Palo Alto Networks and VMware play to their mobile security strengths

Palo Alto Networks and VMware have entered into a strategic partnership in order to expand their mobile security offerings.

The integration of Palo Alto Networks and AirWatch by VMware will protect mobile devices and enterprise networks from cyber threats, the companies said in a statement.

Mobile computing enables users to continue working outside of the office, from any device at any time.

This introduces security challenges for organisations as it exposes them to new risk vectors and creates a need to protect business information and applications accessed with employee-owned devices, while also respecting the privacy of personal information and traffic.

To address these challenges, Palo Alto Networks and VMware will integrate their enterprise security and mobile management technologies to give organisations a combination of mobile device management (MDM) with advanced threat prevention for secure enterprise BYOD support.

This builds upon what was started in 2014 when the companies announced a software-defined data center reseller agreement and network security and network virtualisation solutions.

"Employees love the flexibility that using their mobile devices for business provides them, but IT teams often struggle to enforce security policies without compromising usability.

"Integrating our Next-Generation Firewall, WildFire and GlobalProtect technologies with the AirWatch platform addresses the concerns of both parties, giving users a positive mobile experience while existing security policies are enforced," says Lee Klarich, Palo Alto Networks senior vice president product management.

The Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewall, WildFire and GlobalProtect technologies, coupled with the AirWatch by VMware Enterprise Mobility Management platform, come with capabilities such as malware detection, network protection, and VPN and network security.

The Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect iOS VPN app deployed by AirWatch is available today. Additional integration components have targeted availability in the second half of 2015.

Palo Alto Networks is distributed by Distribution Central and Westcon in New Zealand.