The Palo Alto Networks PA-3420 is a high-performance, ML-powered next-generation firewall designed to secure modern, high-speed internet gateway deployments. With machine learning integrated directly into its core, the PA-3420 provides real-time prevention of unknown threats, ensuring your network stays protected against zero-day attacks and advanced phishing schemes.
This robust firewall leverages cloud-delivered intelligence for instant updates, making it highly effective against rapidly evolving threats. Its ability to identify and secure unmanaged IoT devices without additional sensors positions it as a leader in safeguarding connected environments. Advanced threat prevention services, such as WildFire® and DNS Security, work seamlessly to block malware, malicious domains, and harmful URLs before they can impact your network.
The PA-3420 excels in providing unparalleled visibility into network traffic, applications, and users through its Application Command Center and full Layer 7 inspection capabilities. It supports secure and flexible connectivity with IPsec VPNs, SD-WAN integration, and dynamic routing protocols like OSPF and BGP.
With centralized management through Panorama™, policy optimization tools, and Zero Touch Provisioning, the PA-3420 simplifies deployment and operational management for distributed networks. Designed with encrypted traffic management at its core, it offers TLS/SSL inspection, decryption mirroring, and privacy controls to ensure a balance between security and compliance.
Whether it’s protecting critical IoT medical devices in healthcare, securing online transactions in retail, or safeguarding sensitive student information in education, the PA-3420 adapts to diverse industry needs. Built on the proven PAN-OS® foundation, this firewall delivers unmatched scalability, visibility, and automated threat prevention, making it a trusted choice for organizations seeking comprehensive and future-ready network security.
Overview
The Palo Alto Networks PA-3420 is part of the PA-3400 Series ML-Powered Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs), designed for securing high-speed internet gateway deployments. Leveraging the power of machine learning (ML) integrated directly into the firewall, the PA-3420 enables organizations to:
- Prevent unknown threats in real-time.
- Automate policy creation to reduce human error and enhance operational efficiency.
- Extend visibility and protection to all devices, including unmanaged IoT devices, without requiring additional sensors.
Built on PAN-OS®, the foundational software for all Palo Alto Networks NGFWs, the PA-3420 ensures unified traffic classification across applications, content, and users. This approach significantly reduces incident response times while enhancing overall security posture.
Key Features
Machine Learning-Powered Security
- Inline Threat Prevention: Detects and blocks never-before-seen attacks, including zero-day exploits and phishing attempts, without relying on signatures.
- Cloud-Delivered Intelligence: Harnesses cloud-based ML to deliver real-time updates and zero-delay threat signatures.
- IoT Security: Automatically identifies IoT devices through behavioral analysis and recommends optimized security policies for each device.
Advanced Threat Prevention Services
- WildFire® Malware Prevention: Uses cloud-based analysis to detect and prevent unknown malware before it impacts your network.
- DNS Security: Blocks malicious domains used for command and control (C2) and data theft, ensuring 40% more coverage than industry averages.
- Advanced URL Filtering: Real-time filtering prevents access to malicious websites, stopping 76% of threats up to 24 hours earlier than competitors.
Traffic Visibility and Control
- Application Identification: Inspects traffic across all ports and protocols using full Layer 7 analysis, regardless of evasion techniques or encryption.
- Custom App-ID™: Allows creation of tailored application IDs for proprietary or emerging applications.
- Policy Optimization: Includes built-in tools for migrating legacy Layer 4 rule sets to modern, application-based policies for improved manageability and security.
Centralized Management
- Panorama™ Integration: Unified interface for managing multiple distributed firewalls, offering enhanced visibility and streamlined configurations.
- Application Command Center (ACC): Provides actionable insights into network traffic, application usage, and emerging threats.
- Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP): Simplifies deployment of multiple firewalls, reducing manual effort and errors.
Networking Features
- Interface Support: Operates in Layer 2, Layer 3, and virtual wire (transparent mode) configurations, offering flexibility for diverse network architectures.
- Dynamic Routing Protocols: Includes OSPF, BGP, RIP, and static routing.
- SD-WAN Integration: Enables secure and low-latency software-defined wide area networking for distributed enterprise environments.
- IPsec VPN Capabilities: Provides up to 9.9 Gbps throughput for secure site-to-site connectivity.
- Multicast Support: Implements protocols like PIM-SM and IGMP for efficient multicast traffic management.
Security and Connectivity Features
Encrypted Traffic Management
- TLS/SSL Inspection: Analyzes encrypted traffic, including TLS 1.3, to identify and mitigate hidden threats.
- Decryption Mirroring: Allows decrypted traffic to be sent to external tools for forensic or compliance purposes.
- Privacy Controls: Offers granular decryption options based on URL categories, user groups, and compliance requirements.
IoT and Zero Trust Security
- IoT Device Identification: Automatically discovers and categorizes IoT devices for tailored security policies.
- Zero Trust Framework: Ensures consistent application of user-based policies across all devices and locations.
Dynamic Security Policies
- Behavior-Based Actions: Adapts security measures dynamically based on user behavior or suspicious activity.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enforces MFA at the network layer for any application without altering the application itself.
Technical Specifications
Performance:
- Firewall throughput: 20.8 Gbps.
- Threat prevention throughput: 7.6 Gbps.
- IPsec VPN throughput: 9.9 Gbps.
- Maximum sessions: 2 million.
- New sessions per second: 205,000.
Hardware:
- Interfaces:
- 12 x 1G/2.5G/5G/10G ports.
- 10 x 1G/10G SFP+ ports.
- 4 x 25G SFP28 ports.
- Storage: 480 GB SSD pair.
- Power: 450-watt AC, redundant configuration with average power consumption of 155W.
- Dimensions: 1U rack-mounted appliance, 14.15” x 17.15” x 1.70”.
- Operating Environment: 0–50°C temperature range with front-to-back airflow.
Management and High Availability:
- Out-of-band management: 1 x 100/1000 Mbps port.
- High availability: Active/active and active/passive modes with path monitoring and interface failover.
Use Cases
Industry Applications
- Healthcare:
- Secures IoT medical devices and patient data against ransomware and unauthorized access.
- Ensures compliance with HIPAA and other regulations.
- Retail:
- Protects customer payment data and prevents breaches at point-of-sale systems.
- Enhances security for online transactions during peak shopping seasons.
- Education:
- Safeguards sensitive student information and ensures safe internet access for students and staff.
- Blocks malicious and inappropriate content using advanced URL filtering.
Specific Applications
- High-Speed Internet Gateways: Ideal for organizations with demanding bandwidth requirements.
- SD-WAN Deployments: Streamlines branch connectivity while maintaining centralized security.
- Encrypted Traffic Analysis: Detects threats within encrypted traffic streams without compromising privacy.
Documentation
- Download the Palo Alto Networks Firewall Overview Datasheet
- Download the Palo Alto Networks PA-3420 Series Specification Datasheet
Conclusion
- High Performance and Scalability: Handles demanding network environments with consistent throughput and low latency.
- Comprehensive Security: Combines advanced threat prevention, IoT visibility, and encrypted traffic protection into a single platform.
- Ease of Deployment and Management: Offers ZTP and centralized tools like Panorama for streamlined operations.
- Future-Proof Architecture: Supports machine learning-driven analytics and policy automation to stay ahead of evolving threats.
- Adaptability: Suitable for diverse industries, use cases, and modern security frameworks like Zero Trust.
The Palo Alto Networks PA-3420 is a robust and forward-thinking firewall solution that addresses today’s cybersecurity challenges while preparing organizations for the future.