Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls Reviews

We use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for visibility and protection of our network.

Our environment primarily uses Windows, and Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls can enhance our security integration.

The firewalls help protect our servers, but we do not have a highly sophisticated data center setup.

The most valuable aspect of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is the performance.

The support needs improvement, as the quality of the responses is not great and sometimes solutions take a long time. Configurations related to different operating systems can be complex, and we have encountered issues with Linux systems.

The internal authentication method for connecting to the firewall's internet access requires an SSL certificate. However, the configuration process is complex and currently incompatible with certain operating systems, such as Linux.

I have been working with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for nearly eight years.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are stable; we have only faced downtime once in the past two years due to a primary firewall maintenance issue where the standby did not come up.

We have not needed to scale up or down, as the solution we have is currently sufficient.

Support is a challenge as the response time is long, and the quality of responses could be improved.

Neutral

I have used Juniper previously and found its security features superior. However, I prefer Palo Alto for its broader range of features and more competitive pricing.

The setup process is somewhat complex, requiring a couple of days. Fine-tuning and configuring SSL authentications internally is difficult.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are more expensive than Cisco firewalls, but slightly less expensive than Juniper firewalls.

I evaluated Cisco and Juniper before choosing Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls seven out of ten.

The maintenance of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is easy.

We use this solution as our external firewall and VPN.

The fact that I can perform several security functions in one device at wire speed is a valuable feature. I don't have to slow down my business transactions, and I don't have to inconvenience my users with 16 different solutions. I can have it all in one box, and it protects my organization at wire speed.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls catch a lot of things that other firewalls may not catch and support more current security practices. We get updates several times a day from WildFire, and the firewalls do a great job of keeping us protected.

Within their domain, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls provide a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities. This is critical because I don't want to deal with multiple devices. I want to do it all with as few devices as possible and have it all work successfully.

It's very important that these firewalls embed machine learning into their core because the only way to keep up with the changing threat environment is to keep learning about it.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are the gold standard right now for securing data centers consistently across all workplaces, and I'm using them across all of my locations. They provide a consistent experience for the management team as well as the end user.

Surfacing actionable intelligence right away could be better. You have to dig far to get some of the information. If the solution could surface the two or three things out of the 10,000 a day that we really need to deal with, it would be helpful.

I've been working with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for about 20 years.

It is a rock-solid solution in terms of stability. You very rarely have to worry about it. If there's a problem, it's usually because a rule got configured incorrectly.

Across the product line, the NG firewalls scale very well. Within the individual units, however, there are some limitations. It's not always clear to resellers as to what those limitations are. Therefore, as your organization grows you may start to bump into those limitations unexpectedly.

Palo Alto's technical support is pretty good and is among the best. We have called them several times, and they've been on it. Sometimes, it can take a bit longer for them to understand an issue, but overall, I would rate technical support at eight.

Positive

We have used several firewalls including Cisco, Fortinet, and Check Point. We chose Palo Alto because it's the only one that brings it all together in one platform and lets me manage it. It also removes the complexity of what I have to manage and deal with.

The initial setup is fairly straightforward. You put the firewall in with whatever might be there right now in learning mode, and then you can figure out where the holes are.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have prevented a number of things from happening. We would not have been able to prevent those things from happening had we had other firewalls.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are the Cadillac standard, and you do pay Cadillac pricing. However, the protection is worth the steep price. 

If you're looking for the fastest firewall, Palo Alto needs to be on your list. They seem to be the only ones that perform at wire speed right now. If you want the cheapest firewall, you will be able to find cheaper options, but you won't find better options than Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.

Overall, I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a nine on a scale from one to ten.

The biggest value of RSAC is being able to see everything I don't know anything about. It helps me keep up with where the industry is going.

Also, attending RSAC impacts our organization’s cybersecurity purchases made throughout the year. I chat with my existing vendors when I attend and have conversations with those my team recommends. We then make purchasing decisions based on what I see at RSAC.

We use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for cybersecurity and network security for our infrastructure for our districts, worldwide. 

The SIM's ability to analyze traffic and take appropriate action is the most valuable feature of this solution.

It is an extremely powerful solution as it provides visibility into all the network traffic, and offers a range of actions such as blocking websites or graphics, as well as load balancing. It's a great tool.

The solution's user-friendly interface and clear network visibility are highly valuable to us. It makes management easier, especially for those without extensive technical knowledge.

The benefit we derive from this solution is not only its ease of use but also how it enables collaboration among our team for special activities in our network.

Additionally, the reports that we can generate from the software are very valuable.

Using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls has helped us reduce downtime.

Compared to our previous solution, I believe it was Fortinet. It saves a lot of time, you know, especially running your reports and analyzing the traffic. I believe we save thirty to forty percent.

It provides a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities.

It has seamless integration with all our devices, including Mac and Windows, and also with our secret server. Moreover, it is even integrated with the Microsoft streaming application that we use.

The embedded machine learning functions seamlessly and can be easily accessed through the dashboard's dedicated tools. Its ease of use is impressive.

I believe it would be beneficial if the solution could integrate with Google Chrome, especially for students who use Chromebooks. However, as far as I know, the solution currently does not support Google Chrome.

I have been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for five years.

The solution is incredibly stable. 

We have installed patches and updates, and they have all gone smoothly without any issues.

We haven't fully used the capabilities of the firewall, but we purchased a larger scale to prepare for potential future growth.

The firewall is deployed across all six schools and the district office, protecting the entire infrastructure, including switches, access points, and other devices.

This is approximately 3,500 to 4,000 devices.

The technical support team is readily available and very helpful. They provide great assistance whenever we encounter any issues.

There are delays at times, but overall, they are great. I would rate them a nine out of ten.

Positive

Previously, we used Fortinet.

I was involved in the deployment.

We received assistance from the technical support team who helped us implement the project.

We have seen a return on our investment.

As previously mentioned, the firewall is easy to use and has helped us save a significant amount of time, approximately thirty to forty percent.

The cost is quite high.

We evaluated Fortinet as well as Cisco.

The firewall we use is recommended by our county office of education, which also uses the same application. 

This makes it easier for us to collaborate with the county and share reports between different departments.

I'm thoroughly impressed during my inaugural visit here. The array of products and the advanced technology showcased are truly exceptional. It's a great experience.

I plan to revisit it in the future.

Certainly, my attendance would have a significant impact on my cybersecurity-related buying choices as I would gain better insights into various vendors and their products available in the market. It would provide me with increased visibility and enable me to make informed purchasing decisions.

By attending the event and gaining insights into the different vendors and products available in the market, we can make informed decisions about which route to take in the future.

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

Our primary use for the solution is as a perimeter device and firewall. 

Suppose a packet enters our organization with a new, unknown signature. In that case, the firewall can upload it to the primary database and generate user alerts to inform users of the malicious signature, blocking it if necessary.

The solution's most valuable feature is the robust firewall, which we can also use as a UTM device. 

The Wi-Fi analysis and zero-day threat prevention are very good features. 

The product defends our production, blocks files, and prevents data leakage. It's a complete package for advanced security, which is excellent for a firewall.

It's beneficial and vital to us that Palo Alto NGFW embeds machine learning in the firewall's core to provide inline, real-time attack prevention. Suppose it observes any abnormalities in our traffic. In that case, the product can detect that through machine learning and generate a lock so we can mitigate an attack or a vulnerability in the system.   

Palo Alto NGFW's machine learning works well to secure our network against threats that can evolve and morph rapidly. A particular strategy we encounter on our system is when a packet comes in and behaves abnormally. Palo Alto detects the abnormality, generates an alert, and responds based on our policies by blocking or discarding the package.   

We use the firewall's DNS security, and it's excellent for blocking DNS attacks thanks to the continuously updating Palo Alto threat database. For example, the product blocks users from accessing sites with a known malicious DNS.

The price could be more friendly, which would be good for Palo Alto and us. If the price were a little lower, then it would be a viable option for mid-level businesses, who may not be able to deploy at the current price point.

We've been using the solution for one and a half years. 

The solution is very stable and robust. 

The product is scalable and very easy to configure; we enjoy the configuration and operation of the firewall. 

We contacted Palo Alto technical support on several occasions, and they're excellent; they always try to resolve our issues as soon as possible. 

Positive

We previously used Cisco ASA and Check Point NGFW and switched to the Palo Alto solution because it offers more robust and complete protection and features.

The initial setup is straightforward, and it depends on the network configuration. If we want to make few network changes, we can deploy the firewall in Virtual Wire mode, and we don't have to mess with IP addresses and so on. If we want to deploy with a new configuration, we can do that in Layer 3 mode.

If we upload a pre-planned configuration to our network firewall, the deployment can take as little as 10-15 minutes. We have a team of nine engineers responsible for daily policies, troubleshooting, etc.

We deployed via an in-house team; we have a big team, so we deploy ourselves whenever possible.

The solution is worth the money for organizations operating in critical environments with lots of sensitive data and information. Data leaks can lead to broken trust with clients and a suffering reputation in the business community, including brand damage.

Palo Alto NGFW is relatively expensive compared to the competition.

I rate the solution 10 out of 10.

Palo Alto NGFW provides a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities, which is an important feature. It provides a robust kind of security counter at the perimeter level.  

The solution's unified platform helps eliminate security holes. For example, the firewall can easily block attempted SQL injections with the help of App-ID. 

Palo Alto NGFW's unified helped to eliminate multiple network security tools and the effort needed to get them to work with each other. The solution provides vulnerability assessment and protection, antivirus prevention, data leak prevention, file blocking, site blocking, and application blocking, all in one product. It's an excellent firewall device and very useful for our network. 

We have the zero-delay signatures feature implemented with our firewall, and it's essential because attack signatures are updated immediately. Attackers are trying to find new ways to harm our network daily, and the zero-delay feature makes it so that the network is updated in seconds, and the first user to see a new threat is the only one to experience first exposure. This functionality improved our security.   

To a colleague at another company who says they are looking for the cheapest and fastest firewall, it depends on their environment. I recommend Palo Alto or Check Point if they are a financial institution. If they are a mid-level non-financial institution, I recommend Cisco Secure Firewall because it's also a good firewall.

To someone looking to use Palo Alto NGFW for the first time, analyze the packet flow of your organization and understand which types of packets you're getting and which type of services you are providing in your data center or enterprise. Multiple data centers require a high security level, so I recommend activating the Layer 7 feature.

The biggest lesson I learned from using the solution is the importance of following all the steps in the operation manual when upgrading or updating. 

I primarily help users migrate from traditional firewalls to Palo Alto NG Firewalls. This involves troubleshooting, assisting with application control and backup configuration, and teaching users how to optimize the firewall for their needs. Additionally, I guide users through the process of redesigning their firewalls and migrating their servers, which often includes helping them understand and manage the vast number of applications they have. Sometimes, the firewall cannot identify specific applications, requiring customization to ensure accurate recognition and security. Currently, I am working on a management query language, which involves collaborating with other teams to assess the necessity of specific applications and connections between the firewall and various assets. This ensures optimal security and network efficiency.

Although Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls now utilize machine learning, its significance wasn't initially apparent to me. My first experience with Palo Alto revealed the power of their machine learning through features like WildFire, which uses real-time analysis to understand and combat hacker attacks. While early versions had tools like Power Tool that hinted at machine learning capabilities, Palo Alto didn't explicitly promote this functionality until version 10, likely in response to increasing market competition and the growing prominence of machine learning in firewalls. The embedded machine learning is helpful.

Palo Alto NG Firewalls has improved our organization's security by providing strong protection through network segmentation and XDR. The firewall has proven effective in reducing security risks and monitoring endpoint activity. It offers excellent application recognition and thorough threat analysis, boosting overall network security.

Palo Alto NG Firewalls have reduced over 90 percent of our network downtime.

Palo Alto NG Firewalls offer an efficient interface that simplifies log checking, troubleshooting connection issues, and firewall policy configuration. The process is user-friendly, guiding users through network infrastructure setup, interface creation, settings application, and policy configuration in a clear and intuitive manner.

Palo Alto Firewalls can improve their support structure, especially concerning longer working hours for engineers. Enhancing support teams' capability to handle cases without much delay would be beneficial. Additionally, the high cost of the product could be re-evaluated.

I have been using Palo Alto Next Generation Firewalls for over ten years.

Palo Alto NG Firewalls are stable. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate them around seven or eight for stability.

I find Palo Alto NG Firewalls to be highly scalable, and would rate their scalability as eight out of ten.

Customer support's effectiveness depends on the clarity and completeness of information provided by users.

Neutral

I've used Check Point and Fortinet in addition to Palo Alto, but I prefer Palo Alto's interface and performance.

The initial setup for Palo Alto NG Firewalls is clear and instructive, detailing network infrastructure setup before advancing to policy configuration.

A fresh deployment of Palo Alto NG Firewalls can be completed in three days, followed by a two-day handover session to train users. This totals five days for deployment and training. However, migrations for companies with over 10,000 users and 20 subnets can take up to a month, potentially involving additional user requests or a phased approach.

I have vast experience deploying these firewalls on-premises within our team, making use of the intuitive interface provided by Palo Alto for implementation.

Although Palo Alto is expensive, its superior security functions, application identification, and overall performance justify the cost and make it stand out from the competition.

I would rate Palo Alto NG Firewalls nine out of ten. The Palo Alto NG Firewalls are great, but they are expensive.

I'm most interested in Palo Alto NG Firewalls, specifically how to improve their efficiency and application identification capabilities. Sometimes applications have unique requirements or behave differently, making accurate identification crucial. Palo Alto NG Firewalls excel at application-level security because they can block traffic, prevent attacks, and identify potentially compromised applications. Unlike traditional firewalls, Palo Alto NG Firewalls go beyond basic policy enforcement and traffic filtering by incorporating intrusion prevention systems and antivirus functionality. This allows them to analyze internal traffic for risks, similar to how antivirus software protects endpoints.

Future users need to appreciate the costs involved in using Palo Alto, and the manual configuration required is beneficial because it ensures clarity and control over what is being configured. To enhance your organization's security posture and management, I recommend implementing Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.

Three people in our organization are directly using the Palo Alto NG Firewalls.

Upgrading Palo Alto Next-Generation Firewalls requires some maintenance.

We use Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls daily to create firewall rules that permit network traffic for specific applications and end users.

We use various models, including the 800, 400, and 3200 series. The specific model required depends on the size of the remote site where it will be deployed.

Embedded machine learning is crucial because hackers increasingly leverage AI to develop innovative methods of infiltrating networks. AI enables them to create more sophisticated malware and threats, intensifying the arms race between defenders and attackers. To counter this evolving threat landscape, next-generation firewalls must incorporate AI and machine learning capabilities to analyze and mitigate threats effectively.

AI and machine learning are valuable aspects.

UTM solutions like those offered by CheckPoint and Fortinet all offer a single pane of glass for managing security. Palo Alto is the same, but as a newcomer to Palo Alto, I've found its management, particularly with Panorama overseeing our hundred firewalls, challenging. Pushing changes, especially to individual firewalls, often results in failures, requiring full system updates. This inconsistency creates significant hurdles. While I suspect similar complexities exist in Cisco Firepower and potentially Fortinet, Palo Alto's implementation seems unnecessarily convoluted.

Palo Alto claims their NG Firewalls are highly customizable, but this isn't always true. We've encountered an issue where changes to a firewall cannot be reverted. Unlike Cisco Firepower or ASA, where changes are only committed after saving, Palo Alto commits changes immediately and places them in a queue. This prevents reverting changes, even accidentally made ones. For instance, today I was testing firewall rules without intending to push them, but the changes were already committed to the locally managed Panorama server. This lack of control is a significant drawback compared to vendors like Cisco or Checkpoint, where uncommitted changes are not saved.

Executives often praise Palo Alto firewalls, but these same executives rarely have hands-on experience managing them. Unlike them, I deal with the daily complexities of firewall operations. While every firewall has its shortcomings, Palo Alto is no exception. Cisco's ASA, for instance, was frustrating to manage through its ASDM interface, but the CLI configuration was reliable. Unfortunately, other vendors like Checkpoint and Fortinet heavily rely on management servers, limiting CLI options. Pushing changes can be a nightmare with any firewall, often involving unnecessary whole pushes due to errors or version mismatches. Palo Alto is no different; it's prone to bugs and challenges like any other product. Contrary to popular belief, executives who lack firsthand experience with firewall management often exaggerate Palo Alto's strengths.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have been problematic. Due to failed configuration pushes, I've encountered issues requiring Palo Alto Technical Assistance Center involvement. Based on DNS hostnames, objects are supposed to be automatically resolved by Palo Alto, but this functionality proved unreliable, necessitating a firewall upgrade and patch to correct a bug. Contrary to claims, Palo Alto has not exceeded expectations; managing as other firewall brands has been as frustrating. Each firewall platform has complexities, but I don't believe Palo Alto surpasses Check Point, Fortinet, or Cisco Firepower. While it might have advantages over Cisco Firepower, when compared to Check Point or Fortinet, Palo Alto does not offer greater performance.

I have been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for nine months.

When installing a Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall, we connect it to the network via a management interface and configure basic settings. Next, we register the firewall with Panorama, its management server, and then plan the network transition.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are overpriced. While Fortinet offers a more affordable option, Palo Alto commands premium prices due to its strong brand reputation among CISOs and security executives. Despite this, I believe Palo Alto firewalls are overhyped and underperform expectations. Many of these executives, who lack hands-on firewall management experience, base their decisions on marketing claims rather than practical knowledge. In contrast, Check Point pioneered next-generation firewalls, offering advanced features before competitors. However, its reliance on a centralized management system limited flexibility. Cisco, while improving, has also moved towards centralized management, restricting CLI access. Ultimately, I prefer the balance of features and flexibility Check Point offers.

I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls eight out of ten.

We use it for security purposes.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls enable efficient application search, viewing, and configuration access across various services for different user groups within our company.     

The only downside of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls, in my opinion, is the relatively higher price compared to Cisco FortiGate. This is especially noticeable when deploying basic configurations and considering the cost of licenses.

I have used the solution for the past few years.

In terms of stability, the user rates it a nine out of ten.

I would rate it 10 out of 10. The current user base for Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls in the environment is one thousand users. Plans are in place to increase usage in the future, particularly with the intention to upgrade for higher speed.

The experience with tech support is positiveand they have found support helpful in addressing network issues.

Positive

Before adopting Palo Alto NG Firewalls, no other tools were used.

I cannot rate the ease of configuration on a scale from one to ten for Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. The configurations are diverse, and it's challenging to determine a specific rating, but I find them somewhat similar and not particularly helpful.So, the deployment process for Palo Alto NG Firewalls takes about one month. This duration is due to the various steps involved in the deployment, each of which can be completed within a business day. The complexity arises from the need to connect with numerous clients and services, considering the continuous operation of the business.

In terms of price, the user finds it expensive, rating it around nine.

The overall recommendation is positive, emphasizing ease of deployment, understanding features, and suitability for the company's needs. I give Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a perfect rating of ten.

We use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for segmentation and basic routing. They are the gatekeepers for the network.

I like being able to investigate anonymous VPNs and also like to use traffic-capturing features. We've had some anonymous VPNs coming to our network, and we're trying to make sure that internal users are not able to use those to get past our security.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls have a very nice interface for logging and monitoring. I find it easy to navigate and use, and the interface is organized as well. I can find answers within a couple of hours and have seen time savings.

We have Azure firewalls that are licensed through Palo Alto. It's super important that Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls provide a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities because we are moving almost entirely to Azure. Thus, the more Azure integration we have, the better it's going to be for us long term.

These firewalls have been efficient at securing data centers consistently across all workplaces.

We haven't had many downtime issues with Palo Alto.

The customer-facing side needs to be improved in terms of the engagement and involvement of support staff.

My first exposure to this solution was about a year and a half ago.

The firewalls are relatively stable. We have a few that go up and down, but that has more to do with licensing issues than with the firewall itself.

Technical support needs to be improved with regard to the time to respond and the response itself. We've been getting the same responses over and over again. It would help us out a lot if the technical support staff were more engaged or involved.

From what I've heard from our firewall engineer, I would rate technical support a four out of ten.

Neutral

We utilize GlobalProtect and have seen a better return on investment with regard to security and peace of mind.

Licensing is a big issue for us because of the complexity and the lack of engagement from Palo Alto. It has been hard to talk with them as we don't get the best answers.

We are always evaluating other vendors and are currently looking at Cisco. Though both Palo Alto and Cisco firewalls are feature-rich and provide very good value, Cisco is better at customer engagement. They are easier to talk to as well.

Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are not the cheapest and fastest, but they are one of the top ones in terms of the most effective firewalls.

Overall, I would rate NG Firewalls an eight out of ten. They're definitely a top competitor.

I love the opportunity to see technical demos and take hands-on tours with some of the products at RSA conferences. They are the best part because I get to learn and gain exposure to new technology. It is particularly helpful when we want to look at other avenues.