Cisco Talos Intelligence: This is Cisco's primary source of threat intelligence.
Cisco Secure Malware Analytics (formerly Threat Grid): This cloud-based service provides advanced sandboxing and malware analysis.
Cisco Secure Endpoint Intelligence (formerly AMP for Endpoints): This provides endpoint-centric threat intelligence

WildFire: Cloud-based malware analysis for zero-day threats. 
Advanced Threat Prevention: This is a core security service within Palo Alto NGFWs that provides protection against exploits.
AutoFocus: A threat intelligence service that provides in-depth context and analysis of threats.
Unit 42: Palo Alto Networks' threat intelligence team.

Snort IPS with extensive rule-based detection and Talos threat feeds.

Signature-based IPS integrated with Threat Prevention and ML-based analysis.

Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA): Detects malware in encrypted traffic without decryption.

SSL Decryption with automated policy-based inspection.

Cisco ISE integration: Role-based access and dynamic segmentation.

Zero Trust enforcement with user and application awareness (App-ID & User-ID).

Cisco Umbrella + Secure Firewall Cloud for cloud-based firewalling & SASE.

Prisma Access: Full cloud-based SASE architecture with Zero Trust controls.

SecureX orchestration for security automation & response.

Cortex AI & ML-based threat detection.

Firewall Management Center (FMC) with SecureX automation.

Panorama centralized management with AI-driven policies.

Microsegmentation, identity-based access.

Granular role-based access & segmentation.

Uses Cisco Secure Malware Analytics (formerly Threat Grid) for deep file analysis, behavioral detection, and malware classification.

WildFire is a cloud-based malware analysis and prevention service that detects, analyzes, and blocks zero-day threats using machine learning and sandboxing techniques.

Palo Alto, Fortinet.

Cisco, Fortinet, Sonicwall. 

Palo Alto's Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) are renowned for their robust security features. However, users often note that these firewalls may be cost-prohibitive for small businesses. They suggest that while Palo Alto NGFWs offer excellent protection, the high price point and complexity might not align with the needs and budgets of smaller organizations. Exploring alternative solutions that balance security and affordability could be more suitable for small business environments.​

Palo Alto Networks Application Identity identifies and classifies applications in real time, regardless of port, protocol, or encryption. It enables precise security policies by recognizing app behavior rather than relying on traditional IP-based rules. This helps organizations enforce access control, prevent threats, and optimize network performance by allowing or blocking applications based on security needs. It’s a key feature of Palo Alto’s Next-Generation Firewalls, ensuring visibility and control over network traffic.

Palo Alto NGFWs as highly capable, feature-rich, and effective security devices with an intuitive management interface, often considered a technical leader. However, this comes at a very high cost, which is a major barrier for many. Concerns about potential bugs in new software releases and mixed experiences with technical support are also frequently mentioned drawbacks.