Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is an antivirus tool that provides EDR and XDR.
Senior Consultant Cybersecurity at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
An antivirus that provides EDR and XDR, but it is expensive
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's most valuable feature is the user interface."
- "The solution lags to the real-time scenarios here and there."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable feature is the user interface. I've used other solutions like Cylance and CrowdStrike, but Cortex XDR stands out from all the products. It has also moved to XSIAM. Cortex XDR introduced it long ago, while other tools are implementing it now.
What needs improvement?
The solution lags to the real-time scenarios here and there.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks for five years.
Buyer's Guide
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution would have bugs, but we get support 24/7 to deal with them.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is a scalable solution.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is an expensive solution.
What other advice do I have?
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is a cloud-based solution. I would recommend the solution to other users if they can afford it. Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is worth the money. It is easy for a beginner to learn to use the solution for the first time.
Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jul 14, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSenior System Administrator at a government with 10,001+ employees
Makes it easy to isolate endpoints and lets us know if something needs to be addressed
Pros and Cons
- "Since they've done their most recent update, the ease to isolate endpoints is valuable. If we find one where there is a virus on it, we can easily isolate it. We don't even have to contact the user. We don't have to manually take them off the network. We can easily isolate them."
- "We had a problem with getting our older endpoints up to date, but their newest updates have been really good. I've been pleased with it in terms of what our needs are. It's doing what we want it to do."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to make sure that our antivirus is up to par.
It used to be on-prem, but now, it's completely on the cloud. In terms of the version, we've got some old endpoints that we had to manually bring up to date, but for the most part, it's up to date.
How has it helped my organization?
I don't have to do much monitoring with it. I don't have to have anybody manually looking at this. It gives us reports, and it lets us know if something needs to be addressed, and we can easily address it. I've been pleased with it. It's been a really good product for us.
What is most valuable?
Since they've done their most recent update, the ease to isolate endpoints is valuable. If we find one where there is a virus on it, we can easily isolate it. We don't even have to contact the user. We don't have to manually take them off the network. We can easily isolate them. The hash that they use is pretty comprehensive. I like WildFire. It gives us a better idea of what is a true virus and what is a false positive.
What needs improvement?
We had a problem with getting our older endpoints up to date, but their newest updates have been really good. I've been pleased with it in terms of what our needs are. It's doing what we want it to do.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using it for at least three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It has been stable. I have not had any issues with it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
For our use, we didn't need scalability with it. It has just been working as we needed it to work.
How are customer service and support?
The only time we had to deal with their support was when we had a problem with getting our older endpoints up to date. They made the upgrades and gave us the solutions on what we needed to do, and that has been working for us.
How was the initial setup?
It was pretty straightforward, and now that it does an automatic update, I don't even have to remember to update it anymore. Once a definition expires, it automatically goes in and puts in the newest definitions, and updates all the endpoints. It is way better than what it used to be.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don't recall what the cost was, but it wasn't really that expensive.
What other advice do I have?
The only thing I would advise is to get a solution for which you don't have to do a lot of monitoring. It helps when we don't have to have an extra person to manually go through and look at each endpoint to make sure things are up to date and all definitions are up to date.
I would rate it a nine out of ten because it's a really stable platform, and it is doing everything that I need it to do. You can always have improvement, but I'm really not sure what that improvement would be.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Network Security Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Ability to mitigate ransomware issues and includes advanced threat analytics and behavioral analytics
Pros and Cons
- "If any application performs suspicious activities, such as changing registries or modifying other applications, Cortex XDR detects and blocks the entire application."
- "Product might have some bugs."
What is our primary use case?
Cortex XDR mainly focuses on endpoint protection. Unlike other antivirus products, it is way more advanced. It allows you to manage your endpoints and includes advanced threat analytics and behavioral analytics. For example, it offers a behavioral analysis, the main purpose of which is to identify suspicious activity.
If any application performs suspicious activities, such as changing registries or modifying other applications, Cortex XDR detects and blocks the entire application. This ensures that unauthorized actions are prevented.
Another feature of Cortex XDR is its ability to mitigate ransomware issues. It creates duplicate files on the endpoint, and if any ransomware attempts to access these files, it detects and identifies the ransomware attack. Cortex XDR offers many such advanced features in its cloud platform.
How has it helped my organization?
What needs improvement?
Product might have some bugs. But these will be fixed in the next version. They'll try to work on that and fix those issues. They won't let it go easily.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been implementing and supporting this product for one year.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The end users are around thousands.
How are customer service and support?
I am from the support team. I fix things. If customers have any issues with the product, they call me. That's the role of my job. I am from the partner side.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment and setup process is handled by a different team. So I have never deployed Cortex, but I know the steps. It is not easy, but at the same time, it is not very complicated.
It's cloud-based. You don't have to set up a server; it's all on the cloud. You have to set up your tenant on their dedicated server once you subscribe to the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Price-wise, Cortex XDR is quite expensive compared to regular endpoints. It is a bit more expensive than other products, but it's worth the money.
What other advice do I have?
Cortex is a good product. But like every other product, it has some flaws. Not every product is ideal. Every product has its flaws. So when compared with other products, Cortex is one of the good products. I would suggest you take the product because it is really one of the good products, but it has some flaws.
So, I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: customer/partner
Last updated: Jul 18, 2024
Flag as inappropriateUsed for investigating incidents and malware analysis
Pros and Cons
- "The solution allows us to gain remote access without the user's knowledge and take the necessary actions on the device."
- "It takes time to scan the servers and devices."
What is our primary use case?
I used the solution for investigating incidents and malware analysis.
What is most valuable?
The solution allows us to gain remote access without the user's knowledge and take the necessary actions on the device. For investigation, we can just drop down and easily elaborate on the issues, like where the user went and what they downloaded. We can use the solution to find out everything easily.
What needs improvement?
It takes time to scan the servers and devices. Scanning the server sometimes takes two to three days. If the device is offline, the scan gets disconnected.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks for one and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around seven people used the solution in our organization.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is quite an expensive solution.
What other advice do I have?
I use the solution for investigation, which includes incident handling and incident alerts. There is a separate part in Cortex XDR where we can use timestamps to categorize the alert or attack type. Based on the attack criticality, we can investigate and fine-tune a lot of things. In Cortex XDR, we can get the same alert at different times. We can fine-tune using the Cortex XDR tool.
Also, we can use queries in Cortex XDR for automation, accessing the device, or scanning the device. The query part is good, but we need to spend a little time learning about the query. It's easy to understand the query.
There is a template that you can use to click and say something. If you are going to investigate, many tabs are given based on the tactics, techniques, and procedures. It is easy to understand, and we can gather basic information from there. It is easy for a new user to learn to use the solution for the first time.
Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jul 13, 2024
Flag as inappropriateBusiness development manager for Palo Alto Networks at Westcon-Comstor
Has a simple setup process and efficient stability
Pros and Cons
- "The product's most valuable features are massive user and feature intelligence exploit detection."
- "It is an enterprise-level solution. Its price could be less expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product as a detection and response application.
What is most valuable?
The product's most valuable features are massive user and feature intelligence exploit detection. It is very useful in detecting threats to databases. The last meter statistics prove the efficient capabilities of the solution.
What needs improvement?
It is an enterprise-level solution. Its price could be less expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is 100% stable. I have never received any complaints from the customers.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks is easily scalable as it is a cloud-based product.
How are customer service and support?
We provide support services for our customers. Palo Alto's support services are expensive, and customers also encounter language barriers.
How was the initial setup?
The initial process is simple. It requires training of about three to four days to understand the installation process. It is deployed on the cloud. The number of software engineers required depends on the number of the endpoints.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay in advance for the product's license. It has reasonable pricing for the use cases it provides to the company. We can split this payment monthly, quarterly, or yearly, according to the customer's requirements. For a cost-benefit analysis when choosing a security solution, consider factors such as the number of attacks prevented, the impact of those attacks, potential losses, and other hidden costs.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks for ten out of ten. It could be improved from a commercial perspective. It could approach the SMB market as well.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
IT Specialist at RateGain
Scans for unwanted and malicious activity on endpoints and servers, creating alerts and incidents
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are incident creation, policy-based protection, IP whitelisting, and device encryption. These are beneficial for endpoint and server security."
- "There's room for improvement with Mac device installations, which can be challenging."
What is our primary use case?
We use Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks for endpoint security. It scans for unwanted and malicious activity on endpoints and servers, creating alerts and incidents.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are incident creation, policy-based protection, IP whitelisting, and device encryption. These are beneficial for endpoint and server security.
What needs improvement?
There's room for improvement with Mac device installations, which can be challenging.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the tool for two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
About 20 people in our company use Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks across the country.
How was the initial setup?
We've had some issues isolating endpoints and have sought support from Palo Alto for that.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost depends on your chosen license type, like Pro or other licenses.
What other advice do I have?
I'd recommend using Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks for security purposes. It's good at detecting malware and is a better strategy than other antivirus solutions. I rate the overall solution a seven 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.
Last updated: Sep 1, 2024
Flag as inappropriateHas a centralized console and does predictive analysis of malware
Pros and Cons
- "I like the centralized console and the predictive analysis it does of malware. It is very stable and also scalable."
- "It would be good if they could make an exception for applications. Sometimes, it can be a bit of a challenge to make exceptions for certain applications that have been used as rogue."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case is mainly endpoint protection.
How has it helped my organization?
Previously, we had to install endpoint protection per machine and then scan and update. If there were any possible threats, then you would have to go manually to the machine and scan. Cortex XDR basically does that centrally and predictably.
We get notified, and if need be, we'll investigate an endpoint. For the most part, we haven't had to do a whole lot of that because most of the time, it just stops the threat before it even becomes one. So, we have more time to do day-to-day work rather than spend time chasing those endpoints.
What is most valuable?
I like the centralized console and the predictive analysis it does of malware.
It is very stable and also scalable.
It is easy to deploy and update. It does not require a lot of maintenance.
What needs improvement?
It would be good if they could make an exception for applications. Sometimes, it can be a bit of a challenge to make exceptions for certain applications that have been used as rogue. So, making exceptions would be easier and would probably be better for logging.
It would be nice if it were easier to use and if there were some free training hours.
As for additional features, I would suggest having mobile access to the console, perhaps through a mobile app for the console.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using it for about three years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great. I think they set the standard for SDR solutions at the moment.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's very scalable. We have it on Macs, Windows, Windows servers, and multiple flavors of Linux.
We have about 460 endpoints deployed. As far as technical users, we have a team of about 10, and that's mixed between server admins and their subsupport users.
The usage is extensive, and we've recently deployed it everywhere. We do plan on probably increasing usage because we have current consultants who use the product in order to access our systems.
How are customer service and technical support?
I wish there could have been more live contact with technical support rather than updated tickets and possible notifications via email. When I've had live encounters, it's been amazing. Sometimes, I think they could be a little bit more responsive live wise, but for the most part, it's been good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Sophos, and it was okay. The only thing I liked about Sophos was that it was easier to deploy to the desktop, but with Cortex XDR, once you have it already deployed, updating it is easy.
We needed something that was going to work with Macs and Linux, different products. Also, we needed something that would be more predictive versus relying on definition files that are publicly available. You don't want to be in a zero-day attack. With Cortex XDR, it's one of those where you can download any virus. It's just not going to run on your machine. Most malware products rely on a database to tell you that there's a virus file.
Sometimes, there are false positives. If it's a legit file or application that an end user is trying to download and use on their machine, it won't allow that. With Cortex XDR, however, they can download the file. It's just going to be rendered useless until you enable it and make an exception for it. It can run what identifies it and just sends you a notification saying that it's a malicious file and that it's there. It's not going to do anything to the system. That was a huge selling factor with Cortex XDR.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty straightforward. It took a couple of hours and was pretty easy to deploy.
Once it's deployed in your system, you can push updates yourself. In the case of Macs, when you get new releases you sometimes have to tweak it and then push it out manually to end users. One admin could dedicate a couple of hours a week at best because there's not much maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
Palo Alto got on the phone with us and walked us through it. They were very helpful.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's about $55 per license on a yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
Learn the product because once you deploy it and a lot of people look at it from an endpoint perspective, they get the endpoint protection instantly. However, there are other things that you need to learn more about. Once you deploy Cortex XDR, you get a subscription to a data lake, which helps you retain logs. We have Palo Alto firewalls and later on learned that we can also integrate our firewalls and get the logs.
You have a limited amount of space for log retention, but things like that are important in cases where you need to have PCI compliance or have a company policy of retaining a certain amount of logs.
So, learn all the features and ask questions, and perhaps if it's going to be something that you're going to use as an investment for your company, take a training class.
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Cortex XDR at nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Owner and Executive Director at Cloud 9 s.r.o.
Good features, strong protection, and very scalable and stable
Pros and Cons
- "Cortex XDR is a very capable solution for protecting large networks and a lot of endpoints. It's very useful because the automation is very high, and if you combine it with the features on Palo Alto firewalls, it provides very strong protection."
- "It's more focused on network communication. If a customer wants to increase the level of protection and start working with documents, it's impossible to integrate these features into the system. It's more of a communication-oriented system than a content security-oriented system."
What is our primary use case?
It's mainly for protection against malware. We work very closely with a major partner of Palo Alto in the Czech Republic, and we have experience with the whole XDR solution. It's very useful for us and a very capable solution.
How has it helped my organization?
Clients have a big problem with phishing campaigns and phishing attacks. Cortex XDR provides some level of protection against malware spreading in the network with a wrong click of users.
What is most valuable?
Cortex XDR is a very capable solution for protecting large networks and a lot of endpoints. It's very useful because the automation is very high, and if you combine it with the features on Palo Alto firewalls, it provides very strong protection.
What needs improvement?
Its price is too high. That's a big problem for customers.
It's more focused on network communication. If a customer wants to increase the level of protection and start working with documents, it's impossible to integrate these features into the system. It's more of a communication-oriented system than a content security-oriented system.
In terms of additional features, there is very strong development. I have seen the roadmap, and we will see what happens. The roadmap looks nice, but it's still more of a network security solution than a content-security solution. The development in network security is quite strong. I'm very happy with that, but if a customer would like to implement a zero-trust security concept, it's necessary to combine this solution with other vendors. There is some part of the integration that is not so easy because you have to integrate rules and some features. It's not so automatic in network communication. You have to make some appropriate automation there, or you have to do it manually. It's time-consuming and it's also expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it from the beginning. It has been more than six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a very stable solution. I would rate it a nine out of ten in terms of stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a very scalable solution. If you compare it with a SIEM solution from Palo Alto, it's very powerful. I would rate it a nine out of ten in terms of scalability. It's definitely for enterprises.
How are customer service and support?
Their technical support is not bad, but sometimes, when we have some issues, the support teams from Europe or Central Europe are not able to help us. We have to escalate the issue somewhere else, such as to the US. They have a very strong support team there, but it's time-consuming. Sometimes, it takes them days or weeks to solve some tricky problems, but their support for standard issues is okay. There is a very good response, but for a technical issue, it's sometimes more difficult. I would rate their support a seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I also worked a little bit with SentinelOne. Cortex XDR is very similar to the SentinelOne solution from the features point of view. It's a little bit different technology, but both solutions are very capable.
How was the initial setup?
It's somewhere in the middle. It's not for beginners, but if you know what to do, it's quite easy.
It's a cloud-based solution, which sometimes is an issue for customers. In the past, it was on-prem, but Palo Alto decided to change the policy and everything is cloud-based or located in the cloud. It's not a security problem from my point of view, but a few customers feel uncomfortable with sending data to the cloud and back.
What about the implementation team?
Very often, it's an in-house implementation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's the most expensive solution, but features-wise, it's quite strong. It's very good for protection, so the results are very good in the case of protection. I would rate it a two out of ten in terms of pricing.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
Product Categories
Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Extended Detection and Response (XDR) Ransomware Protection AI-Powered Cybersecurity PlatformsPopular Comparisons
CrowdStrike Falcon
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Cisco Secure Endpoint
SentinelOne Singularity Complete
Fortinet FortiClient
Symantec Endpoint Security
Intercept X Endpoint
Trend Vision One Endpoint Security
Trellix Endpoint Security
Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business
ESET Endpoint Protection Platform
HP Wolf Security
Check Point Harmony Endpoint
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- Which SIEM is best fit with Palo Alto Cortex XDR?
- Which product would you choose: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks?
- Cortex XDR by Palo Alto vs. Sentinel One
- FortiXDR vs Cortex Pro - which is the best?
- Comparing CrowdStrike Falcon to Cortex XDR (Palo Alto)
- How is Cortex XDR compared with Microsoft Defender?
- Which is better - Cortex XDR or Symantec End-User Endpoint Security?
- How would you compare BlackBerry Protect vs Cortex XDR by Palo Alto Networks?
- What is the biggest difference between EPP and EDR products?
- Can Cylance be used with Symantec or Kaspersky endpoint solutions without conflict?