Alkira offers Check Point CloudGuard Security to secure virtual cloud networks

Check Point building with a sign

Cloud networking company Alkira has signed a deal with cloud security vendor Check Point Software to sell its CloudGuard cloud security service.

Alkira will sell the service as part of its cloud-based network infrastructure as-a-service offering, which lets customers connect different assets, including cloud resources, via a configuration portal. Administrators can connect cloud services, data centers and virtual private networks (VPNs), set up their own routing arrangements, and scale network capacity automatically.

CloudGuard is a unified security service offering network security and workload protection. It secures web applications and APIs, and it also helps maintain an organization's security posture by preventing security misconfigurations. It maps against over 50 compliance frameworks, according to Check Point.

The company also positions CloudGuard to incorporate security into DevOps pipelines, in a concept sometimes called DevSecOps. It integrates with DevOps products, including CloudFormation and Terraform, to introduce automated compliance with security rules early on in the development process.

The service, which supports multi-cloud environments, protects cloud-native workloads, such as serverless and container environments. It also offers cloud network security via a virtual security gateway.

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The CloudGuard addition will enable Alkira's customers to impose a single security posture over their entire virtual network environment, said executives. It brings a range of features to users, including applying security policies between public clouds, and the provision of stateful firewall services in the cloud. Customers can use it to provide cloud-based demilitarized zones (DMZs) for access to internet-facing applications.

Customers can access CloudGuard gateways via the Alkira network services marketplace and insert them into Alkira Cloud Exchange Points to enforce security policies for application traffic. They can control their CloudGuard setup via the virtual network provider's Cloud Services Exchange service.

Danny Bradbury

Danny Bradbury has been a print journalist specialising in technology since 1989 and a freelance writer since 1994. He has written for national publications on both sides of the Atlantic and has won awards for his investigative cybersecurity journalism work and his arts and culture writing. 

Danny writes about many different technology issues for audiences ranging from consumers through to software developers and CIOs. He also ghostwrites articles for many C-suite business executives in the technology sector and has worked as a presenter for multiple webinars and podcasts.