GlobalProtect VPN Review

We’ve discussed Palo Alto’s GlobalProtect VPN in depth in this article. This VPN reaches beyond the boundaries of a physical network, protects mobile traffic, and works well for organizations with limited IT resources. However, we must be aware of a couple of downsides to consider before choosing GlobalProtect. We’ll start with the cost, which is quite high. We’ll look at how the GlobalProtect service compares to other VPN solutions, and at what level you should be concerned.

Palo Alto’s GlobalProtect VPN

GlobalProtect is a popular choice among companies that need a VPN solution, especially those with Palo Alto infrastructure. However, it has some drawbacks, too. The most important is that GlobalProtect is not mobile-first and is not optimized for slow or unreliable networks. As such, it is not suited for enterprises with unpredictable growth and scaling requirements. However, it is suitable for organizations with a defined number of users, or those that do not want to spend a lot of time managing lost connections.

GlobalProtect supports iOS, macOS, and Android devices. It does not work with Windows devices, however. This software does have an application for configuring device channels, so you can get around Windows firewalls without a hitch. Once you’ve installed the software, you need to sign in using your user username and password. Once you’ve signed up, you can use GlobalProtect to access the internet and to access your computer.

It extends the boundaries of your physical network

When you deploy GlobalProtect, you extend the logical perimeter of your physical network to protect remote laptop and mobile device users. It does so by automatically determining the appropriate gateway and establishing a secure connection. By protecting remote workers in the same way as your office users, GlobalProtect reduces the burden on your SecOps team. GlobalProtect also enables you to deploy firewall-based policies for remote workers from anywhere.

It protects mobile traffic

The next generation firewall, GlobalProtect, extends corporate policies to the mobile environment, identifying and blocking threats. The service automatically deploys GlobalProtect to iOS and Android devices as part of the enrollment process. This zero-touch configuration ensures fast provisioning of new devices. GlobalProtect offers app-level and device-level VPN connections to ensure complete protection. In this way, GlobalProtect ensures the privacy of data from unauthorized users and the security of mobile traffic.

Unlike conventional firewalls, GlobalProtect extends your security policies to mobile users, eliminating blind spots and enabling transparent security. GlobalProtect eliminates phishing attacks, credentials theft, and other malicious activity while enabling you to manage mobile worker traffic across all locations. With GlobalProtect, you can create more precise security policies and grant access according to the business need. It also enables you to control access to data, applications, and resources based on compliance state.

It works well for organizations with limited IT resources

In addition to the cloud-based deployment option, GlobalProtect also offers a server deployment guide that walks you through the configuration process. The deployment guide will guide you through the basic infrastructure of the server, including setting up S3 buckets, deploying the template, and generating scale events. You can use this guide to deploy a single GlobalProtect instance or multiple instances in different regions. This guide also outlines the scaling parameters for each type of server, including desired, minimum, and maximum quantities.

The GlobalProtect server solution is easy to install and deploy. It can be used on any physical server or in the cloud. Its performance was tested using a closed testing environment, so the organization should not move around much to use the software. It is not optimal for organizations with limited IT resources, but it works well for organizations with a Palo Alto infrastructure. However, GlobalProtect is not designed for slow and unreliable networks, and therefore will require additional time to manage lost connections.

It has limitations

The GlobalProtect app 4.1 for iOS has limitations because it is incompatible with Apple’s User-Approved Kernel Extension Loading feature. To install third-party kernel extensions, you must manually approve them. The developer of GlobalProtect is trusted by Apple, but its users may still experience problems. Additionally, traffic for the destination domain cannot be excluded from the VPN tunnel. While APS is trying to resolve the issues, users can’t fully exclude traffic.