Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is a highly effective advanced threat protection (ATP) solution and firewall that can be hosted on cloud computing technologies designed by many different companies. It decreases the amount of time that it will take administrators to respond to threats. Users that deploy VM-series have 70% less downtime than those who use similar firewalls. Neither protection nor efficiency are concerns when this next-generation firewall is in play.
The most valuable features of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series include centralized management, user-friendly UI, flexibility in deployment and scaling, security features such as malware protection and DDoS protection, CLI for zero-day signatures, and Panorama centralized management system for easy log pulling and visibility.
The solution offers a bundle of features including VPN, firewall, routing, UDR, and full visibility of traffic. It also provides full ownership of the device and allows for easy integration with additional licenses and updates.
The VM-Series is praised for its ease of use, accessibility from the user interface, and ability to adjust firewall sizing on the fly. It offers centralized control and unified policies for managing security across different environments.
The solution also includes features like proxy writing, CAD management, a file management system, bandwidth utilization reporting, and granular policy management.
Improvements needed for Palo Alto Networks VM-Series include updating documentation to enhance and providing instructional videos for easier product deployment. The lack of proper documentation and troubleshooting guidance hampers its usefulness even if the product itself is excellent. Integrating traditional firewall policies into the Prisma Cloud solution is challenging compared to previous technologies like Panorama. The Prisma Cloud interface is not user-friendly.
The migration of workloads to the cloud is difficult due to platform differences between the cloud provider and Palo Alto Networks. User-friendliness, utilization monitoring, and GUI improvements are necessary. Licensing issues requiring redeployment may be related to VM-Series or template image integration with Azure Marketplace.
Integration with load balancers needs improvement as Palo Alto lacks load-balancing capabilities and requires the purchase of third-party load balancers. The web interface is slow and needs to be faster. Having a direct number for support or a supporting engineer would be beneficial for faster assistance, instead of relying on email communication.
A dedicated number for emergency text messages would also be helpful.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series has provided a significant return on investment for many users. It has enhanced security measures, ensuring that networks remain protected. The default configurations are highly secure, alleviating concerns about unauthorized access. As a result, users have saved time and reduced stress by minimizing the need for constant monitoring.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is generally considered to be fair and reasonable in terms of pricing. It is notably cheaper than most firewall vendors. Some users mention that the licensing structure can be a bit complex and expensive, with multiple licenses required for different functionalities. However, the implementation process is relatively easy, and the solution provides effective protection without additional costs.
It is recommended to study and understand the new licensing structure or involve a partner in purchasing the product.
The primary use case of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is for network protection, VPN purposes, and as a perimeter firewall.
It is used in enterprise environments for securing internal systems, hosting applications in private data centers and on the cloud, and for centralized management of firewalls and security policies. It is also deployed on the Azure Cloud for connecting on-premise environments and conducting reports.
The product serves as the core firewall for data center networks in a high-availability configuration.
The customer service and support offers a good response time and provides excellent support. Users can log in to their CSP portal to access support features such as raising TAC cases with different priority levels. Palo Alto Networks also offers live support and direct phone assistance. Users appreciate the fast and readily-available solutions provided. While some users mention that the response times could be quicker, overall, the technical support is considered good.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series requires professional and expert-level skills in order to set it up seamlessly. It is not an entry-level solution and knowledge is needed to adapt it to your platform. However, some reviewers found the setup to be quite easy compared to other vendors, especially when migrating from existing infrastructure.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is considered to be highly scalable. Users have mentioned that it can accommodate multiple entities, with some organizations having more than 20 entities using the solution. It is optimized for scalability and can be implemented in high-availability mode or through cloud functionality.
The solution provides options for deployment in both VM and appliance forms, and additional features can be added by obtaining licenses.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is highly reliable and consistent, with no reported issues or concerns regarding stability. Users have experienced stability for extended periods, even after initial bugs were resolved.
VM-Series is being deployed to protect both public and private cloud environments. This level of flexibility empowers organizations to run the environment or environments that best meet their needs without worrying that they are going to be exposed to digital threats due to the environment that they choose.
In the public cloud, users of Palo Alto Networks VM-Series can automate their deployment and dynamically scale up their environment while experiencing a consistent level of protection. This dynamic scalability means that they also integrate their security into their DevOps workflows so that their security can keep up with their activities and requirements. Users of private cloud environments can set up security policies that can be automated to be provisioned as the need arises. Organizations don’t need to slow down when they deploy VM-Series because it makes the task of defending them so simple that they can set their defenses and forget that they are even there.
Users gain a deep level of visibility when they deploy Palo Alto Networks VM-Series. App-ID technology enables organizations to see their network traffic on the application level and spot threats that might be trying to sneak in through vulnerable points in their defenses. It also leverages Palo Alto Networks WildFire and advanced threat protection to block the threats before they can escalate.
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series Features:
Reviews from Real Users:
Palo Alto Networks VM-Series is a solution that stands out when compared to other similar solutions. Two major advantages that it offers are its ability to protect users without degrading the efficiency with which their networks perform and its centralized management system.
Jason H., the director of information technology at Tavoca Inc, writes, “There is no noticeable trade-off between security and network performance. In fact, so far, we've not seen any negative network performance with it. We're very impressed in that regard.”
An information technology manager at a tech services company says, “We use Palo Alto’s Panorama centralized management system. We have an on-prem firewall where Panorama is very good for pulling logs in from the cloud so we can see what is going on. It gives us visibility into that as well as shows us what attacks are coming in. Palo Alto’s Panorama centralized management system simplifies our security posture based on our requirements. Instead of manually pulling logs, then generating them into readable formats, it gives us the console in a readable format to view.”
Warren Rogers Associates
