Next-Generation Firewall a Disruptive Internet Security Solution

October 25, 2011

Internet security solutions are shifting from endpoint security toward the cloud along with the IT environment evolution, and are being followed by the large, inelastic budgets for cybersecurity of key verticals like government and payment card industry (PCI) compliance, says Todd C. Weller, Managing Director at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc.

“There are positive secular trends. Again, if you think of some of the stuff we talked about – virtualization, cloud – there is more and more centralization of computing that drives up network bandwidth and that drives data center growth, which drives a need for firewalls, intrusion prevention solutions, unified threat management,” Weller said.

Weller points to Palo Alto Networks as a high-profile private company with a disruptive approach to cybersecurity. Palo Alto offers a next-generation enterprise firewall solution which determines access to resources and information based on which applications and users are requesting access before setting an access policy.

Palo Alto Networks – they just hired a new CEO, Mark McLaughlin, who was the former CEO of VeriSign. He just started at the end of August, and it’s kind of well documented in the media that they are likely to go public, again not sure of timing, probably a 2012 event, but that will be a very interesting IPO,” Weller said.