IT security specialists Check Point have released their new anti-bot and upgraded anti-virus software modules, or ‘blades', announcing that both will be powered by a new ‘worldwide network of threat sensors' dubbed ThreatCloud.

Part of the R75.40 product release, ThreatCloud allows customers to share their own threat data and receive updates from others, enabling pre-emptive protection from bots, Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and malware. Data from Check Point research, industry malware feeds and other sources will continue to be updated in ThreatCloud as well.

Dorit Dor, vice president of products for Check Point, says it's become necessary in today's threat landscape to offer a unified line of defence.

"Being able to leverage ThreatCloud for security intelligence... enables customers to pre-emptively protect their organisations from advanced threats in a collaborative way,” Dor says.

On top of ThreatCloud, Check Point has also introduced the unified successor to its IPSO and SPLAT platforms, calling the new hybrid solution GAiA.

Offering a single operating system for all Check Point appliances, open servers and virtualised gateways, GAiA is also designed to support both IPv4 and IPv6 networks, and is the culmination of two years' worth of research and development, according to Scott McKinnel, managing director of Check Point ANZ.

"We've experienced a large demand for GAiA and the anti-bot and anti-virus software blades here in Australia and New Zealand,” McKinnel says, "and expect to see a rapid uptake of the R75.40 with GAiA and anti-bot technology among our customer base.