California-based security company Palo Alto Networks rolled out updates to one of its operating systems and launched a new firewall for industrial settings.
The updates to the company’s PAN-OS operating system will help users identify encrypted web malware much faster and easier, Palo Alto Networks said in a recent press release. PAN-OS version 8.1 will be available to all current customers of Palo Alto Networks with valid support contracts in March. The launch is also accompanied by the release of the PA-3200 Series, the PA-5280, the PA-220R and two new models in the M-Series management appliances. They will be orderable on February 26, starting from $2,900 up to $200,000.
According to the security company, many organizations haven’t addressed the lack of visibility associated with encrypted traffic due to the complexity and performance impact of decryption, leaving those that do not decrypt network traffic without the ability to find and prevent over half of malware campaigns.
This may cause companies serious headaches down the road. A Gartner report predicts that during 2019, more than 50 per cent of new malware campaigns will use different forms of encryption to conceal communications, such as data exfiltration.
Palo Alto Networks says the introduction of the PA-220R firewall is a significant next step in cyber security for many industrial companies who are taking threats to their systems much more seriously. The PA-220R can operate reliably in environments with extreme temperatures, dust, vibration and electromagnetic interference.
“The new Palo Alto Networks PA-220R next-generation firewall optimizes the ICS-specific security that we already provide to our customers, now for deployment in the harshest of industrial environments and remote locations,” said Lee Klarich, chief product officer, Palo Alto Networks.
