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Represents Key Component of Scalable and Highly Effective Closed Loop Solution for Critical Cyber Security Function.

Santa Clara, CA -- June 03, 2013 -- Palo Alto Networks® (NYSE: PANW), the network security company™, today announced availability of the Palo Alto Networks WF-500 appliance, the first platform designed to deliver a private cloud solution for timely and thorough detection, analysis and prevention of advanced persistent threats (APTs).

Designed to meet the needs of customers with restrictions that preclude them from accessing a public cloud option, the Palo Alto Networks WF-500 appliance delivers the comprehensive sandbox detection and analysis capabilities of the Palo Alto Networks public cloud based WildFire subscription offering on a customer-owned platform. When deployed with an inline Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall, the WF-500 also offers full prevention capabilities.

Only Palo Alto Networks offers this kind of “closed loop” prevention solution that includes private or public cloud deployment options, thorough detection and analysis of all network traffic, and the ability to automatically block malware and APTs with the Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall.

Quotes

• Securosis Analyst and President Mike Rothman commented on the benefits of a private cloud approach in a recent blog (“Network-based Malware Detection 2.0: Scaling NBMD”): “These malware-analysis private clouds provide a central analysis device and interact with enforcement points throughout the network. This provides the leverage of not having to deploy NBMD devices at all ingress points, as well as facilitating internal sharing of intelligence.”
• “Quickly identifying and eliminating previously unknown threats across all applications is key to protecting an organization from today’s advanced threats; only Palo Alto Networks offers its customers a public or private cloud deployment choice and the closed loop capabilities to most efficiently and effectively stop APTs,” said Lee Klarich, senior vice president of product management, Palo Alto Networks.

Wildfire offers Superior Detection, Analysis and Prevention

Now used by more than 1,700 customers globally, the WildFire service aggregates suspicious files flagged by Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls deployed at customer sites around the world. The files are uploaded for analysis by Palo Alto Networks systems and experts. If a file is determined to be malware or an APT, a signature is generated and automatically sent to subscribing Palo Alto Networks WildFire customers’ next-generation firewalls to provide protection from:

• The newly detected malware and its variants;
• Traffic that malware generates including unique domain queries; and
• Command-and-control and domain name system (DNS) traffic.

The WF-500 appliance offers these same advantages on a secure device inside the customer’s network. Customers are then free to detect, analyze, and eradicate suspected threats in a private cloud under their control. If they choose to, they are also free to share confirmed findings with or receive updated malware signatures from the WildFire cloud service.

Availability

The Palo Alto Networks WF-500 appliance is available now.