While the details emerged through a data leak rather than a formal launch, the market response was unmistakable:

AI has crossed a critical cyber security threshold. The frontier models are accelerating attack lifecycles and will enable attackers to identify and exploit vulnerabilities at scale, speed and through novel methods that previously were the domain of advanced nation-state entities.

For security leaders, this development is both a warning and a call to action. It crystallises a trend we’ve been closely monitoring and preparing for: the democratisation and industrialisation of cyber attacks.

Two Structural Shifts Redefining Cyber Risk

Claude Mythos is the early signal of two profound shifts in the threat landscape:

1. Democratisation of Advanced Attack Capabilities

Capabilities that once required elite threat actors or well-funded nation-state teams will be accessible to low-skill actors leveraging AI assistance. We must assume adversaries will wield these capabilities.

The paths are already clear: abuse frontier models directly, as threat actors did with Claude Code in September, or wait for the same capabilities to land in open-source, unmonitored models like DeepSeek, where no usage policies or safety layers stand in the way.

This fundamentally lowers the barrier to entry for sophisticated attacks. Organisations that once considered themselves “safe” because they weren’t targets of advanced nation-state activity are now at risk from newly capable criminal groups armed with AI-powered tools.

2. Industrialisation of Cyber Attacks

With the expected advancement in agentic capabilities, threat actors will be able to scan legacy and SaaS technologies at unprecedented frequency and scale.

This will lead to a near continuous flow of novel attack methods that target enterprise systems, networks and employees. AI enables threat actors to transition from manual, artisanal operations to repeatable, automated attack pipelines. Attacks are becoming systematic, scalable, and reproducible, like software manufacturing. This is the era of “AI attack factories.”

The convergence of these two forces produces a dangerous outcome: more attackers can execute more sophisticated attacks, simultaneously increasing both attack volume and velocity. The time-to-exploit window will collapse to near zero day. 

Why This is Important

We all should be alarmed by the leak associated with the new Claude model, but we should not be surprised.

Check Point has been continuously evaluating AI model capabilities and anticipating this evolution. We’ve known that advanced models would eventually demonstrate proficiency in code review, vulnerability discovery, and reverse engineering, and could integrate with tools and APIs that enable penetration testing and exploitation.

What’s important to understand: the gap between writing code and analysing code is narrower than many realise. An AI system capable of generating sophisticated software can be trained or prompted to identify vulnerabilities within it. This capability, combined with exploit development and the ability to chain multi-step attacks, creates an entirely new threat surface.

Reassess Your Security Posture Now

In response to this evolving threat landscape, we urge security leaders to conduct a rigorous reassessment of their security foundations. This isn’t only about implementing new tools. It’s also about ensuring that your security tools themselves are secure.

Where to start:

• Assess the security efficacy of your first line of defense. Networks, firewalls, WAF, endpoint, and email security are critical. But are they tuned for zero day protection? Default security configurations are not optimised to defend against previously unknown exploits. If your perimeter and endpoint security are running standard baselines, you’re exposed
• Evaluate your risk level. Look hard at your security vendors’ CVE history. When AI compresses exploitation timelines to hours, a pattern of frequent critical vulnerabilities is no longer a manageable operational burden, it’s a strategic liability
• Hunt your blind spots: legacy servers, unpatched systems, accounts without MFA, unprotected remote access. The long tail of your infrastructure is where attacks typically land
• Accelerate your patching cycles and evaluate solutions for automated virtual patching and safe remediation. Time-to-patch becomes increasingly critical as campaign timelines move from weeks to minutes
• Redefine and reinforce network segmentation to protect your crown jewels. Assume breach, limit lateral movement, and ensure that critical assets are isolated from general network traffic.

Check Point brings decades of experience in preventing zero day exploits. Our products are built with security as a first principle, not an afterthought.

That’s why we achieve the industry’s lowest number of CVEs across our platform – not by luck, but by methodology. We employ teams of attackers who attempt to penetrate our own products. This adversarial approach to security development ensures that what we deliver to customers is actually secure.

Moving Forward

The step-change in AI models offensive capabilities didn’t happen in isolation. It arrived alongside a sharp increase in open source software supply chain attacks, with both signals pointing to the same conclusion: the speed and surface area of attacks are accelerating.

Whether your organisation has adopted AI or not is irrelevant. Threat actors have, and they will continue to push these capabilities further.

As a security vendor, our mission is to keep adversaries out, keep our solutions resilient, and continuously protect against emerging risks. New models will continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, for defenders and attackers alike. That’s not a surprise; it’s the trajectory we’ve been tracking. What the recent disclosures make clear is that continuous reassessment is no longer optional.

Check Point has been preparing for this new phase of security and we are committed to helping our customers and industry thrive in what comes next.

The company said net income for the year reached $1.06 billion, up from $845.7 million in 2024. Earnings per share also climbed, with GAAP EPS rising 29% to $9.62.

In the fourth quarter alone, revenue came in at $745 million, a 6% increase year on year. Subscription revenue stood out, rising 11% to $325 million.

Check Point: Eight Key Trends Will Define Africa’s Cyber Security in 2026

Growth is not coming from one-off sales, it is being driven by recurring security subscriptions, which now account for a large share of total income.

The company also reported calculated billings of $2.9 billion for the full year, up 9%. Remaining performance obligations, which show future contracted revenue, reached $2.73 billion.

Chief Executive Officer Nadav Zafrir said: “We delivered solid fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, with revenue landing above the midpoint of our outlook and EPS exceeding expectations. Our performance remained resilient throughout the year, driven by continued customer adoption across our Hybrid Mesh Network and Workspace platforms.”

He added: “In 2026, our strategy is centred on securing our customers’ AI transformation across the enterprise. We are focused on executing against our four strategic pillars, Hybrid Mesh, Workspace, and Exposure Management, while embedding AI-driven security throughout our portfolio.

“Today’s announced acquisition of Cyata further expands our AI security stack, enabling full discovery, governance, and control of AI agents as organisations accelerate their AI journeys.”

Beyond earnings, the company moved to strengthen its product offering. It announced three acquisitions in early 2026, covering AI security, asset monitoring, and managed service platforms.

Cash reserves more than doubled during the year. Cash, marketable securities and short-term deposits rose to $4.34 billion from $2.78 billion. The increase followed proceeds from a $2 billion convertible notes offering.

At the same time, Check Point returned money to shareholders. It repurchased about 6.8 million shares in 2025 at a total cost of $1.4 billion.

Cash flow from operations also improved, reaching $1.23 billion for the year despite a one-off tax payment linked to prior years.

Check Point is growing steadily, with stronger revenue in 2025, thriving subscriptions, and a larger cash position in 2026.

Today’s digital threats target schools, hospitals, municipalities, and small businesses just as aggressively as large enterprises.

Ransomware attacks shut down classrooms. Phishing campaigns exploit young users as easily as experienced employees.

Yet cyber security education is still treated as a late-stage specialisation, introduced only when individuals enter the workforce or pursue advanced technical roles.

“Threat actors don’t wait for workforce pipelines to catch up and our approach to cyber security education shouldn’t either. If we want to build lasting cyber resilience, readiness must start earlier.” says Kingsley Oseghale, country manager: West Africa for Check Point Software Technologies.

Why Waiting Until the Workforce Is a Risk

The global cyber security talent shortage has been discussed at length.  Africa has over 200 000 cyber security placements to fill, for example.

However, the underlying issue is often misunderstood. It isn’t simply a lack of jobs or training programs. It’s a timing problem.

“Most cyber security professionals are introduced to the field late, often after they’ve already chosen a career path. By then, organisations are forced into reactive hiring and accelerated training, while attackers continue to operate at speed. This gap leaves institutions vulnerable and limits the diversity and scale of the talent pool,” Oseghale says.

“At the same time, young people are entering the digital world earlier than ever before. They use cloud platforms, mobile devices, and connected services daily, but without structured education around digital risk, security fundamentals, or defensive thinking. The result is a growing mismatch between digital exposure and cyber preparedness,” he adds.

Security behaviours, like any foundational skill, are most effective when developed early. Waiting until adulthood to introduce cyber security concepts is akin to teaching road safety only after handing someone the keys.

Education as Preventive Security Infrastructure

Cyber security is ultimately a prevention challenge. While response capabilities are essential, the most effective defenses reduce the likelihood and impact of attacks in the first place.

Education plays a critical role in that prevention model. Early exposure to cyber security concepts – especially through hands-on, applied learning – builds threat awareness, problem-solving skills, and an understanding of how attackers operate.

It helps learners recognize risk, question assumptions, and think defensively long before they encounter these challenges in professional environments.

In this sense, cyber security education functions as a form of security infrastructure. Just as societies invest in public safety measures to reduce harm, investing in early cyber education reduces systemic risk across sectors.

The benefits extend beyond future security professionals; cyber literacy improves outcomes for anyone who will work, study, or innovate in a digital environment – which today means nearly everyone.

The Role of Industry–Education Partnerships

Academic institutions play a vital role in developing cyber talent, but they cannot do it alone. Cyber threats evolve too quickly for education systems to keep pace without real-world context and collaboration.

Industry–education partnerships help bridge this gap by bringing current threat insights, practical tools, and applied learning experiences into classrooms. Globally, initiatives such as Check Point’s SecureAcademy demonstrate how this model can scale – working with over 15 academic institutions and nonprofit partners throughout Africa to support consistent, hands-on cyber security education across regions.

These partnerships are not about replacing academic instruction, but about reinforcing it with relevance. By aligning foundational learning with real-world security challenges, they help ensure that students graduate with practical readiness, not just theoretical knowledge.

Preparing Youth for Participation in the Digital Economy

Cyber security education is also an economic issue. Digital trust underpins innovation, growth, and competitiveness, and that trust depends on people who understand how to protect systems and data.

As artificial intelligence becomes deeply embedded in how organisations build, operate, and secure digital services, that trust will increasingly depend on how well people understand both AI’s power and its risks.

For young learners, early exposure to cyber security opens doors to meaningful career pathways and economic mobility. It provides practical skills that are transferable across industries and roles, from IT and engineering to healthcare, education, and public service.

Today, this learning must also include an understanding of AI, how it is used to defend against cyber threats, how it can be abused by attackers, and how human judgement remains essential when working alongside intelligent systems.

Even for those who do not pursue cyber security careers, security literacy enhances their ability to operate safely and responsibly in digital environments. As AI-driven tools become part of everyday life — from classrooms to workplaces, young people who understand concepts like data protection, algorithmic bias, and digital identity will be better equipped to navigate an increasingly automated world.

From an organisational perspective, a cyber-ready workforce reduces risk, improves resilience, and supports sustainable growth.

The next generation, having grown up alongside AI, is uniquely positioned to adapt, learn, and lead in this evolving threat landscape. Investing in youth education today not only strengthens cyber defences, but also ensures societies are prepared for a future where AI and cyber security are inseparable pillars of the digital economy .

A Timely Call on International Day of Education

This year’s International Day of Education highlights the power of youth in shaping the future of learning. That message is particularly relevant for cyber security.

Young people are not just future users of technology. They are future builders, operators, and defenders of digital systems.

Preparing them to navigate and secure those systems is no longer optional. It is a shared responsibility for educators, industry leaders, and policymakers alike.

Cyber security education should be viewed as a foundational skill, introduced early and reinforced consistently. Doing so requires alignment across sectors and a willingness to invest before crises force our hand.

Cyber Security Starts in the Classroom

The threats facing our digital world are growing more complex, more frequent, and more disruptive. Addressing them requires more than tools and technology. It requires people who are prepared to think critically about security from the start.

Building cyber readiness early reduces risk later. It strengthens institutions, supports economic resilience, and empowers the next generation to participate safely and confidently in the digital world.

“If we want secure systems tomorrow, we must begin with cyber-ready learners today,” Oseghale concludes.

The implementation of these will increasingly require Government, the private sector and key civic institutions to cooperate and partner to overcome the onslaught of cyber security challenges facing the continent, Check Point says.

Based on research from the Check Point African Perspectives on Cyber Security Report 2025, the announcement highlights a continent where digital growth is leapfrogging traditional infrastructure, but also expanding the attack surface for systemic risk.

With African organisations facing an average of 3,153 cyberattacks per week – a staggering 60% higher than the global average, Check Point’s research highlights a continent at a pivotal crossroads between rapid AI adoption and escalating systemic risk.

“In 2026, digital trust has transitioned from an IT priority to core economic infrastructure for Africa,” says Lorna Hardie, regional director: Africa for Check Point Software. “As the continent leapfrogs traditional infrastructure with AI-driven fintech and energy solutions, the ‘Security Gap’ has become a trillion-dollar challenge that requires a shift from reactive detection to prevention-first resilience.”

The 8 Key Trends for 2026:

1. Agentic AI Before Governance

By 2026, autonomous AI agents, capable of acting without human oversight, will be integrated into African logistics and finance. However, with private-sector adoption outpacing national AI strategies in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, a “governance gap” has emerged that requires urgent transparency and explainable AI.

2. Mainstream Deepfake Fraud

In Africa’s mobile-first economy, AI-generated deception has become the fastest-growing threat. With SIM-swap fraud already costing South Africa over R5 billion annually, 2026 will see the rise of cloned voice approvals and synthetic interactions that bypass traditional mobile authentication.

3. Cloud Misconfigurations Overtaking Malware

As mission-critical systems migrate to the cloud, human error has become a greater risk than malicious code. In Africa’s complex hybrid environments, 60% of incidents now result from “permission drift” and unmonitored APIs rather than traditional malware.

4. Data Extortion Targeting Critical Infrastructure

Ransomware has evolved into “data-pressure” operations. As industrial digitalization in Africa grows 30% annually, the focus has shifted from availability to integrity—where a corrupted dataset in a power grid can trigger cascading real-world disruption.

5. External Risk Scores as Board KPIs

Cybersecurity is now a board-level discipline. By 2026, external risk ratings and exposure scores will influence corporate creditworthiness and investment, joining financial and ESG performance as markers of maturity for African enterprises.

6. Regulation as a Trade Currency

The convergence of the EU’s NIS2 Directive and African data laws has made cyber resilience essential to trade. African exporters must now prove compliance to maintain market access, turning regulation from “paperwork” into a competitive performance metric.

 7. The National Skills Crisis

Africa faces a critical share of the global five-million-person talent shortage. With over 200,000 unfilled cybersecurity roles on the continent, cyber sovereignty now depends on building local “defenders of tomorrow” rather than importing external expertise.

8. MSSPs as the Resilience Engine

Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) have become Africa’s operational backbone. By 2026, most African firms will consume security “as-a-service,” using MSSPs to democratise advanced AI-assisted defense and bridge the talent gap.

“In 2026, cybersecurity has evolved from a defensive wall to the living rhythm that underpins African innovation,” says Hardie. “Africa’s digital future will be defined by tempo—our ability to embed security into our growth story from the start.”

Check Point African Perspectives on Cyber Security Report 2025 can be accessed here.

“The integration of Check Point AI Cloud Protect is available for enterprise AI deployments, validated on NVIDIA RTX PRO Servers to secure AI factories at scale, with no negative impact to AI system performance,” says Check Point’s Ian Janse van Rensburg, head: Security Engineering Africa.

AI factories are the new class of purpose-built data centers for AI.

“As businesses and service providers deploy AI tools and systems, having strong cyber security across the entire AI pipeline, from design to deployment, is a foundational requirement,” van Rensburg says.

The collaboration between Check Point and Nvidia comes as attacks on AI infrastructure and prompt-based manipulation are increasing.

According to a recent Gartner report, 32% of organisations have already experienced an AI attack involving prompt manipulation, while 29% faced attacks on their GenAI infrastructure in the past year.

Nearly 70% of cyber security leaders said emerging GenAI risks demand significant changes to existing cyber security approaches. And a recent Lakera (owned by Check Point) survey found that only 19% of organisations describe their GenAI security posture as “highly confident,” while nearly half (49%) report high concern about the vulnerabilities they face.

AI Infrastructure Meets Enterprise-Class Security

The integration of Check Point security with NVIDIA BlueField platform tackles cyber threats and vulnerabilities by enabling real-time monitoring across enterprise AI infrastructure. This improves isolation between AI workloads, and provides deep visibility and control over AI data, while maintaining efficiency and high performance as traffic and scale increase.

“The integrated AI Cloud Protect software from Check Point delivers real-time network and host security against AI threats using NVIDIA DOCA Argus telemetry and Check Point’s native AI-powered cyber security,” van Rensburg says.

Infrastructure Layer

AI Cloud Protect protects AI factories with zero negative performance impact. Running on NVIDIA BlueField, it secures the infrastructure that powers AI without consuming precious GPU capacity. 

Application Layer

CloudGuard Web Application Firewall (WAF) stops AI application threats including prompt injection, jailbreaking, and LLM poisoning at the source. Check Point provides market-leading AI application security with runtime protection for LLM inputs, outputs, and all data flows—including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and model context protocol (MCP) servers.

With industry-leading detection delivering exceptionally low false positives, and a unique data advantage from Gandalf (the world’s largest AI red team platform with over 80 million adversarial attack patterns), this layer provides specialised protection for agentic AI applications that autonomously interact with enterprise systems.

User Layer

GenAI Protect governs employee AI usage, prevents sensitive data leakage, and ensures compliance. It provides complete visibility into which AI tools employees are using, prevents sensitive data loss in real-time, and automatically generates audit trails for regulatory compliance. This ensures that while employees adopt new AI tools, organisations maintain control over their data and meet their compliance obligations.

AI Security at the Network Layer for Safe AI Adoption

• GenAI security via Check Point firewalls (Quantum & CloudGuard Network Security)
• Auto-detect MCP servers and traffic (Model Context Protocol). See which tools and apps they are using and generate traffic logs for deep analysis
• Extend full application control to AI apps, create policies to permit or block access
• Full control over Agentic AI, MCP servers, and shadow Gen AI apps

“Check Point offers a leading and comprehensive security portfolio that empowers enterprises to secure their entire AI supply chain including infrastructure, networking, enterprise apps, and end users,” van Rensburg concludes.

The new platform, developed in collaboration with NVIDIA, focuses on securing AI models, workloads, and agentic applications used in enterprise environments, without compromising performance.

The company confirmed that AI Cloud Protect is now available for on-premises enterprise use and has been validated on NVIDIA RTX PRO Servers. 

Built on NVIDIA’s BlueField technology, it enables organisations to secure AI model development and inference workloads both in data centres and cloud environments.

“As enterprises race to build AI-driven innovation, they can’t afford blind spots,” said Nataly Kremer, Chief Product Officer at Check Point. “With NVIDIA, we’re making AI factories secure by design—protecting models, data, and infrastructure without slowing innovation.”

The rise of AI has exposed enterprises to new and complex risks. According to Check Point data, one in every 80 generative AI prompts reveals sensitive information, while Gartner reports that nearly one-third of organisations suffered an AI-related security incident in the past year, ranging from prompt manipulation to infrastructure attacks.

AI Cloud Protect was built to address these vulnerabilities head-on. Running on NVIDIA BlueField-3 DPUs, it delivers full-stack protection without consuming CPU or GPU resources, putting an end to the common trade-off between security and performance. 

Its network-level defence prevents unauthorised access, data poisoning, and model exfiltration. At the host level, it leverages NVIDIA’s DOCA Argus framework for direct memory access, offering full visibility into active processes on AI nodes to detect and block malicious workloads, even within downloaded large language models.

“Security is essential for the next generation of AI infrastructure,” said David Reber, chief security officer at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA is working with Check Point to integrate BlueField acceleration and the NVIDIA DOCA Argus runtime security framework into the AI Cloud Protect platform to help enterprises deploy AI confidently.”

The solution will also extend to NVIDIA’s upcoming BlueField-4 DPU, which promises six times more compute power and double the network throughput, setting the stage for faster and more scalable AI operations.

Beyond AI Cloud Protect, Check Point’s AI security portfolio includes CloudGuard Web Application Firewall (WAF) with Lakera integration, designed to block prompt injection and jailbreak threats in enterprise AI applications. 

Another solution, Infinity GenAI Protect, helps organisations monitor generative AI usage, apply policies, and prevent sensitive data exposure across teams. Together, these solutions aim to deliver end-to-end protection across the AI ecosystem, from infrastructure to user level.

The company is currently piloting AI Cloud Protect with select financial services firms and partners like World Wide Technology (WWT), focusing on protecting data centres supporting large language model development.

“As enterprises build AI server factories at scale, the combination of Check Point’s AI Cloud Protect and NVIDIA BlueField acceleration delivers enterprise-grade protection for sensitive AI workloads from model training to inference without compromising the performance modern AI applications demand,” said Chris Konrad, vice president, Global Cyber, WWT.

Check Point is addressing data leakage, model manipulation, and infrastructure threats, while enabling organisations to innovate confidently in this phase of intelligent computing.

Whether you’re scrolling social media, checking emails, or downloading apps, cyber criminals are always looking for new ways to exploit vulnerabilities. 

The threat landscape is as broad as your web presence. What’s more, organisations must contend with AI-driven attacks that are growing in scale and sophistication day by day.

It’s no longer enough to react, cybersecurity strategies must be prevention-first. That’s why raising awareness about cybersecurity isn’t just important, it’s essential for protecting your personal information, financial data, and digital identity.

Check Point‘s Jeremy Fuchs, from their CTO office, outlines five essential cybersecurity tips as his contribution for Cybersecurity Awareness Month:

Tip 1. Cyber Risks from Apps: Verify Before You Download

Malicious apps can still slip through the cracks despite the apparent safety of device-based app stores. Before downloading any application, take a moment to verify the developer’s credibility.

Look for apps from well-known companies or developers with strong reputations and positive user reviews.

Be cautious of apps that request excessive permissions, if a flashlight app wants access to your contacts, that’s a red flag. Be particularly skeptical of apps that seem too good to be true, offer unrealistic promises, or have very few downloads despite being available for months.

Always download apps directly from official app stores rather than third-party websites, and keep your apps updated to ensure you have the latest security patches.

Tip 2. Spotting Brand Phishing: Don’t Fall for Fake Communications

Cyber criminals love to impersonate trusted brands to steal your information. When you receive emails, texts, or messages claiming to be from well-known companies, take a closer look at the sender’s details. Legitimate businesses typically use official email domains and consistent branding.

Watch out for pressure tactics designed to make you act quickly, phrases like “urgent action required” or “account will be suspended” are common red flags.

Avoid clicking on links in suspicious messages. Instead, navigate directly to the company’s official website by typing the URL into your browser or using a bookmark. If you’re unsure whether a communication is legitimate, contact the company directly through their official customer service channels.

Organisations need to stay a step ahead by preventing messages from reaching employee inboxes through anti-phishing and anti-ransomware protection, combined with user education.

Tip 3. Detecting Deep Fakes: Trust but Verify

Deep fake technology has made it easier than ever to create convincing fake videos and audio recordings of real people.

When you see content that seems surprising or out of character for someone, take a moment to double-check the person’s identity and the authenticity of what you’re seeing.

Look closely at videos for telltale signs of manipulation, unnatural facial movements, inconsistent lighting, or audio that doesn’t sync properly with lip movements.

When verifying images, pay attention to backgrounds, shadows, and any elements that seem digitally altered.

Most importantly, if you receive suspicious content claiming to be from someone you know, confirm directly with that person through a separate, trusted communication channel before believing or sharing the content.

Tip 4. Ignore Unknown Text Messages: When in Doubt, Delete

Text message scams (smishing) have become increasingly common, with criminals sending everything from fake delivery notifications to bogus prize announcements. The safest approach with messages from unknown numbers is simple: don’t engage.

Never click on links in text messages from unfamiliar senders, even if the message seems legitimate or urgent.

These links often lead to malicious websites designed to steal your information or install harmful software on your device.

If you receive a suspicious text claiming to be from a company or service you use, ignore the message and contact the organisation directly through their official channels. When in doubt, delete the message immediately and block the number to prevent future attempts.

Tip 5. Leaked Credentials: Stay One Step Ahead

Data breaches happen more frequently than you might think, potentially exposing your usernames, passwords, and other sensitive information. In fact, compromised credentials have surged 160% this year.

Regularly check if your credentials have been compromised by using reputable breach monitoring services that can alert you when your information appears in known data breaches.

When you discover that your information has been leaked, change your passwords immediately — not just for the affected account, but for any other accounts where you’ve used the same or similar passwords.

Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible to add an extra layer of security to your accounts.

Consider using a password manager to generate and store unique, strong passwords for each of your accounts. For organisations, the risk from leaked credentials is amplified by the potential for it to lead to a broader incident.

Prioritising Zero Trust-based secure access, organisations protect themselves from attackers moving laterally in the network after unauthorised access.

“For organisations, it’s essential to be prepared for more and more sophisticated attacks. Full coverage across all employee devices, web applications, email, and secure access are pillars for protecting your workforce. In general, following this rule of thumb will cover most scenarios: If you’re unsure, or if something feels off, report it and don’t engage. By implementing these five cybersecurity practices and making online safety a priority, you can stay secure in our hyperconnected world,” Jeremy says.

This collaboration bridges the longstanding gap between cloud network security and Cloud Native Application Protection (CNAPP) through a deep technological integration and strategic business alliance, delivering an industry-leading unified, holistic security solution.

“This partnership was formalised in order to create a new security paradigm—combining Check Point’s cloud network security expertise with Wiz’s CNAPP leadership to deliver comprehensive protection across hybrid mesh environments,” said Nadav Zafrir, chief executive officer at Check Point. “Together, we are transforming how organisations manage risk, enabling teams to collaborate with greater efficiency and control.”

Today’s enterprises operate in complex environments where network and cloud security often function in silos, creating critical visibility and control gaps.

Cloud network security teams lack context about cloud-specific risks, while cloud security teams struggle to understand how cloud network security controls protect assets. This fragmentation leads to inefficiencies, misconfigurations, and increased cyber risks.

“Bringing together Wiz’s leading CNAPP technology and Check Point’s expertise in cloud network security enhances visibility and prioritises risks more effectively,” said Assaf Rappaport, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Wiz. “Our partnership is aimed to ensure that companies can seamlessly protect their network and cloud environments with an integrated, industry-leading solution while continuing to democratise cloud security.”

The partnership between Check Point and Wiz addresses these issues head-on offering customers:

• Unified Security Insights: Check Point’s cloud network security controls integrated within Wiz’s CNAPP risk platform, enabling cloud security teams to automatically prevent attacks access real-time network-driven insights for smarter risk prioritisation
• Enhanced Risk Context: Wiz’s advanced risk analysis feeds integrate directly into Check Point’s platform, providing network security teams with actionable recommendations to optimise security coverage and configurations
• Prioritization of Unsecured Assets: Cloud security teams are empowered to identify and address unsecured assets more effectively, leveraging network security data to guide decision-making
• Optimized Security Operations: Network security teams benefit from tailored recommendations generated by Wiz’s platform, enhancing operational efficiency across hybrid environments

The mutually beneficial partnership includes joint integration and the assisted migration of Check Point’s CNAPP customers to Wiz.

Check Point expects to reallocate resources and make further investments across its cloud security business, including cloud network security, web application firewall (WAF), generative AI (GenAI), and other key cloud technologies.

This collaboration underscores both companies’ long-term commitment to driving security innovation and addressing the most pressing cloud security challenges faced by modern enterprises.

“Check Point embarks on a new chapter, with my transition into my new role as Executive Chairman and the appointment of Nadav as the company’s new CEO. I’ve known Nadav for many years and he is the perfect fit to lead Check Point to new heights,” said Mr. Shwed. “I have full confidence in the company’s strategy, strength, leadership and employees, and we will work together to ensure this new journey brings even more success than we’ve achieved so far.”

“I am honored to join Check Point as its new CEO,” said Mr. Zafrir. “To lead an iconic cyber security company at such a pivotal time for our industry is both a privilege and a profound responsibility. Our world relies on trust, and Check Point’s mission to establish and protect that trust has never been more critical. We are uniquely positioned to live up to this mission, and shape the future of the cyber security industry. I thank Gil for his confidence and visionary leadership and I am grateful to have him as a partner and mentor as our Chairman.”

Most recently, Mr. Zafrir was the co-founder and managing partner at Team8, a company-building venture group focused on cyber security, data & AI, fintech, and digital health.

Prior to Team8, Mr. Zafrir established the IDF’s Cyber Command and served as Commander of the elite Unit 8200, eventually retiring as a Brigadier General.

He is a board member of SolarEdge Technologies (after serving as chairman for five years), and has also served on the boards of 14 private cyber security companies.

This strategic partnership, announced at a partner roundtable event in Lagos and attended by industry executives, stakeholders, and IT professionals, facilitated discussions on emerging cybersecurity trends and fostered strategic partnerships.

Participants explored innovative approaches to digital security, concluding with a networking session designed to spark future collaborations and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

Abiodun Idowu, assistant general manager for TD Africa, highlighted the company’s dedication to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions, saying:

“This partnership with Check Point reflects our commitment to providing advanced tools that safeguard businesses against today’s complex cyber threats.”

Victor Ugwu, Check Point’s Security manager, who underscored the partnership’s significance in strengthening cybersecurity frameworks in Nigeria, said,

“With this collaboration with TD Africa, we aim to deploy innovative solutions like Harmony and CloudGuard to protect organizations across the country.”

TD Africa now offers Check Point’s Harmony and Email Collaboration solutions, incorporating Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology to enable secure connectivity for remote and hybrid work environments.

Additionally, the partnership provides CloudGuard, an end-to-end cloud security solution, and Quantum Firewall appliances, which scale to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes.

This partnership reinforces TD Africa’s position as a driving force in Nigeria’s technological advancement.

By delivering robust cybersecurity solutions, TD Africa empowers businesses to navigate the digital age with confidence and resilience.