Palo Alto Networks Makes AI-Powered OT Security Easy to Adopt for Its 61,000+ Network Security Customers

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Feb 27, 2023, 02:00 ET

New Zero Trust OT Security solution secures critical infrastructure without additional sensors

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The usage and connectivity of operational technology (OT) is rapidly growing as are the number of cyberattacks on OT environments. These attacks can disrupt operations, causing damage that can reach far beyond revenue and reputation to supply chain, human safety and critical infrastructure. To help companies keep their OT environments secure, Palo Alto Networks today introduced the most comprehensive Zero Trust OT Security solution.

A key component of the solution is the new cloud-delivered Industrial OT Security service, which can be easily enabled — without the need to install additional sensors — by any of the 61,000+ active customers of Palo Alto Networks network security products: hardware and software Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) and Prisma SASE. Built on an AI-powered foundation with ease of deployment in mind, the new solution enables customers to secure their OT environments from the most sophisticated threats while simplifying their operations.

OT devices can be hard to secure because many lack built-in security and were not designed to be patched. In addition, high uptime requirements limit the ability to do regular security maintenance. OT environments are also at risk as organizations adopt new technologies like 5G, which enable mass connectivity, and open up remote access.

"Most OT security solutions in the market fall short because they can't identify all the assets and can only alert but don't prevent threats. This leads to a patchwork of siloed security technologies, which can lead to security gaps," said Anand Oswal, SVP, network security at Palo Alto Networks. "Our OT Security solution is designed to help organizations stay secure through granular visibility and effective inline security while meeting their availability and uptime requirements."

Using the industry's first ML-powered OT visibility engine, the Industrial OT Security service recognizes hundreds of unique OT device profiles, over 1,000 OT/Industrial Control System (ICS) applications, and has hundreds of distinct OT threat signatures to help protect these hard-to-secure assets. A notable feature of the service is its ability to help security teams proactively understand risk and apply controls. It continuously observes, categorizes and visualizes asset behavior so anomalies can be discovered immediately and addressed with firewall policy.

"As industrial OT systems and IT systems become more interconnected, so does the size of the attack surface available to the adversary. Defending against increasingly sophisticated threats requires expanded security strategies that can provide visibility, context, and Zero Trust capabilities across both OT and IT networks, devices, applications, and users," said Dave Gruber, principal analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group. "The Palo Alto Networks solution embraces this unified security model, promising to help protect complex OT environments."

"Manufacturing has come into the crosshairs of many recent cyberattacks. Palo Alto Networks Industrial OT Security is a must have to ensure security best practices are in place," said Jared Mendenhall, director, Information Security, Impossible Foods. "We look forward to Palo Alto Networks' dedicated OT Security solution to help us further secure our manufacturing plant, remote operations, and realize our broader Zero Trust vision."

The Zero Trust OT Security solution secures multiple OT use cases with consistent Zero Trust policies, all managed centrally:

OT assets and networks using Palo Alto Networks NGFWs, along with the new Industrial OT Security service.
Remote access using Prisma SASE.
5G-connected devices using NGFWs with Palo Alto Networks 5G-Native Security.

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Availability
Palo Alto Networks Zero Trust OT Security solution and Industrial OT Security service will be available in March.

About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks is the world's cybersecurity leader. We innovate to outpace cyberthreats, so organizations can embrace technology with confidence. We provide next-gen cybersecurity to thousands of customers globally, across all sectors. Our best-in-class cybersecurity platforms and services are backed by industry-leading threat intelligence and strengthened by state-of-the-art automation. Whether deploying our products to enable the Zero Trust Enterprise, responding to a security incident, or partnering to deliver better security outcomes through a world-class partner ecosystem, we're committed to helping ensure each day is safer than the one before. It's what makes us the cybersecurity partner of choice.

At Palo Alto Networks, we're committed to bringing together the very best people in service of our mission, so we're also proud to be the cybersecurity workplace of choice, recognized among Newsweek's Most Loved Workplaces (2021 and 2022), Comparably Best Companies for Diversity (2021), and HRC Best Places for LGBTQ Equality (2022). For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks, Prisma, and the Palo Alto Networks logo are registered trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States and in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names, or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. Any unreleased services or features (and any services or features not generally available to customers) referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available (or are not yet generally available to customers) and may not be delivered when expected or at all. Customers who purchase Palo Alto Networks applications should make their purchase decisions based on services and features currently generally available.

SOURCE Palo Alto Networks, Inc.