Google Cloud and Palo Alto ink landmark $10bn deal

The duo have joined forces again to deal with the matter of security and AI

Google Cloud and Palo Alto Networks have expanded their partnership to ramp up security as AI demand continues to grow at unprecedented levels.

The collaboration combines Google Cloud's AI and infrastructure skills with Prisma AIRS, Palo Alto’s AI security platform.

According to Palo Alto’s recent State of Cloud Report, customers are dramatically expanding their use of cloud infrastructure to support new AI applications and services.

The research also found that 99 per cent of respondents experienced at least one attack on their AI infrastructure over the last year.

This new agreement from the duo aims to tackle these issues head-on through an enhanced go-to-market strategy and by building security into every layer of hybrid multi-cloud infrastructure, every application development stage and every endpoint.

"Every board is asking how to harness AI's power without exposing the business to new threats. This partnership answers that question,” said Palo Alto president BJ Jenkins.

“We're removing the friction between security and development, providing a unified platform where the most advanced security is simply a native part of building what's next. Together with Google, we are embedding our AI-powered security deep into the Google Cloud fabric, turning the platform itself into a proactive defense system."

The agreement is “by far Google Cloud's largest security services deal,” according to a Reuters report.

A source told Reuters the deal includes a commitment by Palo Alto to pay a sum "approaching $10bn" to Google Cloud over a number of years.

The security drive

Google Cloud has hit the headlines for both AI and security this year.

In September, CEO Thomas Kurian said the company is already generating billions in AI with a massive $106bn (£77.8bn) backlog.

While its $32bn (£24.7bn) Wiz acquisition, still pending regulatory approval, sets out to bolster Google Cloud’s cybersecurity portfolio with capabilities from Wiz’s cloud and AI security platform.

Palo Alto on the other hand launched new artificial intelligence-powered cybersecurity offerings in October and revealed billion-dollar M&A plans of its own with its takeover of

Chronosphere for $3.35bn.