Introduction

The Palo Alto Networks Firewall is a next-generation firewall solution widely used by enterprises to secure networks and control traffic. This 12-day intensive training program, designed by Global Horizon Training Center, equips IT professionals, network administrators, and cybersecurity engineers with the skills needed to install, configure, and manage Palo Alto firewalls effectively. The program combines theory, real-world scenarios, and hands-on configuration tasks to build participant expertise in deploying, securing, and optimizing firewall infrastructure.

Objectives

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the architecture and functionality of Palo Alto Firewalls.

• Perform system setup and interface configuration.

• Create and manage security policies, NAT, and application control.

• Configure VPNs, user ID, threat prevention, and high availability.

• Monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize firewall performance.

• Prepare for Palo Alto certification exams (e.g., PCNSA/PCNSE).

Target Audience

• Network security engineers and administrators

• System and IT administrators

• Cybersecurity specialists

• Technical support engineers

• Professionals seeking Palo Alto certification

Organizational Impact

Organizations that invest in this training can expect:

• Enhanced firewall security posture

• Optimized firewall rules and traffic inspection

• Reduced risk of breaches and network downtime

• Improved IT team capability and autonomy

• Efficient policy management and auditing

Training Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Palo Alto Networks Firewalls

• Next-generation firewall concepts

• Overview of Palo Alto architecture and hardware

• PAN-OS overview

• Licensing and feature sets

Day 2: Initial Setup and System Configuration

• Web interface and CLI introduction

• Device management and admin access

• Software updates and dynamic content updates

• Initial configuration and setup wizard

Day 3: Interface Configuration and Zones

• Layer 2, Layer 3, and virtual wire interfaces

• Zone configuration and assignment

• Subinterfaces and VLANs

• Interface management profiles

Day 4: Security Policy and Application Control

• Security policy fundamentals

• Application identification (App-ID)

• Creating and managing security rules

• Logging and rule evaluation

Day 5: Network Address Translation (NAT)

• NAT types: source, destination, static

• NAT policy rule configuration

• Policy-based NAT scenarios

• NAT troubleshooting and best practices

Day 6: Objects and Services Management

• Address objects and address groups

• Service and service group configuration

• Tags and custom application definitions

• Reusability and policy optimization

Day 7: User Identification (User-ID)

• User-ID concepts and methods

• Integrating with Active Directory

• User-ID agent and configuration

• Role-based access control policies

Day 8: Site-to-Site and Remote Access VPN

• IPsec VPN setup between firewalls

• IKE Gateway and tunnel interface configuration

• GlobalProtect VPN for remote users

• Certificate and authentication settings

Day 9: Threat Prevention and Content Security

• Antivirus, Anti-Spyware, Vulnerability Protection

• File blocking and URL filtering

• WildFire malware analysis integration

• Security profile configuration and testing

Day 10: High Availability (HA) Configuration

• HA architecture and deployment modes

• Configuring active/passive and active/active modes

• HA link and path monitoring

• Failover testing and troubleshooting

Day 11: Monitoring, Logging, and Troubleshooting

• System and traffic logs

• Log forwarding and alerting

• Monitoring tools (ACC, session browser)

• Troubleshooting CLI commands and tools

Day 12: Practical Workshop and Certification Preparation

• Full deployment scenario: install, configure, secure

• Troubleshooting lab tasks

• Best practices for configuration

• PCNSA/PCNSE exam preparation tips

• Final Q&A and participant feedback