Palo Alto Networks Enterprise Firewall PA-410R

The PA-410R is the world’s first ruggedized, machine-learning-powered next-generation firewall (NGFW), designed to secure industrial, commercial, and government networks in harsh environments.

It is an upgraded version of the PA-220R, with enhancements such as improved performance, high availability, and compliance with industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA architectures. Built for extreme conditions, the PA-410R can withstand high temperatures, humidity, and vibration, making it suitable for critical infrastructure and environments where typical IT equipment would struggle.

Key Features

• Ruggedized Design: Built to operate in extreme environments, the PA-410R is rated IP65 and certified to IEC 61850-3 and IEEE 1613 standards for temperature, vibration, and electromagnetic interference.
• Machine Learning Integration: Uses machine learning to prevent advanced threats and identify new, never-before-seen attacks, including phishing and malware.
• Zero Trust Security: Implements a Zero Trust security framework with capabilities for user-based policies, IoT device management, and full application visibility.
• High Availability: Supports active/active and active/passive modes, ensuring continuous operation even in case of a hardware failure.
• Silent, Fanless Operation: The fanless design allows for quiet, reliable operation without moving parts, which is crucial in environments like manufacturing and utilities.
• Flexible Deployment: Can be installed on a wall or DIN rail, providing flexible options for deployment in industrial settings.
• Centralized Management: Managed through Panorama or Strata Cloud Manager, allowing seamless administration across multiple locations.

Technical Specifications

• Firewall Throughput: 1.5 Gbps (preliminary)
• Threat Prevention Throughput: 700 Mbps (preliminary)
• Max Sessions: 64,000
• New Sessions per Second: 4,500
• Interfaces: Four 1G RJ-45 ports and two 1G SFP ports
• Power: DC-powered with optional power redundancy
• VPN Support: IPsec VPN with support for encryption protocols such as AES and 3DES
• Virtual Systems: Supports 1 base virtual system, expandable to 2
• SSL/TLS Decryption: Full Layer 7 inspection with SSL/TLS decryption, including TLS 1.3

Security Capabilities

• Inline Signatureless Attack Prevention: Prevents file-based attacks and phishing without waiting for signature updates, thanks to ML-based threat detection.
• IoT Device Security: Identifies and categorizes IoT devices, applying security policies tailored to these devices.
• Advanced Threat Prevention: Stops known and unknown exploits, leveraging AI to detect and block zero-day threats and command-and-control attacks.
• SSL/TLS Inspection: Decrypts SSL/TLS traffic for inbound and outbound inspection, providing visibility and policy enforcement without introducing latency.
• WildFire Integration: Analyzes and blocks malware 180 times faster than competitors, using the industry’s largest threat intelligence network.
• URL Filtering and DNS Security: Prevents access to malicious websites and blocks DNS-based attacks, with industry-leading detection rates.

Use Cases

Industries

• Utilities: Power plants and substations need secure, reliable communication between devices, and the PA-410R offers rugged performance and high availability.
• Manufacturing: Protects Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) networks from cyberattacks, ensuring operational continuity.
• Oil and Gas: Deployed in remote and hazardous locations, the PA-410R secures data flow and control signals for critical operations.
• Healthcare: Protects sensitive medical data and ensures compliance with healthcare regulations, even in specialized environments like lab facilities.

Applications

• Critical Infrastructure: Secures critical infrastructure such as energy grids, transportation systems, and water management facilities, where downtime is unacceptable.
• Building Management: Provides security for building automation systems, safeguarding HVAC, lighting, and security systems from cyber threats.
• Smart Cities: Integrates into smart city architectures, providing secure connectivity and protection for IoT devices and smart infrastructure.

Performance and Capacity

• Firewall Throughput: The PA-410R can handle up to 1.5 Gbps of traffic, making it suitable for medium to large industrial networks.
• Threat Prevention: With a throughput of 700 Mbps for threat prevention, the firewall effectively inspects and blocks malicious traffic without slowing down operations.
• IPsec VPN: Provides secure connectivity for remote sites or mobile users, ensuring encrypted communication and data integrity.
• Session Capacity: Capable of managing up to 64,000 sessions concurrently, supporting networks with significant traffic volumes.

Deployment Scenarios

• Remote and Harsh Environments: With its rugged design, the PA-410R is ideal for deployments in harsh environments such as remote oil rigs, utility substations, and outdoor manufacturing plants.
• Government and Defense: Supports highly secure communications in defense applications, including those in remote, hazardous environments.
• Critical Data Centers: Protects critical assets and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements for secure communication in data centers that serve critical industries like finance and healthcare.

Centralized Management

• Panorama Integration: Centralized management of multiple firewalls is available through Panorama, allowing administrators to configure and monitor policies across distributed environments.
• Strata Cloud Manager: Leverages AI for unified management, ensuring consistent security across hardware and cloud deployments while optimizing operational performance.

Key Certifications

• IEC 61850-3: Ensures the device meets stringent industrial standards for electromagnetic compatibility, essential for environments with heavy electrical interference.
• IEEE 1613: Verifies that the PA-410R withstands environmental stresses such as extreme temperatures and vibrations, making it reliable in critical infrastructure.

Cloud-Delivered Security Services

• Advanced Threat Prevention: Combines machine learning with cloud intelligence to block sophisticated attacks, including zero-day threats and evasive malware.
• WildFire: Analyzes and blocks malware faster than competing solutions, with the industry’s most comprehensive threat intelligence.
• DNS Security: Provides additional layers of protection by blocking malware that uses DNS for communication, ensuring secure data transfers and protecting against data breaches.
• Enterprise Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Ensures sensitive data is not leaked or transferred out of policy, helping organizations meet compliance requirements.

Power and Form Factor

• Fanless Operation: The PA-410R’s silent, fanless design makes it ideal for noise-sensitive environments and increases reliability by eliminating moving parts.
• Redundant Power Options: With DC power redundancy, it ensures uninterrupted operation, even in the event of a power failure.
• Compact and Flexible: Its compact form factor and multiple mounting options, including wall and DIN rail mounts, offer flexible installation for various industrial environments.

Real-Life Use Cases

1. Energy and Utility Companies: Deploy the PA-410R in remote substations to secure critical grid communications and ensure reliable energy distribution.
2. Oil & Gas: Protect communication and control systems on offshore platforms, where ruggedized, reliable security equipment is necessary for continuous operation.
3. Healthcare Networks: Use the firewall to protect sensitive patient data and ensure compliance with healthcare regulations, even in specialized facilities like hospitals and research labs.
4. Smart Buildings: Secure building management systems (HVAC, lighting, and security) from cyber threats, ensuring reliable operation of smart infrastructure.

Documentation

• Download the Palo Alto Networks PA-400R Series Specification Datasheet (PDF)
• Download the Palo Alto Networks Firewall Overview Datasheet (PDF)

Conclusion

• The PA-410R offers robust, ruggedized security for industrial and government networks, designed to perform reliably in harsh environmental conditions with its fanless, IP65-rated design.
• Featuring machine learning-powered threat prevention, advanced application and user visibility, and powerful SSL/TLS decryption, the PA-410R ensures comprehensive protection against both known and unknown threats.
• With seamless integration into centralized management tools like Panorama and Strata Cloud Manager, it simplifies deployment and security management for large-scale operations.
• Tailored for industries like utilities, manufacturing, oil and gas, and healthcare, the PA-410R’s scalability and advanced security features make it ideal for securing critical infrastructure and sensitive environments—particularly within industries where rugged, reliable security solutions are essential.