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Senior Analyst Security and Compliance at a insurance company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Real User
It has great stability and we see a lot of value from it
Pros and Cons
  • "For example, if a security Intel threat talks about an IOC. We can then go to our MSP and say, "Is there a signature for this particular type of malware that just came out?" And if they'll say yes, then we'll say, "Okay. Does it apply to these firewalls? And have we seen any hits on it?" There's absolutely value in it."
  • "It's not really their problem, it's a problem across the board. There will always be problems with interrupted traffic. We have to set it up where we're playing a middle man game where we're stripping it out, looking at it, and then putting it back together and sending it on its way. That requires CPU cycles. And there's some overhead with that."

What is our primary use case?

WildFire is being deployed based on vendor and security best practices and recommendations from our Managed Service Provider. leveraging their inherent knowledge it allows us to think outside the box. 

What is most valuable?

When  a security Intel threat talks about an IOC. We can then go to our MSP and ask, "Is there a signature for this particular type of malware?" The response is generally  yes, it is applied almost in real time. 

What needs improvement?

It's not a problem specific to the technology, it's a problem across the board. All the encrypted traffic can be a challenge. Becoming a man in the middle requires CPU cycles, causing additional  overhead.


What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability's great as long as its sized correctly. no huge hits from a CPU or RAM from a performance perspective. It would be prudent to monitor performance statistics. 

Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks WildFire
September 2025
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks WildFire. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
869,952 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The way it's delivered, I don't see scalability being an issue.

How are customer service and support?

We're a managed service, so we've got to fill in the middle that's running interference for us.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is really straightforward. Turn the WildFire service on within firewalls and then apply that service to the security policies you want.

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

Some services require additional licensing. WildFire was one of the services we definitely wanted out of the gate. Suggestion is to determine your requirements of services and map back to the cost of turning on the service.

What other advice do I have?

Install the solution set it up the service in alert mode. Run reports and determine how you want it tuned, them move into block mode. You may want to go to  block mode right away with known out of the box threats. 


Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1189212 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Support Engineer at a venture capital & private equity firm with 501-1,000 employees
Reseller
Excellent threat protection, great technical support, and an easy setup
Pros and Cons
  • "The way that the solution quickly updates to adjust to threats is the solution's most valuable aspect. When there's a security attack, within five minutes, all Wildfire subscribers have access to updates so that all systems will be safe. Its threat prevention is way better than other vendor products."
  • "The size of Palo Alto's cloud is big but it could be easier to use from a product management perspective."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use Wildfire products to prevent attacks. As resellers, we showcase the Wildfire capabilities like handling known and unknown threats on the customer side. 

What is most valuable?

The way that the solution quickly updates to adjust to threats is the solution's most valuable aspect. When there's a security attack, within five minutes, all Wildfire subscribers have access to updates so that all systems will be safe. Its threat prevention is way better than other vendor products.

What needs improvement?

In terms of threat prevention capabilities, the solution doesn't need any improvements that I can see. We've been quite satisfied.

The size of Palo Alto's cloud is big but it could be easier to use from a product management perspective.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for nine months now. I'm new to Palo Alto Networks but I have been using the solution since I started working with Palo Alto Networks on the reseller side.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've dealt with technical support in the past. Once you open a ticket from the support portal, you will be assigned an engineer. That engineer will only focus on your case until it is solved. It's unlike other vendors that don't necessarily give you the same engineer or service representative for the same ticket. It offers good continuity when there are issues to be resolved. We've been quite satisfied with their level of service.

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

I've used Sophos Firewall in the past. They can also block or scan threats. 

How was the initial setup?

The solution is very straightforward. Setting it up is easy. We just create a Wildfire profile then apply it on the security parcel. It is pretty straightforward.

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

The pricing of the solution is a bit higher, but it's worth the extra money you will spend because of the protection that you get.

What other advice do I have?

I really recommend Palo Alto Networks. Out of 10 stars, I would give 11. 

I would recommend the solution because it's so easy to deploy and when you read the security profiles, it's very easy to handle, unlike other vendors. When it comes to threat protection, the features are easy to use and understand.

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?

Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. reseller
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks WildFire
September 2025
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks WildFire. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
869,952 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer818484 - PeerSpot reviewer
Information Security Manager at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
The automatic threat determination makes it a perfect complement to a Palo Alto Firewall
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the Automatic Verdict, to recognize whether something is a threat, or not."
  • "I would like to see them continue on their developmental roadmap for the product."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for this solution is for threat intelligence, to detect threats.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution has given us a higher level of assurance that we don't have an active threat.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the Automatic Verdict feature that recognizes whether something is a threat or not.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see them continue their developmental roadmap for the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

Approximately one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have never experienced any downtime or inaccuracies.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This product is super scalable.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their technical support is excellent.

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

We previously used a different solution but it was ineffective and didn't integrate well.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for this solution was very easy. You just turn it on and put it in monitoring mode. One person can deploy and maintain this product.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented in-house.

What was our ROI?

The ROI is pretty much right away.

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

The licensing fees are on an annual basis and there are no costs in addition to the standard fees.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing this solution we evaluated OpenDNS.

What other advice do I have?

WildFire is a perfect complement to a Palo Alto Firewall, it's invaluable.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Architect - Cloud Serviced at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
MSP
Top 10
Traffic is scanned in a single flow which improves the response times for the user
Pros and Cons
  • "They have many different options with Palo Alto WildFire and the set-up is quick. If you have all the details in hand, it does not take more than 15 minutes to deploy a firewall."
  • "There are certain changes that I was expecting in the previous version, and I hope that they are soon fixed. All of the problems that I have faced so far have been resolved."

What is our primary use case?

We use Palo Alto Networks WildFire for firewall and IT services. We also use it for bank security requirements. They are remarkable for support of threat analysis on files. 

How has it helped my organization?

There are always problems with the operational files. You can only do malware identification. That is the way that this device functions.

All of the traffic is scanned in a single flow, which improves the response times for the user. This is how Palo Alto Networks WildFire helps our organization.

What is most valuable?

We appreciate the support of Palo Alto Networks WildFire for our next-generation firewall equipment in deployment.

What needs improvement?

There are certain changes that I was expecting in the previous version, and I hope that they are soon fixed. Their database has good Information over threats because of Unit42 however there is a serious competition to the product from Cisco ThreatGrid and Umbrella

I don't think there are any major features that are different from Palo Alto versus their competitors but with time the PA needs to improvise on products and threat feed if it needs to be the leader

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I regularly work with companies with over 2000 users and they safely use Palo Alto Networks WildFire. I haven't seen any problems with stability. 

At my company, we use it regularly. For my previous customers, it's a first for them to use Palo Alto products.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Using virtual settings, scalability with WildFire is awesome. On the physical configuration, it is harder and more independent. The scalability is limited there. 

There are very good options available with the Palo Alto Networks WildFire. They have given me options for all the support that I need. 

With internet speed, the settings range from 2GB or 10GB to 40GB. There are a lot of internet settings options, so I guess they're very scalable in that.

We are not an overly large company, so I can say safely around 400 to 2000 is the user base of people that we support.

How are customer service and technical support?

Palo Alto's customer support is good. They are awesome. I would rate them nine out of ten for technical support services.

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

We have not compared this product with other but we would like to evaluate the options if they are available. 

How was the initial setup?

They have many different options with Palo Alto WildFire and the setup is quick. The deployment normally takes around 15 minutes.

If you have all the details in hand, it does not take more than 15 minutes to deploy a wildfire and integrate them. Most of it has been deployed before the said timeframe. The only challenge is for tuning on policies and implementing it with DLP to make sure it is in compliance. The key point that I look for while protecting the customer is to make sure that they don't have any opportunities for a malware attack.

What about the implementation team?

An integrator was not required for deployment. I did the installation myself. We had very good documentation. I just needed to read the documentation thoroughly and it was deployed.

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

Palo Alto does not require any additional costs to the standard licensing fees, but we have the regular license model. If I just want a firewall, then I need to buy two licenses. 

If we use a VM base, then I need to buy the VM base license, along with the support package from the provider. However, without the license fee, I need to buy IPS support separately.

Other products like Cortex Data Lake support also need to be licensed separately, but that is a wonderful feature. 

With Palo Alto, I can just go buy whatever extra features I want, and they give me a 30-day free license, so that is useful for me.

I can go ahead and buy the product, or if it is not for me anymore, it is free to try. That is a good way to sell their products too. Our subscription runs on a yearly base.

What other advice do I have?

On a scale from 1 to 10, I would give Palo Alto Networks WildFire a 8 for safety.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Itnetw355 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Network Consultant Engineer - Projects and ICT Infrastructure Services at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Consultant
Helps us when segmenting and securing the network
Pros and Cons
  • "It helps us when segmenting and securing the network and all sort of technologies, all sort of next generation needs. It's next generation phases of firewall like anti-virus, sandboxing, wifi, and VPN."
  • "Other vendors have some sort of bandwidth management built into the firewall itself and Palo Alto is missing that."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use cases are for firewalls, cloud, and on-premise.

How has it helped my organization?

It helps us when segmenting and securing the network and all sort of technologies, all sort of next generation needs. It's the next generation phases of firewall like anti-virus, sandboxing, wifi, and VPN. 

What is most valuable?

All of the features are quite good. 

What needs improvement?

Other vendors have some sort of bandwidth management built into the firewall itself and Palo Alto is missing that.

If there was anything extra for the endpoint security and VNC that would be good, but again it's coming with Palo Alto and must come with some additional cost.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's very stable. With respect to scalability and stability both, I would say are quite scalable and very steady. I haven't seen any issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is being used corporate-wide, more than a couple thousand people. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Most of the time their technical support has been perfect. A few times a few of the tech support engineers did not have strong knowledge. Overall, though, it's good. 

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

I have worked with Cisco, Fortinet, Juniper, CheckPoint, too many of them.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. The setup took less than an hour, it's a simple firewall setup. 

What other advice do I have?

It's a stable product. It's pretty expensive but with respect to value for money, it's okay.

I would rate it a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user839463 - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Director at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
At the end of the day, even in spite of application controls, it's on top of the charts in terms of functionality.
Pros and Cons
  • "Being an application-based firewall, this is one of the critical focus factors along with the threat prevention services it provides."
  • "It is stable and pretty much scalable."
  • "As a firewall and 360 degrees of security, there needs to be more maturity."
  • "The initial setup was complex."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case of this solution is on-frame and in-cloud security of the infrastructure.

How has it helped my organization?

We use this with different clients in the financial sphere, the health sector, and the insurance sector. Across all of these different verticals, we use this product.

What is most valuable?

Being an application-based firewall, this is one of the critical focus factors along with the threat prevention services it provides.

What needs improvement?

As a firewall and 360 degrees of security, there needs to be more maturity. And, the industry is currently moving towards automation and orchestration. I would like to see more of this in the product. They are part of the future roadmap to AI (Artificial Intelligence).

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable, and we are also trying to integrate this with the Palo Alto MIME shell. We did that, and also I have inquired recently about Evident, which is a recent acquisition. So I have requested for demos, and still I did not see any response from Palo Alto yet. This is something that we would like to explore.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's pretty much scalable. We were able to manage both the cloud, and also the on-frame devices or appliances from centralized management station. So, we just implemented in the  migration onto the cloud.

How are customer service and technical support?

We used tech support to help us implement the product initially. 

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

I have prior experience with Cisco Firepower. But, they are very expensive in comparison to Palo Alto.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was complex because we were switching from traditional firewalls to application-based firewalls. We needed Palo Alto's help insetting up initially. From there, we tried to understand, and followed suit with implementation.

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

It is a reasonable price compared to other solutions on the market.

What other advice do I have?

Some of our clients used to have the traditional firewalls so where we do have enabled the application control but being it's a pretty small firewall. At the end of the day, even in spite of them demanding the application controls, it's on top of the firewall functionality (especially in terms of controlling the applications). So, after implementing the Palo Alto firewalls, they have achieved more than what is expected, and we are able to control the number of applications; who gets to have access, and what is flowing inside the network. Anything that is traversing the firewall, is available right now.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user722004 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
The cloud-based services are a nice feature.
Pros and Cons
  • "The cloud-based services are a nice feature."
  • "My primary use case for this solution is for a secure gateway."
  • "I think it would be nice for Palo Alto to work without the connection to the cloud. It is 100% powerful when connected to the cloud. But, if you disconnect from the cloud, you only get 40-50% power."

What is our primary use case?

My primary use case for this solution is for a secure gateway. It creates a proxy or an appropriation for the suspicious files that can be damaging. 

How has it helped my organization?

The cloud-based services are a nice feature.

What needs improvement?

I do not find it as secure as other solutions. Furthermore, the cloud-based solutions are still not legally available in countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia. Some countries do not allow the service according to country obligations. They can not use the cloud services for government offices. So, Wildfire is not allowed in several locations.

I think it would be nice for Palo Alto to work without the connection to the cloud. It is 100% powerful when connected to the cloud. But, if you disconnect from the cloud, you only get 40-50% power.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

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

I have previous experience with FireEye and Symantec. I find that Symantec is a standalone on an enterprise level secure market, which I cannot say for WildFire.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward and easy.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Head Of Operations at Rah Infotech Pvt Ltd
Reseller
I like the attention to detail. It is easy to manage.
Pros and Cons
  • "The reporting feature helps our performance."
  • "I would give this product a rating of 9 out of 10 due to some slight issues of performance."

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case for this solution is the attention to detail. IT is also easy to manage, and easy to use. It is a really good product.

How has it helped my organization?

The reporting feature helps our performance. 

What is most valuable?

I really like the product, it is easy to manage and easy to use.

For how long have I used the solution?

Less than one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In the duration of our use, it has been stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable product. We have had no issues with scalability.

How is customer service and technical support?

I have not had issues with technical support of this solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very easy for us. 

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

The pricing is OK, it is not too expensive.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We looked at other products, but found PaloAlto to be the best solution for our needs.

What other advice do I have?

I would give this product a rating of 9 out of 10 due to some slight issues of performance.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. I am a reseller of this solution.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Palo Alto Networks WildFire Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: September 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Palo Alto Networks WildFire Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.