Check Point

Corporate brand

Check Point is an Israeli cybersecurity company known for network security, cloud protection, endpoint security, and threat intelligence.

Last updated August 26, 2026

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Overview

Check Point, formally Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., is an Israeli cybersecurity company founded in 1993 by Gil Shwed, Marius Nacht, and Shlomo Kramer. The company emerged from Israeli military communications and security expertise, particularly Shwed's work in Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces. Its initial technology, known as stateful inspection, provided a way to evaluate network connections in the context of an entire session rather than treating individual packets in isolation. That approach became the basis of FireWall-1, the company's first major product and one of the products that helped establish the commercial firewall market. The company received an initial $250,000 investment from BRM Group. Its early expansion was supported by technology and channel relationships with major information-technology companies: Check Point signed an original-equipment-manufacturer agreement with Sun Microsystems in 1994 and a distribution agreement with Hewlett-Packard in 1995. It also established a United States headquarters in Redwood City, California, helping it move from an Israeli start-up into an international enterprise-security supplier. By 1996, IDC identified Check Point as the worldwide firewall market leader, and the company completed an initial public offering on NASDAQ in June of that year. Check Point broadened its product scope beyond firewalls through VPN-1, an early virtual private network product, and through partnerships that embedded its software in security appliances. A notable relationship with Nokia began in 1998, when Nokia bundled Check Point software with its network-security appliances. In 2009, Check Point acquired Nokia's network-security business unit, strengthening its position in appliance-based enterprise security. The company also expanded into smaller organizations and branch offices through its relationship with SofaWare, a security-appliance venture whose products included Safe@Office and Safe@Home. Today, Check Point presents its offerings as an integrated security architecture spanning network, cloud, endpoint, mobile, email, collaboration, identity, and external attack-surface protection. Its principal product families include Quantum network-security firewalls, Harmony security products for users and collaboration environments, CloudGuard for cloud and application protection, and Infinity-branded management and security capabilities. The company also operates Check Point Research, a threat-intelligence and vulnerability-research organization that investigates malicious applications, software flaws, phishing, malware, and infrastructure used by attackers. Its research has included disclosures involving Google Play applications, Xiaomi mobile software, TikTok, and Windows vulnerabilities. Check Point states that it serves more than 100,000 organizations and operates in more than 60 countries. Its market positioning emphasizes prevention-first security, centralized management, artificial-intelligence-assisted detection, and broad coverage across hybrid environments. The company remains publicly traded and active internationally. In December 2024, founder Gil Shwed moved from the chief executive role to executive chairman, while Nadav Zafrir became chief executive officer. Check Point has also faced legal disputes connected with SofaWare and criticism over continuing operations in Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

History

Check Point was founded in Ramat Gan, Israel, in 1993 by Gil Shwed, Marius Nacht, and Shlomo Kramer. The founders focused on a central problem in early commercial networking: organizations needed to connect systems while controlling which communications could cross trusted and untrusted network boundaries. Shwed's prior work in Unit 8200 of the Israel Defense Forces contributed to the company's initial technical direction. The resulting stateful-inspection technology examined network traffic in relation to connection state, helping administrators enforce security policies more effectively than simpler packet-filtering approaches. BRM Group supplied the company's initial funding of $250,000. Check Point's first major product, FireWall-1, commercialized the stateful-inspection approach and helped establish the company as a major firewall vendor. VPN-1 followed as an early virtual private network offering, allowing organizations to create encrypted connections for remote users and interconnected sites. During its first period of growth, Check Point used partnerships as well as direct sales to reach the enterprise market. It signed an OEM agreement with Sun Microsystems in 1994 and a distribution agreement with Hewlett-Packard in 1995. The same year, it created a U.S. head office in Redwood City, California. By February 1996, IDC had identified Check Point as the worldwide firewall market leader, with a reported 40 percent market share. In June 1996, the company raised capital through an initial public offering on NASDAQ. Its international profile continued to grow through arrangements with hardware manufacturers and distributors. In 1998, Nokia began bundling Check Point software with its network-security appliances, linking the company's software with a major telecommunications and enterprise-hardware platform. Check Point later expanded beyond its original firewall and VPN categories. Its relationship with SofaWare, established in 1999, was intended to adapt security technology for small businesses, consumers, and branch offices. SofaWare developed appliance products including S-Box, Safe@Office, and Safe@Home. The relationship eventually became contentious. A dispute involving co-founder Etay Bogner concerned alleged failures to transfer payments connected with the use of SofaWare technology. Israeli court proceedings produced rulings favorable to SofaWare's claims, including an order requiring Check Point to pay 13 million shekels for breach of contract. Further litigation addressed shareholder and founder rights. In 2009, the Israeli Supreme Court recognized collective veto rights for the SofaWare founders, and in 2011 Check Point settled the litigation, acquired founder-held shares, and began the process that made SofaWare wholly owned. In 2003, Check Point also faced a securities class-action lawsuit alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act through nondisclosure of significant financial information. The available reference material does not establish the final disposition of that case. Separately, Check Point continued its hardware and appliance expansion by acquiring Nokia's network-security business unit in 2009. The company's later strategy centered on integrating network, cloud, endpoint, mobile, email, collaboration, and threat-intelligence capabilities. Current families include Quantum firewalls, Harmony user and collaboration protection, CloudGuard cloud and application security, and Infinity management and external-risk capabilities. Check Point Research became an important part of the brand's public identity, publishing findings about malware and vulnerabilities and coordinating disclosures with technology companies, law enforcement, and incident-response organizations. Examples include the 2018 AdultSwine discovery in Google Play applications, 2019 findings involving Xiaomi applications, 2020 TikTok disclosures, and 2025 reports of Windows vulnerabilities that were addressed through Microsoft's update process. Check Point states that it protects more than 100,000 organizations and operates in more than 60 countries. It is a partner organization of the World Economic Forum and continues to operate as a publicly traded Israeli cybersecurity company. In December 2024, founder Gil Shwed became executive chairman and Nadav Zafrir took over as chief executive. The company has also attracted criticism for maintaining business operations in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.

2024
Chief executive transition
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Gil Shwed becomes executive chairman and Nadav Zafrir becomes chief executive officer.
2011
SofaWare litigation settlement
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Check Point settles the SofaWare litigation and acquires founder-held shares as SofaWare moves toward becoming wholly owned.
2009
Nokia network-security acquisition
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Check Point acquires Nokia's network-security business unit.
1999
SofaWare cooperation begins
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Check Point and SofaWare establish a cooperation aimed at extending security products to small businesses, consumers, and branch offices.
1998
Nokia appliance partnership
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Nokia begins bundling Check Point software with its network-security appliances.
1996
Firewall market leadership and NASDAQ listing
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
IDC identifies Check Point as a worldwide firewall market leader, and the company completes its NASDAQ initial public offering.
1995
U.S. headquarters and HP distribution agreement
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
The company establishes its U.S. head office and signs a distribution agreement with Hewlett-Packard.
1994
Sun Microsystems OEM agreement
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Check Point signs an original-equipment-manufacturer agreement with Sun Microsystems.
1993
Check Point is founded in Israel
[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Gil Shwed, Marius Nacht, and Shlomo Kramer establish Check Point in Ramat Gan, with initial funding from BRM Group.

Products and positioning

A prevention-oriented, enterprise-focused cybersecurity provider offering integrated protection across networks, users, endpoints, cloud workloads, applications, and external attack surfaces.

Network firewall
FireWall-1
FireWall-1 was Check Point's foundational commercial firewall product. It introduced the company's stateful-inspection technology to enterprise networks, allowing policies to account for the state and context of network connections. The product helped establish Check Point as an important firewall vendor during the expansion of corporate internet connectivity.
Virtual private network
VPN-1
VPN-1 was one of Check Point's early virtual private network products. It supported encrypted connectivity for remote users and network sites, extending the company's security platform beyond traffic filtering into secure access and communications. VPN technology remains part of Check Point's broader remote-access and network-security portfolio.
Network security and firewall
Quantum
Quantum is Check Point's network-security portfolio, centered on enterprise firewalls and security enforcement points. The family is designed to inspect and block malicious traffic, apply centralized policies, and support secure remote access. Its management capabilities are positioned as part of Check Point's broader prevention-first architecture, with automated responses and artificial-intelligence-assisted security operations.
Endpoint, user, email, and collaboration security
Harmony
Harmony is a family of security products for users, endpoints, email, collaboration tools, and secure access. Its capabilities include secure web access, zero-trust network access, cloud-based security controls, SaaS protection, and protection against phishing, malware, and anomalous behavior. Check Point positions Harmony as a way to combine device-based and cloud-based controls for distributed workforces.
Cloud and application security
CloudGuard
CloudGuard is Check Point's cloud-security portfolio. It is intended to protect cloud networks, workloads, applications, and connectivity across hybrid environments. Offerings include cloud network security and web application firewall capabilities, with an emphasis on security guardrails, segmentation, continuous detection, and prevention of both known and emerging attacks. The portfolio also incorporates partner technologies for cloud exposure and posture management.
External attack-surface management
Infinity External Risk Management
Infinity External Risk Management addresses risks outside an organization's traditional internal perimeter, including credential theft, fraud, brand impersonation, and exposed assets. The offering is designed to combine threat intelligence, exposure visibility, and remediation across a broad security-tool ecosystem. Check Point has connected this area with capabilities obtained through its Veriti acquisition and with cloud-exposure insights from partners.
Threat intelligence and vulnerability research
Check Point Research
Check Point Research is the company's research and threat-intelligence organization. Its analysts investigate malware, application vulnerabilities, phishing infrastructure, and attack techniques using open-source information, the ThreatCloud network, and dark-web intelligence. The team works with technology companies, law enforcement, and computer emergency-response organizations to disclose vulnerabilities and support remediation.

Controversies

2023
Criticism over continued Russian operations
Check Point faced criticism for continuing to sell cybersecurity products and maintain an office in Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Source
2004
SofaWare shareholder and technology-use dispute
SofaWare co-founder Etay Bogner pursued a derivative action alleging that Check Point had failed to transfer funds required for its use of SofaWare products and technology. Subsequent Israeli proceedings produced findings and orders concerning the dispute.
Source
2003
Securities disclosure class-action lawsuit
A class-action lawsuit was filed against Check Point alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act through failure to disclose significant financial information. The available reference does not establish the final outcome.
Source

2024
Transition to new chief executive leadershipStrategy
Background
After leading the company since its founding, Gil Shwed changed roles.
Action taken
Shwed became executive chairman and Nadav Zafrir joined as chief executive officer.
Aftermath
The transition preserved the founder's involvement while placing day-to-day executive leadership with Zafrir.
Source
2009
Acquire Nokia's network-security business unitM&A
Background
Check Point had already partnered with Nokia to provide security software for network appliances.
Action taken
The company acquired Nokia's network-security business unit.
Aftermath
The acquisition reinforced Check Point's appliance and enterprise-network security capabilities.
Source
1998
Expand through appliance partnershipsStrategy
Background
Enterprise customers increasingly purchased integrated network-security hardware and software.
Action taken
Check Point partnered with Nokia, whose appliances bundled Check Point security software.
Aftermath
The relationship broadened the distribution of Check Point technology and preceded the later acquisition of Nokia's network-security business.
Source
1993
Commercialize stateful-inspection firewall technologyProduct launch
Background
The founders sought to improve how enterprise networks controlled and evaluated communications.
Action taken
Check Point built its initial business around FireWall-1 and stateful inspection.
Aftermath
The technology became the foundation of the company's early firewall-market position.
Source

Recent events

2024
Check Point changes chief executive leadership[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Leadership change
Gil Shwed moved to the executive-chairman role and Nadav Zafrir became chief executive officer.
2023
Check Point remains active in Russia amid criticism[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Regulation · Other
The company continued operating in Russia and maintained a Moscow office despite criticism related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
2020
Check Point discloses TikTok vulnerabilities[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Other
Check Point Research reported vulnerabilities that could have enabled scraping of profile information and manipulation of account details; TikTok subsequently deployed a fix.
2019
Check Point reports a vulnerability in preinstalled Xiaomi mobile applications[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Other
Researchers reported a security flaw in Xiaomi phone applications that was present in preinstalled software.
2018
Check Point researchers identify AdultSwine malware in Google Play applications[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Other
Check Point Research reported malware embedded in approximately 60 applications, many aimed at children, which displayed inappropriate advertisements and attempted to direct users toward malicious downloads.
2009
Check Point acquires Nokia's network-security business[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
M&A
Check Point acquired Nokia's network-security business unit, expanding its appliance and enterprise-security activities.
1996
Check Point completes its NASDAQ initial public offering[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Other
The company raised capital through an initial public offering on NASDAQ.
1995
Check Point opens a United States headquarters[1]Check Pointen.wikipedia.org
Other
Check Point established its U.S. head office in Redwood City, California, supporting international expansion.

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