PCSFE: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer

VM-Series firewalls and hardware firewalls that are external to the Kubernetes cluster are problematic for protecting containerized workloads because they are located outside the cluster and have no visibility into application-level cluster traffic. Kubernetes is a platform that provides orchestration, automation, and management of containerized applications. Kubernetes cluster traffic consists of traffic between containers within a pod, across pods, or across namespaces. VM-Series firewalls and hardware firewalls that are external to the Kubernetes cluster cannot inspect or control this traffic, as they only see the encapsulated or aggregated traffic at the network layer. This creates blind spots and security gaps for containerized workloads. VM-Series firewalls and hardware firewalls that are external to the Kubernetes cluster are not problematic for protecting containerized workloads because they do not scale independently of the Kubernetes cluster, are managed by another entity when located inside the cluster, or function differently based on whether they are located inside or outside of the cluster, as those are not valid reasons or scenarios for firewall deployment in a Kubernetes environment. Reference: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [CN-Series Concepts], [VM-Series on Kubernetes]

Dynamic address group is the component that allows the flexibility to add network resources but does not require making changes to existing policies and rules. Dynamic address group is an object that represents a group of IP addresses based on criteria such as tags, regions, interfaces, or userdefined attributes. Dynamic address group allows Security policies to adapt dynamically to changes in the network topology or workload characteristics without requiring manual updates. Content-ID, External dynamic list, and App-ID are not components that allow the flexibility to add network resources but do not require making changes to existing policies and rules, but they are related features that can enhance security and visibility. Reference: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [Dynamic Address Groups Overview], [Content-ID Overview], [External Dynamic Lists Overview], [App-ID Overview]

The two environments supported by the CN-Series firewall are:

OpenShift

Native K8

The CN-Series firewall is a containerized firewall that integrates with Kubernetes and provides visibility and control over container traffic. The CN-Series firewall can be deployed in various environments that support Kubernetes, such as public clouds, private clouds, or on-premises data centers. OpenShift is an environment supported by the CN-Series firewall. OpenShift is a platform that provides enterprise-grade Kubernetes and container orchestration, as well as developer tools and services. Native K8 is an environment supported by the CN-Series firewall. Native K8 is a term that refers to the standard Kubernetes distribution that is available from the Kubernetes project website, without any vendor-specific modifications or additions. Positive K and OpenStack are not environments supported by the CN-Series firewall, but they are related concepts that can be used for other purposes. Reference: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [CNSeries Datasheet], [CN-Series Deployment Guide for OpenShift], [CN-Series Deployment Guide for Native K8], [What is OpenShift?], [What is Kubernetes?]

The two methods of Zero Trust implementation that can benefit an organization are:

Boundaries are established

Access controls are enforced

Zero Trust is a security model that assumes no trust for any entity or network segment, and requires continuous verification and validation of all connections and transactions. Zero Trust implementation can benefit an organization by improving its security posture, reducing its attack surface, and enhancing its visibility and compliance. Boundaries are established is a method of Zero Trust implementation that involves defining and segmenting the network into smaller zones based on data sensitivity, user identity, device type, or application function. Boundaries are established can benefit an organization by isolating and protecting critical assets from unauthorized access or lateral movement. Access controls are enforced is a method of Zero Trust implementation that involves applying granular security policies based on the principle of least privilege to each zone or connection. Access controls are enforced can benefit an organization by preventing data exfiltration, malware propagation, or credential theft. Compliance is validated and security automation is seamlessly integrated are not methods of Zero Trust implementation, but they may be potential outcomes or benefits of implementing Zero Trust. Reference: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [Zero Trust Security Model], [Zero Trust Network Security]

VM-Series firewall is the software firewall that would assist a prospect who is interested in securing extensive DevOps deployments. DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development and IT operations to deliver software products faster and more reliably. DevOps deployments require network security that can protect the traffic between different stages of the software development lifecycle, such as development, testing, staging, and production, as well as between different cloud or virtualization platforms, such as public clouds, private clouds, or on-premises data centers. VMSeries firewall is a virtualized version of the Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewall that can be deployed on various cloud or virtualization platforms. VM-Series firewall can assist a prospect who is interested in securing extensive DevOps deployments by providing comprehensive security and visibility across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, protecting applications and data from cyberattacks, and supporting automation and orchestration tools that simplify and accelerate the deployment and configuration of firewalls across different platforms. CN-Series, Ion-Series, and Cloud next-generation firewall are not software firewalls that would assist a prospect who is interested in securing extensive DevOps deployments, but they are related solutions that can be deployed on specific platforms or environments. Reference: Palo Alto Networks Certified Software Firewall Engineer (PCSFE), [VM-Series Datasheet], [VM-Series Deployment Guide], [What is DevOps?]