While the cloud has become the foundation of companies’ digital strategies, artificial intelligence is further accelerating this dependence on hyperscaler infrastructures.
Cybersecurity is now a central issue in technology decisions, even at the board level. Indeed, Google Cloud and Palo Alto Networks have just announced a major strengthening of their collaboration, illustrating the growing importance of protecting cloud environments and AI workloads.
A historic agreement for Google Cloud
The press rel
ease announcing this reveals that Palo Alto Networks has entered into a multi-year, multi-billion dollar agreement with Google Cloud, for an amount described as ” close to $10 billion “.
If so, this would be the largest security services contract ever signed by Google Cloud . And while both companies are deliberately keeping the precise figures under wraps, the scale of the agreement already marks a turning point in the strategy of Alphabet’s cloud subsidiary.
Furthermore, this announcement comes just days after the publication of the State of Cloud Security Report from Palo Alto, which revealed that 99% of companies experienced at least one cyberattack specifically targeting their artificial intelligence systems in the past year. This figure underscores Google’s ambition to position itself as a leading player in AI-powered cloud security.
Prisma AIRS at the heart of AI security
From a technological standpoint, the partnership is based on enhanced integration of Prisma AIRS , Palo Alto Networks’ AI-powered security platform.
This will be deeply connected to Google Cloud, as well as to Vertex AI and Agent Engine services . For both companies, the goal is to ensure end-to-end security , from application development to the execution of AI agents in production.
This convergence should also allow client companies to benefit from clearer visibility into their risks, while further automating incident detection and response.
” This expanded partnership will enable our joint customers to secure their most sensitive AI infrastructures and design agents with security built in from the ground up ,” explains Matt Renner , president of Google Cloud.
An old relationship that is changing scale
Google Cloud and Palo Alto Networks have been collaborating since 2018, and to date, the two companies claim more than 75 joint integrations and approximately $2 billion in sales made through the Google Cloud Marketplace.
This new agreement also includes the migration of Palo Alto’s main internal workloads to Google Cloud, with the use of Vertex AI and Gemini models for its safety co-pilots.
Beyond the technology, this partnership strengthens Palo Alto’s integration within the Google ecosystem. It’s a logical choice, especially since Nikesh Arora , CEO of Palo Alto Networks, spent nearly ten years at Google before 2014.
For BJ Jenkins , current president of Palo Alto, the message is clear: ” All leaders are wondering how to harness the power of AI without exposing their company to new threats. This partnership provides a structured response to that concern .”