SaaS‐based applications are typically adopted by users because they’re fast and easy to use, not to mention accessible from anywhere there’s a reliable Internet connection. Many of these applications are built for use on mobile devices, where speed is even more critical to users. The industry has made great strides in securing mobile devices, but the explosive growth of SaaS adoption means organizations are concerned about data that resides outside the traditional network perimeter, especially if those SaaS applications fall into the category of “Shadow IT.”
Last year, as part of a concerted effort to help organizations better secure mobile devices, we expanded our strategic partnership with VMware AirWatch. You’ll recall three important takeaways from that announcement:
- VPN & Network Security: Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect provides a secure connection between AirWatch managed mobile devices and the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall at the device or application level utilizing per-app VPN.
- Network Protection: AirWatch integration with Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect HIP (Host Information Profile) provides a direct tie between information about the mobile device, its configuration and what data and applications the device can access.
- Prevention of Malware: Palo Alto Networks WildFire identifies known and previously unknown mobile malware. By integrating the intelligence provided by WildFire with AirWatch, our customers can identify infected applications and take immediate and automated action for security and containment.
Now, as a member of the AirWatch Mobile Security Alliance, we are proud to announce that we have further expanded our relationship with VMware to include Aperture, another part of the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform. Aperture delivers complete visibly and granular enforcement across user, folder and file activity within sanctioned SaaS applications to prevent data risk, malware insertion and compliance violations.
With this integration, customers will have Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) through the VMWare AirWatch platform, network security thanks to GlobalProtect and the next-generation firewall, and SaaS application visibility and control from Aperture, to enforce policy and remediate any risks across mobile and cloud environments. Add to all that threat intelligence through WildFire, and we will be able to detect malware on any device or the propagation of malware through SaaS apps on these devices. These capabilities that combine the power of the VMware platform and our next-generation security platform open the door to many new possibilities in preventive security, and will deliver the most complete mobile-cloud security platform in the industry.
We will post more updates on the details of the integration as we bring together our engineering teams to build the necessary interfaces for exchange of information between the VMware AirWatch platform and Aperture.
For more information: