Check Point releases Sand Blast Agent for browsers with zero phishing technology

BENGALURU: Addressing the exponential growth in web-based malware, phishing and social engineering attacks, NASDAQ-listed Check Point Software Technologies Ltd has unveiled the Sand Blast Agent for Browsers with Zero Phishing technology. As the newest member of its industry-leading Sand Blast family of solutions, Sand Blast Agent for Browsers is designed to protect users from these evolving threats by seamlessly incorporating key components of the security model into the browser. It provides real-time protection, all while reducing the resources required to prevent today’s most advanced attacks. Sand Blast Agent for Browsers will be available in the 3 rd quarter of 2016.

To optimize business results and innovation, users now expect unconstrained internet access and immediate delivery of downloaded content and email. At the same time, enterprises must contend with the changing threat landscape, as they strive to prevent the theft of sensitive customer information and their own intellectual property, while maintaining the efficiency of their critical business systems.

Files downloaded from the web represent a leading entry point for malware today, and data shows this threat is growing. Web-based malware and social engineering attacks targeting organizations are increasing in volume and sophistication, with cyber attackers using the latest evasion techniques and persuasive scams to infect their victims. A preview of an upcoming SANS survey, Exploits at the Endpoint: SANS 2016 Threat Landscape Study, has revealed:

*41% of the respondents experienced their most impactful security events through attacks that used drive-by downloads of malicious programs.

*80% of organizations have been impacted by phishing attacks over the past 12 months, with 68 percent witnessing an increase in this type of attack.

Coupled with the fact that 63 percent of data breaches involved some form of credential theft through either weak, default or stolen passwords, according to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report, it becomes clear preventing the full-range of web-based attacks from reaching end users is critical to maintaining business security.

“Within our expanding business, we’ve increasingly been challenged to maintain the security of our endpoints, especially as employees are targeted by hackers using more and more clever social engineering techniques,” said Saul Schwartz, enterprise security manager. “Having a simple, easy-to-use browser extension that prevents attacks without slowing users down, will be a game-changer for our increasingly mobile workforce – particularly from threats such as phishing attacks.”

In this ongoing struggle to protect their endpoints, enterprises want maximum protection, while minimizing the footprint of running, managing and deploying multiple endpoint products on every system. Sand Blast Agent for Browsers addresses these requirements with features that include:

* Proactive, real-time protection from advanced malware delivers safe reconstructed content within seconds
* Dynamic analysis blocks unknown and zero-day phishing attacks targeting user credentials
* Simple, easy-to-deploy browser plug-in for Internet Explorer and Chrome that installs in minutes and operates with minimal overhead
* Highest malware catch rate in the industry, utilizing advanced sandbox technology and patented CPU-level detection

“As cyber attacks are growing in their complexity and frequency, enterprises are increasingly at risk of falling victim to a wide range of browser-based attacks,” said Nathan Shuchami, head of advanced threat prevention, Check Point. “Existing technologies ask users to wait for content to be evaluated, or require multiple, intrusive software installations on every system. Sand Blast Agent for Browsers brings the highest level of protection to users in a simple browser plug-in that block sun known and zero-day malware delivered via web downloads, while quickly delivering safe content within seconds.”