Check Point Teams with Amazon for Cloud Security

With polls and surveys continuing to show that IT professionals have concerns about security in the cloud, Check Point Software has unveiled a virtual appliance for Amazon Web Services (AWS) that should help alleviate some of the concerns of security-minded system administrators and security officers. According to Check Point, the company will be offering an AWS-friendly virtual appliance that can be configured to handle such security tasks as data loss prevention (DLP), application control, URL filtering, virtual private networking (VPN), and more.

In a statement announcing the new products, Stephen Schmidt, chief information security officer at Amazon Web Services, applauded Check Point's decision to support AWS. "We offer a shared-responsibility security model that enables customers to choose a security solution that best meets their application’s needs, while AWS remains focused on providing a safe and secure infrastructure," Schmidt said. "We are excited that Check Point has embraced this model and is providing an innovative solution for customers."

Check Point Software VP Network Security Products Oded Gonda stressed that while IT departments are moving to the cloud, most IT organizations are adopting a hybrid approach that leverages both on- and off-premise IT resources. "As many businesses plan to manage their IT infrastructure in the cloud, it’s important to protect both cloud and on-premise infrastructure to ensure that all corporate assets remain secure," Gonda said. "One of the best ways to achieve this is to enforce a consistent security policy across the organization."

Check Point's announcement states that the new virtual appliance is available now, and pricing is "based on the existing software blade licensing and can be purchased through the Check Point worldwide network of value-added resellers." Find out more about the new Check Point virtual security appliances for AWS by visiting the Check Point Software for AWS website.

So what cloud security concerns do you have for 2012? Feel free to add a comment to this blog post or contribute to the discussion on Twitter.