About Course
Course Objectives
Understand NGFW Concepts: Explain the architecture, core features, and benefits of Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls.
Deploy and Configure the NGFW: Perform initial setup, registration, and configuration of a Palo Alto firewall in both standalone and HA (High Availability) environments.
Manage Security Policies: Create, configure, and optimize security policies to control traffic based on applications, users, and content.
Implement App-ID, User-ID, and Content-ID: Use App-ID, User-ID, and Content-ID features to identify, control, and secure network traffic effectively.
Configure Network and NAT Policies: Design and implement Layer 3, Layer 2, and virtual wire deployments, including NAT configurations.
Enable Threat Prevention and URL Filtering: Configure and manage threat prevention, antivirus, anti-spyware, vulnerability protection, and URL filtering profiles.
Secure Remote Access: Implement GlobalProtect VPN for secure remote user access.
Monitor and Analyze Network Traffic: Use monitoring and logging tools and reports to analyze network activity and troubleshoot issues.
Perform Firewall Maintenance and Updates: Manage system updates, dynamic content updates, and configuration backups/restorations.
Course Outlines
Day 1: Introducing the Palo Alto Networks Ecosystem & Basic Firewall Setup
- Welcome, introductions, course objectives, and setup of lab environment
- Installation and initial configuration
- Connecting firewall to network: zones, interfaces, and routing basics
- Lab Exercise: configure interfaces + zones + basic connectivity
Day 2: Security Policy, NAT, and App-ID Fundamentals
- Recap of Day 1 and Q&A
- Security Policy Rules: concept of zones, sources/destinations, and rule order
- NAT Policy: types of NAT, when to use, and configuration examples
- App-ID: how the firewall identifies applications and how to use App-ID in policy
- Lab Exercise: create security policies + NAT + App-ID filtering
Day 3: Threat Prevention, URL Filtering, WildFire, and User-ID
- Recap of Day 2
- Security Profiles and Threat Prevention: anti-virus, anti-spyware, and vulnerability protection
- URL Filtering: categories and custom lists
- WildFire/Unknown-Threat Handling: sandboxing and unknown malware
detection - User-ID: identifying users and groups, integrating with directory services, and
applying policies based on user identity
Day 4: Decryption, Logs & Reporting, Redundancy, and VPNs
- Recap Day 3
- SSL/TLS Decryption: why, how to configure inbound/outbound decryption
- Logs & Reports: how to monitor firewall traffic, threat logs, generate
reports - Redundancy: HA pair configuration, fail-over considerations
- VPNs: site-to-site VPN, remote access VPN basics
Day 5: Putting It All together, Best Practices, and Troubleshooting Intro Topic
- Recap Day 4
- Best Practices for Deployment: segmentation, least privilege, logging strategy, update strategy
- Intro to troubleshooting common issues and tools on Palo Alto firewall
- Course Wrap-Up: review objectives
