Palo Alto NGFW Cheatsheet — Next-Generation Firewall

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Palo Alto NGFW

Next-Generation Firewall

1. What is NGFW?2. Key Features3. How NGFW Works4. NGFW vs Traditional Firewall5. Benefits

1. What is NGFW?

A Next-Generation Firewall identifies applications, users, and content — not just IPs, ports, and protocols.

2. Key Features

App-ID

Identifies applications regardless of port or protocol

User-ID

Applies security policies based on user identity

Content-ID

Controls content (URLs, files, data) based on policies

Threat Prevention

IPS, Anti-malware, Vulnerability protection

WildFire

Detects unknown threats using cloud-based sandboxing

SSL Decryption

Decrypts SSL/TLS traffic to inspect for hidden threats

3. How NGFW Works

Traffic → Palo Alto NGFW:
  1. Identifies Application (App-ID)
  2. Identifies User (User-ID)
  3. Checks Content (Content-ID)
  4. Threat Prevention (IPS, AV, etc.)
  5. Decrypts SSL (if needed)
  6. Applies Security Policy
  7. Allows or Blocks Traffic
→ Secure Traffic

4. NGFW vs Traditional Firewall

Aspect	Traditional	NGFW (Palo Alto)
Works on	IP, Port, Protocol	Application, User, Content, Threat
Visibility	Limited	Deep app & user visibility
App Awareness	None	Full App-ID identification
Security	Basic (port blocking)	Advanced (IPS, Anti-malware, WildFire)
Encrypted Traffic	Cannot see inside	SSL decryption & inspection

5. Benefits

•Better visibility and control
•Stops advanced threats
•Improves security posture
•Supports Zero Trust Security
•Protects users, applications and data

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