Check Point acquires cloud email and collaboration security firm

Check Point has announced the acquisition of growing cloud email security company Avanan.

Avanan technology provides the highest level of security for emails and SaaS collaboration suites. Avanan will integrate into the Check Point Infinity consolidated architecture.

Utilising patented technology designed and built for cloud email environments, this will be the only unified solution in the market to protect remote workforce from malicious files, URLs and Phishing across email, collaboration suites, web, network, and endpoint, according to Check Point.

Email technologies have evolved and transitioned from on premise solutions to the cloud. With 95% of cyber-attacks targeting enterprise networks are caused by successful spear phishing, the cloud email threat landscape has never been wider. The amount of phishing attacks doubled in 2020, with every Microsoft Office 365 user in the world attacked at least once.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the move to remote work continue to fuel the adoption of cloud office systems and the use of other collaboration suites beyond email (e.g. Teams, Slack, OneDrive), expanding users' exposure to cyber-attacks even more. This expanded threat landscape requires a new approach to email security since conventional solutions built for on-premises email have failed to adapt for the cloud. Legacy email solutions (SEG) impair native security tools, are blind to cloud threats, and cannot protect collaboration suites.

Avanan, founded in 2015, developed a patented application-programming interface (API) solution to stop email threats before arriving to the inbox (inline), for both internal and external emails using AI based engines. With over 100 employees, it protects more than 5000 customers and over 2.5 million inboxes. The solution deploys in minutes like an app and is configured in a few clicks.

"More and more businesses are moving to cloud-email platforms and with email becoming a major channel to launch devastating cyber-attacks, this acquisition represents a huge potential as organisations are looking for a new approach to email and collaboration suite security," says Dr. Dorit Dor, Check Point chief product officer.

"By integrating Avanan into Check Point Infinity, organisations will be able to modernise legacy solutions with email security as-a-service and protect cloud email and collaboration suites from the most sophisticated attacks," he says.

"We've been using the Avanan technology as an OEM for the last 3 years and I am confident that with this new addition, customers will enjoy the best email security with the best cyber security capabilities.

Gil Friedrich, chief executive and co-founder of Avanan, adds, "Avanan's journey to reinvent email security is starting a whole new chapter.

"By merging with Check Point Software, we are combining Avanan's best in class A.I. that catches the sophisticated email-borne attacks everyone else misses, with Check Point Software's unparalleled security capabilities and threat intelligence," he says.

"With Check Point Software's global organisation, we plan to bring our joint solution to all organisations, of all sizes and geographies, to anyone that needs better security for their email and collaboration suite".

Check Point Software entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Avanan and the transaction is expected to close imminently.

Check Point Infinity is the industry's first consolidated security architecture, providing a high level of threat prevention against both known and unknown cyber-threats. The integration of Avanan technology into the Check Point Infinity architecture is set-to deliver the highest level of security to remote workforces worldwide, providing the only unified solution that will protect from malicious files, URLs and phishing across email, collaborations apps, web, network, and endpoint.

The unified solution will allow organisations to:

• Modernise legacy solutions (SEG) with email security as a service and protect cloud email in less than 5 minutes.
• Stop 30% more infected emails than any conventional email security solution with best of breed malware protection and no impact in productivity: preventing phishing attacks and malicious files from landing in the inbox, eliminate hazardous clicks on emails with click time URL protection and prevent attack expansion before any damage is evident with automatic post attack remediation.
• Protect email data loss (internal and external) with the most secure and flexible solution: security admins have multiple response actions to protect data before it leaves the organisation.
• Protect SAAS collaboration suites such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Teams, Share Point, Slack, Box and more, from Malicious URLs, infected files, and data loss prevention (DLP).