Check Point Application Control Reviews

We are using Check Point Application Control for URL filtering so that users don't have access to unwanted websites, and we are also using it for threat prevention and Identity Awareness to implement allow policies based on users' names.

Previously, we were using allow policies based on IP addresses, but with Check Point Application Control, we have integrated our AD server to the firewall and implemented user-based policies. We have different departments, and we use username-based policies for each user.

Check Point Application Control has provided granular control over websites and visibility.

Check Point Application Control provides excellent granular control. For example, when allowing YouTube access, we can easily control downloading videos or posting content, restricting users to accessing only particular channels.

Previously, everyone had access to everything, but now with Check Point Application Control we have department-wise and user-based policies. Users are accessing only the compliance websites that we allow them to access, which is useful for controlling user access. We are getting proper visibility and can generate user-based reporting to present to our management.

Check Point Application Control has saved time since once we configure a user-based policy, there is no need for upgrades. We rarely change configurations in the firewall, making it time-saving while preventing threats from outside. It is cost-effective and provides a return on investment.

Sometimes Check Point Application Control provides false positives. We allow some websites or domains, but it still blocks them under certain categories. These false positives given by Check Point Application Control can be improved.

We are using Check Point Application Control for more than two years.

Check Point Application Control is stable.

We evaluated Fortinet application control before choosing Check Point Application Control.

As per industry reputation of Check Point OEM, everything looks fine.

I advise anyone looking for application control in their organization to consider this solution as it provides packet inspection, granular control, visibility, and allows creating user-based policies. All these features are very good, and they can consider Check Point Application Control as the best solution in the industry.

I rate Check Point Application Control eight out of ten.

My main use case for Check Point Application Control is to control URL access while users are searching on the internet, and with the help of Application Control, we can allow them whatever they get in our organization. This solution comes with the Check Point Next Generation Firewall, so we have enabled the Application Access feature in Check Point Next Generation Firewall.

A specific example of how I use Check Point Application Control in my day-to-day work is that we have configured the Application Control in our Check Point Next Generation Firewall. There are multiple categories, and we have allowed only the required categories, such as for the HR department and for accounting, whatever applications they use in day-to-day work. Based on that, we have allowed the application. Apart from that, everything is blocked.

The best features Check Point Application Control offers include the automatic update of the application categories, which gets automatically updated, and based on that, if any new application is added, it will get blocked under the block categories.

The automatic updates help my team by saving time and reducing manual effort because if we need to block the entertainment applications, if a new application is introduced in the market that falls under the entertainment category, it is blocked by default, so we don't have to manually configure or block this newly added application.

Check Point Application Control has positively impacted my organization by controlling application access; previously, all the users had full internet access, and now we have controlled their application access based on this solution.

Currently, I do not feel any feature needs improvement in Application Control because everything functions perfectly.

The costing could be better for smaller organizations, as sometimes they feel they are not able to purchase these features due to pricing.

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

Check Point Application Control is stable.

The scalability of Check Point Application Control is better.

The customer support is supportive.

Positive

We have been using the same solution from the start, so I did not previously use a different solution before Check Point Application Control.

I have seen a return on investment in terms of time saved and increased productivity.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing is good based on our organization's size, so the pricing, setup cost, and licensing is considered acceptable.

Before choosing Check Point Application Control, we evaluated Sophos Application Control.

After we enabled Check Point Application Control, I have seen improvements in security and productivity with fewer security events and increased productivity of the employees.

This is the industry's best solution, and organizations can consider Check Point Application Control tool in their organization.

Our company has a business relationship with this vendor as we are a partner.

I rate Check Point Application Control nine out of ten.

My main use case for Check Point Application Control is controlling application access as per client requirements. The LAN users try to access various applications randomly, but with respect to business requirements, users should access only business applications such as Teams and FTP. For the marketing team specifically, they should have access to Facebook, while other users should not have access to Facebook and social media platforms. We have implemented this type of use case for the client.

This use case fits into my daily workflow by providing a particular scenario where Check Point Application Control made a difference for my client. For example, the marketing team has access to Facebook and other social media platforms for marketing purposes, while other users can only access business applications such as Teams. This provides a granular level of control over which applications users can access. With Facebook, users can view posts but cannot post anything or chat on the application, achieving granular level control in particular applications.

Check Point Application Control offers features that control around 4,000 users through the Check Point firewall. This application control is one of the blades of the Check Point firewall, which helps us control user traffic based on which applications users should access and which they should not, with respect to company or organization compliance policies.

Changes in network performance are noticeable after implementing Check Point Application Control. Restricting users from visiting unnecessary applications improves the bandwidth, meaning the bandwidth is utilized only for desired applications or required tasks.

Check Point Application Control has positively impacted my organization, as I have seen improvements in security and compliance. Another important factor is that unnecessary bandwidth is not getting utilized; only the required applications get higher priority. For example, Teams voice calling takes priority. If users wanted to browse on YouTube and stream videos, that would consume bandwidth, but after blocking unwanted social media platforms and streaming sites, we prevent unnecessary bandwidth utilization, allowing it to be used for desired tasks.

Check Point Application Control can be improved, particularly in policy management. When we add applications in the policy, we currently have the option to select individual applications, but a feature allowing categorization of applications based on types, such as social media applications, would make it easier to add multiple or bulk applications in the policy. This feature would be very valuable if introduced.

Feedback from management about how these changes improved productivity and network performance has been positive. Users were spending their time watching videos on YouTube or streaming content, wasting time on Instagram and Facebook while in the office. Managers complained about this, leading to compliance policies being defined to restrict access to these kinds of applications.

I have been using Check Point Application Control for more than one and a half years as an administrator.

Check Point Application Control is stable; I have not faced downtime or issues with reliability.

The scalability of Check Point Application Control is good. I have not needed to scale up or down, and the process has been smooth.

Customer support for Check Point Application Control is fair and good, and I have reached out to them with satisfactory results.

Neutral

I have not previously used a different solution before Check Point Application Control.

The initial setup with Check Point Application Control is not very complex. If you know Check Point firewall, then it is easy to implement.

If you want to implement Check Point Application Control, I advise you to implement HTTPS inspection for it to work 100% perfectly. Without HTTPS inspection, it may not function perfectly, as it will scan or judge applications based on their ratings. Additionally, implementing HTTPS inspection will yield better outputs and correct results.

I have seen a return on investment since implementing Check Point Application Control. We can say that 4,000 users are now accessing only legitimate business applications rather than wasting time on other applications that utilize unnecessary bandwidth. If we hadn't implemented Application Control, we might have needed to increase bandwidth for the users, which saved costs from that perspective. Additionally, users stay focused on their tasks, ultimately helping the organization save time, and from a security perspective, there are no disruptions seen.

The pricing, setup cost, and licensing of Check Point Application Control are higher than other vendors, but it justifies the features offered. The licensing is straightforward.

I evaluated Palo Alto before choosing Check Point Application Control. I noticed that in Palo Alto, we don't get a granular level of application management as we do in Check Point, which has a large database for the applications, making it easier to implement policies.

The process for setting up specific rules for user groups is straightforward. To work efficiently, we have to implement HTTPS inspection, which is important to work perfectly. The rest of the configuration process is very straightforward.

That level of detail is important for my clients because it prevents users from posting any internal information on social media platforms, which is crucial for our organization.

We are a partner of Check Point, so we have a business relationship with this vendor beyond just being a customer.

I use other tech products such as FortScout, FortiADC, and Netskope.

You can use my real name and company name when publishing my review.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Check Point Application Control a 9.

Our main use case for Check Point Application Control is to detect and prevent cyber attacks with the help of different application traffic that is restricted, so it identifies.

In our organization, we use Check Point Application Control to control user traffic accessing allowed application categories by the security policy configured in the solution.

The best feature about Check Point Application Control is that its database is very strong, and the categorization of the application is outstanding, so we are able to block applications based on the categories.

The categorization in Check Point Application Control helps our team because entertainment and weapons applications are not allowed in our organization, so we block those applications.

After implementing Check Point Application Control, we are getting proper security and user application access control.

We are seeing improvements in security with the controls from Check Point Application Control, and we are also saving our productivity.

I don't see any feature lacking in Check Point Application Control.

Every solution has space to improve, which is why I've chosen nine out of 10 for Check Point Application Control.

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

Check Point Application Control is stable.

Scalability-wise, Check Point Application Control is excellent and can grow with our organization's needs.

I have a great experience with the support team for Check Point Application Control.

Neutral

We are using Check Point Application Control as the same solution without switching.

We have evaluated FortiGate application control before choosing Check Point Application Control.

I can say we have seen time saved as a return on investment.

Anyone looking for the best solution in the security domain for application control can consider Check Point Application Control. I rate Check Point Application Control nine out of ten.

My main use case for Check Point Application Control is visibility.

I use Check Point Application Control to monitor what users in my company are using and to control the specific use case.

I don't have anything else to add about how I use Check Point Application Control for visibility or control at this moment.

The best features Check Point Application Control offers include granular access level and good visibility, and it is also easy for deployment.

Check Point Application Control has positively impacted my organization by being easy to deploy and manage.

The ease of deployment and management has benefited my organization because we already have a Check Point firewall, and we have a team to manage Check Point, so we decided to integrate more of the features for Check Point as well, recently adding a Check Point application.

I think Check Point Application Control is good and doesn't require any improvements at this time.

I don't have more to add about any needed improvements, even minor ones, right now.

I have been using Check Point Application Control for around six to seven months.

Check Point Application Control is stable; till date, it remains stable.

We haven't tried Check Point Application Control's scalability.

I haven't really needed to contact customer support.

Neutral

I didn't previously use a different solution for application control.

Check Point Application Control is deployed on-premises in my organization.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was that the cost was high, and I think the cost should be improved for competitor pricing.

We are a reseller in addition to being a customer of this vendor.

I have seen a return on investment because it was time saved, as we already have expertise, making it a time-saving solution for me.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was that the cost was high, and I think the cost should be improved for competitor pricing.

Check Point Application Control was my first choice without evaluating other options.

That's it for now regarding additional features.

I advise others looking into using Check Point Application Control that it is good to try, easy to manage, but the pricing part is on the higher scale; nothing else, overall, it's a good product.

On a scale of one to ten, I rate Check Point Application Control a seven.

I've been using Check Point Application Control since the last three years, where I've been an administrator for Check Point firewall. Within that span, I have encountered multiple clients where Application Control was being used.

My main use case for Check Point Application Control is mostly for granularization of what to access and what not to access, particularly for a client with more than 3,000 users. For such a large number of users, it's always a hectic task for the administrators to give granularization on what the client has access to and what they do not. So, with the help of Check Point Application Control, we can define the granularity that reduces the risk of unauthorized access and potential breaches. Additionally, it has helped us improve efficiency and enhance real-time threat prevention capability.

I have unique scenarios where Check Point Application Control made a difference in a client environment that wasn't categorized, resulting in bandwidth issues. When we implemented Check Point there, we granularized the teams by categorizing what all access each team needed, which helped us improve bandwidth efficiency overall.

The best features of Check Point Application Control are advanced threat detection, SSL inspection policies, application categorization, and custom application detection, all of which stand out due to the zero trust security model Check Point follows along with several other enhancements.

The custom application detection feature in Check Point Application Control has been helpful in my environment where we define access for different teams. For instance, the HR team needs access to Facebook and other social media platforms, while the marketing team requires access to promote new features and products we are implementing. By regulating application-centric access, we increase the overall productivity for users while restricting them from browsing non-essential sites.

Application categorization and SSL inspection are crucial because to achieve full effectiveness of application control, it is necessary to have HTTPS inspection enabled.

Check Point Application Control has positively impacted my organization by increasing productivity and optimizing bandwidth. By filtering out the level of access that users have, we limit potential threats from malicious links, ultimately increasing both security and user productivity.

I can share metrics reflecting the impact of Check Point Application Control, where we have seen a reduction in the number of tickets created, indicating fewer incidents. Also, bandwidth has been optimized, especially after categorization where we previously faced overutilization issues.

Check Point Application Control could be improved, particularly regarding the application categorization accuracy as we often face miscategorization issues. The database should be updated properly to avoid misclassification and ensure 100% accuracy.

I see a needed improvement in the categorization where a gaming site might be categorized under sports or gambling. For instance, I blocked it under gambling but also allowed it in games, causing issues where the site sometimes gets opened incorrectly. This is an area where Check Point can enhance their service.

I've been using Check Point Application Control since the last three years.

In my experience, Check Point Application Control is stable.

The scalability of Check Point Application Control is commendable as it can handle organizational growth effectively.

I've reached out to customer support for Check Point Application Control, and the experience was good. The tech engineers are knowledgeable and supportive, with prompt responses, although I believe the response time could be improved.

I would rate the customer support for Check Point Application Control at nine out of ten.

Positive

I did not previously use a different solution before Check Point Application Control.

The initial setup with Check Point Application Control is straightforward and very simple.

I have seen a return on investment with Check Point Application Control, with increased productivity as users no longer spend time on unnecessary applications. By restricting access to only what is required, the productivity has increased, which results in greater value for the organization.

My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Check Point Application Control is that the pricing is a bit high, but the features provided justify the cost. The features that Check Point offers are extensive and worth the investment.

Before choosing Check Point Application Control, we evaluated Palo Alto as well, but I find Check Point's level of categorization and database readiness for application control to be more user-friendly and comprehensive.

Check Point Application Control is deployed on-prem in my organization.

My advice for others looking into using Check Point Application Control is to definitely consider it if you already have security needs.

Overall, Check Point Application Control is an awesome product that can definitely be used to secure environments.

I rate Check Point Application Control nine out of ten.

We use Check Point Application Control to block and protect our website which are not required for user access.

Check Point provide excellent support. It is easy to operate and handle with the recent GUI.

If someone wants to review the configuration for the proxy, they would need to look elsewhere, as this tool is not designed to assess the performance of security policies.

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

The product is stable.

The solution’s scalability is good.

When we open a ticket for a critical issue, we are immediately connected with a Level 3 support engineer via phone call within two minutes. There is no waiting list. The support is very swift and efficient, and they assign the best available engineer for critical issues, bypassing the L1, L2 and then L3.

Positive

We have moved the Check Point Application Control from AppSense, the epoxy solution, because of several issues. Users experienced latency while accessing the internet through the AppSense. Additionally, the AppSense client software installed on user machines frequently crashed, and it was not compatible with MacBooks.

The initial setup is straightforward and takes around three months to complete.

The product is expensive but it is worth the money.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

I am using Check Point Application Control for controlling streaming, social media, and video sites.  Additionally, we control VPNs and peer-to-peer sites. We use it to control sites that use a lot of bandwidth.

Check Point Application Control has resulted in fewer outside attacks, increased bandwidth for communication to the outside, more control for the CPA and users, and improved remote access management. We have numerous external collaborators working with our organization, and we have strict protocols for them to follow, which Check Point Application Control has helped us enforce. The VPN feature is also very helpful for remote users. Overall, Check Point has provided our organization with increased security, better performance, improved network response, and fewer issues.

The most valuable feature of Check Point Application Control is VPN access and the ability to lock out sites we do not want users to have access. The reporting monitoring software in Check Point Application Control is fantastic. For example, log filtering is beneficial.

There are many aspects we do not like about the solution and there are a lot of alternatives available on the market. Some of the settings are buried deep within the solution making it a challenge to navigate. It would be helpful if it was more intuitive. Additionally, there can be some settings that are in multiple places, this leaves the user not knowing what settings are needed to be modified for the wanted result. I have lost confidence because I do not know if I change a setting or if it is going to have the desired result I intended it to do.

I have used other solutions, such as Palo Alto and I did not experience these types of problems.

When we apply a change in Check Point Application Control there can be some time for the changes to take effect. The time is too long, and we have experienced approximately five minutes on occasion for modifying some rules or filtering.

When there are outside-of-the-network threats, such as DoS attacks, Check Point Application Control should have more integrated ways to deal with the attacks. We should not have to purchase add-ons or secondary solutions or patches.

There is some functionality that is not working anymore as it once did, such as HTTP filtering. The complexity of application usage is increasing day by day, and it seems that at some point, we will need to initiate specific projects to tackle the issue of application filtering. Check Point Application Control has been instrumental in addressing this challenge, but with the continued growth in complexity, more advanced features would be necessary to make the solution even more effective.

I have used Check Point Application Control within the last 12 months.

Perhaps due to inadequate planning during the initial installation, we encountered numerous issues that persisted over the years. For instance, we faced challenges with VPN connectivity in certain locations, and at times, multiple CPU calls occurred while SharePoint failed to utilize all available machine resources. These problems led to daily performance issues and crashes, causing considerable headaches.

It seems that the lack of careful planning during the installation phase was the root cause of these problems. With better planning and attention to detail, we could have avoided these issues altogether.

I rate the stability of Check Point Application Control a seven out of ten.

We have approximately 2,000 simultaneous VPN access. We have a total of approximately 4,000 users using the solution.

I rate the scalability of Check Point Application Control an eight out of ten.

The support we received was very good.

I rate the technical support from Check Point Application Control a nine out of ten.

Positive

I have used other solutions.

The first deployment of Check Point Application Control posed significant complexity challenges in our large-scale operation. With numerous employees and diverse needs, attempting a self-setup proved to be a daunting task. However, despite the initial ease of implementation, performance degradation gradually surfaced over time, whether after several weeks, months, or even a year or two.

The root cause of the problem lay in inadequate planning and suboptimal configuration at the outset. Our policies failed to work correctly, and we encountered multiple issues that necessitated reaching out to the vendor for assistance. While the system provided many customization options to cater to our specific requirements, uncovering the hidden settings proved to be a stumbling block. Ultimately, we struggled to identify the optimal configuration that would best serve our organization. The default settings are easy to find but the advanced settings are not easy to find and use.

I rate the initial setup Check Point Application Control an eight out of ten.

We use consultants and integrators to install Check Point Application Control. Additionally, we had an external course to improve our knowledge. The solution is complex and we were not able to do the implementation with the knowledge we had. We are discovering more options as we continue using the solution.

The price of Check Point Application Control is high. The support and ecosystem around the solution are expensive.

I rate the price of Check Point Application Control a seven out of ten.

I would advise others before choosing any solution to look at many of the solutions on the market and compare them. It would be helpful to do a proof of concept and test the solutions before purchasing. What the Gartner Magic Quadrant research site advertises sometimes does not translate into the actual performance of the solution. It is important to test the solutions.

Check Point Application Control is a sophisticated powerful solution that makes it difficult to customize. The price and the complexity of the solution might not be the best choice. Planning is a very important aspect of having the smooth operation of the solution if one chooses to use it.

I rate Check Point Application Control an eight out of ten.

The solution's primary use cases include application visibility and control, enforcement of security policies, risk mitigation, and bandwidth management. 

It has enhanced security posture, increased visibility and control, policy enforcement, and improved compliance, etc.                     

The best features of this application include visibility, granular policy enforcement, application risk assessment, and compliance reporting. 

These features collectively contribute to enhancing network security, improving operational efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance, and mitigating risks associated with unauthorized or malicious application usage within an organization using Check Point Application Control.

The following aspects need to be improved:

• Application detection and classification
• The user interface 
• Usability
• Threat detection and prevention
• Reporting and analytics

I have been Check Point Application Control for the past two years.

The stability is good.

The scalability is good.

Technical support is good.

Positive

No, I didn't previously use any other solution. 

The initial setup is clean.

We had a vendor, and they were good.

The ROI is nice.

The pricing should be reduced, and the licensing needs to be improved.

We did evaluate Forcepoint Application Control.

The primary use case of Check Point Application Control is to enhance network security by providing granular control over applications and web traffic. It prevents unauthorized access by allowing or blocking applications based on predefined policies, ensuring that only authorized applications are used within the network. 

Additionally, it improves productivity by restricting access to non-business-related applications and websites, helps maintain compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies by monitoring and controlling application usage, and mitigates risks by detecting and preventing the use of high-risk applications, thereby reducing the likelihood of malware and data breaches. 

This comprehensive control over application usage makes us more secure and efficient. 

The solution allows us to enforce policies that ensure only authorized applications are used, reducing the attack surface for potential threats such as malware. Restricting access to non-business-related applications and websites helps boost employee productivity and focus. 

Moreover, the solution aids in maintaining regulatory compliance by monitoring and controlling application usage, ensuring sensitive data is protected according to our standards. 

Overall, Check Point Application Control contributes to a more secure IT environment, enhances operational efficiency, and supports compliance efforts, ultimately safeguarding our organization's assets and reputation.

The application control capabilities allow for precise management of which applications can access the network, helping to prevent unauthorized or risky applications from compromising security. This feature enhances network protection and supports regulatory compliance efforts by ensuring that only approved applications are used. 

Additionally, the solution's ability to categorize and prioritize applications based on their risk levels enables us to allocate resources more effectively, focusing on mitigating the most significant threats first. 

Furthermore, the real-time monitoring and reporting functionalities provide visibility into application usage patterns and potential security incidents, enabling proactive responses to emerging threats.

Firstly, enhancing the user interface and overall user experience could simplify configuration and management tasks, making it more intuitive for administrators to navigate and utilize the solution effectively. 

Additionally, improving the scalability and performance to handle larger networks and increasing traffic volumes would ensure consistent reliability under heavy usage conditions.

Looking forward, additional features that could enhance Check Point Application Control in future releases might include more advanced machine learning and AI capabilities for threat detection and anomaly detection within application traffic. 

Integration with cloud services and applications, as well as enhanced reporting and analytics functionalities, could provide deeper insights into application usage patterns and security posture.

I've used the solution for three years.

Its ability to effectively enforce application policies without causing disruptions to network operations. 

It maintains stability even during periods of high network traffic or when handling a wide variety of applications. 

The scalability of Check Point Application Control can be influenced by factors such as hardware resources, network complexity, and the number of concurrent users and applications. 

Organizations with very large networks or high traffic volumes may need to ensure adequate hardware resources and optimization of configurations to maintain optimal performance and scalability.

Technical support was not as expected.

Neutral

We did not previously use a different solution. 

The initial setup was complex.

We implemented the solution via the vendor.

By effectively managing and controlling application usage, we are reducing the risk of security breaches and data loss. This can lead to potential savings associated with avoiding financial penalties, reputational damage, and remediation costs related to security incidents. 

The setup cost is reasonable. That said, pricing should be reduced further. 

We did evaluate Fortigate.

This solution is meeting all our expectations; support and subscriptions should be taken into account.