Check Point Introduces Firewall-as-a-Subscription Model for Enterprises
Check Point Software Technologies has introduced Firewall-as-a-Subscription, a new offering designed to give organisations access to its network security technologies through a subscription model rather than an upfront hardware purchase.
The programme combines Check Point Force Firewalls with AI Network Firewall capabilities, threat prevention, security updates, cloud-based management, support and professional services. Customers can select firewall hardware according to their required threat prevention throughput and scale capacity as their network requirements change.
The launch comes as organisations face growing network security demands associated with artificial intelligence adoption, alongside pressure to manage security spending. According to the IANS Research and Artico Search 2026 Security Budget Benchmark, median security budgets remained flat in 2026. The report found that 55% of chief information security officers (CISOs) said their budgets had remained unchanged or declined, while only 45% of those who requested budget increases received them.
Check Point introduced its AI Network Firewall capabilities with software release R82.20 in July 2026. These capabilities are designed to inspect AI traffic, protect AI applications and help govern AI agents at the network layer. The subscription programme extends access to these technologies through an operating expenditure model.
“Organizations of all sizes face the same AI-driven threats, but for many, capital budget cycles often force them to delay firewall refreshes or buy more capacity than they need,” said Pete Finalle, Research Manager, Security and Trust at IDC. “Consumption models that turn on-premises security hardware into a predictable operating expense, and let organizations scale protection as their needs grow, can help close that gap. We expect demand for this kind of flexibility to rise as AI adoption increases the traffic and risk networks must handle.”
The subscription includes AI Network Firewall capabilities, Check Point Force Firewall hardware and AI-powered threat prevention. It also incorporates SandBlast, which Check Point says achieves a 99.9% block rate against zero-day attacks, and Live Updates, which applies security updates without requiring reboots or downtime.
For management, the offering includes the Smart-1 Agentic Management package, providing cloud-based security management without additional on-premises infrastructure. Customers also receive 24/7 premium support, alongside access to Check Point Global Services Flex Credits for firewall policy migration from other vendors or other Check Point services.
“Every organization is adopting AI, and every organization deserves the same level of protection, whatever its size or budget,” said Avi Rembaum, President Global Technical Sales at Check Point Software Technologies. “With Firewall-as-a-Subscription, we are making our most advanced AI security, threat prevention and agentic management available through one simple subscription, so organizations can secure their AI transformation today.”
The programme offers monthly and annual payment options under a three-year subscription term. Organisations can upgrade firewall throughput as their requirements evolve, with a hardware transition option available after 36 months. The subscription approach is intended to help organisations align security capacity with changing network demands while reducing the need for a large initial hardware investment.
Check Point Firewall-as-a-Subscription will be available through Check Point partners from 1 November 2026.
