Chapter 1: Understanding the Core Technologies

In this chapter, we're going to examine the core technologies that make up the Palo Alto Networks firewall.

We are going to take a closer look at how security zones control how security, Network Address Translation (NAT), and routing verdicts are made. We will review the mechanics behind App-ID and Content-ID so you get a deeper understanding of how packets are processed and security decisions are made by the firewall, and we will review how User-ID contributes to a more robust security stance by applying group-based or user-based access control.

This chapter will cover the following topics:

• Understanding the zone-based firewall
• Understanding App-ID and Content-ID
• The management and data plane
• Authenticating users with User-ID