Industry Solutions

Education:

On-demand information, E-learning, online collaboration, and other networking technologies have improved the efficiency and richness of the learning experience in many educational institutions. However, the risk of operational disruption, loss of sensitive information, and increased liabilities have gone up due to the potential for network misuse or security breaches.

Learning institutions need solid network access control and comprehensive protection against cyberthreats - especially when using modern technologies. With our unique access control framework - based on applications and users, as well as its multi-faceted threat prevention capabilities - Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls are the ideal platform for meeting your needs.

Control User Access and Enable the Safe Use of Applications

Our unique traffic classification technologies enable powerful and easy-to-implement access control policies that are based on applications and users, rather than port and protocol. This supports the safe enablement of approved business and educational applications, while all else is blocked including unapproved, problematic file-sharing, and peer-to-peer applications.

Control access to the internet

Our integrated URL filtering capabilities ensure that only approved sites and/or categories of sites are accessible. Unapproved locations, such as P2P download sites and sites known for housing malware, are automatically blocked. Along with our traffic classification technologies, URL filtering facilitates easier compliance with a growing number of government regulations placed on educational institutions.

Prevent network disruption due to malware

If left unchecked, your users may be exposed to malware in a variety of ways including email attachments, malicious websites, and even student wikis. Our comprehensive threat prevention capabilities ensure the complete identification and blocking of known and unknown malware and zero-day threats, irrespective of the vector utilized.

Enable the safe use of innovative applications and technologies.

Whether it’s mobile computing, datacenter virtualization, or software defined networks, you must innovate and use technology to drive differentiation and remain competitive. However, new technologies typically carry unknown and unpatched vulnerabilities that offer natural targets for cyberattacks. With Palo Alto Networks, you can rapidly enable the safe use of new applications and technologies by using easily defined and dynamic rules based on applications, users, and content.   

Ensure high quality of service for key applications

With our next-generation firewalls, you can also shape bandwidth usage based on application, user, content, or a combination of the three. This allows your real-time or high-priority traffic, such as E-learning, to have priority over best-effort or low-priority traffic. This ensures QoS where needed, and prevents non-essential applications from hogging available bandwidth.

Accelerate campus-wide administration and forensics

Our ability to centrally manage all security appliances and key security functions streamlines the deployment of configurations and policies. This also simplifies the collection and analysis of logs from multiple locations. Overall, you benefit from lower operational costs.

Financial Services:

Financial institutions that thrive and remain competitive do so by leading the way in adopting technology innovations. Unfortunately, new applications, upgrades, and newly released technologies are natural targets for cyberattacks because they can carry unknown vulnerabilities. Since cyberattacks and APTs target the financial industry more than any other, you need a way to deter them.

Palo Alto Networks’ security platform was built from the ground-up to tackle modern malware and cyberthreats. Our revolutionary approach to network security is based on giving you full visibility into ALL of the traffic on your network. This allows you to identify all applications, users, and content on your network, so that you can take control and eliminate unknown risks.

Classify all traffic on your network; eliminate unknowns.

Firewalls must be at the core of your network security strategy because they are the only network infrastructure component that can see all traffic. But your firewalls also need to match the complexity of today’s application ecosystem and threat landscape. Legacy firewalls can't because they use ports to control traffic. Port-based firewalls let through too much unknown traffic and content. Our network security platform allows you to classify all traffic by application, user, and content, which gives you full visibility and control over what’s on your network. 

Break the cycle of cyberattacks.

Cyberattacks have become more sophisticated, and their volume has risen to a level where non-integrated legacy security tools - which require too many manual steps to efficiently investigate suspicious traffic - do not allow security professionals to effectively stop attacks. Our network security platform not only provides immediate visibility and control into all traffic, but also gives you contextual intelligence so you can take immediate action on anomalous and suspicious traffic and block attacks.  

Strengthen, yet simplify, your network security.

Network security evolved alongside the development of the Internet and the emergence of new threats. Today, you might have to manage a portfolio of security tools spread across traditional firewalls, IPS, threat detection tools, url filtering, and many more. By integrating all security functionality into the core of our next-generation firewall, Palo Alto Networks eliminates fragmentation and naturally strengthens your network security while also simplifying its management. 

Enable the safe use of innovative applications and technologies.

Whether it’s mobile computing, datacenter virtualization, or software defined networks, you must innovate and use technology to drive differentiation and remain competitive. However, new technologies typically carry unknown and unpatched vulnerabilities that offer natural targets for cyberattacks. With Palo Alto Networks, you can rapidly enable the safe use of new applications and technologies by using easily defined and dynamic rules based on applications, users, and content.   

Turn cybersecurity into a competitive advantage.

With the increase in cyberattacks on banks, maintaining the trust of your customers and improving their confidence in your ability to secure their financial records is a priority. By using Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls - the leading network security platform on the market - you can strengthen your network security and demonstrate to your customers how important security is to your business.

Government:

The unabated rise of cyberthreats targeting governments and critical infrastructure has made protecting networks and information systems a strategic priority for governments worldwide. Adopting new applications and innovative technologies to remain competitive is a must, but they bring new vulnerabilities and add complexity and new challenges to your network security.

Palo Alto Networks’ security platform was built from the ground-up to address the new emerging cybersecurity landscape. Our innovative approach to network security gives you full visibility into application traffic, users, and content, and increases your ability to prevent cyberthreats.

Strengthen, yet simplify, your network security.

The Internet, enterprise applications, threats, and network security all evolved rapidly together. Today, you might be managing a portfolio of security tools fragmented across traditional firewalls, IPS, threat detection, and URL filtering. By integrating all security functionality into the core of our next-generation firewall, Palo Alto Networks simplifies and strengthens your network security. 

Enable the safe use of new applications and technologies.

Just like private companies, governments want to adopt innovative technologies and applications that can make them more efficient, such as social networking, mobile computing, VoIP, or Virtualization. Palo Alto Networks’ security platform allows you to define and enforce application usage policies at a granular level, while retaining your ability to closely inspect all traffic for threats.

Get granular control based on application, user, and content.

User populations in governments are often diverse - ranging from contractors to civilian employees and other government departments - each with a different level of security clearance. With Palo Alto Networks, you can segment and dynamically control network zones, systems, databases, and applications based on users, user groups, and their roles, and apply the appropriate level of security to applications while safely enabling access where needed.  

Gain full visibility and deploy efficient defenses against cyberthreats.

Cyberattacks are now more sophisticated and more frequent. Security teams that rely on fragmented or legacy tools are unable to systematically follow-up on suspicious traffic. Our next-generation firewalls provide immediate visibility and control over modern threats and APTs, and give your teams enough information to take action.

Healthcare:

Like many of your peers in the healthcare industry, you might be looking to technology to improve efficiencies and satisfy new regulations. Palo Alto Networks can help. Our next-generation firewalls allow you to define and enforce the acceptable use of new technologies and applications on your network. Regardless of the state of your network, you can easily and safely transition to our security platform and rapidly improve your cybersecurity posture.

Enable the safe use of applications and technology.

The deployment of electronic health record (EHR) systems, the proliferation of digital medical devices, and the daily use of mobile devices by your practitioners, have significantly increased your exposure to cyberthreats. Using Palo Alto Networks’ security platform, you can:

• Manage and enforce the use of applications at a granular level.
• Gain full visibility and control over all traffic on your network.
• Inspect traffic for threats.

Actively take control over your network security.

Whether your current approach to network security is basic or sophisticated, you probably have to manage a portfolio of security tools fragmented across multiple security functions: firewalls, threat detection, url filtering, and more. By integrating all security functionality into the core of our next-generation firewall, Palo Alto Networks eliminates fragmentation and immediately simplifies the management of your network. Instantly, doing more with less becomes a reality!

Easily segment your network to safely enable all users and applications.

In your healthcare facility, you might have to manage a complex environment in which highly protected patient data needs to be easily accessible, and cohabitates with patients and visitors using your WiFi network. With this mixed usage and need for security, segmenting your network to define zones with various levels of security is a must. Our security platform uses dynamic rules and policies based on applications, users, and content, and allows you to deploy network segmentation that’s easy to maintain. 

Partner with practitioners to turn security into a business enabler.

Practitioners’ access to medical systems and tools can be a matter of life and death. Concerns about security policies that block access to medical systems are valid in today's digitized world. But access should not come at the expense of security. Palo Alto Networks solves this dilemma by enabling you to automatically and dynamically control access to your network and applications using flexible rules and policies based on users, user groups, or roles.

Turn compliance with regulations into a seamless process.

The protection of patient medical records is paramount. Failing to comply is costly, and patient data privacy and security can no longer be addressed as an afterthought in a new system deployment. So how can you ensure that compliance seamlessly becomes part of your business processes? By integrating all security functions into the firewall. Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall provides a simple way to generate audit reports and the trail of information you need to demonstrate compliance to regulators.

Retail:

For retailers, brand value, reputation, and customer trust is paramount. In light of the high profile security breaches that have plagued the industry, you need to reassess your security posture and be in a position to rapidly fix any potential weakness in your defense without making any significant impact on margins. Palo Alto Networks enables you to quickly identify where you are most at risk and to deploy consistent security across a highly distributed environment - from the supply chain to distribution networks and thousands of stores.

Understand where you are most at risk and eliminate toxic traffic

In a highly distributed business environment such as retail, it can be difficult to identify your weakest security points. Recently, business partners have often been the intrusion point for cyber criminals. With the Palo Alto Networks enterprise security platform, you can identify rapidly, at any point in your network, which traffic is unwanted, might carry the highest volume of malware, or represent the highest degree of risk. You can also discover which cloud services are used by employees and contractors.

Actively take control and simplify your enterprise security

Equipped with better intelligence about network traffic and risks based on applications, users and content, you can make informed decisions and set investment priorities for security. You can streamline your security portfolio and eliminate isolated point solutions that create siloes of threat intelligence. With natively integrated security functions - firewalls, threat detection, url filtering, advanced endpoint protection and more – combined into one platform, Palo Alto Networks immediately simplifies the management of your enterprise security – doing more with less becomes a reality!

Protect POS and customer data in specialized zones

Sensitive data such as customer and credit card data in POS applications should be protected from general enterprise traffic and isolated into its own network zone. By using proper network segmentation based on applications, you can eliminate unnecessary applications and traffic out of the POS zone. Applying role-based and least privileged access to users and contractors, you can ensure that no user will have access to the POS environment without explicit authorization. Finally by controlling traffic payload based on the content allowed in the POS environment, such as eliminating the ability to download executable files, you can reduce even further the attack surface around the POS zone.

Prevent attacks at the POS with advanced endpoint protection

POS terminals need to be protected from direct and indirect attacks. It’s broadly recognized that traditional Anti-Virus solutions are no longer effective against advanced threats and that a new security model is needed. Our advanced endpoint solution, Traps, identifies malware before it gets any chance to install itself on a device thus helping you evolve from a detection and remediation security approach to one that is more proactive and focused on prevention.

Secure your value chain from global suppliers to local distributors

It’s not unusual for organizations to only maintain two zones in their network: a trusted zone and an untrusted one. Once in the trusted zone, traffic is often not inspected systematically, leaving an enterprise highly exposed to any advanced threat. Retailers that operate a global value chain and distribution network are particularly vulnerable to intrusion through a business partners and must further control access from partners using the same advanced network segmentation techniques as those recommended for the POS environment.

Deploy a security architecture that supports both compliance and security

Numerous cyberattacks succeeded in retail organizations that had successfully passed PCI compliance audits. Everybody agrees that it is time to decouple security from compliance! With Palo Alto Networks, you can build the foundation of a security architecture that will not only strengthen your cybersecurity and remove complexities out of security, but also reduce the scope of your compliance audits and facilitate the audit process.

SCADA & Industrial Control For Critical Infrastructure:

Insufficient security and unpatched, highly vulnerable legacy systems combined with a more sophisticated threat landscape targeting critical infrastructure, has made improving cybersecurity in SCADA/ICS networks more important than ever. Asset owners need to control network access, block threats, and reduce the downtime associated with security incidents. Palo Alto Networks unique approach to network traffic control, threat prevention, and central management protects your key infrastructure from cyberthreats and ensures network availability.

Implement a least privileges access model based on application, user, and content control

Use our network security platform to segment SCADA/ICS assets into security zones based on risk profiles and security requirements, and then apply our unique application and user identification technologies to gain unprecedented visibility and control of your network traffic. This allows a “least privileges” access model in which only explicitly authorized protocols, applications, and users - whether from within the control network or from external zones (enterprise or remote sites) - can access your control network assets such as historian and OPC servers, HMIs, workstations, and IO controllers (PLCs, IEDs, RTUs).

Palo Alto Networks supports an expansive set of application signatures including SCADA/ICS-specific signatures for Modbus, DNP3, CIP Ethernet/IP, IEC 60870-5-104, OPC, and many others. Function-level control for specific protocols is also available.

Protect vulnerable systems from known and unknown threats

Cyberattacks can originate from the Internet and from within the control network via portable storage or mobile PCs. Along with appropriate zoning practices and our classification technologies, URL filtering and content blocking can minimize internal and external attack vectors. Native IPS and sandbox analysis tools from Palo Alto Networks can be deployed to block both known and unknown threats trying to infect your systems via these vectors.

Access our Threat Vault to search our library for virus, spyware, and vulnerability signatures including SCADA/ICS-specific signatures.

Central management for flexible it/to administration and powerful forensics and reporting tools

Our flexible, central management capabilities allow you to easily deploy consistent OT and IT policies and configurations across both your enterprise and control networks.

Furthermore, you can aggregate logs from all sites to a central point to gain holistic insights into your network usage and security incidents. Palo Alto Networks centralized reporting also facilitates documentation for regulatory audits.

An architecture built for performance and availability

To facilitate real-time performance and availability, our single-pass, parallel processing (SP3) architecture performs application, user, and content classification in a single pass using a highly parallelized computing hardware. Moreover, we separate control plane and data plane processing, and also support redundant architectures to facilitate high availability.

Service Providers & Telecommunications:

Service providers and carriers run the majority of the communications and computing infrastructure that enables the modern economy to operate safely, and globally. Protecting and maintaining the integrity of this infrastructure depends on adaptable security solutions that can grow along with a constantly evolving ecosystem of network technologies.

Using Palo Alto Networks, you can evolve, innovate, and protect your infrastructure without compromising performance. We enable you to scale up, fight advanced attacks, and stay ahead of evolving threats, while reducing operational complexity and costs. With a better, more flexible security backbone, you can focus your resources on the rollout of innovative services that keep you ahead of your competition.

Enable SDN, NFV, and next-generation networks

Network infrastructure is shifting to a more flexible model in which the virtualization of all components will soon be the norm. While computing and networking resources can be provisioned in a matter of minutes, security policies often follow a manual process that can take weeks. Palo Alto Networks puts you on a path in which security is as dynamic as any other component in your infrastructure. Your security policies can be deployed as quickly as any other network function, enabling you to realize the true benefits of a fully virtualized infrastructure. Learn more about our virtualization and cloud solutions, as well as our integration with orchestration engines including VMware, Openstack and Cloudstack.

Get the best security and performance – with no compromises

You should never have to choose between service availability and security. This is why the revolutionary design for our security platform delivers both. When you deploy Palo Alto Networks, you can turn on all of its security capabilities – including advanced threat prevention – without worrying about the impact on your network's performance. The single-pass architecture, which is unique to our products, performs any operation only once per packet, and eliminates many of the redundant functions that plague the integration attempts of other vendors.

Innovate with differentiated services and operational excellence

A high volume of advanced and targeted threats is the new norm, and everyone needs to rethink how they use technology and the Internet. You can innovate and deliver new services with the highest level of security by integrating our cutting-edge technology into your service portfolio. Our commitment to always adopt the latest technology and standards – IPV6, SDN, NFV and more – allows you to keep pace with innovation, while relentlessly improving operational efficiency. Our technology has successfully completed NEBS L3, FIPS-140, and EAL4 certifications.

Use application-level visibility to better manage and monetize traffic

DPI solutions don't provide adequate traffic visibility beyond Layer 3. With Palo Alto Networks, you gain visibility into traffic and bandwidth consumption directly at the application layer. Equipped with detailed analysis about traffic volume by application, time of the day, and user, you can optimize your network for better quality of service, manage service levels based on targeted user populations, and design service plans to improve your margins.

Take enterprise and cloud services to the next-level

Whether it’s delivering advanced and highly reliable computing and managed security services to enterprises, or ubiquitous connectivity to consumers, carriers and service providers need to stay one step ahead of the innovative, connected technologies that enterprises and consumers demand. Deployed in a physical or virtual form factor, our next-generation security solutions are the inline enforcement components of our security platform, augmented by our cloud-based capabilities. They work in tandem to deliver the most effective and flexible security framework available on the market today.