Check Point Harmony SASE (formerly Perimeter 81) Reviews

I use Perimeter 81 primarily for VPN connections and work and home banking. Additionally, I use it for some oil and gas applications. You should also consider using it for SD-WAN solutions. In fact, SD-WAN is one of the primary solutions offered by Perimeter 81.

In order to minimize costs, you can use a zero-trust security model. We also use VPN to interconnect many branches, for example, here in Nigeria, for an operator in the oil and gas industry. We have a high frequency in our network.

For us, SD-WAN is the most valuable feature. They provide a unique advantage for banking purposes and are also different from other solutions. VPN is good for security.

One of our challenges is ensuring the security of our cloud-based operations. We place a high priority on security and take measures to protect our data. We avoid using public cloud services and instead rely on data centers to collect data for both small and large branches.

In the next release, I would like to see more improvement in security capabilities.

I have been using Perimeter 81 for ten years. I am working with the latest version.

It is a very stable solution. It efficiently ensures security. We also use VPN to touch cloud and ensure secure information. However, for a specific company, we may need to improve security. The code is updated biweekly.

The scalability of Perimeter 81 depends on your equipment and routers. Different solutions may require different approaches. It is also a PLS to control.

The customer service was good. We needed to make some configurations, and it was the same as with other providers because it's a solution we use.

The initial setup is easy. The deployment process is different for each project, and it depends on the project's scope, such as the type of network and the kind of project. If you use IP and POS, it's different from if you don't use them.

It's possible to implement it in-house, or we can get some help. As for the technical aspects, we have six people who are required for the deployment and maintenance. We plan to increase the number of users for Permieter 81 in our company.

The system should think about how to maximize the ROI and minimize the OpEx cost for the customer. When you use a good solution, you can decrease your supply costs, increase engineering, reduce repair costs, and increase product stability. It's a win-win solution where the customer wins, and you win.

I would definitely recommend using Perimeter 81. Overall, I would rate the product a nine out of ten, but I would like to improve its security.

Our company installed the solution locally to test it and gain user experience. In the future, we plan to sell the solution to customers. 

The solution provides internet access, network access, and security. Both on-premises and cloud versions are available. 

Initially, we installed the on-premises version but are now testing the cloud version. 

The solution offers both client and clientless versions for good remote access. We don't like to give our credentials to BYOD devices, non-permanent cadres, or contractors so having two remote access options is a huge benefit. 

There is a granular level of control over users with regard to internet or network access. The virtual firewalls for remote connectivity are almost like having a firewall in-house. 

The solution is an agile product with very good technology. 

The solution requires you to buy a minimum of 50 licenses and that is not practical. 

I have been using the solution for five months. 

The solution is stable so I rate stability a ten out of ten. 

The solution is scalable so I rate scalability a ten out of ten. 

I have been selling Check Point firewalls for four years. Previously, I sold Fortinet.

I am happier with the solution because my customers are giving me very good feedback. 

The setup is easy so I rate it a ten out of ten. 

We implemented the solution in-house. We set up our Active Directory and our admin sent the docker through email. We clicked the docker, installed it, and received connection to the solution. 

It took about four months for rollout to all of our our engineers and salespeople.

I am not very happy about the pricing because the solution requires you to buy a minimum of 50 licenses. Annual licenses cost $30 to $40 each. 

The pricing is not practical in Sri Lanka because we have small customers who need only 10 to 20 licenses. There should be packages for 10, 20, and even 30 licenses. 

In Sri Lanka, there is a lot of competition with endpoint or process solutions. I think the solution is going to be a very good brand in the near future because we have been promoting it and most of our customers want to buy it. 

The solution provides a secure tunnel for controlling users while maintaining stability. Security is an important component because you need to prevent hacks and issues with data accessibility. Without a secure tunnel, someone might get into your networks, take credentials or databases, and destroy your data centers. 

The solution is fast and provides 100% security, especially for remote users. 

I rate the solution a ten out of ten. 

Check Point Quantum SASE is a next-generation email security solution. It can be used to protect users from phishing emails.

The tool connects as an API. The installation is very easy. The integration with the existing network was very easy. It is a good tool. We can rely on it.

The tool could be more user-friendly.

I have been using the solution for more than a year.

The tool is very stable and highly reliable. I rate the stability a ten out of ten.

I rate the tool's scalability a ten out of ten. We have approximately 120 users. We have plans to increase the number of users. Our team members are experts. Anyone can deploy and maintain the solution.

The support is good. The support personnel give prompt responses. They take ownership of our issues and communicate with us quickly. They try to get back to us quickly.

The setup is very easy. The deployment can be done without much effort. It is done at the API level. It is deployed on the cloud.

I do not face phishing attacks and downtime due to the product.

Check Point Quantum SASE is a SaaS-based product. We have to pay yearly. The product is reasonably priced. There are no additional costs associated with the tool.

I evaluated Microsoft Defender. Defender is a good solution, but it is not reliable.

One of the biggest challenges organizations face is email threats. They are completely unknown. The users get deceived by them and tend to click on them. Previously, there was a solution called Avanan. It was one of the pioneers in email security that ensured no unwanted email came to our inbox. I will recommend the product to others. People must look at the solution very seriously. It will help them safeguard their organizations.

Overall, I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

The solution provides high performance along with ATP prevention, policy management, remote activity, and IoT support. We have all these features integrated into our security gateway for every business year, like the SASE model. Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated nowadays. We have this next-generation firewall, to protect all your network, cloud, data centre, IoT devices, and remote connections. Due to these reasons, we prefer Check Point's network solution. It helps improve the remote workforce security.

The solution offers ATP features and management features. We have a smart console and GIA portal. We used to manage all policies on the smart console. We do have the URL filtering and prevention part. We used to do the policy databases and all that configuration from the GIA portal. We have intrusion prevention, application consultant, filtering options and web filtering. It works as a next-gen firewall.

Firstly, there are different consoles involved. If someone is selling another product that already has a single console for managing everything, that would be better.

I have been using Check Point Quantum SASE for 6 months.

Support is handling requests via email. Additionally, they share documents. We haven't encountered any major issues requiring support. They are available 24hr/day along with alerts, reports or security issues.

The initial setup depends on the organisation. Let's say they are currently using FortiGate, but they want to migrate to Check Point Quantum SASE. We have different options for migration. We can either perform the migration manually or upload existing tests. Manual deployment can be time-consuming. We have two types of configurations: basic and advanced. Basic configuration can be completed quickly, but advanced configurations may take more time. Our deployment process is relatively easy, but managing traffic and other aspects can be challenging. We need to align with the organisation's flow during this process.

Deployment takes about a month depending on the number of firewalls.

The zero trust aspect is being used for VPN purposes. It replaces your VPN, assisting anyone trying to access VPNs.

We are using it for large organisations and enterprises. For instance, if some organisations are using Check Point hardware for their firewalls but don't want to switch to other vendors, they can opt for this solution. Especially for big organisations with data centres facing numerous network issues, it's highly scalable. When it comes to firewall configuration, sometimes we encounter issues, but we can't always blame the firewall.

Check Point offers SmartConsole and other tools. If you compare Quantum with FortiGate, FortiGate doesn't have separate controls for various functions like policy publishing and control. In FortiGate, within one console, you can manage everything by enabling features.

Overall, I rate the solution a 7 out of 10.

We use the solution for security.

The tool is easy to use and set up.

Harmony Connect has two components: one for accessing the internet and the other for accessing the corporate network. The Access intelligence lab is particularly useful because it eliminates the need to purchase a separate firewall for the branch office. Instead, you can connect the Check Point VPN, providing you with Check Point Harmony Connect firewall functionality for monitoring traffic.

The setup is easy, but it depends on the router configuration. The router configuration, in turn, will depend on the specific releases. The configuration could be improved.

I have been using Check Point Harmony Connect for two to three years.

The product is stable.

What are your impressions of the scalability of this solution?

The solution is scalable.

Since I trust the Check Point security, I trust Harmony Connect.

The initial setup is easy and may take a half hour to complete if you’ve experience.

I rate the initial setup a ten out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

The product has a reasonably high pricing.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Our company operates within the intricate and highly regulated insurance market. Here, the sanctity of data is paramount and any breach could result in significant consequences for our stakeholders. 

Given the sensitive nature of our data and the frequent exchange of confidential information with our clients and partners, having a secure connection at all times is non-negotiable. 

Perimeter 81 has emerged as a linchpin in our cybersecurity strategy. Whether our employees are working from the confines of our fortified office infrastructure or accessing systems remotely, Perimeter 81 ensures that our data remains secure. 

Its robust architecture dovetails seamlessly with our existing IT infrastructure, offering us peace of mind in an environment increasingly characterized by cyber threats. 

Adopting Perimeter 81 has yielded noticeable improvements in our organization, especially in the realm of user experience. It's no secret that some cybersecurity tools can be daunting for users, especially those who aren't inherently tech-savvy. 

However, Perimeter 81’s interface is intuitive, and its setup is straightforward. This has reduced the learning curve for our employees substantially. The ease of use not only translates to quick adoption rates - it also ensures that our employees remain compliant with our cybersecurity protocols, enhancing the overall security posture of our organization.

While the entirety of Perimeter 81's suite is commendable, the quick access LAN feature stands out as a particular favorite in our organization. The ability to swiftly and securely access our local area network without cumbersome processes or technical hitches is invaluable. 

This feature not only boosts productivity by ensuring uninterrupted access to essential resources; it also buttresses our cybersecurity measures by ensuring that this access is always secure. The competitors of Perimeter 81 can learn a thing or two. 

While Perimeter 81 has proven to be an invaluable asset, there's always room for improvement. A focus on catering to non-tech users even further would be beneficial. Offering in-app explanations detailing what each feature does, its benefits and potential use cases can help users better understand and utilize the tool to its full potential. 

Moreover, integrating interactive tutorials or walkthroughs for new features in future releases could provide users with hands-on guidance, further simplifying their experience.

I've used the solution for six to 12 months.

I've never had any issues whatsoever, so the stability is very strong. 

The solution is easily scalable for both small and medium-sized organizations.

I haven't yet had to reach out to Perimeters' customer service and support. 

Neutral

No, we didn't use any similar solution before Perimeter 81.

The initial setup is very easy and straightforward, even for non-tech users.

We used a vendor team with a high level of expertise. They could help us quickly and answered all our questions. 

I wasn't personally part of the decision, however, I know that our choice was made after a thorough evaluation process comparing different competitors. 

Regarding use cases, I can say that the solution's user experience is very good. Also, the solution's UI is excellent. In general, we use it for SASE use cases, and to access VPN, ZTNA etcetera.

I am working on automation upstream for Harmony Connect Check Point. There are a bunch of integrations like RDP integrations and active directory integration. Also, its security policy management is seamless.

Automation and scalability are areas where the solution lacks and needs to improve.

I have been using Check Point Harmony ConnectCheck Point Harmony Connect for a year. My company has a partnership with Check Point. Also, I don't remember the version of the solution I am using.

The stability of the solution is not bad. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

There are a lot of hidden features, so I can't really give you a rating. We are working on it, so it is a work in progress.

The scalability of the tool is pretty good. However, we need to do some work on it to improve it. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a six or seven out of ten.

In the next release of the solution, I would like to see more automation features.

The number of users using the solution depends and varies from client to client. It can scale from a small and simple number of 20 to 30 users to almost 10,000. It could be more than 10,000 users. However, it could be more from other partners.

Check Point provides high-quality technical support. The support was pretty quick. I rate the technical support a nine out of ten.

Positive

I have been out of Cisco domain for quite some time since I used it in my previous company. I am not using high-end Cisco technologies anymore. However, I may use it in the future.

I rate the setup phase an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is difficult, and ten is an easy setup. Also, it's hard to generalize since it depends on what we have to do.

The solution is deployed on the cloud.

The initial deployment was done using Check Point's UI for us, so it was five hours.

Regarding the steps for deployment, I would say that there is a deployment software that you have to onboard. Then, you have to do the initial registration, and once you do the initial registration, you'll have to integrate Azure. After Azure is integrated, you have to deploy the users for the applications.

Regarding pricing, I can say that the more the number of users, the less they have to pay.

I would tell others planning to use the solution that the solution has simplicity and good UX. Also, people will have to wait for future automation rollouts.

I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten.

I have experience with Check Point Harmony Connect and Harmony Endpoint, mainly in an enterprise setting for the cloud-based access control and firewall functionality. It is a good, easy-to-deploy solution that is ideal when it comes to managing access to enterprise resources for those working in a home office type of scenario.

What I like about Harmony Connect is that every packet through the network is screened and filtered so that only clean packets can enter the PC. This is useful for a variety of security reasons because you no longer need to worry about things like DDoS attacks, etc.

Nowadays a lot of people are working from a home office, and Harmony Connect is an ideal solution when it comes to remote working. Let's say there is an organization of around 100-200 people — if they are working from home, they will have a strong need for enhanced firewall and UTM functionality. In this case, the organization can simply deploy Harmony Connect and the employees will have access to secure VPN connectivity.

Another point to mention is that Harmony Connect's real advantage over other solutions is that their support is excellent and they have really awesome technical staff.

The main problem with Harmony Connect is that, because it's in a new category of offerings by Check Point, there's very little marketing of the product so far, and this means that many potential users don't even know this kind of solution is available. There are also few testimonials or case studies talking about people who have used the product and fell in love with it, for example.

The second area in which they could improve is the performance of their management portal. For the end user of Harmony Connect, the performance is great and lightweight, but there is often some slowness when using the management portal as an administrator.

I have six months of experience with Harmony Connect.

Harmony Connect is very stable and its performance is good in the production environment. One of my customers has been using it for six months so far and no issues have been found.

It's a cloud offering so it scales nicely. I don't know about managing Harmony Connect beyond 1,000 users, but I'm not finding any difficulty with scaling because you just need to push the agent to the end user. I believe Check Point are using a major cloud provider such as Amazon, and I don't think scalability is an issue at all for them.

The real advantage of Harmony Connect is their support team. They are excellent, and their technical guys are really awesome. If there is any issue, you simply call them, and most of the time the issue will be resolved on the first call.

They are not very aggressive in their promotion of Harmony Connect, so you would expect that the support might be lacking but this is not the case. And when it comes to new feature requests, they are open to listening. If you can convince them to bring out a new feature, they will keep you updated and perhaps even connect you with their R&D team, no matter how small you might feel to them. Check Point's support team is truly one of the best.

Positive

Earlier, we used to deal with Symantec, but lately Symantec has not been operating well in India. It is very difficult to even get quotations for the pricing, so we don't deal with them much nowadays.

You hardly have to click more than three times and your Harmony Connect will be configured.

The implementation for about 1,000 users is not particularly difficult. It will need a system administrator for the data, managing the security features, and maintenance, but typically two or three staff members are more than enough to handle it.

The pricing is good, especially when you compare it to other firewall or UTM solutions from FortiGate or SonicWall, where you would have to invest about four hundred thousand rupees for 100 users over a three-year period. On top of that, for those solutions you would also need to pay for the expertise to manage the solution, including 24/7 monitoring and so on.

We have considered another solution called Prisma Access from Palo Alto Networks, and it may turn out that we will need that solution instead of Harmony Connect to fulfill our future ambitions, but I don't have any personal experience with it yet.

I would rate Harmony Connect a nine out of ten.