Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW), founded in 2005 by Nir Zuk and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a leading cybersecurity company that develops hardware, software and cloud‐based solutions to secure enterprise IT environments. The firm is best known for its next-generation firewalls, which combine application control, threat prevention and advanced visibility features under a single platform designed to protect networks from sophisticated cyber threats.
Over time, Palo Alto Networks has expanded its portfolio well beyond firewalls to address security across the entire IT stack. Its Prisma suite offers cloud security services including secure access service edge (SASE), cloud-native application protection and data security, while the Cortex platform delivers security operations automation, extended detection and response (XDR) and threat intelligence. These integrated offerings enable organizations to adopt a Zero Trust approach and safeguard networks, endpoints, cloud workloads and software-as-a-service applications.
The company has bolstered its capabilities through strategic acquisitions—such as Demisto for security orchestration, Twistlock and PureSec for container and serverless protection and RedLock for cloud-security posture management—integrating these technologies into its Prisma and Cortex lines. Palo Alto Networks serves a broad customer base that spans large enterprises, service providers and government agencies across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions.
Under the leadership of CEO Nikesh Arora, the firm continues to invest heavily in research and development, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to anticipate emerging threats. With a focus on innovation and global delivery, Palo Alto Networks remains at the forefront of the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.
