Network Security for Mid-Size Businesses

Check Point Software Technologies is the worldwide leader in securing the Internet. It is the confirmed market leader of both the worldwide virtual private network (VPN) and firewall markets. The company’s Secure Virtual Network architecture provides the VPN and security infrastructure that enables secure and reliable Internet communications. This week, the Redwood City, Calif.-based security specialist is making its network security technologies available to mid-sized businesses with the debut of Check Point Express.

Check Point Express is a comprehensive VPN/security solution especially designed to meet the unique Internet security needs of mid-sized businesses with up to 500 users. Easy to install and manage, Check Point Express is one of the only Internet security solutions that delivers all the essential security elements required by a mid-sized business in one convenient solution — including firewall, VPN, network and application attack protection and multi-site, centralized management — enabling a more worry-free network environment.

Many mid-sized businesses are challenged to secure their business-critical network resources with the highest levels of protection as performed by minimal dedicated IT personnel. Typically, the same person responsible for managing the network and applications is also responsible for securing them — a job that can easily become overwhelming, especially if the network also includes multiple remote sites. Check Point Express alleviates these types of burdens by delivering enterprise-class, multi-site security solutions with centralized management capabilities — at a price point designed to suit mid-sized businesses IT budgets.

“The mid-market for security has historically not had specific products designed for it. Solutions have been either too small for the mid-sized company or too expensive,” said Charles Kolodgy, research director, Security Products, at IDC. “Check Point Express brings enterprise class security to the mid-sized company at a price and performance level that meets their needs.”

Check Point Express features include:

  • VPN-1 and FireWall-1 Next Generation technologies with Application Intelligence for protecting the privacy of business communications over the Internet, while securing critical network resources against attacks and unauthorized access at both the network and application level.
  • VPN-1 SecuRemote technology encrypts and authenticates data to protect against eavesdropping and data tampering, making even remote access business connections more secure.
  • SmartDefense technology for a dedicated means of network attack protection and response.
  • SmartCenter technology for centrally deploying and managing all aspects of a comprehensive security infrastructure. Check Point’s SmartDashboard (shown below) is a graphical user interface for defining and managing multiple elements of a complete security policy. This includes firewalls, attack protection, VPNs, network address translation, desktop security, Web access control and quality of service (QoS) policy.
  • High-availability enabled systems for ensuring around-the-clock network security and business continuity. In addition, high-availability enables traffic to be routed to a secondary interface or Internet service provider (ISP) link if the primary interface becomes unavailable. This means that ongoing connections are maintained during failover.

“We are excited to extend our market-leading Internet security to mid-sized business customers with a solution tailored to address their unique requirements,” said Carol Stone, vice president of marketing, Check Point Software Technologies. “With Check Point Express protection, mid-sized businesses can now experience the same superior security as the majority of the Fortune 500 — tailored very specifically to address their ease-of-use and affordability requirements.”

Check Point Express is available on all “Secured by Check Point” appliances running Check Point Next Generation with Application Intelligence, including Nokia and Sun. Other platform options include Check Point SecurePlatform and Windows, Unix and Linux servers. Check Point Express is available immediately worldwide and can be purchased through the company’s channel partners, with prices starting at $3,500.

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Small Business Computing Staff
Small Business Computing Staff
Small Business Computing addresses the technology needs of small businesses, which are defined as businesses with fewer than 500 employees and/or less than $7 million in annual sales.

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