vulnerabilities or if any vulnerability was detected within a few minutes. IPS can protect us as per our configured policy.

What needs improvement?

I strongly agree that with IPS blade we can protect our organization vulnerabilities. I would like to have the ability to virtually patch our application or vulnerable machine that is talking ourside our network. If it is there then we can protect our application and systems to any unknown attack if our system or application has a weakness or vulnerability. 

I observed on our management that sometimes IPS does not connect to the threat cloud, we have to check and improve it. Otherwise, all of the features are good.  

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Check Point IPS for the last four years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Sometimes it will not connect to the threat cloud.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This is a fully salable blade.

How are customer service and technical support?

Overall okay.

How was the initial setup?

Straightforward.

What about the implementation team?

Vendor team

What was our ROI?

Priceless.

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

Reg. cost and licensing part out procurement team taking care.

What other advice do I have?

The IPS is a very good blade in Check Point NGFW.

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
Paola Zúñiga Rojas - PeerSpot reviewer
Agente de servicios al cliente at Grupo Purdy
Real User
Great predefined visualizations, good integrations, and helpful alert capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "Some of the features for views and visualization are already predefined as default files."
  • "The service that we want to see in the future is a capacity to segment the IPS services by equipment."

What is our primary use case?

One of the needs that we had within our organization was the need to solve and support the prevention of zero-day attacks or vulnerability attacks within the network. We needed to be as proactive as possible to focus on solving any incident or gap that could be opened in the future within our organization. With this product, we were able to implement IPS solutions. IPS gives us the ability to detect and be proactive against many attacks - even if they are very new. The solution can detect old and new signatures. 

How has it helped my organization?

Check Point IPS services give our organization peace of mind. We know that the solution will be running and constantly updated thanks to the integrated Check Point services. It ensures stability. We have a solution that covers us all the time, day and night. In the configuration process, the solution has provided us with detection regarding what is stable. It is scalable and will allow us to grow according to the demand and the need. The service is well-maintained and functional.

What is most valuable?

The solution with the most organizational value is its 360° view, which has allowed us to integrate it well and speed up the view of records. It is dedicated 24/7 to detecting any attack. Vulnerabilities or incidents be flagged. It has the capability to give us alerts and offers good productivity to ensure that the services and data of our organization are always secured. 

Some of the features for views and visualization are already predefined as default files. This helps us to be proactive and not have to define any search or specialty of the services.

What needs improvement?

The service that we want to see in the future is a capacity to segment the IPS services by equipment. We'd like to see the integration of the communication of the services in the next-generation firewall and the other solutions that it has, such as Harmony. It would be great if they could start creating interoperability with both technologies. Integrating these solutions with the lighthouses could generate more complex and complete interoperability. That said, we'd want the solutions to be acquired and administered as one solution. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the service for about two months.

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
Zdenek Zeithaml - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Security at a insurance company with 51-200 employees
Real User
High availability, helpful support, and effective management of devices and policies
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Check Point IPS is the management of devices and policies."
  • "Check Point IPS' main problem is it is mostly software based. The performance is dependent on the CPU power, and the limited number of patterns."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Check Point IPS for the detection and prevention of threats for our PCI firewalls where it's mandatory to use it.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Check Point IPS is the management of devices and policies.

What needs improvement?

Check Point IPS' main problem is it is mostly software based. The performance is dependent on the CPU power, and the limited number of patterns.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Check Point IPS for over five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Check Point IPS is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The stability of Check Point IPS depends on too many factors. It always depends on the usage and the traffic. However, we did not have any issues with scalability.

We have approximately 40 to 50 people involved in using Check Point IPS, such as the firewall and IPS managing teams.

How are customer service and support?

We have onsite engineers from the Check Point IPS directly on our site.

I rate the support from Check Point IPS a four out of five.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Check Point IPS is straightforward because there are security profiles with default recommended configuration. However, these were beneficial at the time when produced but they are not that helpful anymore. 

It can take some time to do verification because there are some protocols where you know that there could be problems. For example, for some of the sharing features, you have to be careful. Those there are the profiles you can use for the setup, you do have to do a lot of manual work to have everything work correctly.

I rate the setup of Check Point IPS a two out of five.

What about the implementation team?

We did the implementation of Check Point IPS in-house.

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

There is a license needed to use the Check Point IPS which is not expensive. However, the Check Point IPS device is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

We are replacing the IPS from Check Point with a different solution, which is related to the IPS functionality. The reason for the replacement is because Check Point IPS are at their end of life and are not creating or not using the security policy for the traffic, it mostly acts as an IPS.

We are planning on using Trend Micro. It will be better because there will be a dedicated device that is doing only the IPS. The performance will be better and it has a larger number of patterns updated weekly.

I have a very long and extensive experience with the Check Point ISP. It is a good solution, but sometimes it's causing issues, but it's a general problem for all the networks and security devices.

I rate Check Point IPS a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Fabian Miranda - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud computing at Tech Data Limited
Real User
Great monitoring, less admin burden, and protects well against malware
Pros and Cons
  • "There's less admin burden to detect these threats as Check Point IPS will do it all for you and suggest the best preventive actions to protect the network."
  • "When exceptions need to be done for certain profiles, it is easy to get them done, however, implementation on some general ones may cause some extra work as the IPS is not easy to overwrite."

What is our primary use case?

The company needed to improve its compliance with traffic risk management before all the company employees went full WFH. 

This has turned into a more efficient operational control of internal traffic, where numerous threats had been identified while working in the office as most malware is somehow admitted by someone with access to the company network, either unintentionally or not. This actually drove revenue growth as fewer resources had to be spent from the IT department to fight cyber threats.

How has it helped my organization?

We've seen how this firewall has operated on real-time threats to both cloud and physical servers by detecting, neutralizing, eliminating, and then patching against malware. 

We can test these patches post-deployment in less than one day. We'll then generate reports that include the activity for the time we desire and gauge the performance of the software. 

From all this data, the IT department can determine future precautions, what kind of traffic will be blocked, and what users will be restricted.

What is most valuable?

We've been able to monitor all the devices in the network after activating and configuring the software blades. This shows us who's connected and who's not and how many disconnections there have been. 

The firewall picks up malware traces that may have affected other users and networks and notifies when a particular site has been the source of infection. 

There's less admin burden to detect these threats as Check Point IPS will do it all for you and suggest the best preventive actions to protect the network.

What needs improvement?

When exceptions need to be done for certain profiles, it is easy to get them done, however, implementation on some general ones may cause some extra work as the IPS is not easy to overwrite. 

There are updates that have been scheduled that have been delayed more than expected, which impacts the performance of the firewall when the traffic is high. This can cause false positives and release alerts for harmless traffic, which results in a deviation of the attention from the security administrator when it's not relevant.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used Check Point's complete protection package for our network for more than two years.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Check Point IPS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Check Point IPS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.