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Techday NZ
5 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Palo Alto Networks launches quantum-ready & AI security suite
Palo Alto Networks has introduced new security solutions aimed at helping enterprises address risks associated with quantum computing, multicloud strategies, and artificial intelligence. The company is providing a suite of enhancements within its network security platform, focusing on quantum readiness, simplified cloud network security, and the expansion of artificial intelligence capabilities. These updates are available to all customers using the latest version of the company's software. Quantum readiness Palo Alto Networks' latest release includes a Quantum Readiness Dashboard, which offers organisations visibility into their cryptographic posture. It also introduces what the company describes as the industry's first cipher translation, able to upgrade applications to quantum-safe encryption even if the applications themselves do not natively support such standards. Additionally, 14 new models of fifth-generation Next-Generation Firewalls have been launched, specifically designed to handle post-quantum cryptography efficiently. "The quantum threat to encryption is no longer theoretical; it's an inevitability that demands action now. With these latest innovations that cover the entire quantum readiness lifecycle, we are pioneering the defense for this new era. Every Palo Alto Networks customer that uses our latest software will be able to accelerate their journey to becoming quantum safe, with the intelligence and infrastructure needed to proactively secure their most critical assets from tomorrow's threats, today." This statement from Anand Oswal, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Network Security at Palo Alto Networks, underlines the company's approach to managing emerging cyber risks presented by quantum computing advances. Addressing the multicloud and AI landscape The updated suite offers a cloud network and AI risk assessment tool. This feature is designed to provide continuous risk identification for cloud and AI assets, identifying areas with weak or missing controls and allowing organisations to make informed decisions about improving their security posture. Firewalls and Prisma AIRS instances can now be deployed automatically, securing organisations' multicloud environments more efficiently. The management of these deployments is consolidated in the updated Strata Cloud Manager, which allows organisations to automate security deployment as well as scale protections on demand. Industry perspectives Pete Finalle, Research Manager, Security and Trust Team at IDC, commented on the security challenges that modern enterprises face as technological environments become more complex: "The increased urgency to achieve quantum readiness, coupled with the proliferation of multicloud environments and rapid advancements in AI, has created a complex and fragmented security landscape for the modern enterprise. This has created blind spots and inconsistent policies for businesses striving to establish a resilient zero trust architecture. Palo Alto Networks proactively addressing quantum computing threats with 'crypto agility' is a key differentiator. Additionally, highly scalable software firewalls with complete deployment automation and native microsegmentation address critical visibility and operational challenges in network security." The enhancements also aim to eliminate operational silos by centralising network security functions, allowing visibility and enforcement across multicloud deployments. Automatic scaling and integrated load balancing remove the need for additional point products, streamlining cloud operations for IT teams. Customer feedback End users such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and travel technology provider Sabre commented on their experiences and expectations. "We aim to deliver secure, high-performance digital experiences - from real-time game analytics to fan engagement - that build trust with our community. As we expand our multicloud infrastructure, we rely on Palo Alto Networks innovative platform to support this vision. With this latest update, we gain a unified platform that empowers us to rapidly scale services, protect critical digital assets and stay ahead of evolving threats, making Palo Alto Networks our trusted partner for securing the future of the game," said Mehdi Lahrech, Senior Manager, Hybrid Cloud Networking, NBA. Scott Moser, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Sabre, also highlighted the heightened importance of security in their sector: "Our vision at Sabre is to power the global travel industry by providing innovative software and technology solutions, and we can't be distracted or slowed down by cyberthreats. With the threat landscape being radically changed by AI-powered attackers, complex global architectures and the huge shifts coming with quantum computing, we need a cybersecurity partner with a powerful vision and a proven ability to execute. This announcement is just another milestone that proves why Palo Alto Networks is our partner of choice for cybersecurity." Software availability The new features, including quantum readiness tools and cloud protection enhancements, are available as a software upgrade to PAN-OS 12.1 Orion. Follow us on: Share on:
Forbes
29-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Your Business' AI Has A Digital Immune System—Here's How To Protect It
Anand Oswal, SVP & GM of Network Security, Palo Alto Networks. In the last couple of years, artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed from a lab concept into the central nervous system of modern business, powering everything from developer tools to customer support. Now, with the rise of autonomous AI agents that can learn, reason and act on our behalf, we are not just using a new tool; we are introducing a new, dynamic entity into our corporate bodies. This represents a profound architectural shift. The old three-tier application stack was like a simple organism. The move to cloud computing modernized this system, but the fundamental constructs were similar. But the AI stack—with its models, new uses of data for training and inferencing, plugins and autonomous agents—is a whole new level of biological complexity. It can learn, adapt and interact in ways that are often unpredictable, which creates an entirely new landscape for potential attacks. Just like any highly evolved organism, this new digital nervous system is born vulnerable. It doesn't yet have the mature, battle-hardened immune system needed to defend against a new generation of sophisticated threats. To truly protect it, we need an equally sophisticated, built-in defense mechanism. Business leaders I talk to every day are keenly aware of this challenge. They see the immense promise and competitive advantage that AI offers, but they're also grappling with the hidden risks that come with adopting it. A common concern is the lack of visibility into which AI apps are running, what data they're accessing and what permissions they have. To navigate this new world confidently, security can no longer be a simple shield; it must evolve to be a comprehensive, adaptive immune system. This means building a defense system that is deeply integrated, intelligent and flexible enough to tell the difference between helpful and harmful actions, neutralize threats in real time and continuously learn from every interaction to become stronger and more resilient over time. Just as our own biological immune systems have evolved over millennia to protect us from countless unseen threats, our approach to cybersecurity must also evolve dramatically for the age of AI. Here's what that essential digital immune system needs to do: 1. Know Your Genetic Makeup: Proactive Scanning and Posture A healthy immune system starts with understanding its own body. For an AI ecosystem, this means having a complete, dynamic inventory of all components and actively screening every component before it enters your ecosystem. Start by integrating automated model scanning directly into your development pipeline. Before any open-source model is downloaded (from a repository like Hugging Face), it must be scanned for embedded malware, unsafe code within files or signs of model poisoning. To maintain the equivalent of a "healthy lifestyle," you will need to enforce strong posture management, monitoring your entire AI ecosystem for risks like excessive permissions or sensitive data exposure. This ensures your AI doesn't develop chronic vulnerabilities. You will also want to ensure that automated alerts notify you if, for example, a customer service chatbot attempts to access a sensitive financial database or if a developer grants an AI model overly broad permissions that violate the principle of least privilege. 2. Build Resilience Through Exposure: AI Red Teaming An immune system strengthens itself through controlled exposure, and your AI is no different. Go beyond theoretical assessments and implement an automated AI red teaming program that acts as a training ground against real-world attacks. You can begin by using established frameworks, such as the OWASP Top 10 for large language models, to simulate common attacks like prompt injection and data leakage. Take it to the next level by expanding your tests to include more than just technical risks, but also business-specific threats. For example, could an agent be tricked into issuing unauthorized refunds? Could a compromised internal tool manipulate a report for an executive? You must create a direct feedback loop where the findings from these red team exercises are used to immediately fine-tune models, update security filters and provide targeted training for your developers. 3. The Real-Time Immune Response: Runtime And Agent Security When an active threat emerges, the immune response must be swift and immediate. A key step is to implement protections at runtime, capable of analyzing the prompt intent and responses to block sophisticated injection attacks that built-in protections would miss. For autonomous agents, the stakes are even higher since agents have memory and the authority to use other tools. A truly robust digital immune system must be able to distinguish a healthy agent from one that has been hijacked, neutralizing its ability to cause harm from within. To do this, enforce the principle of least privilege by scoping out the tools and APIs each agent can access. For example, an agent designed to schedule meetings should have no ability to read emails. An additional safeguard would be ensuring you can automatically disable an agent if it is compromised or begins behaving erratically, like performing an unusual number of actions or making unusual data updates. Also, be sure to log every action taken by an agent, from the prompt it received to the tools it used and the output it generated, to ensure you can conduct effective forensic analysis if an incident occurs. Forging A Path In The AI Era To gain a competitive edge in today's fast-moving market, businesses must embrace AI's transformative power. But they simply can't do this with a compromised digital immune system. Relying on fragmented security tools that act merely as simple, isolated shields is no longer sufficient. What's needed is a holistic and integrated security approach that protects every single AI model, every dataset and every autonomous agent across the entire AI lifecycle, from development to deployment and ongoing operation. By proactively building and maintaining this comprehensive digital immune system, organizations not only protect their enterprise from evolving threats but also empower themselves to confidently navigate the future, innovate at a faster pace and lead with assurance in the exciting and complex age of AI. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
T-Mobile and Palo Alto Networks to Launch Managed SASE Offering for Wireless Devices
BELLEVUE, Wash. & SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) and Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW) introduced 'T-Mobile SASE, with Palo Alto Networks' — a new managed offering that brings together America's only nationwide 5G Advanced network, T-Mobile's T-SIMsecure with T-Mobile Security Slice and Palo Alto Networks' industry-leading Prisma SASE 5G. The offering will deliver enhanced protection, performance and simplicity to T-Mobile for Business customers. Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE 5G, the cloud-native Zero Trust security solution, expands T-Mobile's security portfolio enabling organizations to better protect their networks and devices without the need for extra equipment or additional software. It empowers businesses and government agencies to more securely connect users and devices to private, Software as a Service (SaaS) and internet applications while maintaining strict security policies and visibility. By integrating Palo Alto Networks' SASE capabilities into T-Mobile's network, customer data has increased protection across endpoints. 'At T-Mobile for Business, we're redefining secure connectivity for the 5G era with mobility-driven solutions designed to scale effortlessly,' said Mishka Dehghan, SVP of Strategy, Product & Solutions Engineering at T-Mobile Business Group. 'By adding Palo Alto Networks' proven SASE capabilities into our 5G Standalone network, we're delivering built-in security from the ground up, empowering our business and government customers with a seamless solution that protects their data across every endpoint, enabling them to operate confidently in an increasingly connected world.' 'This SASE offering directly integrates into T-Mobile's network and aims to provide comprehensive security, visibility and exceptional experiences without the need for additional clients and complex management," said Anand Oswal, SVP and GM of Network Security at Palo Alto Networks. "We are excited to bring our advanced security solution to T-Mobile's cutting-edge 5G network." Organizations today face an unprecedented surge in cybersecurity threats, intensified by several emerging trends, such as the rapid growth of mobile workforces, increased reliance on connected devices and the resulting expansion of technologies that need protection — like 5G routers and IoT devices. In fact, the number of business 5G IoT connections in North America is expected to grow from five million in 2025 to 39 million by 2030. This rapid expansion puts a significant strain on IT teams and increases exposure to risks, particularly when authentication mechanisms are weak or insufficient. To help customers tackle today's complex security challenges, T-Mobile has teamed up with Palo Alto Networks to leverage the power of its Prisma SASE 5G solution to deliver enhanced protection, performance and simplicity through three core T-Mobile 5G network assets: T-Mobile 5G Advanced — Developed on the industry's only 5G Standalone architecture with built-in security from the ground up: Includes encryption to protect interfaces, subscriber identities, and network control and user data planes — even for inter-operator traffic; and supports prevention of downgrade attacks that exploit weaker legacy protocols. T-Mobile T-SIMsecure with security at the hardware level — SIM-based, clientless authentication using International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) and International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI): Offers strong security with SIM-based authentication, simplifying administrative complexity for IT and security teams and enhancing authorization for connected devices, including endpoints that can't support traditional SASE software, such as IoT devices and 5G routers; improves productivity for mobile employees, like field and frontline workers; and allows devices without a T-Mobile SIM to easily download and configure Palo Alto Networks Global Protect and Prisma Access Agent, regardless of provider or Wi-Fi network. T-Mobile Security Slice — security over the air with a dedicated virtual network segment, enabled by T-Mobile's 5G Standalone network: Delivers improved security with traffic isolation, customization and improved performance, providing speed advantages and less delay compared to Wi-Fi, LTE, and 5G non-standalone networks for T-Mobile SASE customers using 5G Standalone-enabled devices. T-Mobile SASE, with Palo Alto Networks will be available this summer, further expanding T-Mobile's SASE portfolio for the modern 5G connected enterprise. To learn more about T-Mobile SASE, with Palo Alto Networks and sign up, visit: Follow us on X and Instagram to stay up to date with the latest company news. Follow Palo Alto Networks on X, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. See 5G device, coverage, & access details at About T-Mobile T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America's supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile's customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information please visit: About Palo Alto Networks As the global cybersecurity leader, Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ: PANW) is dedicated to protecting our digital way of life via continuous innovation. Trusted by 70,000+ organizations worldwide, we provide comprehensive AI-powered security solutions across network, cloud, security operations and AI, enhanced by the expertise and threat intelligence of Unit 42. Our focus on platformization allows enterprises to streamline security at scale, ensuring protection fuels innovation. Discover more at Palo Alto Networks, GlobalProtect, Precision AI, Prisma, and the Palo Alto Networks logo are registered trademarks of Palo Alto Networks, Inc. in the United States or in jurisdictions throughout the world. All other trademarks, trade names, or service marks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. This release may include references to products, services, or features that are unreleased or not currently available. Customers should make their purchasing decisions based on fully released and available products, services, and features.
Techday NZ
30-04-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Palo Alto Networks launches Prisma AIRS to secure enterprise AI
Palo Alto Networks has unveiled Prisma AIRS, an AI security platform designed to offer protection for the entire enterprise AI ecosystem, including applications, agents, models, and data. The platform addresses the security needs of organisations adopting AI technologies at scale, particularly as enterprises increasingly employ AI applications and large language models (LLMs) in varied functions such as customer support and code generation. Prisma AIRS provides several key security capabilities, including AI model scanning to detect vulnerabilities, posture management to monitor permissions and data exposures, AI red teaming to simulate attacks against AI systems, runtime security to guard against evolving threats during operation, and security for AI agents, including those built with no-code or low-code tools. AI model scanning enables organisations to assess their AI models for vulnerabilities such as tampering, malicious scripts, and deserialization attacks. This component aims to help organisations adopt AI models safely by identifying security risks before deployment. Posture management provides insights into security risks associated with an enterprise's AI ecosystem. It highlights issues such as excessive permissions, sensitive data exposure, and both platform and access misconfigurations. The AI red teaming feature allows organisations to perform automated penetration testing on AI applications and models by utilising a red teaming agent. This agent stress-tests AI deployments, learning and adapting like a real attacker to uncover potential exposures and lurking risks before malicious actors can exploit them. Runtime security within Prisma AIRS protects AI applications powered by LLMs against threats encountered during operation. These threats may include prompt injection, malicious code execution, toxic content, sensitive data leaks, resource overload, and hallucination. To address risks associated with AI agents, Prisma AIRS includes safeguards for both standard and no-code/low-code platforms. It aims to defend against agentic threats such as identity impersonation, memory manipulation, and misuse of tools. Lee Klarich, Chief Product Officer for Palo Alto Networks, said, "AI agents and apps are transforming the way we work and live. In parallel, the attack surface isn't just expanding, it's fundamentally changing. The last thing organizations need is more point products to secure their use of AI. Organizations need best-in-class security delivered via the right architecture - platformization is that architecture. Prisma AIRS addresses both traditional and AI specific threats with best-in-class security capabilities delivered in a comprehensive, unified AI security platform that enables organizations to deploy AI bravely." Anand Oswal, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Palo Alto Networks, added, "As organizations integrate AI into every aspect of their operations, securing it requires a runtime security platform that provides continuous visibility and real-time insight. Without this, security teams are left in the dark about how AI is being used, misused, or manipulated, which puts critical data and decisions at risk. Prisma AIRS empowers teams with answers to essential questions, like whether someone is exploiting an LLM to extract sensitive information or if a compromised API is feeding the model poisoned data. These insights are vital to maintaining trust and safeguarding AI." Palo Alto Networks indicated that Prisma AIRS would be enhanced by the company's plans to acquire Protect AI. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of the company's fiscal 2026. Protect AI focuses on securing the use of AI, aligning with Palo Alto Networks' efforts to address AI security concerns comprehensively.
Techday NZ
30-04-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Palo Alto Networks to acquire Protect AI to boost AI security
Palo Alto Networks has agreed to acquire Protect AI, a company focused on the security of artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, in a move to bolster its suite of AI security offerings. The acquisition agreement enables Palo Alto Networks to enhance the security of the entire AI lifecycle for its customers, from development through to runtime. The company stated that large enterprises and government organisations are increasingly developing complex ecosystems that use AI models, tools, APIs, and third-party components, which introduce new classes of risk not typically covered by traditional security tools. Threat actors have begun exploiting these new vulnerabilities, including methods such as model manipulation, data poisoning, and prompt injection attacks. These developments have underscored the need for solutions designed specifically to mitigate risks within AI systems. Palo Alto Networks has previously invested in capabilities for securing AI, and the integration of Protect AI aims to further expand these capabilities across both existing and emerging threat landscapes. Protect AI's solutions and team are expected to help accelerate Palo Alto Networks' plans for Prisma AIRSTM, a security platform for AI models also announced as part of the transaction. The Prisma AIRS platform is designed to offer enterprises and other organisations protection across the whole AI development process, including model scanning, risk assessments, runtime security for generative AI, posture management, and AI agent security. Anand Oswal, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Palo Alto Networks, said, "As AI-powered applications become core to businesses, they bring risks traditional security tools can't adequately handle. By extending our AI security capabilities to include Protect AI's innovative solutions for Securing for AI, businesses will be able to build AI applications with comprehensive security. With the addition of Protect AI's existing portfolio of solutions and team of experts, Palo Alto Networks will be well-positioned to offer a wide range of solutions for customers' current needs, and also be able to continue innovating on delivering new solutions that are needed for this dynamic threat landscape." Ian Swanson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Protect AI, commented, "Joining forces with Palo Alto Networks will enable us to scale our mission of making the AI landscape more secure for users and organizations of all sizes. We are excited for the opportunity to unite with a company that shares our vision and brings the operational scale and cybersecurity prowess to amplify our impact globally." On completion of the transaction, Protect AI's Chief Executive Officer, its founding team and other employees will join Palo Alto Networks. The acquisition is expected to close by Palo Alto Networks' first quarter of fiscal 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Palo Alto Networks indicated that the rapid adoption of AI across sectors, and the evolving threat vectors targeting these deployments, necessitates substantial investments in secure architecture and tailored risk mitigation. The acquisition of Protect AI is positioned as a move to enable organisations to pursue AI-driven projects with increased security and assurance.
