Palo Alto Networks has enhanced its Prisma SASE (secure access service edge) suite to improve the security of both managed and unmanaged devices, and to strengthen the velocity and defense of dispersed corporate applications.
Prisma SASE’s latest release, version 3.0, introduces a variety of key updates, such as the ability to secure unmanaged devices using a new Prisma Access Browser; it employs least privilege access, continuous security checks, and other zero-trust abilities.
Palo Alto’s Prisma SASE combines the company’s SD-WAN technology with its cloud-based security services. These include advanced threat protection, user activity monitoring, secure web gateway, cloud-access security broker (CASB), firewall-as-a-service (FWaaS), data loss prevention (DLP) monitoring and control, and zero-trust network access (ZTNA) support. As part of the vendor’s autonomous digital experience management (ADEM) system, it also includes AI capabilities which grant insight into endpoints, WAN links, cloud resources, applications, and traffic levels to assist in resolving performance issues.
“The cloud transition has reaffirmed the browser as the primary workspace,” Anand Oswal, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Palo Alto Networks, noted in a blog post on Prisma SASE 3.0 features. “This, along with the trend of working from anywhere, has led to browsers becoming a significant attack vector. Today, most work is processed in the web browser, used for accessing corporate data and applications (like email, HR, and finance), but it is naturally insecure.”
Some 95% of organizations have fallen prey to a security incident originating from the browser on all their devices, as per a survey conducted by Palo Alto. This is the reason why Gartner foresees enterprise browsers transforming into the foundational platform for delivering secure, digital workforce experiences on controlled and uncontrolled devices by 2030.
By 2025, enterprise browsers or extensions will mark their presence in 25% of web security competitive situations, which is a significant increase from less than 10% today, as claimed by Oswal.
With the introduction of Prisma SASE 3.0 and its integrated browser, IT professionals can now monitor and handle threats in real-time, and workforce can safely use any device to access any application, adds Oswal. Another boon is the ability it provides to onboard contractors and third parties swiftly and securely, improving overall efficiency and reducing costs, as observed by Oswal.
Besides the integrated browser, Prisma SASE 3.0 introduces a new App Acceleration feature that aims to enhance connection performance and augment the security and pace of connectivity with cloud-based applicationsāmaking it up to 5 times quicker than direct-to-Internet connections, as stated by Oswal. He further backs that Palo Alto is functioning with an ecosystem of partners to develop the app acceleration capabilities.
“We are collaborating with top cloud service providers and enterprise applications such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Slack, ServiceNow, Google, Zoom, and SAP. Our aim is to enable our clients to capitalize on the benefits delivered by App Acceleration while ensuring potent security,” expressed Oswal.
In terms of AI advancements, SASE 3.0 employs what Palo Alto proclaims to be a large language model-driven document classification system. It uses context-sensitive machine learning models combined with natural language capabilities. The objective is to enhance the precision of ML behavioral analytics to supervise and safeguard the locations of sensitive data, explained Oswal.
“This technology is a perfect addition to our existing pre-configured data profiles, which employ an array of classification methods for regulatory and compliance obligations. This improved classification capability further bolsters our DLP solution, ensuring customer data safety,” shared Oswal.
