We protect certain applications in the data center with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.
Head Of CERT at a logistics company with 10,001+ employees
Is easy to deploy, has good technical support, and integrates well with other components in our network
Pros and Cons
- "Compared to other firewalls from Check Point, Fortinet, and Cisco, for example, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls use the most advanced techniques. They have sandbox integration and others in the orchestrator. Palo Alto's security features are at a higher level than those of the competitors at the moment."
- "Palo Alto needs to provide more support during the design phase and with proposals. They need to be more proactive, try to anticipate issues, and then help us to implement the transformation quickly."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Application layer security and integration with other components that we have in our networks are valuable features.
Compared to other firewalls from Check Point, Fortinet, and Cisco, for example, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls use the most advanced techniques. They have sandbox integration and others in the orchestrator. Palo Alto's security features are at a higher level than those of the competitors at the moment.
It's very important that we be able to integrate all security capabilities within the firewall. This is one of the key reasons why we chose to go with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.
We are heavily investing in technology that uses machine learning. Thus, it is important for us that Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls embed machine learning in the core of the firewall to provide inline, real-time attack prevention.
What needs improvement?
Palo Alto needs to provide more support during the design phase and with proposals. They need to be more proactive, try to anticipate issues, and then help us to implement the transformation quickly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for five years now.
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
910,350 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We have not had any issues with stability. I have not heard from our SOC about issues with devices either.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability has been good. We are the biggest bank in Italy with 100,000 employees.
How are customer service and support?
Palo Alto's technical support is extremely good and responsive. The ticketing system, however, is a little bureaucratic especially when you are in a hurry or are dealing with an emergency. On a scale from one to ten, overall, I would rate technical support a nine.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment was quite easy.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment in general. Our company is moving to the cloud and toward digital transformation in the financial sector. Palo Alto plays a key role in this return on investment.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to you, if you're looking for the cheapest and fastest firewall, is that the cheapest firewall is not the best for security.
We use firewall solutions from multiple vendors, and from a security point of view, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are one of the best in comparison. Also, you get the best value from Palo Alto with application layer security, machine learning, and integration.
Overall, I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a nine out of ten.
I find it valuable to attend an RSA Conference because I get the opportunity to participate in several seminars, share, and learn from other people as well.
Attending RSAC also impacts our purchasing decisions because what I see at the conference will end up in the budget the following year or the year after that.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Manager Data Servicers at Union Bank of Colombo
Performs well and protects our internal network from external threats
Pros and Cons
- "The performance of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is the most valuable feature."
- "The analytics could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to protect our internal network from external threats.
Up until recently we were not using multilayer firewalls and were using several solutions that are combined in Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.
How has it helped my organization?
We are required to provide our network test results to our central bank, and Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls offer a robust report for this purpose that would otherwise be a cumbersome human task.
What is most valuable?
The performance of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is the most valuable feature.
What needs improvement?
The analytics could be improved. I would like to have a unified analysis tool within Palo Alto, as we currently use Perimeter 81 and Fortinet FortiGate, which makes the analysis process take a long time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for almost four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. We have three people that monitor the solution and maintain it.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. We had to secure our parameter network. We required two engineers from a reseller and two from our organization.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was completed with the help of a partner.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is worth the price, as it can be utilized without the need for high-processing CPUs and resources, thus saving us overall.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Check Point and decided to use Palo Alto because of its performance. Palo Alto can be used with fewer CPUs.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution a nine out of ten.
Before using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls you must first know what our requirements are.
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.
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
August 2026
Learn what your peers think about Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: August 2026.
910,350 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Security and IT Infrastruture Senior Manager at a retailer with 1,001-5,000 employees
Helps to eliminate security holes and enables us to manage our firewall security in-house
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support is great."
- "There is a tradeoff between security and network performance, as security is always top-notch, but performance can sometimes lag and has room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution as a firewall for our network. We can manage our traffic between internal traffic and external traffic handling. The solution protects the traffic and we manage the standard firewall issues.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution's embedded machine learning in the core of the firewall that provides in-line real-time attack prevention is important and provides good insight for us. The machine learning actions and learning activities provide some useful information.
The solution's machine learning for securing our networks against rapidly evolving threats is good. We utilize an IoT tool that comprehends IoT devices, such as webcams, and can therefore interpret their behavior and send information on their activity. The tool also applies appropriate firewall rules to these devices, taking into account the clearance level of each device based on its traffic.
Before implementing Palo Alto, we had to rely on a management company to handle our firewall security. However, now that we have Palo Alto, we can manage our firewall security in-house.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls unified platform helped to eliminate security holes.
The zero-delay signature feature helps keep our security updated against new attacks.
What is most valuable?
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls provides a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities which is important to our organization.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls' zero-delay signature feature is important, and it receives daily updates.
What needs improvement?
At times, server capacity can result in issues. While Palo Alto is a top firewall company, it's crucial to properly size the firewall to meet our needs. In the case of larger attacks, the capacity of our current firewall may not be adequate, requiring us to obtain more advanced and expensive versions to ensure network protection.
There is a tradeoff between security and network performance, as security is always top-notch, but performance can sometimes lag and has room for improvement.
The cost of the solution has room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I give the stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is not very scalable. We need to define our requirements and purchase the correct product for our needs.
We are an enterprise company with over 3,000 people. All the network traffic goes through the solution but we have five people that work directly on the solution.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is great.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used Check Point NGFW and switched to Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls because of the stability.
How was the initial setup?
I give the initial setup a five out of ten. The deployment took one month.
What about the implementation team?
Implementation was completed in-house by a consultant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Compared to other firewall solutions, this is an expensive solution.
What other advice do I have?
I give the solution an eight out of ten.
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.
CIO at a government with 201-500 employees
Provides a consistent experience for the management team as well as the end user
Pros and Cons
- "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."
- "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."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution as our external firewall and VPN.
What is most valuable?
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.
What needs improvement?
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for about 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
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.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
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.
How are customer service and support?
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.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
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.
How was the initial setup?
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.
What was our ROI?
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.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are the Cadillac standard, and you do pay Cadillac pricing. However, the protection is worth the steep price.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
CISO at a construction company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Enables us to secure environments that may pose more significant security challenges
Pros and Cons
- "The centralization capability is the most valuable feature of this solution as it enables us to monitor our systems efficiently."
- "A major concern is making the licensing more accessible to enable small municipalities to afford and manage their own systems independently."
What is our primary use case?
We use these firewalls to manage wastewater systems for over a hundred municipalities across the country. As a result, we exclusively use them in the operational technology (OT) space.
How has it helped my organization?
One of the key benefits is that it enables us to secure environments that may pose more significant security challenges.
What is most valuable?
The centralization capability is the most valuable feature of this solution as it enables us to monitor our systems efficiently. Additionally, the firewalls are excellent, with straightforward configuration and comprehensible interfaces that our engineers can set up with ease.
The cloud firewall solution offers a unified platform that integrates social security capabilities, but it comes at an additional cost.
I think having the ability to see the big picture is important for us, and that's not always easy to achieve.
As for how important it is for us to have Palo Alto NG Firewalls and defense machine learning at the core of the firewall for real-time attack prevention, I think it's a bit premature to say. There are many players in that field currently, and I would prefer to see them get it right before jumping in just for the sake of being there.
What needs improvement?
A major concern is making the licensing more accessible to enable small municipalities to afford and manage their own systems independently.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have had experience working with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for a minimum of three to four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a nine or ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are very scalable.
How are customer service and support?
As far as I know, the technical support for this solution is excellent.
My team has used it a few times and has always been satisfied with the service. I have never received any negative feedback regarding the support lines.
I would rate the technical support an eight or nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
A lot of the municipality's systems rely on Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls to stay online, and we've found that they provide better uptime compared to most other solutions.
Our downtime has been reduced by 80 to 90% with the implementation of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.
I was not involved in the deployment process.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment. By centralizing our monitoring of systems, we have been able to make our lives easier.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing leaves a lot to be desired.
We buy the license and then we can't transfer the license without paying an exorbitant fee to our client if they leave us, and that just seems to be a bit of a pain point for us, and there's really no way to partner effectively to make that more reasonable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We continuously review firewalls, whether it's Check Point or Fortinet, or Cisco. But Palo Alto has been the best for us.
What other advice do I have?
As most of our environments are in the cloud, we don't have a lot of experience in securing data centers.
If a colleague at another company is only looking for the cheapest and fastest firewall, I would advise them that Palo Alto Networks is not the right solution for them.
While it may not be the most affordable or the quickest to set up, the investment in Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls is well worth it in terms of reliability and security.
Choosing a firewall based solely on cost and speed may result in a false sense of security and leave the organization vulnerable to breaches and downtime.
I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Customer
IT Specialist at a government with 501-1,000 employees
Robust security infrastructure, user-friendly, and intuitive
Pros and Cons
- "In my opinion, Palo Alto has consistently been one of the best firewalls for enterprise security."
- "I would like to see some Machine Learning because I have observed new types of attacks that are able to bypass existing security rules."
What is our primary use case?
We have had use cases for defending our resources against external access or authenticating particular traffic or appropriate traffic for access.
How has it helped my organization?
The key factor here is reliability. In my previous company, we had a different vendor's firewall before switching to Palo Alto network devices.
Unfortunately, during that time, our security team was on vacation and had to be called back urgently due to a severe incident. This experience led us to switch to a more dependable, reliable, and robust system, which turned out to be the Palo Alto network device.
Fortunately, the transition from our old system to the new one was relatively seamless, and we now have a reliable and robust security infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
In my opinion, Palo Alto has consistently been one of the best firewalls for enterprise security.
We have encountered numerous instances where we have observed threats and attacks targeting our systems, and Palo Alto has proven to be highly reliable in blocking any malicious activity.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see some Machine Learning because I have observed new types of attacks that are able to bypass existing security rules. It is possible that implementing some form of continuous learning or education could be beneficial in addressing this issue.
Some way to learn what is normal it isn't, you know, something like that, I think that would be probably the most beneficial thing to me.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
To say it's a set-and-forget system wouldn't be entirely accurate, but it is an incredibly stable and reliable system. Once it's set up and configured properly, you really just need to keep an eye on it for any necessary updates or new rules. In my experience, it's one of the most reliable systems available.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The original installation we were considering was for a small organization, and we had to take into account the fact that we were going to expand the endpoints to our entire user base, not just a select few like marketing.
We were assured that the system would have no issues handling the additional workload as we added more devices or upgraded the device.
The firewall solution that I have referred to the most during this conversation is one that I have implemented for small to medium-sized organizations.
How was the initial setup?
I found the initial setup very straightforward.
I recall that the setup process for the device was straightforward and could be completed quickly. However, while the device did come out of the box, it wasn't as secure as it could have been, and I had to go in and tighten up the security settings. Despite that, compared to other firewalls with complex and cryptic interfaces, Palo Alto's firewall interface was relatively easy to use and comprehend.
There were certainly benefits in terms of time-saving and ease of learning for the user. The straightforward setup process and user-friendly interface of the Palo Alto network devices made it easier and quicker to implement, thus saving time. Additionally, the easy-to-use interface also helped in reducing the learning curve for users, enabling them to become proficient in using the device more rapidly.
Using Palo Alto has reduced the amount of downtime considerably.
Determining the impact of blocking threats is not straightforward because it depends on the severity of the threat. For example, if a threat only affected one server, the downtime would be minimal. However, if it caused an outage in the entire environment, the impact would be much greater. It is challenging to quantify the amount of downtime prevented by blocking threats.
Usually, when setting up a new firewall, it's common to get around 80% of the work done within a few days. However, with the Palo Alto network device, I recall that we were able to achieve 95% to 99% completion within just a couple of days. The device's user-friendly interface and straightforward configuration process made it easier to accomplish more in less time.
What about the implementation team?
Technical support was helpful during the deployment process.
During the deployment process, I thought they were great. I had no complaints they were very knowledgeable, and we were able to resolve everything very quickly.
What was our ROI?
The organization has seen a return on investment with Palo Alto firewalls as we haven't experienced any significant breaches.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
When when we first looked at Palo Alto, it came in as the top recommendation from a source that we trusted. We didn't actually look at other vendors at that time.
At the time, we had the full support of our CEO and team, who recognized the urgency of the situation as our entire system was down. This rare backing from everyone helped us to quickly implement a solution.
What other advice do I have?
We frequently recommend Palo Alto to others as we believe it is a highly effective solution for network security. It is one of those things where if someone does not have a Palo Alto, we advise them to consider it as a worthwhile investment.
For those seeking the cheapest or quickest solution, I would advise that while it may seem like a good idea in the short term, you will likely encounter issues that will require you to replace the solution soon after. Investing in a reliable and reputable solution like Palo Alto Networks may require a larger investment upfront, but will ultimately save you time and money in the long run.
The biggest value that I gain from being here is networking and finding out what other products are out there without having to go to, like, a search engine and wait or rely on the results of the search engine. I can literally wander around. And if something catches my eye, I can be like, well, that's really cool. Let me go get some more information about that.
It's really easy to just look at all the different vendors, looks at the various talks, looks at everything that's here, and get information tailored to what I wanna learn about.
I definitely can make recommendations on various products they get based on my experience, but I don't have a say in it directly.
I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Supervisor at a educational organization with 51-200 employees
Powerful solution that provides good visibility, a user-friendly interface, and has good reporting
Pros and Cons
- "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."
- "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."
What is our primary use case?
We use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for cybersecurity and network security for our infrastructure for our districts, worldwide.
What is most valuable?
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.
What needs improvement?
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is incredibly stable.
We have installed patches and updates, and they have all gone smoothly without any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
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.
How are customer service and support?
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.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we used Fortinet.
How was the initial setup?
I was involved in the deployment.
What about the implementation team?
We received assistance from the technical support team who helped us implement the project.
What was our ROI?
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.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost is quite high.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
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.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Sr Network Engineer/DBA at a energy/utilities company with 201-500 employees
Elegant, thorough, and has automated alerts and detection
Pros and Cons
- "The DNS sync code in your filtering is the most valuable feature of the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls."
- "Technical support is an area that could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
For security purposes, we use Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for both the edge and data center.
How has it helped my organization?
The IT operations side provides us with more freedom as we don't have to worry about it as much due to the automated alerts and detection.
What is most valuable?
The DNS sync code in your filtering is the most valuable feature of the Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls.
It helps us stay informed about the activities of our end users.
As I learn more about the unified platform, I see that Palo Alto is integrating well with other standards and are innovating, so the solution works effectively.
Maintaining a good security posture is important for our organization, particularly when it comes to threats like ransomware. ITM Security plays a vital role in this, and Palo Alto Networks equipped us well to be proactive in our approach. As a result, we prioritize the importance of ITM Security within our group.
Incorporating machine learning into the firewall's core to provide real-time attack prevention is highly beneficial, particularly with features like WildFire. We have had instances where it effectively stopped zero-day attacks on the first day, and we were one of the first to encounter the issue. Within a couple of hours, they notified us that it was a security issue, allowing us to take action promptly.
What needs improvement?
I am not aware of anything that could be improved.
I think that they have been doing a good job at this point in time.
Technical support is an area that could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Our downtime has not been reduced by Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls. We experienced a DSL firewall incident that resulted in a five-hour downtime while we discovered the bug, and although I cannot entirely blame the firewall, it was still a part of the issue. However, we have learned to deal with this inconvenience.
It's quite stable. We had one issue because of a bug. Aside from that, everything has been fine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is excellent. We were able to enlarge the network and install additional firewalls. There haven't been many problems with that.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support has fallen off. It was much better up front. The first four years were spectacular.
In the last couple of years, we're getting a lot of overseas support that seems to have little training. In the beginning, it was high, but now I would rate it a five out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we used Cisco.
Compared to Cisco, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls are much better in terms of being more elegant and thorough, especially when it comes to navigating log files and similar tasks.
How was the initial setup?
By the nature of coming from Cisco Firewall to Palo Alto Networks NG Firewall, there was complexity involved. But with the help of third-party resources, we were able to get it done pretty quickly.
What about the implementation team?
We had assistance from a consultant. They were very helpful.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is competitive.
If someone is looking for the cheapest or the fastest option, I am not quite sure what other vendors are offering in terms of pricing. However, my recommendation would be to go with Palo Alto so that they don't have to worry about the security of their job.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
After evaluating Cisco Firepower and Palo Alto, we decided to go with these two options. However, after trying out Firepower, we realized that it was not a good fit for us and we knew we didn't want to proceed with it.
What other advice do I have?
Our current design is efficient as all our sites are routed to the Palo Alto firewall, allowing us to segregate VLANs and maintain communication between users. It's a great setup that simplifies a lot of our work.
I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a nine out of ten.
In my overall assessment, I would give the conference a seven out of ten. It seems like many presentations focus on industry trends, and there is some repetition across different companies covering the same three or four topics. However, I found that Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls had some valuable insights into what the industry is doing.
It helps, as we are the ones making decisions.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Security Architect at a government with 10,001+ employees
Natively integrates all security capabilities and decrypts by category
Pros and Cons
- "Decryption is one of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls' best features because we can decrypt by category. For instance, we can decrypt everything except for bank traffic so that we don't interfere with the passwords and two-factor authentication of those checking their bank accounts at work. We can still monitor for malware and other threats that come through a secure channel. It's seamless for users. The URL filtering and IPS are both great as well."
- "Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls need better training modules. You have to do a lot of reading prior to watching the training videos, and it's good for people who are really into it. However, often you want to use a video for a TID. You want to see how to do something rather than spend 30 minutes reading and then another 30 minutes watching the class. As a result, I take third-party training classes rather than Palo Alto's training because they are a lot better."
What is our primary use case?
We started using this solution as a basic firewall, and then, we ended up with URL filtering, IPS, and decryption.
How has it helped my organization?
It increased visibility, and we can see things that we couldn't see before and are able to decrypt as well. We can actually see what's going on in our network.
What is most valuable?
Decryption is one of Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls' best features because we can decrypt by category. For instance, we can decrypt everything except for bank traffic so that we don't interfere with the passwords and two-factor authentication of those checking their bank accounts at work. We can still monitor for malware and other threats that come through a secure channel. It's seamless for users. The URL filtering and IPS are both great as well.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls provide a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities. WildFire stops a lot of viruses and malware that come in from the outside. In addition, when you decrypt the traffic you'll be able to see a lot that you couldn't before. You can then integrate that into a SIEM and have visibility into all the different things that are going on. Integration with WildFire provides sandboxing and tells you if it's malicious content or not. Then, you can do URL filtering for the endpoints. All of this data goes into the SIEM. Thus, it's a really good, well-integrated software.
This native integration is very important to us because of the cost. When we get an enterprise license and get all these features on one device, we don't have to buy five devices or virtuals or set up a virtual or cloud farm to do the five things that the solution will do automatically, natively out of the box. We have been able to save money because we are able to get rid of our decryption software and are getting close to letting go of our filtering software.
It's important to us that Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls embed machine learning in the core of the firewall to provide inline, real-time attack prevention. This is important because those who exploit us daily use new tactics that are not seen at all times. They employ tactics that use applications that we currently use, such as PowerShell. If a PowerShell script comes in and it's decrypted, launched in WildFire in a sandbox, and blocked, it cuts our threat vector down tremendously.
When we go across all the workspaces, it's simple. The web-facing servers are protected with IPS, and the endpoints are protected with URL filtering in the sandbox and decryption. We log all of the MAC addresses, so we block hackers from getting into different websites when staff use a Wi-Fi connection off-site. In terms of securing data centers consistently across all workspaces, our whole ecosystem depends on having Palo Alto so that we can have one centralized SIEM where all the data is. Our SOC can investigate all the alerts that we get from all of these different areas.
What needs improvement?
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls need better training modules. You have to do a lot of reading prior to watching the training videos, and it's good for people who are really into it. However, often you want to use a video for a TID. You want to see how to do something rather than spend 30 minutes reading and then another 30 minutes watching the class. As a result, I take third-party training classes rather than Palo Alto's training because they are a lot better.
The training should be more accessible because if everybody has to pay for training, it makes it harder for us to get in techs who are qualified to do the work. If there are clear levels and schemes for certification, it would be great.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for probably five years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The firewalls are always on, and we haven't had any stability problems. We haven't even had any hardware failures, and the perishables are great.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The firewall's scalability is nice because you can take a VM and put more memory in it. If you virtualize, then you can scale it out. With an enterprise license, you can load several to get all different points of your internet access. For example, one could do URL filtering just for the desktop, and another one could be an IPS in front of something else.
It's very flexible, and you can use these virtuals to contain all these different situations from an architectural standpoint without having to buy other software.
How are customer service and support?
Palo Alto's technical support is great, and I'd give them a ten out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward in the sense that when you put it in it starts doing what it's supposed to do. Then, you have to turn on all the features that you want.
What about the implementation team?
We mainly worked with Palo Alto Networks. They taught us a lot and have been very helpful in getting us onboarded with all of the different features.
What was our ROI?
We see a return on our investment every day. We have threat hunters who go through the data and tell other state agencies where the problems are or what we were able to stop.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We haven't had a problem with pricing or licensing because we consolidated other software to make Palo Alto more affordable.
What other advice do I have?
If you're just looking for the cheapest and fastest firewall, remember that you'll get what you pay for. Check if the company is able to support its product 24/7. You have to be able to get technical support on the phone at any time of the day or night. In addition, the company has to be able to do training on its firewall, and there has to be a job market for it so that there's an employee pool from which you can pick someone who knows the software. If it's an obscure software company, and they only have two or three people in the country who are certified on it, then it would hurt you a lot because you won't be able to call these two or three people in the middle of the night and expect them to always be there. Palo Alto has a very deep bench, so they can go globally and get you tech support at any time. That's very helpful.
The price is dependent upon how many features you use. If you have a Palo Alto ecosystem where you use Prisma, IPS, URL filtering, and decryption, it's going to be affordable because you will be able to eliminate other software. However, if you're looking to use Palo Alto as just a firewall, it may not help you that much because everybody out there competes to provide a firewall experience.
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a ten.
The value I get by attending an RSA Conference is being able to see new up-and-coming software. Some products are new to the market, and others are trying to get their product to market. A lot of times, these products have key features that others don't.
Attending RSAC helps to influence cybersecurity purchases throughout the year because we are able to see a product that we didn't know was available. We learn that there is software that does certain functions that we didn't even know we needed. There are some products at RSAC that may be too expensive, but there are others that we would consider because they are cost-effective and have feature sets that we didn't know about.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Sr. Infrastructure Solution Architect and Engineer at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
Helped us meet our security requirements but the technical support needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The fact that the Next-Gen firewalls are integrated with identity is the best. It gives us the ability to track what an individual is doing and helps us provide access to only what they need in order to do their job."
- "Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls don't provide a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities. It's missing some features for geofencing and understanding locations."
What is our primary use case?
We mainly use the solution for traditional firewall boundaries.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution helped us meet our security requirements.
What is most valuable?
The fact that the Next-Gen firewalls are integrated with identity is the best. It gives us the ability to track what an individual is doing and helps us provide access to only what they need in order to do their job.
Because we want to free up our operators from the routine tasks of investigations, it's important to us that Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls embed machine learning in the core of the firewall to provide inline, real-time attack prevention.
What needs improvement?
Technical support could be improved. Palo Alto's technical support used to be great. Whenever I had a problem, I could pick up the phone and call and get answers. That's not the case any longer.
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls don't provide a unified platform that natively integrates all security capabilities. It's missing some features for geofencing and understanding locations.
These firewalls are primarily used for edge defense. In terms of securing data centers consistently across all workplaces, that is, from the smallest office to the largest data centers, Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls don't have a strong zero trust model.
NG Firewalls have not helped us reduce downtime in our organization. Because of technical support issues, we've taken some hits.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls for 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's always been a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This solution is a firewall that's a hardware appliance, and that's not the direction the industry is heading. Everybody is going toward a software-defined perimeter. Palo Alto doesn't have a strong say on it. They took what they had for their hardware and just put it in the cloud without understanding what being cloud-centric is all about.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate the technical support a three out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
What was our ROI?
Our ROI is that the firewalls have been used quite a few times for investigations. We've gathered the evidence we needed to act upon an issue.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
These firewalls are not cheap, but they have a reasonable licensing model.
What other advice do I have?
If you are considering attending an RSA Conference, note that you won't gain enough information by attending one conference. However, when you attend year after year, go through the expo, and talk to vendors, you will begin to see trends. You'll see that what's hype one year is no longer a reality another year. Thus, the experience with RSA is a multiple-year experience.
Attending RSAC has made an impact on our organization’s cybersecurity purchases. We've brought products back into our infrastructure based on what we discovered from talking to vendors at the RSAC.
Overall, I would rate Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Updated: August 2026
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