Palo Alto Networks is a cybersecurity company that provides network security, cloud security, security operations, identity protection, and incident-response services. Its portfolio is organized around platforms including Strata, Prisma, and Cortex, with products designed to protect networks, applications, cloud environments, endpoints, identities, and users.

The company has expanded beyond traditional network firewalls into a broader security platform. Its current portfolio includes next-generation firewalls, SASE, cloud security, AI-driven security operations, identity security, SaaS protection, and managed security services.

For businesses, Palo Alto Networks can provide individual security products or a broader collection of connected capabilities. The appropriate combination depends on an organization's infrastructure, cloud architecture, workforce, security operations, and compliance requirements.

What Is Palo Alto Networks?

Palo Alto Networks provides cybersecurity technologies for organizations operating physical, virtual, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Its three major platform areas serve different security functions:

  • Strata: Network security, firewalls, SASE, and secure connectivity
  • Prisma: Cloud, application, SaaS, and network-access security
  • Cortex: Security operations, endpoint protection, detection, response, and automation

The company also provides Unit 42, which delivers threat intelligence, incident response, consulting, and managed security services.

Strata Network Security

Strata is Palo Alto Networks' network-security platform. It includes next-generation firewalls in hardware, software, virtualized, and cloud-delivered forms.

The platform is designed to inspect network traffic, prevent threats, enforce security policies, and provide centralized visibility across enterprise environments. Palo Alto Networks also provides PAN-OS, Panorama, and Strata Cloud Manager as components of its network-security ecosystem.

Next-Generation Firewalls

Palo Alto Networks' NGFWs can be deployed as physical appliances, virtual firewalls, or cloud-native security components.

They provide capabilities such as application-aware traffic inspection, intrusion prevention, URL filtering, malware protection, and policy enforcement. Organizations can use them to protect data centers, branch offices, internet gateways, and cloud environments.

Strata Cloud Manager

Strata Cloud Manager provides centralized management and operations for supported network-security infrastructure.

It can manage and monitor next-generation firewalls and Prisma Access deployments. The platform also includes Strata Copilot, an AI assistant designed to help administrators analyze information and work with network-security operations.

Prisma Cloud and Cloud Security

Prisma Cloud provides cloud-native application security across the application lifecycle. Palo Alto Networks describes it as a Code to Cloud platform covering security from development through infrastructure and runtime.

Capabilities include:

  • Cloud security posture management
  • Infrastructure-as-code security
  • Software composition analysis
  • CI/CD security
  • Secrets security
  • Cloud infrastructure entitlement management
  • Workload scanning
  • Runtime protection
  • Web application and API security

Prisma Cloud can therefore be used across development and production environments rather than focusing only on a single cloud infrastructure layer.

Cortex Cloud

Palo Alto Networks is also developing Cortex Cloud as a cloud-security platform that brings application security, cloud posture security, and cloud runtime security together.

Cortex Cloud is designed to connect security information from application development, cloud infrastructure, and security operations. Its capabilities include risk prioritization, runtime detection, application security, and automated response.

This approach is intended to give security teams additional context when determining whether a cloud vulnerability represents an immediate operational risk.

Prisma Access and SASE

Prisma Access provides cloud-delivered secure access and is part of Palo Alto Networks' SASE portfolio.

It can provide security for remote users, branch locations, applications, and internet traffic without requiring organizations to build equivalent security infrastructure at every location.

Palo Alto Networks describes Prisma Access as combining networking and security capabilities through a cloud-delivered architecture.

The broader Prisma portfolio also includes Prisma SD-WAN, Prisma Browser, SaaS Security, and other services for securing distributed users and applications.

Cortex Security Operations

The Cortex platform focuses on security operations and threat detection.

Its portfolio includes Cortex XDR, Cortex XSIAM, Cortex XSOAR, and Cortex Xpanse. Cortex XDR combines endpoint, network, and cloud data to support threat detection and response, while XSOAR provides security orchestration and automation.

Cortex Xpanse focuses on attack-surface management by helping organizations identify internet-facing assets that may create security exposure.

AI-Driven Security

Artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated throughout Palo Alto Networks' portfolio.

The company uses its Precision AI technology across network, cloud, and security operations products. AI capabilities are designed to assist with threat detection, investigation, risk prioritization, and security management.

Strata Cloud Manager, for example, includes AI-powered operational features and Strata Copilot, while Cortex Cloud uses AI to prioritize cloud risks and assist with security investigations.

Identity and Access Security

Palo Alto Networks has also expanded into identity security.

Its identity portfolio includes identity threat detection and response, privileged-access management, identity governance, workforce password management, secrets management, and protection for non-human and agentic identities.

These capabilities address risks associated with compromised credentials, excessive privileges, service accounts, and increasingly autonomous software agents.

Unit 42 Security Services

Unit 42 provides professional cybersecurity services alongside Palo Alto Networks' software products.

Its services include threat intelligence, incident response, security assessments, consulting, managed detection and response, and managed threat hunting.

Businesses can use these services when they need specialized expertise during an incident or want external assistance assessing and improving their security controls.

Business Solutions

Palo Alto Networks' portfolio can support different organizational requirements.

Enterprise IT teams can use Strata firewalls and Prisma Access to protect networks, remote users, and applications.

Cloud and development teams can use Prisma Cloud or Cortex Cloud to identify security risks throughout application development and runtime environments.

Security operations teams can use Cortex products for detection, investigation, automation, and attack-surface management.

Large organizations can combine network, cloud, identity, and security-operations products through centralized management and policy controls.

Palo Alto Networks Pricing

Palo Alto Networks generally uses product-specific and customized pricing rather than publishing one universal platform price.

Costs can depend on factors such as firewall model, number of protected users or devices, cloud workloads, bandwidth, security subscriptions, and selected modules. Additional services such as Prisma Access, Cortex products, cloud security, and Unit 42 services can have separate licensing arrangements.

Organizations evaluating the platform should therefore request pricing based on their actual architecture and required products rather than relying on a single headline subscription price.

How Businesses Evaluate Palo Alto Networks

Organizations generally consider:

  • Network and firewall requirements
  • Cloud infrastructure and workloads
  • Remote and hybrid workforce requirements
  • Security operations capabilities
  • Endpoint protection
  • Identity security
  • Application and API security
  • AI security requirements
  • Compliance and governance
  • Existing security products
  • Managed security requirements
  • Licensing and implementation costs

The most relevant configuration depends on whether the organization primarily needs network protection, cloud security, security operations, or a combination of these capabilities.

Final Thoughts

Palo Alto Networks has developed from a next-generation firewall provider into a broader cybersecurity platform covering network security, SASE, cloud security, security operations, identity, application security, and incident response.

Strata focuses on network protection and secure connectivity, Prisma addresses cloud and access security, and Cortex provides security operations and threat-response capabilities. Unit 42 adds specialized consulting and response services.

For businesses evaluating Palo Alto Networks, the main considerations include existing infrastructure, cloud architecture, security-team capabilities, identity requirements, compliance obligations, and the number of security functions that need to be integrated.

About the Author

Michael Anderson, 39, is a technology and analytics specialist at a business advisory publication, specializing in data analysis, business intelligence, and digital reporting. He focuses on helping organizations understand complex information and use analytical tools to support everyday business decisions.

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