Palo Alto acquires CyberArk to strengthen identity security

Palo Alto Networks has announced its largest acquisition to date, agreeing to buy identity security firm CyberArk for $25 billion. The deal expands Palo Alto’s platform to include identity security, now seen as a critical layer alongside network, endpoint, and cloud security, especially with the rise of AI.

Why identity security matters now

As enterprises adopt more AI tools, cloud services, and automation, traditional security boundaries are disappearing. Attackers are shifting focus from networks and endpoints to identities, especially privileged accounts and machine identities that can grant access deep into systems.

CyberArk is a recognised leader in this space, with capabilities including:

• Privileged access management (PAM)
• Secure single sign-on and multi-factor authentication
• Identity security for both human users and machines

With this acquisition, Palo Alto aims to integrate CyberArk’s technology into its own platform, enabling organisations to apply identity-based controls alongside existing network, endpoint, and cloud security.

What’s in it for IT and security teams?

For security and network engineers, this move means:

• Stronger access controls: Identity-based security policies can now be enforced natively across Palo Alto’s stack, helping to reduce overprivileged access and lateral movement.
• Protection for machine identities: AI agents, bots, and automation tools often have access to sensitive systems. CyberArk’s tools help manage and secure these non-human identities.
• Platform consolidation: One vendor for identity, network, cloud, and endpoint security means fewer integrations, more consistent policies, and simpler operations.
• AI-aware security: Palo Alto is building its strategy around AI-driven threats and AI-powered defence. CyberArk brings identity intelligence that complements this.

Why now?

Palo Alto’s CEO Nikesh Arora called identity “the next frontier” in cybersecurity. The acquisition comes at a time when many organisations are rethinking their security architecture to deal with AI-enabled attacks, rapid cloud adoption, and hybrid work. Identity is central to all of these challenges.

For large enterprises, the combined platform could make it easier to adopt a Zero Trust approach across users, devices, applications, and infrastructure, with visibility and control across the full environment.

Want to know more?

If you'd like to explore Palo Alto’s solutions or discuss how identity security fits into your organisation’s architecture, feel free to reach out. Our team is happy to advise on next steps.