Palo Alto Firewall Terms Flashcards
The proprietary operating system developed by Palo Alto Networks for their firewall devices. PAN-OS powers the functionality of Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewalls.
PAN-OS (Palo Alto Networks Operating System)
A type of firewall that combines traditional firewall capabilities with advanced features, such as intrusion prevention, application awareness, and user identification, to provide enhanced security.
NGFW (Next-Generation Firewall)
A feature in Palo Alto firewalls that includes a set of security measures designed to identify, block, and mitigate various types of cyber threats, including malware, exploits, and other malicious activities.
Threat Prevention
Palo Alto Networks’ technology for identifying and controlling applications on the network. It allows administrators to create policies based on specific applications rather than just traditional port and protocol information.
App-ID (Application Identification)
The capability to associate network activity with specific users, allowing for user-based policies and monitoring. It integrates with directory services like Active Directory for user authentication.
User-ID (User Identification)
Rules configured in a Palo Alto firewall that dictate how traffic should be handled based on various factors such as source, destination, application, and user. Security policies are used to enforce the security posture of the network.
Security Policies
A logical grouping of network segments in a Palo Alto firewall, used for defining security policies. Traffic is allowed or denied between zones based on configured security policies.
Zone
A feature that enables the firewall to control access to websites based on predefined categories. It allows administrators to enforce policies regarding web content and restrict access to specific types of websites.
URL Filtering
A cloud-based threat analysis service provided by Palo Alto Networks. WildFire analyzes unknown files and links to identify and block new and sophisticated threats, including malware and zero-day exploits.
WildFire
The process of inspecting and decrypting SSL/TLS-encrypted traffic to identify potential threats or policy violations. Palo Alto firewalls can decrypt and inspect encrypted traffic for enhanced security.
Decryption
Palo Alto Networks’ remote access VPN solution that provides secure connectivity for users connecting to the network from remote locations. It includes features such as VPN tunnels and endpoint protection.
GlobalProtect
The capability to decrypt and inspect traffic that is secured with SSL/TLS encryption. It allows the firewall to analyze the content of encrypted communications for potential threats.
SSL/TLS Decryption
Information about current cybersecurity threats, including indicators of compromise (IoCs) and contextual data. Threat intelligence is used to enhance the firewall’s ability to detect and prevent threats.
Threat Intelligence
The process of capturing and recording log data related to firewall activity. Reporting involves analyzing log data to generate insights into network behavior and security events.
Logging and Reporting
A feature that allows the firewall to make forwarding decisions based on policies rather than traditional routing. It enables more granular control over the flow of traffic.
Policy Based Forwarding (PBF)
Collections of security settings that define the behavior of various threat prevention features, such as antivirus, anti-spyware, and vulnerability protection.
Security Profiles
A security feature that monitors and analyzes network and/or system activities for malicious or unwanted behavior. IPS can take preventive action to block or allow traffic based on predefined rules.
IPS (Intrusion Prevention System)
Measures implemented to defend against and mitigate the impact of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, which attempt to disrupt the normal functioning of a network or service.
DoS Protection (Denial of Service Protection)
The process of integrating Palo Alto firewalls with LDAP servers, such as Microsoft Active Directory, to authenticate users and retrieve user information.
LDAP Integration (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
An interface that allows external programs to interact with and control the Palo Alto firewall using XML-based commands. It facilitates automation and integration with other systems.
XML API (Application Programming Interface)
A configuration that ensures continuous operation and minimal downtime by using redundant hardware or virtual firewalls. In HA, one device takes over if the other fails.
High Availability (HA)
A set of techniques used to manage network resources and prioritize traffic to ensure that critical applications receive the necessary bandwidth and experience optimal performance.
QoS (Quality of Service)
The process of capturing and storing network packets for analysis and troubleshooting. Packet captures provide detailed information about the contents of network traffic.
Packet Capture
Palo Alto Networks’ centralized management platform for managing and configuring multiple Palo Alto firewalls from a single interface. It simplifies the management of large and distributed networks.
Panorama
The current state of cybersecurity threats, including emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and attack trends. Understanding the threat landscape helps organizations adapt their security measures accordingly.
Threat Landscape
A feature that allows a single physical Palo Alto firewall to be divided into multiple logical firewalls, each with its own configuration, policies, and network interfaces.
Virtual System (VSYS)
Regular updates provided by Palo Alto Networks to refresh threat prevention databases, application signatures, and other security components. Dynamic updates ensure the firewall has the latest information to protect against emerging threats.
Dynamic Updates
Routing protocols supported by Palo Alto firewalls for dynamic routing and exchange of routing information with other devices in the network.
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) and OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
Individual rules within a security policy that define specific actions for traffic based on criteria such as source, destination, application, and user.
Security Rules
The capability to identify and block communications with known botnets. Botnet tracking helps prevent infected devices from participating in malicious activities.
Botnet Tracking
The process of sending firewall logs to external systems, such as SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) solutions, for centralized log management and analysis.
Log Forwarding
The ability of Palo Alto firewalls to handle and process Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) traffic, supporting the next generation of IP addressing.
IPv6 Support
Detailed reports generated by the WildFire service, providing information about files analyzed for threats, including verdicts and associated behaviors.
WildFire Analysis Reports: Detailed reports generated by the WildFire service, providing information about files ana
Regular updates to the firewall’s malware signature database, ensuring that it can identify and block the latest known malware strains.
Malware Signature Updates
Tailored reports generated by Palo Alto firewalls based on specific criteria and requirements defined by administrators.
Custom Reports
Configuration that specifies how the firewall should handle and respond to different types of threats, including antivirus, anti-spyware, and vulnerability protection.
Threat Prevention Policy
The process of sending syslog messages generated by the firewall to external syslog servers for storage, analysis, and auditing.
Syslog Integration
A standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties, commonly used for single sign-on (SSO) scenarios.
SAML Authentication (Security Assertion Markup Language)
A secure method for remote users to connect to the network over an encrypted SSL connection, providing secure access to internal resources.
SSL VPN (Secure Socket Layer Virtual Private Network)
NAT Policies in Palo Alto firewalls define rules for translating source or destination IP addresses and ports, enabling the firewall to modify network address information as traffic traverses between different network segments, facilitating secure and efficient communication. These policies play a crucial role in preserving private IP spaces, managing address shortages, and ensuring seamless connectivity across diverse network environments.
NAT Policies (Network Address Translation)
A feature that prevents the transfer of specified file types, helping to control the types of files that can be transmitted through the network.
File Blocking
The process by which a firewall determines which security policy should be applied to incoming or outgoing traffic based on configured rules and conditions.
Policy Evaluation
Predefined sets of security settings that encompass various threat prevention features, allowing administrators to apply consistent security measures.
Threat Prevention Profiles
Classifications used in URL filtering policies to categorize websites based on content, allowing for more granular control over web access.
URL Categories
