The Threat Emulation Solution

Getting Started with Threat Emulation

1. If you use a Threat Emulation appliance, prepare the network and the Threat Emulation appliance, for local or remote emulation in the internal network

   Step	Instructions
   1	In SmartConsole Check Point GUI application used to manage a Check Point environment - configure Security Policies, configure devices, monitor products and events, install updates, and so on., create the Security Gateway Dedicated Check Point server that runs Check Point software to inspect traffic and enforce Security Policies for connected network resources. object for the Threat Emulation Check Point Software Blade on a Security Gateway that monitors the behavior of files in a sandbox to determine whether or not they are malicious. Acronym: TE. appliance.
   2	If you run emulation on HTTPS traffic, configure the settings for HTTPS Inspection Feature on a Security Gateway that inspects traffic encrypted by the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol for malware or suspicious patterns. Synonym: SSL Inspection. Acronyms: HTTPSI, HTTPSi. (see HTTPS Inspection ).
   3	Make sure that the traffic is sent to the appliance according to the deployment: Local Emulation - The Threat Emulation appliance receives the traffic. The appliance can be configured for traffic the same as a Security Gateway. Remote Emulation - The traffic is routed to the Threat Emulation appliance.

2. Enable the Threat Emulation Software Blade on the Security Gateway

   Step	Instructions
   1	In the Gateways & Servers view, double-click the Security Gateway / Cluster Two or more Security Gateways that work together in a redundant configuration - High Availability, or Load Sharing. object. The Gateway Properties window opens.
   2	In the General Properties > Network Security tab, select SandBlast Threat Emulation. The Threat Emulation First Time Configuration Wizard opens and shows the Emulation Location page.
   3	Select the Emulation Location: ThreatCloud Emulation Service Locally on this Threat Emulation appliance Other Threat Emulation appliances - Click the + sign to add emulation appliances (you can select more than one appliance for the emulation).
   4	Click Next. The Activate Threat Extraction window opens, with this checkbox selected: Clean potentially malicious parts from files (Threat Extraction) To activate Threat Extraction Check Point Software Blade on a Security Gateway that removes malicious content from files. Acronym: TEX., keep this checkbox selected: If you do not want to activate Threat Extraction, clear this checkbox.
   5	Click Next. The Summary page opens. Note - If you selected the Emulation Location as Locally on this Threat Emulation appliance or Other Threat Emulation appliances, and you want to share Threat Emulation information with ThreatCloud The cyber intelligence center of all of Check Point products. Dynamically updated based on an innovative global network of threat sensors and invites organizations to share threat data and collaborate in the fight against modern malware., select Share attack information with ThreatCloud.
   6	Click Finish to enable Threat Emulation (and if selected, Threat Extraction), and then close the First Time Configuration Wizard.
   7	Click OK. The Gateway Properties window closes.

   Note - When a trial license is installed on the Security Gateway, a green "V" incorrectly appears next to the Threat Emulation Software Blade Specific security solution (module): (1) On a Security Gateway, each Software Blade inspects specific characteristics of the traffic (2) On a Management Server, each Software Blade enables different management capabilities. (in SmartConsole, go to the Gateways & Servers view > right-click the Security Gateway / Cluster object > click Monitor) > the Device and License Information window opens > Device Status > Threat Emulation). To see the correct license status, go to the License Status tab in the Device and License Information window.

   Using Cloud Emulation

   Files are sent to the Check Point ThreatCloud over a secure TLS connection for emulation. The emulation in the ThreatCloud is identical to emulation in the internal network, but it uses only a small amount of CPU, RAM, and disk space of the Security Gateway. The ThreatCloud is always up-to-date with all available operating system environments.

   Best Practice - For ThreatCloud emulation, it is necessary that the Security Gateway connects to the Internet. Make sure that the DNS and proxy settings are configured correctly in Global Properties.

3. Select deployment. See Selecting the Threat Emulation Deployment.

4. Configure Threat Emulation settings on the Threat Prevention profile. See Configuring Threat Emulation Settings on the Security Profile.

5. Optional: Configure Threat Emulation settings on the Security Gateway. See Configuring Threat Emulation on the Security Gateway - Custom Threat Prevention

6. Configure advanced Threat Emulation settings. See Configuring Advanced Threat Emulation Settings - Custom Threat Prevention.

7. Install the Threat Prevention policy on the Security Gateway. If you use a Threat Emulation appliance, install the Threat Prevention policy on the Threat Emulation appliance as well.

Watch the Video

For information about Private ThreatCloud, see the following Secure Knowledge articles:

• sk149692: Private ThreatCloud

• sk113332: Private ThreatCloud - Engine Updates

• sk161534: How to configure Private ThreatCloud (PTC) on Scalable Platform Appliances

ThreatCloud Emulation

You can securely send files to the Check Point ThreatCloud for emulation. The ThreatCloud is always up-to-date with the latest Threat Emulation releases.

The new Threat Emulation engine uses Internet-connected sandboxes to prevent multi-stage attacks at the earliest stage. The full infection chain is analyzed and is presented in the MITRE ATT&CK Matrix visualization in the Threat Emulation report. The Internet-connected sandbox capability is supported on Threat Emulation AWS cloud platform and all Threat Emulation vectors: Web download, Mail Transfer Agent Feature on a Security Gateway that intercepts SMTP traffic and forwards it to the applicable inspection component. Acronym: MTA., CloudGuard SaaS, SandBlast Agent and APIs.

Threat Emulation Analysis Locations

You can choose a location for the emulation analysis that best meets the requirements of your company.

• ThreatCloud - You can send all files to the Check Point ThreatCloud for emulation. Network bandwidth is used to send the files and there is a minimal performance impact on the Security Gateway.

• Threat Emulation Appliance in the Internal network - You can use a Threat Emulation appliance to run emulation on the files, whether locally or on a remote appliance.

Local or Remote Emulation

You can install a Threat Emulation appliance in the internal network.

Selecting the Threat Emulation Deployment

To switch between the Inline and Monitor modes, see the R81.20 Gaia Administration Guide

Inline Deployments

The ThreatCloud or Threat Emulation appliance gets a file from the Security Gateway. After emulation is done on the file, if the file is safe, it is sent to the computer in the internal network. If the file contains malware, it is quarantined and logged. The computer in the internal network is not changed.

Monitor (SPAN/TAP) Deployments

The Security Gateway gets a file from the Internet or an external network and lets it enter the internal network. The Threat Emulation appliance receives a copy of the file and the original file goes to the computer in the internal network. The Threat Emulation appliance compares the cryptographic the file with the database. If the file is already in the database, then no additional emulation is necessary. If the file is not in the database, the virtual computers in the Threat Emulation appliance do emulation of the file.

If the file is identified as malware, it is logged according to the Track action of the Threat Prevention rule Set of traffic parameters and other conditions in a Rule Base (Security Policy) that cause specified actions to be taken for a communication session.. Monitor deployments support only the Detect action.

Threat Emulation Deployments with a Mail Transfer Agent

SMTP traffic goes to the Security Gateway, and is sent for emulation. The MTA acts as a mail proxy, and manages the SMTP connection with the source. The MTA sends email files to emulation after it closes the SMTP connection. When the file emulation is completed, the emails are sent to the mail server in the internal network.

For more information on how to work with the Mail Transfer Agent, see Configuring the Security Gateway as a Mail Transfer Agent.