Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Palo Alto (PANW) Unveils Strata Cloud Manager and New Firewalls

Read MoreHide Full Article

Palo Alto Networks (PANW - Free Report) recently launched Strata Cloud Manager, the first artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Zero Trust management and operations solution in the industry. The company has also introduced a range of advanced security features and five new Next-Generation Firewalls to meet the evolving needs of its clients.

Strata Cloud Manager leverages AI-driven insights for proactive security management that enables organizations to thwart network interruptions at each enforcement point. It additionally ensures smooth integration among security tools, effectively addressing and resolving any security vulnerabilities.

This AI-driven solution employs predictive analytics to anticipate network capacity issues and continuously assesses the system’s health, enabling deployments up to seven days in advance to ensure uninterrupted network uptime. Additionally, the solution utilizes AI for real-time compliance and policy analysis.

Palo Alto's advanced threat protection system is continuously undergoing improvements. As part of the new releases, the company has introduced new capabilities, including Advanced Wildfire, Advanced URL Filtering and Advanced Threat Prevention.

Advanced Wildfire combines machine learning capabilities with cloud-based detection engines to ensure early detection and mitigation against emerging attacks. Advanced URL Filtering prevents phishing attacks originating from SaaS platforms and the Advanced Threat Prevention capability is designed to counter command-and-control attacks.

The company has also announced a set of five new firewalls, including the PA-7500 for enhanced performance, PA-415-5G for 5G networks and PA-5445 for securing data centers and large campus locations. The other two firewalls include PA-455 for safeguarding branch offices requiring Power over Ethernet and PA-450R for operation in the harshest operational technology environments.

Palo Alto Benefits From a Robust Portfolio

The company is making strides in the cybersecurity sphere with its extensive portfolio, which includes the recent Prisma Cloud Darwin Release and the enhancement of Prisma Cloud capabilities with the introduction of the CI/CD Security Module earlier this year. The introduction of the machine learning (ML)-powered Next-Generation Firewall for Microsoft Azure and its new AI-powered Identity Threat Detection and Response Module for Cortex XSIAM are some significant achievements in the AI/ML field.

PANW is also focusing on expanding its Unit 42 Digital Forensics and Incident Response service, which now forms the backbone of its cloud-delivered security services used by more than 60,000 customers. PANW's Prisma Access Zero solution also received a nod from the Department of Defense (DoD) with its DoD Impact Level 5 Provisional Authorization.

Additionally, Palo Alto is increasing its capabilities with acquisitions. For instance, the ongoing talks of acquiring Talon Cyber Security will enable PANW to onboard the latter’s Enterprise Browser Technology to enhance the Prisma SASE platform. Earlier, the company acquired Cider Security to enhance application security solutions. The company also entered into a definitive agreement to buy Dig Security for Data Security Posture Management to enhance Prisma Cloud capabilities.

Furthermore, the acquisition of Bridgecrew in 2021 and several other important acquisitions like the buyout of Crypsis Group, LightCyber, Morta Security and Cyvera have enabled the company to broaden its portfolio and global reach.

Zacks Rank and Other Stocks to Consider

Currently, PANW carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Shares of the company have gained 72.8% year to date.

Some other top-ranked stocks from the broader technology sector are NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) , NetEase (NTES - Free Report) and Asure Software (ASUR - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NVDA’s third-quarter fiscal 2024 earnings has been revised by 2 cents northward to $3.34 per share in the past 60 days. For fiscal 2024, earnings estimates have increased by 7 cents to $10.74 in the past 60 days.

NVIDIA's earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing the same on one occasion, the average surprise being 9.8%. Shares of NVDA have rallied 218.8% year to date.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NetEase's third-quarter 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 8 cents to $1.65 per share in the past 30 days. For fiscal 2023, earnings estimates have increased by 42 cents to $6.96 per share in the past 30 days.

NTES' earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing the same on one occasion, the average surprise being 24.54%. Shares of NTES have gained 54.4% year to date.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Asure Software's third-quarter 2023 earnings has been revised upward by 2 cents to 6 cents per share in the past 60 days. For fiscal 2023, earnings estimates have increased by 3 cents to 54 cents per share in the past 60 days.

ASUR’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the preceding four quarters, the average surprise being 676.39%. Shares of ASUR have declined 11.2% year to date.

Published in