Palo Alto Networks - Next Generation Firewall

Bandwidth Battle: How Entertainment is Strangling Education on Higher Ed Networks

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:58:42 -0700

Campus Technology, November 13, 2009

According to recent research by Palo Alto Networks, more than three-quarters of all bandwidth consumed on campus is actually taken up with applications that fall into the categories of gaming, social networking, media, file sharing, and Web browsing.

Interop Selects Palo Alto Networks to Present at the Interop New York 2009 Conference Next Week

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:33 -0700

Palo Alto Networks Co-Founder and CTO Nir Zuk to Present "What’s Wrong with the WAN Firewall?" in the Conference’s Networking Track

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 12, 2009 - Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that it has been selected to present at Interop New York 2009, being held Nov.16 - 20 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. The company is also exhibiting at the event, in booth number 722.

Nir Zuk, security industry expert and Palo Alto Networks co-founder and CTO, will present "What's Wrong with the WAN Firewall?" in the Networking Track on Nov. 20 at 10:15 am. Attendees will learn of the limitations of the traditional WAN firewall and identify what functionality firewalls need to implement to overcome these limitations.

"Interop prides itself on its ability to leverage industry expertise to achieve its goal of educating attendees in a number of important networking industry sectors, including network security," said Interop General Manager Lenny Heymann. "As part of the conference’s networking track, we are pleased to have Nir Zuk of Palo Alto Networks participating in this year’s event."

Palo Alto Networks will also be exhibiting at the event this year, and demonstrating its latest next-generation firewall, in booth number 722. Attendees will be able to obtain copies of the just-published Application Usage and Risk Report - Fall 2009 Edition.

Mr. Zuk is considered an industry authority in network security throughout the world. Prior to co-founding Palo Alto Networks, Mr. Zuk was CTO at NetScreen Technologies, which was acquired by Juniper Networks in 2004. Prior to NetScreen, Mr. Zuk was co-founder and CTO at OneSecure, a pioneer in intrusion prevention and detection appliances. Mr. Zuk was also a principal engineer at Check Point Software Technologies and was one of the developers of stateful inspection technology.

About Interop
Interop® drives the adoption of technology, providing knowledge and insight to help IT and corporate decision-makers achieve business success. Part of TechWeb’s family of global brands, Interop is the leading business technology event series. Through in-depth educational programs, workshops, real-world demonstrations and live technology implementations in its unique Interop Net program, Interop provides the forum for the most powerful innovations and solutions the industry has to offer. For more information about these events, visit http://www.interop.com .

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the leader in next-generation firewalls, enabling unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content - by user, not just IP address - at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications - regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption - and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Study: Social Networks, Google Docs Becoming Business Applications

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 12:12:03 -0700

San Francisco Chronicle, November 9, 2009

The use of Facebook, Twitter and Google Docs in the workplace has increased dramatically in the past six months and their crossover from personal to business applications is accelerating, according to a new study released Monday...Of course, these applications can pose security risks because they can spread malware or have known vulnerabilities, but a blanket ban "is bad for business."

Social Networking and Collaborative Application Usage Explodes in Businesses Worldwide

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 12:04:50 -0700

Personal-to-Business "Crossover" is Accelerating, Says Latest Industry Report from Palo Alto Networks

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 9, 2009 - Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced results of an international study that reveal the use of social networking and collaborative applications for business purposes has skyrocketed in the last six month period. With increased adoption of Web-based applications comes new business and security risks that go far beyond potential productivity losses. Yet most companies have outdated IT infrastructure and usage policies that may fail to protect them from these growing risks.

These are just some of the results of the fourth Application Usage and Risk Report (Fall Edition 2009), a semi-annual analysis of application usage on enterprise networks. Unlike other industry reports that are based on behavioral surveys, the Application Usage and Risk Report looks at which applications are in use, identifies emerging trends, and discusses the associated business benefits and risks. Made available today, this edition of the report summarizes traffic assessments performed between March and September 2009 in more than 200 organizations worldwide that span markets including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, government, retail, and education.

Despite many enterprises’ attempts to block these applications, the rate at which they are making the crossover from personal to business use is happening faster than previous crossovers, such as instant messaging (IM). The use of a social networking application can bring measurable business benefits, but not without introducing business and security risks. These Enterprise 2.0 applications can transfer files, propagate malware, and have known vulnerabilities that can be exploited. The Application Usage and Risk Report is available for download at http://www.paloaltonetworks.com/literature/AUR_report1109.html.

Some specific findings from the research include:

* Twitter session use grew more than 250 percent from the Spring 2009 edition of the Application Usage and Risk Report, published in April.

* Facebook use increased 192 percent while Facebook Chat (released in April 2008) was the fourth most commonly detected chat application, ahead of Yahoo! IM and AIM.

* SharePoint collaboration is ubiquitous - bandwidth consumed by SharePoint, specifically the documents component, increased 17-fold from the previous report in April.

* Blogging and wiki editing increased by a factor of 39, while total bandwidth consumed increased by a factor of 48.

Social networking and collaborative applications are increasingly considered to be Enterprise 2.0 applications, along with messaging of all types, conferencing, and VoIP. These business-enabling applications are not threats, yet they pose risks to enterprise networks. The analysis discovered 255 Enterprise 2.0 applications - of which 70 percent are capable of transferring files, 64 percent have known vulnerabilities, 28 percent are known to propagate malware, and 16 percent can tunnel other applications. Examples of new threats introduced to enterprise networks by applications such as Facebook include Koobface, Fbaction and Boface, which all target social networking applications to hijack accounts and personal data.

"We know that workers are using these applications to help them get their jobs done, with or without approval from their IT departments. And now we know this is happening much faster than anticipated. It’s naïve to think that old-school security practices can handle this deluge," said Rene Bonvanie, Palo Alto Networks vice president of worldwide marketing. "Organizations must realize that banning or allowing specific applications in a black-and-white fashion is bad for business. They need a new approach that allows for shades of gray by enforcing appropriate application usage policies tailored for their workforce. This is a radical and necessary shift for today’s IT security professionals." Additional information on the more than 900 applications that are identified by Palo Alto Networks can be found in Applipedia, part of the company’s Application and Threat Research Center. Visit the online resource to find the latest news, commentary, and discoveries on applications and threats at http://www.paloaltonetworks.com/researchcenter/.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the leader in next-generation firewalls, enabling unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content - by user, not just IP address - at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications - regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption - and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Pass That PCI Audit: 20 Hot Compliance Products

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:15:25 -0700

ChannelWeb, November 4, 2009

Many technologies can be used to achieve network segmentation, but Palo Alto Networks is the only firewall that can segment the network and then apply policy-based control over applications, users and content that can access cardholder data.

DTE Energy Deploys Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls for Improved Security and Productivity

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:47:53 -0700

PA-4000 Series Next-Generation Firewalls Enable Fortune 500 Energy Company to Regain Visibility of Users and Applications

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 5, 2009 - Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that DTE Energy has deployed PA-4000 Series next-generation firewalls for improved visibility of network traffic and for the ability to manage non-business applications running on its network.

DTE Energy is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers; MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers; and other non-utility, energy businesses focused on gas pipelines and storage, coal transportation, unconventional gas production, and power and industrial projects.

Prior to Palo Alto Networks, DTE Energy lacked full visibility into the traffic on its 14,000-user network, and attempting to gain visibility and correlate information from disparate log files was a time consuming and fruitless task. Other solutions DTE Energy evaluated could not deliver the visibility its IT department required, and lacked useful reporting across limited data. Now, DTE Energy can see the applications on its network for improved security, and knows which users are employing which applications. With this information, they can enable appropriate policies to facilitate productivity, and engage in remediation where needed.

"With Palo Alto Networks we found the visibility into our network we were seeking," said John Townsend, Manager, Information Protection and Security at DTE Energy. "Now we get better visibility into what’s going on inside our network and into the applications attempting to access our network. From a bandwidth perspective, we don’t want to be too restrictive, but we do want to ensure appropriate resources for our business traffic."

"DTE Energy, like many enterprise IT leaders, recognized the need for application visibility and control, and chose the only firewalls that can deliver - Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls," said Larry Link, Palo Alto Networks VP of sales. "Not only does Palo Alto Networks enable the visibility into applications, users, and content that DTE Energy needs to best secure its networks, but also presents that information in a comprehensive, actionable manner - which greatly enhances the productivity of the DTE Energy infrastructure and security team."

Over time, DTE Energy sees expanding the role of the PA-4000 Series to consolidate the functionality of other security devices, improving security with enhanced application control while simplifying their infrastructure and reducing operational costs.

Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls are the industry’s most powerful firewall products, enabling enterprises to see and control applications, users and content - not just ports, IP addresses and packets. This is a critical need for enterprises’ management of risk as industry studies continue to show enterprises lack visibility into and control of application traffic due to the outdated functionality of legacy security technology.1 Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls enable enterprises to create granular, business-relevant security policies and safely control new enterprise and consumer applications as business enablers instead of the block-or-nothing approach offered by traditional port-blocking firewalls.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the leader in next-generation firewalls, enabling unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content - by user, not just IP address - at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications - regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption - and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com. Note 1 "Application Usage and Risk Report," Palo Alto Networks, April 20, 2009.

Enterprises Demand Next-Generation Firewalls with IPS, App Visibility

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:30:15 -0700

SearchNetworking

Consolidation of network security devices was an important factor in John Shaffer's decision to switch from Juniper Networks firewalls to Palo Alto Networks firewalls. Shaffer, director of global systems and technology for Greenhill and Company, said he had always loved Juniper's firewalls because of their ease of use and their VPN capabilities. But the IPS features that Juniper touts as next-generation just weren't robust enough for him.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Enhances Network Threat Protection

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:20:42 -0700

Health Management Technology, October 21, 2009

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has deployed Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls for improved visibility and control of applications, and enhanced threat protection. As a result, the medical center has improved its security posture, simplified its security infrastructure by replacing legacy infrastructure, and has enhanced its health compliance efforts.

Palo Alto Networks Delivers Enhanced Visibility, Threat Protection for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:33:20 -0700

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 21, 2009 - Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has deployed PA-4000 Series next-generation firewalls for improved visibility and control of applications, and enhanced threat protection. As a result, the medical center has replaced legacy infrastructure, and enhanced its health compliance efforts.

BIDMC is an internationally renowned institution with a state-of-the-art trauma center that is known for its innovative training and advanced use of technology. Each year, approximately 250,000 patients and their families count on the center’s surgical and clinical expertise. Its thriving research and unparalleled Harvard-affiliated medical education program enable the center to deliver the highest level of patient safety and quality of care.

According to Mark Olson, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center manager of IS security, the center initially deployed Palo Alto Networks’ PA-4000 to increase the visibility into the applications on its network. They soon saw the full strength of the Palo Alto Networks platform and now also use its threat prevention capabilities, effectively replacing their existing URL filtering point-solutions. As a result, BIDMC has improved its security posture and simplified its security infrastructure.

"Visibility is important to us, and no other product we’ve seen has the price/performance benefits and overall security cost of ownership improvements that Palo Alto Networks delivers," said Olson. "Palo Alto Networks also helps our compliance efforts by giving us detailed information that is easier to comprehend than our other products on who should have access to what information. Compared to our other products, Palo Alto Networks has better throughput and gives us more meaningful rule sets."

"Leading organizations like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center recognize that information security cannot be effective without seeing and controlling the applications that run on the enterprise network," said Larry Link, Palo Alto Networks' VP of sales. "Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls enable organizations to manage applications and stop threats, while simplifying network security."

Added Olson, "With Palo Alto Networks’ visibility, we can take a stronger policy position. It makes auditing and policy control much more precise and a lot less labor intensive, saving a lot of time that was wasted before. With Palo Alto Networks, it’s easy to implement a policy, and we know it’s taken care of."

Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls are the industry’s most powerful firewall products, enabling enterprises to see and control applications, users and content - not just ports, IP addresses and packets. This is a critical need for enterprises’ management of risk as industry studies continue to show enterprises lack visibility into and control of application traffic due to the outdated functionality of legacy security technology.1 Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls enable enterprises to create granular, business-relevant security policies and safely control new enterprise and consumer applications as business enablers instead of the block-or-nothing approach offered by traditional port-blocking firewalls.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the leader in next-generation firewalls, enabling unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content - by user, not just IP address - at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications - regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption - and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Note 1 "Application Usage and Risk Report," Palo Alto Networks, April 20, 2009.

Texas A&M Sets Up Palo Alto Networks Firewall

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:49:40 -0700

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

In addition to upgrading our threat protection infrastructure, we needed to regulate the bandwidth that the residence halls were using to ensure that bandwidth is available for our learning and business needs," said John Kovacevich, Texas A&M systems analyst.

Palo Alto Networks Discovers Critical Vulnerabilities Addressed in this Week's Microsoft Security Bulletin

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:06:01 -0700

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 13, 2009 - Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that its Threat Research Team discovered three vulnerabilities, two of which are rated as critical, that Microsoft has published in its Patch Tuesday security bulletin today. Vulnerable systems are susceptible to an attacker taking complete control of them.

Microsoft credits Palo Alto Networks’ Threat Research Team for identifying the following three vulnerabilities published today. All threats allow a successful attacker to execute code remotely, and take complete control of the vulnerable system.

* WMP Heap Overflow Vulnerability (Critical; MS09-052, CVE-2009-2527). An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a specially crafted ASF file that could allow remote code execution when played using Windows Media Player 6.4.

* GDI+ WMF Integer Overflow Vulnerability (Critical; MS09-062, CVE-2009-2500). The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted WMF image file or browses to a Web site that contains specially crafted content.

* Memory Corruption in Indexing Service Vulnerability (Important; MS09-057, CVE-2009-2507). The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if an attacker set up a malicious Web page that invokes the Indexing Service through a call to its ActiveX component.

The Palo Alto Networks Threat Research Team is active in the research community, aggressively pursuing both new vulnerability research and mitigation of all types of threats. Leveraging its expert understanding of today’s applications, threats and how vulnerabilities get exploited, the team is a consistent contributor in support of Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday releases, including discovering six Microsoft vulnerabilities in the past six months.

Enterprises using legacy security technology increasingly lack visibility into and control of application traffic. Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls are unique in the industry in their ability to see and control applications, users and content not just ports, IP addresses and packets. Traditional port-blocking firewalls do not have the content intelligence to identify application vulnerabilities such as these, which attackers could exploit to take complete control of affected systems.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the leader in next-generation firewalls, enabling unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content by user, not just IP address at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications - regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption - and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Texas A&M Deploys Palo Alto Networks Firewalls for Improved Network Security

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 09:09:39 -0700

By SecurityPark Magazine

Texas A&M University has deployed Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls for improved network security and control, while consolidating its network. According to John Kovacevich, systems analyst, the university was previously using products such as a network scanning device and a packet shaping device, which proved more expensive and less functional than Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls.

Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls Enhance Network Security for Texas A & M University at Galveston

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 08:43:55 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that Texas A & M University at Galveston (TAMUG) has deployed Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls for improved network security and control, while consolidating its network. TAMUG houses the Texas Maritime Academy, which is one of six state maritime academies in the U.S. preparing graduates as officers in the United States Merchant Marine.

According to John Kovacevich, systems analyst, the university was previously using products such as a network scanning device and a packet shaping device, which proved more expensive and less functional than Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls. In consolidating their network infrastructure, TAMUG is saving money while more thoroughly blocking viruses and spyware, and prioritizing E-learning and business applications on its network.

"In addition to upgrading our threat protection infrastructure, we needed to regulate the bandwidth that the residence halls were using to ensure that bandwidth is available for our learning and business needs," said Kovacevich. "Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls are multi-function devices that do more than the other products combined, and give us everything we need."

"Improved security, better visibility and control, and cost reduction are common themes we see in our growing customer base, and Texas A&M University is a great example of an organization upgrading to Palo Alto Networks to realize these goals," said Larry Link, Palo Alto Networks vice president of sales. "With our proven App-ID technology and application visibility and control, Palo Alto Networks is appealing to every organization looking to improve security while simplifying their infrastructure."

Kovacevich added, "Palo Alto Networks not only protects us much better, it is far more affordable than the other solutions. Being a state organization, budgets are tight and we need to do more with less. Palo Alto Networks lets us do that, and makes us more responsible with the money we have."

Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls are the industry’s most powerful firewall products, enabling enterprises to see and control applications, users and content not just ports, IP addresses and packets. This is a critical need for enterprises’ management of risk as industry studies continue to show enterprises lack visibility into and control of application traffic due to the outdated functionality of legacy security technology. Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls enable enterprises to create granular, business-relevant security policies and safely control new enterprise and consumer applications as business enablers instead of the block-or-nothing approach offered by traditional port-blocking firewalls.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the leader in next-generation firewalls, enabling unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content by user, not just IP address at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Firewalls Fall Down in Social Networks and P2P

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 08:25:54 -0700

By Ian Grant, Computer Weekly

Traditional network firewalls are proving ineffective against information security threats from social network applications and peer-to-peer file sharing, says Nir Zuk, the man who wrote Check Point's firewall, one of the most successful firewalls in history....

Palo Alto Networks to Present at the Computer Forensics Show 2009

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:22:14 -0700

SUNNYVALE, Calif., September 30, 2009 Palo Alto Networks,the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that it has been selected to present at the Computer Forensics Show 2009, taking place Oct. 5 - 6 in Santa Clara, Calif.

Julie Starr, a distinguished engineer at Palo Alto Networks, will present "What’s on Your Network? Technology Options for Application Visibility and Control" in the IT Security Track on Oct. 6. Information about the conference can be found at http://www.computerforensicshowWj.com/index.htm.

Ms. Starr is a CISSP and has been involved in the IT/Security industry for more than 15 years. In her role at Palo Alto Networks, she works closely with end users to support their adoption of next-generation firewall solutions. Previously, she worked for companies including Sun Microsystems, Check Point Software, and Blue Coat Systems, in addition to universities such as the Georgia Institute of Technology and North Carolina State University. She was a faculty member at NCSU, where she designed and taught the first introductory Computer Security course for undergraduates there. Ms. Starr has earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from The Georgia Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in Computer Science from North Carolina State University.

About the Computer Forensics Show 2009
Today’s business environment continues to become more complex with strict regulatory and compliance requirements, increased scrutiny and the ever-present threat of litigation. Because most information today is created and is available only in an electronic format, electronic data and the ability to properly address it in a defensible manner is increasingly critical. IT Security and Computer Forensics are vital to any individual, company, or law practice dealing with sensitive information stored on digital media. The Computer Forensics Show will meet the needs of industry professionals by providing detailed information regarding the changes and advancements in the IT security marketplace. The event will highlight exhibits from some of the leading companies in the industry, complemented by a comprehensive conference program with the involvement of well known companies in the computer forensics industry.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the leader in next-generation firewalls, enabling unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content by user, not just IP address at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks Names Head of Worldwide Marketing, Broadens Leadership of Next-Generation Firewall Provider

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:19:46 -0700

Former Serena Software Marketing Executive René Bonvanie to Accelerate Expansion of Rapidly Growing Enterprise Infrastructure Security Company

SUNNYVALE, Calif., September 22, 2009 - Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that it has named former senior vice president of marketing, SaaS, and IT at Serena Software René Bonvanie as its new head of worldwide marketing.

"The addition of this proven senior marketing executive further strengthens the leadership team of Palo Alto Networks," said Palo Alto Networks CEO Lane Bess. "The company has clearly moved to the next level as an international company, and we will rely on René’s knowledge and expertise as we continue to expand and deliver our innovative firewall products to enterprises, addressing their complex security needs while simplifying infrastructure and saving costs. He has a tremendous track record of growing companies in a variety of enterprise technology markets, and we are thrilled to have him aboard."

Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls address the complexity of managing and controlling network security threats. With fine-grained application visibility and control, Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls enable businesses to embrace new enterprise and consumer applications, while managing the associated risks. Businesses and channel partners have recognized the infrastructure consolidation power of Palo Alto Networks’ award-winning firewalls, and the ability to manage risks not addressed by traditional firewalls or the numerous point product security solutions.

"I am excited to join this strong team and build upon the industry position already achieved by Palo Alto Networks," said Mr. Bonvanie. "Palo Alto Networks clearly has a differentiated solution for helping customers secure and enable their businesses, while dramatically reducing costs. I’m pleased to help lead the company in advancing this technology to enterprises and partners worldwide."

Mr. Bonvanie brings more than 25 years of executive management and marketing experience in the enterprise technology industry to Palo Alto Networks. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of marketing, SaaS, and IT at Serena Software. Before Serena, Mr. Bonvanie was senior vice president of global marketing at SAP. Earlier in his career, he served as chief marketing officer at Business Objects, where he was responsible for all marketing activity, including corporate communications, field marketing, and product marketing. Earlier, Mr. Bonvanie served as senior vice president of worldwide marketing at VERITAS Software Corporation, where he led the company’s marketing and corporate communications around the globe. Prior to VERITAS, he served for nearly 10 years as vice president of product marketing at Oracle Corporation where he managed the Oracle database product line, had editorial responsibility for Oracle Magazine and Profit Magazine, and co-founded Oracle’s developer program, Oracle Technology Network. Mr. Bonvanie started his career at Ingres where we worked for 8 years and held senior roles in sales and marketing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the leader in next-generation firewalls, enabling unprecedented visibility and granular policy control of applications and content by user, not just IP address at up to 10Gbps with no performance degradation. Based on patent-pending App-ID technology, Palo Alto Networks firewalls accurately identify and control applications regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption – and scan content to stop threats and prevent data leakage. Enterprises can for the first time embrace Web 2.0 and maintain complete visibility and control, while significantly reducing total cost of ownership through device consolidation. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

What's the Biggest Firewall Issue for Enterprises?

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:07:55 -0700

By Brad Reese, Network World

Palo Alto Networks Product Manager Matt Keil addresses Brad Reese’s questions on the current dynamics of the firewall marketplace, as well as enterprise security in general.

More comments made on debate about the relevancy of the firewall

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:30:26 -0700

By Dan Raywood, SC Magazine

Commenting on the issue raised by the SC Studio debate on the future of the firewall, Lee Klarich, vice president of product management at Palo Alto Networks, stated that the firewall is definitely not dead, but traditional firewalls are so far behind the application and threat developers that it sometimes feels like it.

30 Second MBA Video

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:05:39 -0700

By Ellen McGirt, Fast Company

Palo Alto Networks’ executives address a series of hot topics in Fast Company’s 30 Second MBA Video series.

Palo Alto Networks Uncovers Critical Vulnerabilities Included in this Week's Microsoft Security Bulletin

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:58:23 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that its Threat Research Team has discovered two vulnerabilities in today’s Microsoft Patch Tuesday security bulletin. Both are critical vulnerabilities that can allow remote code execution if exploited. For both vulnerabilities, an attacker who successfully exploits them could take control of a susceptible system, install software, view/change/delete data, or create new user accounts with full user rights.

Microsoft credited Palo Alto Networks’ Threat Research Team with finding CVE-2009-1538 (DirectX Pointer Validation Vulnerability) and CVE-2009-1539 (DirectX Size Validation Vulnerability). Both CVE-2009-1538 and CVE-2009-1539 are vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s DirectX on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

The Palo Alto Networks Threat Research Team is active in the research community, aggressively pursuing both new vulnerability research and alleviation of all types of threats. They have leveraged their expertise to uncover a string of critical vulnerabilities and have then worked with Microsoft to make sure users are protected.

Enterprises using legacy security technology increasingly lack visibility into and control of application traffic. Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls are unique in the industry in their ability to see and control applications, users and content - not just ports, IP addresses and packets. Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls enable enterprises to create granular, business-relevant security policies and safely control applications instead of the block-or-nothing approach offered by traditional port-blocking firewalls.

Palo Alto Networks Names Pun Kok Lim as VP of Sales for Asia Regions

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 13:14:31 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced it has named former Blue Coat Systems’ Managing Director of South Asia, Pun Kok "PK" Lim, as its Vice President of Sales for Asia Regions. Mr. Lim’s sales leadership experience, extensive knowledge of the region and experience with enterprise networking and security partners will accelerate Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewall business in Asia.

"The addition of this proven sales leader further strengthens the leadership talent of the Palo Alto Networks team," said Palo Alto Networks CEO Lane Bess. "PK has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to be successful in the Asia Pacific security infrastructure sales arena. He has a unique talent for building emerging market momentum in the region. Demand for our firewalls has been accelerating in Japan and Europe and PK will help us address the demand we are experiencing from customers and partners in Asia."

Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls address the complexity of managing and controlling network security threats. With fine-grained application visibility and control, Palo Alto Networks’ firewalls enable businesses to embrace new enterprise and consumer applications, while managing the associated risks. Businesses and channel partners in Asia have recognized the infrastructure consolidation power of Palo Alto Networks’ award-winning firewalls, and the ability to manage risks not addressed by traditional firewalls or the numerous point product security solutions.

"I am excited to join this strong team and build upon the traction already gained by the Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall," said PK Lim. "Palo Alto Networks is clearly differentiated in the industry to best secure enterprise networks. The company has a compelling solution for helping customers enable business, yet secure their enterprise networks with visibility and control of applications and threats. I’m pleased to play a part in bringing this ‘game-changing’ innovation to the partners and customers in this growth region."

Mr. Lim brings more than 20 years of successful sales and management experience in the Asia Pacific region to Palo Alto Networks. Prior to Blue Coat Systems, Mr. Lim previously held sales management positions at RSA and Fortinet and is well respected among regional channel partners. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in IT Management from National University of Ireland.

Finer Application Control Breaks Firewalls' Allow-or-Deny Mold

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:15:28 -0700

By Khoo Boo Leong, Search Security Asia

Palo Alto Networks Named a CRN Emerging Technology Vendor for its Next-Generation Firewall Innovation

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:10:04 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced it has been selected by Everything Channel as a CRN Emerging Technology Vendor. CRN’s Emerging Technology Vendor list captures companies that are delivering high margins for solution providers with innovative and easy-to-use technology that undercuts industry giants.

Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls are the most powerful firewall products available today, enabling enterprises to see and control applications, users and content not just ports, IP addresses and packets. This is a critical need for enterprises’ management of risk, as industry studies show enterprises lack visibility into, and control of, application traffic due to the outdated functionality of legacy security technology. Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls enable enterprises to create granular, business-relevant security policies and safely control new enterprise and consumer applications as business enablers, instead of employing the block-or-nothing approach offered by traditional port-blocking firewalls.

"Solution Providers seek out innovative vendors that create new and innovative ideas to help them build revenue and customer loyalty," said Robert C. DeMarzo, senior vice president and editorial director, Everything Channel. "Our Emerging Tech list is where solution providers go to find these vendors. We congratulate all of the vendors for their innovation and creativity and their commitment to the technology sales channel."

The vendors who make the CRN Emerging Technology Vendor list were founded in 2001 or later, have revenue under $1 billion and have an active U.S. channel strategy. Final selection to the Emerging Technology Vendor list was made by the CRN editorial team after a review of submitted information.

"The CRN Emerging Tech list provides resellers with important information they need to help increase sales with the latest in innovative solutions," said Larry Link, Palo Alto Networks vice president of sales. "We are proud to be called out as one of this year’s top emerging technology companies. Customers have clearly recognized that legacy firewalls and the deployment of security point products have increased technical complexity and cost without solving enterprises’ problems. Our next-generation firewalls have empowered partners to step in with a compelling firewall replacement strategy that solves the network security challenge, while reducing complexity and cost. In these times, partners need to bring more meaningful value to their customers and we help them do this."

About Everything Channel
Everything Channel is the one-stop shop for accessing, enabling, managing and accelerating technology sales channels. From branding and recruiting to marketing and sales, Everything Channel offers technology marketers the unmatched breadth and depth of global brands and market intelligence combined with unparalleled audience loyalty and credibility serving all technology sales channels through an extensive database. Everything Channel provides innovative field sales and marketing solutions to arm the sellers of technology with the resources they need to achieve measurable and significant results.

About United Business Media Limited (www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)
UBM (UBM.L) focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetization of B2B communities and markets. UBM’s businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities - from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Its 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

Palo Alto Networks: Making Firewalls Cool Again

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:44:40 -0700

By Andrew R Hickey, Channel Web

Seminar: Now Get Firewall Innovation + Significant Cost Savings

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:39:14 -0700

Join us for a special "lunch and learn" seminar that will show you how you can significantly reduce IT costs, while improving security at the perimeter of your network.

New York, NY - July 16
Arlington, VA - July 28

Palo Alto Networks Discovers Important Vulnerability Included in this Week's Microsoft Security Bulletin

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 13:42:21 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that its Threat Research Team has discovered a vulnerability rated as "important" in severity in Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday security bulletin published today.

Microsoft credits Palo Alto Networks’ Threat Research Team for finding an elevation of privilege vulnerability (CVE: CVE-2009-1122) that could allow an attacker to bypass an authentication requirement to access content on a Microsoft IIS Server. The vulnerability is due to the lack of proper checks on the URL in a WebDAV request, leading to a bypass on IIS directories.

Palo Alto Networks Raises the Bar for Application Visibility and Control with New Next-Generation Firewall Software

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 13:39:56 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced PAN-OS 3.0, the latest version of operating system software for its award-winning firewalls. PAN-OS 3.0 includes significant new functionality, including QoS features and a fully integrated SSL VPN. These features further enable enterprise customers to embrace new applications while managing the risks inherent in using those applications.

Palo Alto Networks Wins Inaugural Secure Computing Australia Award for Innovation

Mon, 25 May 2009 09:41:08 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that it has won the inaugural Secure Computing Australia Award in the Innovation Awards category, presented for the most significant changes to the traditional practice of IT security. The awards were presented at the eighth annual AusCERT Conference, held last week at the Gold Coast, Australia.

"The panel was impressed that Palo Alto Networks’ technology reduces the number of firewalls needed in an organization, and that its technology answers the main problem associated with today’s security areas of concern and the challenge of having visibility and control over application-based threats," said Nate Cochrane, Editor in Chief, SC Magazine Australia. "The company met the awards program’s chief criteria of looking at the traditional practice of IT security in a new light. It is also clear that Palo Alto Networks intends to make a substantial commitment to the Australian market."

Palo Alto Networks Named a TiE50 Award Winner Out of Approximately 1200 Nominated Companies

Mon, 18 May 2009 09:39:06 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that it has been named a TiE50 Award winner for its leadership in innovation, ingenuity and management excellence. The TiE50 Award was presented by TiE at TiEcon 2009 this past weekend to the top 50 start-ups selected from approximately 1,200 nominees.

"All of this year’s winners embraced TiE’s message of the bold entrepreneur," said Mateen Syed, TiE50 Chair. "The judges were impressed by the quality of ideas and execution across each vertical segment. These 50 companies represent the finest in entrepreneurship and serve as role models, encouraging and inspiring emerging start-ups to succeed as bold entrepreneurs stimulating the economy."

Best of Interop 2008 Grand Prize Winner Palo Alto Networks Selected to Present at Interop Las Vegas 2009

Wed, 13 May 2009 09:37:48 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that it has been selected to present at Interop Las Vegas 2009, to be held May 17-21 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

Lee Klarich, network security expert and Palo Alto Networks Vice President of Product Management, will speak on "What’s Wrong with the WAN Firewall?" in the conference’s Networking Track chaired by Jim Metzler on May 20 at 11:30 am PDT. More information can be found at http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/conference/networking.php.

Palo Alto Networks Named to the FIrst Annual InformationWeek Startup 50 Listing

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:35:44 -0700

Palo Alto Networks™, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that it was named to the first annual listing of the InformationWeek Startup 50, revealed earlier this week in InformationWeek magazine and on InformationWeek.com. The InformationWeek Startup 50 is a list of the top 50 business technology startups selected by InformationWeek readers and editors. Companies were selected in a three-step process that involved nomination, online voting and editorial vetting. The technologies and the companies were evaluated on the following criteria:

* Innovation and their ability to inject new ways of doing things into business processes;
* Value, which is reflected in lower costs, increased sales, higher productivity or improved customer loyalty; and
* Enterprise-readiness, meaning that a product or service scales and can be deployed and managed as necessary by IT professionals.

New Application Usage Report Reveals Organizations cannot Control Applications with Existing Security Infrastructure

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:34:44 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that results of an industry study reveal that legacy security products are not controlling users’ applications of choice within the enterprise, despite more than $6B spent annually on these products.

These are results of the company’s third Application Usage and Risk Report, a semi-annual analysis of application usage on enterprise networks. Unlike other industry reports that are based on behavioral surveys, Palo Alto Networks’ usage report looks at which applications are in use, identifies emerging trends, and discusses the associated business risks or benefits. Made available today, this edition of the report summarizes traffic assessments of nearly 900,000 users across more than 60 large organizations that span markets including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, government, retail and education.

Leading Wireless Carrier Upgrades Data Center with Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:12:47 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of unlimited wireless services, has upgraded its data center infrastructure with PA-4000 Series next-generation firewalls for high-performance threat prevention. Deployed as a replacement for its current data center firewall, the platform is also allowing Cricket to consolidate a number of other devices for security and traffic management. Cricket Communications supports more than 4 million subscribers and offers flat-rate unlimited service over the latest technology, high-quality, all-digital CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO wireless network. Designed for customers whose basic and advanced wireless needs have not been met by traditional communications companies, Cricket is the pioneer of unlimited services with no long-term commitments or credit checks required. According to Doug Bird, vice president of IT operations and security for Cricket, the company must balance the need for data center and corporate user security with the assurance of high-quality service delivery, particularly for voice services. During capacity planning activities the current firewall platforms could not handle the load as it continued to scale. "Though our prices and unlimited services continue to drive high customer demand, the quality of that service is what keeps customers happy," said Bird. "As our bandwidth grew, it was clear we needed a new approach. Palo Alto’s products are the best we’ve seen for traffic identification, and they’ve handled loads in excess of five times what our previous vendors could. Additionally, they’re easy to use, very accurate and it’s extremely easy to drill down into the information to pinpoint abusers or threats and block them before they impact service." "The problems facing service providers like Cricket are similar to those facing many enterprises – just at a much higher volume," said Larry Link, vice president of sales for Palo Alto Networks. "Legacy ‘port blocking’ firewalls just can’t keep up, and adding other devices into the mix adds complexity and drag – not to mention cost. Organizations are replacing their firewall infrastructure with the PA Series to not only better understand the new application landscape, but to have the ability to deal with it while maintaining the highest levels of performance."

The Museum of Modern Art Modernizes its Network Security Infrastructure with Palo Alto Networks Firewalls

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 21:09:55 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, today announced that The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has selected the company’s PA-2000 Series next-generation firewalls to strengthen and simplify its security infrastructure. The granular visibility and control of Palo Alto Networks firewalls enables MoMA to continue to leverage new Internet applications while eliminating potential network threats. The high volume of network use from various public WiFi applications and internal business requirements led MoMA to implement the PA-2000 Series, enabling the museum to adopt new web-based applications while reducing inherent risks. MoMA can now identify all of the applications traversing its network, including those embedded in SSL encryption, and enforce appropriate user policies when applicable. By facilitating total application access and usage control while enabling broad, real-time threat prevention, the PA-2000 Series affords MoMA the resources to greatly reduce capital expenditures and operational costs by replacing ISA proxy servers. "System availability, performance and network security are our primary concerns, but we also need to enable and promote the use of new Internet applications such as Facebook, Skype, approved P2P and video applications," said Richard Entrup, MoMA Technology Director. "The management interface of the Palo Alto Networks firewalls and its ability to dig deep into traffic – including SSL-encrypted applications – provides an intrinsic level of visibility and control to ensure our users and systems are protected, while not being too complex to navigate." "We are pleased to be working with MoMA to help them leverage new Internet applications while eliminating any potential threats on their network,” said Steve Mullaney, Palo Alto Networks Vice President of Marketing. “It’s great to partner with innovative, forward-looking organizations such as MoMA, that recognize legacy ‘port-blocking’ firewalls are proving ineffective in today’s application and threat landscape."

DarkReading Webcast: Why Bad Security Breaches Keep Happening To Good Organizations

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:28:13 -0700

Join security industry innovator Nir Zuk, CTO of Palo Alto Networks and Dark Reading editor Tim Wilson on Wednesday, April 15th at 9:00 am (PT) for a candid discussion on the shortcomings of today's network security infrastructures -- and how you can fix them.

US Firewall Firm Blazes Path to Asia

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:39:00 -0700

By Vivian Yeo, ZDNet Asia

Whitepaper: It's Time To Fix The Firewall

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:36:47 -0700

Over the past decade, the increasing volume of Internet content, threats, and applications on the corporate network have rendered traditional port-blocking firewalls virtually useless. Find out how this happened and what you can do about it in this short introductory e-book. You can skim it in 10 minutes or go deeper through many embedded links. Check it out!

Palo Alto Networks to Host Webinar Featuring Independent Research Firm on How to Simplify the PCI Audit Process

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:11:13 -0700

Palo Alto Networks will host a webinar featuring a guest speaker John Kindervag, Forrester Research Security and Risk Management Analyst, on Tuesday, February 10 at 10:00 a.m. PST, 1:00 p.m. EST. PCI audits are often daunting, both in scope of effort and associated costs, and this informative webinar will review how to simplify the process through network segmentation and user-based security policies.

The October 2008 update of the PCI DSS documentation states that companies can reduce the cost and complexity of PCI compliance by using network segmentation to isolate the cardholder data in a secure segment. Without adequate network segmentation sometimes called a "flat network" the entire network is in scope of the PCI DSS assessment. This webinar will offer insight into the issues, challenges and strategies required to meet PCI compliance.

To register for this free event, visit: http://www.paloaltonetworks.com/events/webinars/index.html

Europe Seminar: Can Your Firewall Control Applications and Users on Your Network?

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:00:05 -0700

Join Palo Alto Networks for a special lunch and learn seminar that will show you how you can benefit from powerful new firewalls and significantly reduce IT costs at the same time!

Attention Check Point, Cisco, Fortinet, and Juniper Customers: Save Thousands When You Trade Up to Palo Alto Networks!

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:59:23 -0700

Get an Instant Rebate of up to $6,000 per unit, no limit on the amount you can save!

Now, more than ever before, it is essential for IT organizations to have user-based visibility and policy control of all the applications running on the corporate network - regardless of port, protocol, evasive tactic or SSL encryption. Only next generation firewalls from Palo Alto Networks provide this capability.

If you are considering replacement of your existing firewalls from Check Point, Cisco, Fortinet, or Juniper, please consider a powerful next generation firewall from Palo Alto Networks.

But beyond just getting the industry’s most innovative firewall, you can also get thousands of dollars back through our special instant rebate program available on trade-in of eligible products from the vendors above.

Case Study: See why Greenhill and Co. chose Palo Alto Networks Firewall

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:40:30 -0700

"We are pleased by the high level of visibility we now have as a result of installing the PA Series, especially our ability to see and control activity and access by user ID. We’ve also been able to replace all of our incumbent firewalls and associated security appliances with Palo Alto Networks, greatly reducing our operational costs and capital expenditures. Most importantly, the move has inspired more confidence in our compliance strategy."

John Shaffer, Director of Global Systems and Technology, Greenhill and Co.

Palo Alto Networks Product Demo

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:34:04 -0700

Watch a video featuring Lee Klarich, VP of Product Management, demonstrating the power of Palo Alto Networks Next Generation Firewall.

Seminar: Now Get Firewall Innovation + Significant Cost Savings

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:57:02 -0700

Join Palo Alto Networks for a special "lunch and learn" seminar that will show you how you can significantly reduce IT costs, while improving security at the perimeter of your network.

Webinar: Reducing Cost and Complexity of PCI Compliance with Network Segmentation

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:53:53 -0700

Join us for a Webinar on February 10 where an independent research firm and Palo Alto Networks will discuss how network segmentation can help reduce your cost and complexity of your compliance burden.

SANS Tool Talk Webcast: How To Stop New Threats That Target Applications

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 14:52:23 -0700

Join security industry innovator Nir Zuk, founder and CTO of Palo Alto Networks and SANS for an educational discussion of emerging threats, insight into why traditional firewalls can't control them, and advice on what organizations can do about this problem going forward.

DarkReading: Computer Security's Six Most Important Words of 2008

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:27:13 -0700

...It's hard to pinpoint a single event that sparked it, but 2008 was clearly marked by a new message about IT security: It's no longer about limiting access -- it's about enabling it. Security vendors and IT managers alike have embraced this message, setting up the security manager as the guy who sometimes says "yes" instead of always saying "no."

One company that has been consistently preaching this sermon during the past year is Palo Alto Networks, a next-generation firewall vendor that promises to help companies build enforceable security policies by tracking and controlling application access across the enterprise. However, Palo Alto is far from the only vendor now using this message: Industry giants such as Symantec, McAfee, and many others are now using the term "security enablement" broadly in their road maps and product literature.

What's important about the buzzword is that it reflects a shift in strategy around IT security. Rather than building perimeters and shoring up defenses, security departments are now consciously looking for ways that they can give employees access to more data from more places, without creating additional risk. This shift in attitude affects everything from security architecture to mobile and remote access, and may help security managers break down the wall between IT security goals and overall business goals...

Silicon.com: Firewalls Failing to Keep Generation Facebook in Check

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:20:00 -0700

...For Reed's Whetstone, technology that allows people to access online services but which controls what information that can be uploaded is the ideal, helping businesses to protect their interests while allowing staff to be more productive. As a result, Reed is now planning to trial technology from firewall company Palo Alto Networks (PAN) in the near future.

Along with the likes of Detica-owned StreamShield, PAN is aiming to tackle the online apps catch 22 with firewalls that can identify applications, content and users to keep secure data in while allowing online collaboration to continue...

Leading Investment Bank Upgrades Global Infrastructure with Palo Alto Networks Firewalls

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:18:21 -0700

Palo Alto Networks today announced that Greenhill & Co., Inc., a leading global independent investment bank, has selected Palo Alto Networks’ PA Series next-generation firewalls as the cornerstone of a security infrastructure upgrade. Greenhill chose to upgrade its worldwide infrastructure with Palo Alto firewalls based on its unique user-based visibility and control, and opportunity to reduce costs through device consolidation.

Palo Alto Networks Named Finalist in SC Magazine 2009 SC Awards Program

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:18:22 -0700

Palo Alto Networks, the leader in next-generation firewalls, has been named a finalist in SC Magazine’s 2009 SC Awards program for outstanding achievement in information technology (IT) security. The PA-4000 and PA-2000 Series next-generation firewalls were named in the Best Enterprise Firewall category of the Reader Trust Award competition, which honors best-in-class security products and services.

The PA-4000 and PA-2000 Series were selected from more than 600 entries submitted in more than 30 technology categories. Winners will be chosen by a panel of readers that represent the circulation of SC Magazine. The Reader Trust Voting Panel is comprised of a cross-section of SC Magazine readership that is made up of large, medium and small enterprises from all major vertical markets.

Palo Alto Networks First to Deliver Data Leak Prevention Functionality in the Firewall

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 11:18:23 -0700

Next-Generation Firewalls Enable Enterprises to Filter Applications and Application Content for Social Security and Credit Card Numbers at No Additional Cost.

Palo Alto Networks today announced that its family of next-generation firewalls is the first and only to deliver data leak prevention (DLP) functionality in a network firewall. This new content security capability offered at no additional cost to customers enables enterprises to detect critical pieces of personally identifiable information, such as Social Security or credit card numbers, within application traffic. Based on easy to define policies, the firewall can then take automatic action from alerting to blocking to prevent inadvertent or intentional disclosure of sensitive data.

ZD Net: 10 Most Influential Biztech Products of 2008

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:18:24 -0700

...#4 - Palo Alto Networks Next Generation Firewall

Firewalls are standard plumbing for protecting corporate networks. As a result, it’s normally pretty hard to get excited about firewall products. However, Palo Alto Networks has developed a new line of firewalls that transforms them from blunt objects into much more sophisticated tools. For example, instead of just blocking a specific port or protocol at the firewall, Palo Alto Networks allows IT to set up a policy to block or restrict an entire category of applications (e.g. instant messaging clients that do file transfers) or even a specific program. This policy information is also integrated with Active Directory so that it can be applied to a specific user or group. This can be used to improve compliance, minimize data leaks, simplify security administration, and effectively enforce Web-surfing policies...