Palo Alto Networks adds SD-WAN and DLP capabilities to edge networking platform

Cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks has announced new cloud-delivered software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) and data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities in Prisma Access, a secure access service edge (SASE) platform.

As a complete SASE solution, Prisma Access aims to deliver end-to-end networking and security services from a globally distributed cloud platform.

Adoption of cloud technology and increased user mobility have fundamentally changed the way that network and security infrastructure must be built.

The emerging SASE model addresses the limitations of traditional architectures by converging networking and security in the cloud.

According to Gartner, "Enterprise demand for cloud-based SASE capabilities, and market competition and consolidation, will redefine enterprise network and network security architectures and reshape the competitive landscape.

"As applications are increasingly delivered from the cloud and users become more mobile, organisations are being forced to rethink the way they deploy networking and security," says Palo Alto Networks chief product officer Lee Klarich.

"To connect and secure organisations now and in the future, we believe that networking and security must converge in the cloud. Unlike traditional approaches to SD-WAN that compromise on security, add complexity and deliver unpredictable performance when users are accessing cloud applications, Prisma Access aims to deliver a simple, secure and high-performance SD-WAN fabric from the cloud.

Prisma Access also provides inline SaaS application visibility and control and integrates with Prisma SaaS for API-based protection to deliver a multi-mode CASB.

Key features include:

● New Prisma Access SD-WAN service: Traditional approaches to SD-WAN expose organisations to security risks, deliver unreliable end-to-end performance and increase network complexity.

With this release, Palo Alto Networks aims to deliver a simple, reliable and secure end-to-end SD-WAN infrastructure, with Prisma Access operating as the cloud-based SD-WAN hub and next-generation firewalls operating as the SD-WAN appliances in the branch.

● New cloud-based management user interface: Existing Palo Alto Networks customers have enjoyed the ability to manage Prisma Access from their familiar Panorama management console, which enables consistent security policy to be applied across physical and virtual firewalls, as well as the cloud.

For customers born in the cloud, Palo Alto Networks is introducing a reimagined workflow-based interface, delivered as a service from the cloud, to simplify the process of configuring and managing SASE.

● New SaaS service-level agreements: As organisations adopt cloud-based services, service-level agreements are essential in defining a service provider's commitment to critical areas like performance, availability, security and more.

Prisma Access is a cloud-delivered SASE offering that guarantees the performance of SaaS application access, extending the existing uptime and security processing performance SLAs.

● New DLP service: Ensuring comprehensive data protection and governance is an essential capability of any SASE solution.

The new advanced DLP service for Prisma Access helps mitigate the risk of data exfiltration and non-compliance by discovering, monitoring and protecting sensitive data.

The new DLP engine will initially support Prisma Access and Prisma SaaS to detect data in motion over the network and at rest in public cloud storage locations.

The service will become available across all Palo Alto Networks products in the future, enabling consistent data protection across the enterprise.

Availability

Prisma Access, SD-WAN, cloud-based management UI and new SaaS SLAs are available now. DLP is available for evaluation.