Palo Alto Networks introduced Cortex Cloud, a powerful new cloud security solution that leverages AI and automation to stop attacks in real-time. By natively integrating the company’s industry-leading cloud detection and response (CDR) with its cloud native application protection platform (CNAPP), Cortex Cloud marks a significant evolution in the company’s cloud security strategy.
The announcement comes as organizations increasingly move critical workloads to the cloud while struggling to manage a growing attack surface. A recent Unit 42 report found that 80% of security exposures originated in cloud environments, with threats targeting the cloud surging 66% year-over-year.
“As more business-critical applications move to the cloud, security must expand to include industry-leading runtime protection,” said Lee Klarich, chief product officer at Palo Alto Networks. “With Cortex Cloud, we’re delivering the next generation of cloud security, enabling organizations to swiftly prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to evolving threats.”
AI-Powered Prioritization and Automated Remediation
Cortex Cloud introduces several key innovations to help security teams manage risk and respond to incidents at cloud scale:
- Application Security: The platform identifies and prioritizes issues across the entire development pipeline, providing end-to-end context across code, runtime, and cloud.
- Cloud Posture: AI-powered prioritization and guided fixes help teams manage multi-cloud risk more effectively. A streamlined UI offers tight integration across posture management capabilities.
- Cloud Runtime: Advanced analytics prevent threats in real-time, as validated by industry-leading results in recent MITRE ATT&CK tests. Cortex Cloud includes CNAPP at no extra cost to drive adoption of end-to-end security.
- SOC Integration: Native integration of cloud data, context, and workflows into Cortex XSIAM enables faster incident response compared to traditional SIEMs.
“Security teams need to mitigate risk to reduce the chance of incidents, and respond as quickly as possible when they occur,” said Melinda Marks, an analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. “With Cortex Cloud, Palo Alto Networks delivers a unified code-to-cloud-to-SOC platform giving teams the context to prioritize and drive high-impact remediation actions, while speeding detection and response.”
Broad Ecosystem Support
Cortex Cloud is designed to ingest data from third-party tools to provide centralized visibility and control across a customer’s full cloud security stack. The company is working closely with launch partners including CyberCX, Deloitte, IBM, and Orange Cyberdefense to bring the platform’s capabilities to a broad set of customers.
Cortex Cloud will be available later in Q3 FY25, with existing Prisma Cloud customers receiving a seamless upgrade. Cortex XSIAM customers who adopt Cortex Cloud will gain access to native CNAPP functionality to drive SecOps efficiency from the cloud to the enterprise.
As cloud adoption continues to accelerate and cyber threats grow in volume and sophistication, Cortex Cloud aims to provide security teams with a simpler, smarter, and more effective way to manage risk and stop attacks at the speed of business. With its emphasis on AI, automation, and cross-platform integration, the solution reflects Palo Alto Networks’ broader strategy to transform security operations through real-time intelligence.
