Read the 2023 Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ Spotlight study commissioned by Palo Alto Networks to learn about a major component in our family of Next-Generation Firewalls: Cloud Next-Generation Firewalls (Cloud NGFW). According to the study based upon extensive surveying and in-depth interviews using Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW, a composite organization experienced a 163% return on investment (ROI) and a net present value (NPV) of $3.7 million over a three-year period. This cloud-native service, designed for AWS and Microsoft Azure, provides enhanced visibility, control and integration to protect workloads in public cloud environments.
According to the report, 87% of the 158 survey respondents use these managed cloud firewalls. In the study, Forrester Consulting explored the benefits, costs and risks of adopting Cloud NGFW.
Quantifying the Impact
In addition to the ROI and capability to have cybersecurity pay off, the study quantifies specific areas of savings and efficiency, such as:
- 67% reduction in end-user downtime.
- 50% reduction in time required to achieve security posture.
- 25% savings in firewall deployment costs.
Why Organizations Choose Cloud NGFW
So why are organizations turning to Cloud NGFW? According to survey findings:
- The ability to avoid performance degradation: Unlike other solutions, Cloud NGFW minimizes performance issues even when deploying new features. Organizations no longer have to compromise on performance to achieve robust security.
- Improved visibility: Cloud NGFW provides greater visibility into security environments, which enables security practitioners to make better-informed decisions. The ability to add application and user context further enhances decision-making capabilities.
- Customization and control: Organizations benefit from the flexibility and control provided by Cloud NGFW. This is especially valuable for those seeking customization through out-of-the-box solutions or in-house integrations.
- Strengthened security posture and vendor consolidation: Using a single vendor allows organizations to leverage existing knowledge and achieve a more cohesive and innovative security strategy.
Key Results of Adopting Cloud NGFW
Several critical outcomes for the composite organization using Cloud NGFW include:
- Improved performance and control: Organizations reported better performance and control, with enhanced integration across platforms like AWS and Azure.
- Time savings through automation: Automated management and customization capabilities reduce costs and save significant time in managing firewalls.
- Enhanced flexibility: A flexible licensing model allows organizations to easily scale their firewall deployment without constraints.
- Stronger security posture: With advanced capabilities, Cloud NGFW enhances an organization’s ability to implement a Zero Trust strategy and respond to threats effectively.
Palo Alto Networks Cloud NGFW offers organizations a powerful solution to safeguard their cloud environments without sacrificing performance or control. Cloud NGFW proves to be a valuable investment for any organization seeking to navigate the complexities of cloud security. Read the Forrester Consulting Spotlight study to learn more, or get started with a free 30-day trial for Cloud NGFW for AWS or Cloud NGFW for Azure.