CentraComm Improves Networking and Security with Palo Alto Networks

Managed IT security and network services company CentraComm has recently enhanced its networking and security capabilities by implementing Palo Alto Networks managed services.

Through Palo Alto Networks, CentraComm will be provided with more visibility and control over its applications, users and content compared to traditional firewalls.

Palo Alto Networks consists of a combination of three identification services: App-ID, which shows what applications are currently running on the network and if any risks are associated with any applications so that administrators can act accordingly; User-ID, which links network activity to users and groups, in addition to IP addresses, to be used for things such as application visibility, logging and reporting; and Content-ID, which allows for the detection and prevention of cyber threats, limits the unauthorized transfer of files and data, and enables the ability to control non-work related Internet surfing.

According to Greg Miller, chief information officer for CentraComm, the App-ID component will be especially beneficial for his company.

“The proliferation of applications running on web services has created a lack of deep visibility into network traffic," Miller said. "This creates a challenge for IT administrators to identify inefficiencies on the network. Palo Alto’s App-ID engine is state-of-the-art in its ability to identify those applications providing the deep introspection that IT administrators need to streamline network efficiency and reduce costs while providing a highly secure network.”

In related computer security news, a new study by Palo Alto Networks has revealed that custom applications are more likely to being carriers of malware, compared to social networking, video and file sharing applications.