Semtech has completed a product integration with Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs), joining the extensive ecosystem of Palo Alto Networks Technology Partners to deliver interoperable solutions that help joint customers strengthen resilience and compliance in securing complex environments.
The integration combines Semtech's AirLink secure edge 5G/LTE routers and network management portfolio with Palo Alto Networks' NGFWs, firewalls that use machine learning for proactive threat protection along with comprehensive visibility and control, alongside Palo Alto Networks' Next-Generation Trust Security (NGTS) and Zero Touch Public Key Infrastructure (ZTPKI) solutions. Together, these are designed to let operators scale their connected infrastructure with confidence while reducing complexity and strengthening resilience against evolving threats. As utilities and critical infrastructure operators deploy thousands of connected assets across distributed networks, spanning wired, cellular, and satellite connections, this Zero Trust approach, meaning a security model that verifies every device and connection rather than assuming anything inside the network is automatically trustworthy, secures those assets at scale, addressing a key challenge in operational technology security.
Mitch Rappard, director of technical solutions at Palo Alto Networks, said threats to critical infrastructure are accelerating, with frontier AI compressing the timeline attackers need to exploit vulnerabilities, while many operational technology assets can't be patched quickly, or in some cases at all. He said Palo Alto Networks and Semtech are extending Zero Trust security to the industrial edge by combining resilient AirLink cellular connectivity with continuous visibility into connected assets, operational risk prioritization, and AI-powered threat prevention. He said this lets operators enforce protections without disrupting critical services, secure distributed deployments from the edge all the way to the core, and build a scalable foundation to address both today's threats and the evolving security landscape.
Bobbi Harris, executive director of the Utility Broadband Alliance (UBBA), said securing utility networks at scale requires partners who understand both the operational realities of working in the field and the demands of modern cybersecurity. She said the collaboration between Semtech and Palo Alto Networks represents exactly the kind of integrated, standards-aligned approach the alliance's members expect in order to protect critical infrastructure while keeping pace with digital transformation.
Kinana Hussain, vice president of AirLink Networking Solutions at Semtech, said utilities and critical infrastructure operators are managing increasingly complex, distributed environments where a single security gap can have far-reaching consequences. She said securing distributed industrial assets requires both trusted connectivity at the edge and strong enforcement at the core, and that the partnership with Palo Alto Networks combines best-in-class mission-critical edge connectivity with enterprise-grade security to deliver a Zero Trust architecture that's both practical to operate and proven in the field at scale.
At the edge, Semtech's AirLink networking solutions provide resilient connectivity across cellular, satellite, and wired links, with encrypted tunnels automatically established to Palo Alto Networks firewalls, keeping data protected in transit regardless of how or where each asset connects. Integrated with Palo Alto Networks' PAN-OS operating system, security teams gain deep visibility into edge traffic, with real-time threat detection and prevention built in. Certificate provisioning, renewals, and machine identity management are fully automated through Palo Alto Networks' Zero Touch PKI combined with Semtech's AirLink management platforms, eliminating manual complexity and enabling consistent, credential-secure configuration across thousands of remote field assets.
Semtech and Palo Alto Networks will be exhibiting in the Innovation Zone at the UBBA Summit & Plugfest, taking place October 13-15, 2026, at The Worthington Renaissance in Fort Worth, Texas. Registered attendees are also invited to join the companies for a joint technology session on Tuesday, October 13, from 3:00 to 3:55 PM local time, offering a deeper look at securing utility telecom infrastructure at scale.
