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Palo Alto Networks Adds Cloud Security, Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Services to Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) Software

Credit: Palo Alto Networks

Palo Alto Networks has unveiled PAN-OS 11.0 Nova, a new version of its next-generation firewall (NGFW) software equipped with the Advanced WildFire cloud security and Advanced Threat Prevention (ATP) services.

Advanced WildFire protects Palo Alto Networks NGFW users against malware, the company said. It offers intelligent run-time memory analysis, observation and automated unpacking capabilities to help these users combat malware attacks.

ATP safeguards Palo Alto Networks NGFW users against zero-day injection attacks, the company noted. It utilizes deep learning models and telemetry data from exploited vulnerabilities to help these users identify and mitigate zero-day injection attacks.

Other PAN-OS Updates

Along with unveiling Advanced WildFire and ATP for PAN-OS, Palo Alto Networks has announced the following NGFW software updates:

  • Web Proxy Support protects Palo Alto Networks NGFW users against web and non-web traffic.
  • SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) identifies and eliminates dangerous misconfigurations in more than 60 SaaS apps.
  • AIOps performs root-cause analysis of security issues and provides predictive analytics to detect security anomalies.

In addition, Palo Alto Networks has released fourth generation NGFWs that offer "up to 5x higher performance compared to the previous generation," the company stated. These firewalls use machine learning to "bring the flexibility of fiber and Power over Ethernet (PoE)" to office branches, data centers and campuses, the company noted.

Furthermore, Palo Alto Networks' new NGFW platforms will be available in December 2022, SSPM will be available on the company's NGFW platforms in January 2023.

Palo Alto Networks Expands Partner Program, Firewall Protections

The PAN-OS 11.0 Nova and NGFW platform announcements come after Palo Alto Networks in October 2022 added incident response tools, training and resources to its NextWave Program. This expansion also supports the growth of Palo Alto Networks' Cortex MSSP ecosystem, the company said.

Previously, Palo Alto Networks in September 2022 released its VM-Series Virtual NGFW technology on the Azure Marketplace. In doing so, organizations can use VM-Series virtual firewalls to protect Azure private multi-access edge computing (MEC) applications against cyberattacks, the company indicated.

Palo Alto Networks offers cybersecurity platforms and solutions to global organizations across all industries. The company continues to explore ways to bolster its offerings and further extend its cybersecurity market reach.

Dan Kobialka

Dan Kobialka is senior contributing editor, MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E. He covers IT security, IT service provider business strategies and partner programs. Dan holds a M.A. in Print and Multimedia Journalism from Emerson College and a B.A. in English from Bridgewater State University. In his free time, Dan enjoys jogging, traveling, playing sports, touring breweries and watching football.