Interview with Sundar Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Check Point Software Technologies, India & SAARC

In an exclusive interview with CIOAXIS, Sundar Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Check Point Software Technologies, India & SAARC, shared his vision and discussed on the various aspects of enterprise cybersecurity…

Q1. How do you plan to drive transformation and innovation to further position Check Point as the intelligent cybersecurity company?
With over 30 years of expertise, Check Point Software Technologies has continually adapted to the ever-evolving cyber security landscape to stay ahead of emerging threats. From its early days, CEO and founder, Gil Shwed, foresaw the internet’s potential and recognized the urgent need for businesses to secure their connections. Our foundational product, FireWall-1, set the standard for network security and continues to underpin much of the network protection technology in use today. Over the years, Check Point has demonstrated its agility in addressing customers’ changing needs. Long before AI became a focus for the broader industry, in 2014 we began leveraging AI to stay ahead of evolving threats. This decade-long dedication to AI-driven security through ThreatCloud AI has allowed us to harness vast data from millions of sources, including security gateways, endpoints, mobile engines, and cloud workloads. Our mission is clear and powerful: to make the internet a safe space for life and business. Today, we protect hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide, empowering them to operate with confidence in a rapidly digitalizing world. As a global company, insights from diverse regions drive our product innovation, ensuring we stay ahead of evolving threats. As a leader in security innovation, our strength lies in our deep commitment to research and development, along with our ability to consistently deliver cutting-edge solutions.

Q2. What will be your primary focus on preparing Check Point for both near-term and future growth in managing & transforming critical areas and provide a solid foundation for sustainable progress?
Our primary focus in India is to solidify our position as the security partner of choice for Indian enterprises. Recognizing the rapid evolution of the cyber security landscape, we are focussed on offering a comprehensive suite of security solutions and services tailored to meet the diverse needs of our customers and to defend against today’s GenV attacks.

Check Point has been in India for 23 years, and our commitment to this market has only solidified over time. The recent opening of our new office in Bangalore, the second largest for Check Point globally after our headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, is a testament to our dedication to fostering innovation and collaboration in the region. With over 600 local partners and strong relationships with universities, we are focused on nurturing the cyber security talent pipeline, ensuring that skilled professionals are available to meet industry demands. Our recent introduction of the local instance of Check Point Harmony Email & Collaboration security solution reflects our commitment to compliance with India’s data residency requirements. These strategic initiatives will lay a strong foundation for sustainable growth as Indian organizations increasingly prioritize comprehensive cyber security measures.

Q3. As Check Point Software recently signed an agreement to acquire Cyberint, how will it enhance Check Point’s SOC capabilities and expand its managed threat intelligence offerings?
By integrating Cyberint’s AI-driven External Risk Management solutions into the Check Point Infinity Platform, the collaboration will enable more effective threat prevention through actionable intelligence.

Cyberint specializes in addressing critical security challenges such as stolen credentials, fake websites, and social media impersonation. Its advanced capabilities, including rapid detection and takedown of impersonating entities, will allow Check Point to bolster its existing security measures. The incorporation of Cyberint’s technologies will enhance the platform’s ability to mitigate risks by delivering real-time intelligence and proactive defense strategies, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to both internal and external threats. Furthermore, Cyberint’s emphasis on delivering impactful intelligence within 20 minutes of setup and its focus on high-quality managed services will empower Check Point’s SOC teams. This means they will have access to effective risk detection and management solutions with minimal false positives, allowing for quicker and more informed responses to potential threats. Overall, this acquisition represents a strategic move to strengthen Check Point’s position in the cyber security landscape by enhancing its operational capabilities and managed services.

Q4. With cyber threats getting sophisticated, how does your team intend to strengthen cyber resilience and deliver a seamless and secure customer experience for the clients?
Organizations today face an uphill battle against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. In Q2 2024, Check Point Research reported a 30% year-over-year increase in global cyber attacks, with organizations facing an average of 1,636 attacks per week over the last 6 months, while here in India, organizations are currently facing an average of 3,244 cyberattacks per week over the last 6 months, nearly double the global average of 1,657 attacks per organization. This underscores the urgent need for businesses to adopt a proactive and comprehensive cyber security strategy that goes beyond traditional preventative measures. This is where cyber resilience comes into play—the ability to withstand, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents while maintaining essential operations and protecting critical assets.

We recommend a cyber resiliency approach that is a step up from traditional cyber security methods. To strengthen cyber resilience, we recommend implementing a structured framework that begins with a comprehensive risk assessment to anticipate threats rather than merely reacting to them. Next, organizations should address vulnerabilities identified during the assessment by implementing robust security controls. This proactive approach shifts focus from not only preventing breaches, to enhancing incident response and business continuity planning. We emphasize the importance of prioritising a prevention-first approach, emphasizing the need to prevent attacks across all vectors without disrupting business operations or productivity. Another key recommendation for enterprises is the implementation of a Zero-Trust Security Model, which operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” This model enforces strict identity verification for every user and device, whether inside or outside the network perimeter. Finally, empowering employees through comprehensive cyber security training will transform the workforce into an active line of defense, reinforcing the organization’s overall cyber resilience.

To address the evolving cyber security challenges, Check Point has been integrating AI into its security products since 2014, utilizing our ThreatCloud AI, which encompasses over 40 AI engines and makes 2 billion security decisions daily. This foundation supports our AI-powered Infinity Platform, bolstered by partnerships with industry leaders like NVIDIA and Microsoft. Recently, we launched the Infinity AI Copilot, automating 90% of routine security tasks to allow teams to concentrate on more strategic threats, while leveraging 30 years of data to proactively identify and resolve security issues. Our collaboration with NVIDIA on AI Cloud Protect ensures robust defense against complex cyber threats with efficient deployment across various AI environments. Additionally, tools like Check Point Harmony, integrated with Check Point Infinity, use contextual AI to tailor security measures and enforce granular policies based on user behavior, application risk, and device posture, significantly reducing the likelihood of high-risk activities along the attack surface. Furthermore, our GenAI Protect solution enables enterprises to adopt generative AI tools safely by applying real-time data loss prevention policies and enhancing compliance visibility.

Q5. With the introduction of Infinity platform, how does it secure organizations across all attack vectors, from endpoints, emails, mobile devices, cloud environments, and networks?
Check Point Infinity platform secures organizations across all attack vectors by offering a comprehensive, consolidated, and collaborative cyber security solution. This comprehensive protection is critical as the rise of remote work and increased use of collaboration tools have expanded the attack surface, making businesses more vulnerable to cyber threats.

The Infinity platform is built on the 3Cs principle – Comprehensive, Consolidated, and Collaborative ensuring that businesses receive holistic protection within a single, unified system. This integration is essential for enhancing an organization’s cyber security posture and preventing potential exposures. By adopting the Infinity platform, organizations gain unrivaled protection while also driving efficiencies and customizing their cyber security solutions.

A key feature of the Infinity platform is its ‘prevention-first’ philosophy. Instead of merely responding to threats after a suspicious activity is detected, the platform proactively screens files before allowing them entry into the security gateway. This includes scrutinizing email attachments for phishing scams and analyzing them in a secure sandbox environment, ensuring that only safe content is delivered to users.

Check Point’s extensive experience, backed by its Threat Cloud AI, continuously analyzes data to detect and respond to malicious actors. This global intelligence is bolstered by a research team monitoring the dark web and other sources to stay ahead of evolving threats. As new attack vectors are identified, the platform adapts defenses across the ecosystem, providing robust protection against a wide range of cyber threats.

Q6. What measures does Check Point take to ensure responsible AI practices in its cybersecurity offerings and how does it balance innovation with ethical considerations such as transparency and privacy?
Check Point is committed to ensuring responsible AI practices in its cybersecurity offerings by adopting the globally recognized Artificial Intelligence Trust, Risk, and Security Management (AI TRiSM) framework. This framework addresses the unique challenges associated with AI, including algorithmic bias, explainability, and data privacy, enabling organizations to implement a coherent and sustainable approach to AI governance. With Infinity AI Copilot, Check Point empowers organizations to create a solid AI TRiSM foundation, fostering cross-team collaboration while providing advanced automation, incident mitigation, and state-of-the-art threat detection capabilities. By integrating these measures, Check Point strikes a balance between innovation and ethical considerations, prioritizing transparency and privacy. The Infinity AI Copilot not only enhances the security administration of AI-powered systems but also ensures that ethical standards are upheld throughout the deployment and management of AI technologies, ultimately allowing organizations to harness the power of AI while safeguarding against potential risks.

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