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Purpose-built content control and cybersecurity solution for school-provided devices makes online learning safe, leveraging industry-leading security technologies and capabilities

SAN CARLOS, CA  —  Tue, 30 Oct 2018

Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cybersecurity worldwide, announced SandBlast for Education, a solution with the highest level of security for schools using Google Chromebooks. Offering an easy-to-install Chrome browser extension with G-suite integration capabilities, SandBlast for Education fits into the current cybersecurity infrastructure of schools, and also helps to achieve compliance with CIPA regulations.

While digitally-connected classrooms give teachers the flexibility to blend traditional teaching methods with vast online resources, the technology is often abused. Nearly 90 percent of students between 4 to 12 have witnessed their peers get cyberbullied, while over 90 percent of kids between the ages of 8-16 have been exposed to online porn. And around a year ago, the US Department of Education issued an alert to school districts around the nation, warning that “schools have long been targets for cyber thieves and criminals.” The Internet must be an asset and not a concern for the education of children.

“According to the CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act), it is the school’s responsibility to protect students while using school-owned devices, both inside and outside the school” says Tal Eisner, Head of Product Marketing Emerging Products at Check Point. “SandBlast for Education allows teachers to supervise their students, monitoring online activity, block social media pages with specific or offensive keywords, and prevent students from posting messages with inappropriate content”.

SandBlast for Education protects against phishing attacks and malicious files, it automatically cleans up downloaded documents with potentially malicious content, analyzes threats and converts files to PDF to ensure their security when necessary. The solution includes an anti-bullying feature which blocks keywords and issues an alert to students before they post offensive content. And by dynamically detecting and blocking phishing websites, SandBlast for Education prevents students from mistakenly providing their personal and private information to cybercriminals.

Complete integration with Google, SandBlast for Education is designed to be configured seamlessly with Google Suite through a simple-to-install Google Chrome browser extension. With more than 20 million students using devices, Google Chromebooks have 49 percent of the market share, which makes it the most used portable device by students.