PaloAlto networks

The identity of the application is one of several pieces of the application visibility and control puzzle. The remaining pieces required to make a business decision on how to treat the application include more data on what the application is, its risk characteristics, and what technology it uses.

To enable an informed decision on how to treat an application, Palo Alto Networks presents additional background on every application identified in an application browser, providing fingertip access to a wealth of information. The application browser is a powerful research tool, accessible via the Palo Alto Networks website and as an integral piece of the policy management interface.

In either case, administrators can dynamically filter applications based on category, subcategory, underlying technology, and characteristic – including their file transfer capabilities, known vulnerabilities, ability to evade detection, propensity to consume bandwidth, and malware transmission/propagation. Additional application details include a description of the application, the commonly used ports and a summary of the individual application characteristics. Using the application browser, administrators can quickly research an application and immediately translate the results into a security policy.