Senior Staff Security Engineer at a renewables & environment company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Stable and scalable, works well, and makes our environment more secure
Pros and Cons
  • "The App-ID feature is the coolest feature because you don't need to open a new port. Apps are directly linked to the port. It provides one of the best ways to lock down the additional port switch."
  • "Its software updates can be improved. It sometimes becomes very slow with the software updates for different features. It should have an External Dynamic List of data. The malicious IP is not frequently getting updated in Palo Alto, and this should be done."

What is our primary use case?

We are working on creating security policies on the firewall. We have just put GlobalProtect VPN in our company. We also have Prisma Access.

We have on-prem and hybrid cloud deployments.

How has it helped my organization?

It has strengthened our security policies and made our environment more secure. It has provided us more security features. Due to the rules that we have created on Palo Alto Firewall, all the malicious things have been stopped from coming into our environment.

What is most valuable?

The App-ID feature is the coolest feature because you don't need to open a new port. Apps are directly linked to the port. It provides one of the best ways to lock down the additional port switch.

What needs improvement?

Its software updates can be improved. It sometimes becomes very slow with the software updates for different features.

It should have an External Dynamic List of data. The malicious IP is not frequently getting updated in Palo Alto, and this should be done.

Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
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For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability is also good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We were using Cisco ASA previously. Palo Alto has strengthened our security policies. It has also made our environment more secure than Cisco ASA.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup is straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall an eight out of ten. It has been working very well.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Jorge Huaman - PeerSpot reviewer
Technology Manager at Italtel
Real User
Top 20Leaderboard
Easy for clients to connect to their information
Pros and Cons
  • "They have a good system operator in the firewalls and it provides many tools that they can use to protect their networks."
  • "Maybe they could add some tools and more competing services, like servers, but that would increase the cost of the solution."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case is for the perimeter connection of our clients in the network. Our client brings their services to their clients, and they have the option to connect to a webpage. With Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls they can safely provide a username and password to their clients.

It is mainly on-premise, because the majority of the clients at this point want that kind of option. But many of them are already asking for the cloud option, like Prisma, for example.

How has it helped my organization?

It has improved our clients' organizations because previously the clients did not have the option to fully connect. In this solution, they have the opportunity to add services to their web page and book clients.

What is most valuable?

The feature that I have found most valuable is the connection. It's very easy for the clients to connect to their information. They use an SSL connection by BPM.

What needs improvement?

We work very closely with the vendors here and at this point they use external support.

Maybe they could add some tools and more competing services, like servers, but that would increase the cost of the solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

My company has been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for almost one year. It is new for us. We have more experience with Cisco and Fortinet.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In my company, I am responsible for the development of the proposal that we give to the client. We develop the spectrum and the pricing. We make presentations to the customer to explain the solution and answer questions about it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very strong. The vendor provides has high availability.

Our clients are medium sized businesses.

Palo Alto is not a cheap solution. It is expensive. But because of its technology it pays itself back. In each case we work with the vendor to obtain a major discount for their business. I give that discount to our customer, who benefit from the services that we can bring them.

How are customer service and technical support?

This is our first dealing with Palo Alto. With other vendors we have more experience, like with Cisco and Fortinet.

Palo Alto's documentation and manuals are very complete. It's very easy to obtain the information that way.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

The client still uses Cisco, Fortinet, and Checkpoint. Palo Alto has very good administration tools which is not the case with the others. You can't compare all vendors. Also, the granularity of the information that they can obtain from the firewalls is better.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup depends. In the case of one client, for example, they have a very complex connection of networks, which is architectural. It is integrated and we need to pick it out and include all the rules that they have and to put in the firewalls which they want to buy in the next month. That kind of job is not easy for us, not just regarding Palo Alto but for other vendors, too.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a nine.

I would recommend this product to others.

In terms of what advice I would give to future customers looking into implementing Palo Alto Firewalls, I would tell them that they have a good system operator in the firewalls and that it provides many tools that they can use to protect their networks. You don't find that in the other vendors.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,886 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Quality engineer of the 1st category at Modern Expo
Real User
Top 20
Great protection without requiring a special dedicated network team; saves us a lot of time
Pros and Cons
  • "Protection from a single packet and ease of making security rules."
  • "It's not so easy to scale out your security capabilities."

What is our primary use case?

We have two 3000 Series Firewalls placed in our primary location. We have two sites and the secondary site uses the primary site for internet access. All traffic to the secondary location goes through a VPN tunnel. I'm a network administrator. 

What is most valuable?

The value of this solution for me is the protection from a single packet and ease of making security rules. It also doesn't require a special dedicated network team, I'm able to do it myself. It's a time saver for me and now in this pandemic period, users have access from home.  

What needs improvement?

I'd like to see some changes to the licensing policies and, on the technical side, improvement in scalability. It's not so easy to scale out your security capabilities. With the situation in business today, everybody lacks money and if you have to increase your resources and to constantly pay more for that, it becomes a problem. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for 10 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's been 10 years and I don't remember any outages because of a hardware failure or a logical error in configuration. We had problems with servers or switches initially but it works like a charm now. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is the main disadvantage of Palo Alto. They call themselves a firewall with router capabilities but it's not a router and it requires a good bandwidth in VPN which could become a problem because you have to scale to really big hardware. We can solve the issue with other solutions, but for me the idea is to have less devices in your environment.
It's all about the hardware.  

How are customer service and technical support?

The support is quite good. A couple of months ago, I sent an email with an issue and we got an answer in 15-20 minutes. In my experience, Palo Alto support is one of the best, maybe the best support available.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Juniper which is currently called Net Screen. I also looked at Sonic Wall. We carried out a proof of concept five years ago and they had to decide whether to go with Palo Alto or another vendor. 

How was the initial setup?

For me, the initial setup is very easy. To get the device running with some capabilities but maybe not all security rules takes about an hour and it's the same for any upgrades. We have around 900 users and one admin person from our organization who deals with any issues. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Palo Alto is an expensive solution, we currently have a three year contract. I'm not sure what our terms are. People always want cheaper, nobody wants to pay more. In our region, I think if Palo Alto was cheaper, more companies would buy the solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I would absolutely recommend this product, it's expensive but I trust it. There is always room for improvement such as with scalability capabilities in Palo Alto. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this is an issue. It's possible that next time we will try virtualized firewalls, it may be a little cheaper for us. We would consider switching to something else but it would be a big move and quite complicated. Moving to a different vendor is a whole other story.

I rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Head of IT Infrastructure at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Provides a reliable central firewall
Pros and Cons
  • "Identifying applications is very easy with this solution."
  • "The reports it provides are not helpful."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution as our central firewall, but not as a perimeter firewall. For our perimeter, we use another solution. 

Our organization consists of roughly 2,000 to 3,000 employees. 

What is most valuable?

Identifying applications is very easy with this solution.

What needs improvement?

I don't like the reporting. The reports it provides are not helpful. They should include more executive summaries and other important information — they're too technical.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for three years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is excellent. 

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is good, but not excellent. Their responses can be quite vague and unhelpful at times. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used to use Checkpoint. We stopped using it because the price was too high. 

How was the initial setup?

Considering our limited amount of experience, the initial setup was easy. Deployment took one month. 

What about the implementation team?

A local reseller team of roughly three to five people implemented it for us — it was a great experience. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Palo Alto, Checkpoint, Fortinet, and Cisco Firepower. Overall, it came down to the price — that's why we went with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.

What other advice do I have?

This solution is very particular; it's only suited to specific companies — it's a commercial opportunity. 

Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of eight. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Chief of IT security department at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
The DPI ability to understand web applications and build access rules on web application categories are great features
Pros and Cons
  • "We have found the DPI ability to understand web applications and build access rules on web application categories first to be a great feature."
  • "They could improve their support and pricing and maybe integration. It's a little more expensive that Check Point but the quality is better. Integration with firewall endpoints could be better. Palo Alto does have very good malware or antivirus protection. I think they could improve on that front."

What is our primary use case?

We use these firewalls on-premise. We use them as a central gateway for internet security. We also use them for organizing access to the internet from organizations, and security access rules.

What is most valuable?

We have found the DPI ability to understand web applications and build access rules on web application categories first to be a great feature. The firewalls have good integration and good log journals' integration with Qradar. This is how the system produces user logs, how they build, how they structure the logs is stable to integrate with SIEM. For example, Check Point is not so good in this category.

What needs improvement?

They could improve their support and pricing and maybe integration. It's a little more expensive than Check Point but the quality is better. Integration with firewall endpoints could be better. Palo Alto does have very good malware or antivirus protection. I think they could improve on that front.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls for about 12 months. We are using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have found Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls to be a very stable solution and very convenient solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We don't have any problems with the performance. It works very good. We have not had any problems. If we compare with Check Point, Check Point is not really good in stability, not for monitoring. That is why we didn't choose Check Point to move to Palo Alto.

How are customer service and technical support?

We are satisfied with Palo Alto's support. We don't need to contact them frequently but when we do it is a good experience.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

If we compare with Check Point, Check Point is not really good in stability, not for monitoring. That is why we didn't choose Check Point to move to Palo Alto. Compared with Check Point, it's excellent. It's very good. It's even better than Cisco also. So for this kind of usage scenario, it's very good. We don't use it as a regular firewall or perimeter firewall. We use it only as an internet gateway. But for an internet gateway, it's very good.

How was the initial setup?

It was a very straightforward install and we were able to perform it from the Palo Alto books available. It only took one or two days for the installation. No problem with SIEM integrations or with the security policies. It's just worked as expected.

What about the implementation team?

We performed the installation in house from the Palo Alto books available. 

What other advice do I have?

I would give Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls a rating of nine on a scale of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Architect at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Advanced technology, reliable, and good customer service
Pros and Cons
  • "The technology's very good. We have had a lot of good experience with this solution."
  • "For an upcoming release, they could improve on the way to build security rules per user."

What is our primary use case?

In manufacture, we use this solution as a firewall and an internal gateway. Additionally, we use it for traffic control which keeps strategic traffic separate from production traffic.

What is most valuable?

The technology's very good. We have had a lot of good experience with this solution. We have done a lot of implementation for our clients and we have not had a lot of problems with this solution.

What needs improvement?

For an upcoming release, they could improve on the way to build security rules per user. Palo Alto has this functionality but in implementation, we had some problem. This functionality should be better in our opinion.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for more than seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In my experience, the stability is very good. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have more than 700 people using the solution in my company.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have had a good experience with technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used FortiGate in the past and we prefer this one.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was complex.

What about the implementation team?

Depending on the project, specific environment, and performance the deployment could take some time.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

With the licensing we pay for it annually, the price could be cheaper.

What other advice do I have?

If someone looking for stability and the leader in next-generation firewall technology, I would choose this solution.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Partner Alliance Director at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Good interface and dashboards and very user-friendly
Pros and Cons
  • "The interface is very nice. We generally like the UI the product offers."
  • "The solution could offer better pricing. We'd like it if it could be a bit more affordable for us."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for our internal network.

What is most valuable?

The active features on the solution are excellent.

The dashboard and management console are both very user-friendly. Everything is easy to navigate.

The interface is very nice. We generally like the UI the product offers.

What needs improvement?

The ability to check cases could be improved upon. We find that most of the packets we have to directly open with the PA. Until then, it's possible that there cannot be any support.

Take, for example, the XDR. The XDR is the real power to all our solutions from PA, however, when we are using their XDR, we have directly to contact PA. It's like this for the licensing or for any technical issues.

The solution could offer better pricing. We'd like it if it could be a bit more affordable for us.

The solution should offer SD-WAN.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution since 2016. It's been quite a few years now, at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable. We don't have bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's quite good and we've been happy with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We haven't tried to expand the solution or to scale it up. It's not an aspect of the solution our company has explored just yet. Therefore, I can't speak to its capabilities in this aspect. I'm not sure what exactly is possible.

How are customer service and technical support?

I don't have any experience with technical support. I've never had to contact them. Other colleagues would be the ones that deal with this aspect. I wouldn't be able to comment on their level of knowledge of responsiveness.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We're also using Check Point as a firewall.

How was the initial setup?

The initials setup was pretty straightforward. It was not complex at all for us. We didn't run into any issues during the implementation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing is paid on a yearly basis. 

The pricing could be better, however, the cost depends on the sizing of the product. The pricing, therefore, varies from company to company for the most part.

What other advice do I have?

We have a partnership with Palo Alto.

We're using the 5000 series of Palo Alto. It's a next-generation firewall. We're currently using the Management Gateway and Virtual Firewall. Also, the Endpoint Solution.

I'd recommend the solution to other organizations. We've been pretty happy with it so far.

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
VinodPol - PeerSpot reviewer
Vice President and Head - IT Telecom, Software License Management and Collaboration at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 10
ATP provides superior security, it integrates well using the API, and the support is good
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the security provided by the ATP."
  • "I would like the option to be able to block the traffic from a specific country in a few clicks."

What is our primary use case?

We use this firewall as part of our overall security solution. It is used to protect our perimeter on the internet side. We have the on-premises version installed for our offices and the cloud-based version for our cloud offerings. For our cloud setup, we use both Azure and AWS.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the security provided by the ATP. It is definitely better than the security provided by other firewalls.

The API is available for integration with tools for automation and AI, which is very good.

What needs improvement?

The interface contains some decentralized tools, so simplifying it would be an improvement.

I would like the option to be able to block the traffic from a specific country in a few clicks.

Some of the implements under artificial intelligence should provide better visibility in terms of my traffic, such as where it originates and where it is going.

Better integration with industry tools would allow me to do quicker automation and reduce my operational costs.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the Palo Alto Next-Generation firewall for almost five years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is definitely not scalable. Although it is a next-generation firewall, it has its limitations in terms of policies. At one point in time, it becomes the bottleneck, which is something that we have to optimize.

We are using this firewall at between 10 and 15 locations.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have been in contact with technical support and we are satisfied with the service.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also use FortiGate VDOM, although this is for internal protection. The FortiGate interface is simpler in design than Palo Alto.

Prior to Palo Alto, we were using the Cisco ASA platform. When it was through with its lifecycle, we switched. Seeing the next-generation firewall competition in the market, Cisco definitely has a larger portfolio, but it is not as competitive in the security domain. Solutions from Palo Alto and Fortinet are better in this space.

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to install and we did not find the initial setup complex at all. The basic firewall can be set up, and then it takes a little time for the hardening. In total, the deployment can usually be completed within two or three hours.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is competitive in the market.

What other advice do I have?

Palo Alto NG is definitely a firewall that I recommend for the right size of deployment.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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Download our free Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.