Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), today announced on it's integrated Check Point security appliances and the Check Point R80 SmartConsole security management console with Microsoft AzureInformation Protection (AIP), to prevent damaging losses and leaks of sensitive business data.

The integration of Check Point’s advanced policy enforcement capabilities with Microsoft AIP’s file classification and protection features enables enterprises to keep their business data and IP secure, irrespective of how it is shared. This prevents organizations’ employees from accidently sending sensitive business data outside of the corporate network by Microsoft Outlook and Exchange, and extends complete data leak protection capabilities to popular web services such as Gmail, Dropbox, FTP and Box.

As per 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 35 percent of all the near-42,000 breaches analyzed occurred as a result of human error. The integration between Check Point’s solutions and Microsoft AIP stops these accidental breaches occurring. It also enables organizations’ security and IT teams to track and control the exposure of sensitive information, and to take corrective measures to prevent data leakage or misuse. This gives Check Point and Microsoft customers a truly comprehensive Data Leak Prevention solution which consistently enforces relevant data governance actions, no matter where data is stored or who it is shared with.

“User error is one of the leading causes of data breaches, exposing organizations to reputational damage and to penalties from data watchdogs for breaching compliance regimes. Enterprises need a way to protect their sensitive data against accidental breaches, without compromising individual and corporate productivity,” said spokesperson, position of Check Point. “The integration between Check Point and Microsoft AIP robustly protects corporate data against breaches across email, web and FTP services, and gives IT and security teams the tools they need to track sensitive data across networks, and rapidly remediate any incidents.”

When users create or handle files with sensitive data, Microsoft AIP recognizes the sensitive nature of the file and prompts the user to label the document as “Confidential Financial Data”. With this label, no user in the organization can accidentally send this file to an external recipient or location outside of the corporate network, as the integration with Check Point will block any improper distribution and notify the user. This educates users about correct data handing, helping to prevent future incidents. Microsoft AIP sensitivity labels can also be applied automatically to documents and files based on IT administrator rules and conditions, enabling policy-based detection and protection of sensitive files by Check Point gateways and the R80 SmartConsole management console.

Because the integration between Microsoft AIP and Check Point enables policy-based enforcement of data in transit at the network level, IT and security teams can track and control how documents are being shared and immediately take corrective measures to prevent data leakage. It is clear that confidential data leakage, whether malicious or unintentional, can cause serious damage to any organization. Preventing sensitive and valuable information, such as customer records, intellectual property, and financial reports, from falling into the wrong hands has become a major priority for most organizations.

To protect organizations from data loss, Microsoft and Check Point has been working closely together to integrate Microsoft Azure Information Protection (AIP) with Check Point Next Generation Firewall Security Solutions. The integrated solution keeps sensitive business data absolutely safe, regardless of where it travels or how it is shared, including via email, web browsing or file sharing services that are not included within the Microsoft eco-system.

Customers of both Check Point and Microsoft can rest assured knowing their employees will be prevented from accidentally sending sensitive and valuable business data outside of the corporate network, not just when using Outlook or Microsoft Exchange, but also when using popular applications and services such as Gmail, Dropbox, FTP & Box. By leveraging the Check Point capabilities of policy enforcement across the network, Microsoft Azure Information Protection file classification and protection capabilities are extended and substantial security gaps are sealed. Therefore, joint customers can enjoy a comprehensive Data Loss Prevention solution, their security teams can track and control the exposure of sensitive information and take corrective measures to prevent data leakage or misuse.