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Palo Alto Networks DNS Security Reviews

Vendor: Palo Alto Networks
4.3 out of 5
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What is Palo Alto Networks DNS Security?

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is a solution that can stop attackers from abusing DNS for malicious activities like data theft, command and control, phishing, and ransomware. The solution offers organizations automated protections, prevents attackers from bypassing security measures, and eliminates the need for independent tools.

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Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is the #2 ranked solution in top Domain Name System (DNS) Security solutions. PeerSpot users give Palo Alto Networks DNS Security an average rating of 8.6 out of 10. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is most commonly compared to Cisco Umbrella: Palo Alto Networks DNS Security vs Cisco Umbrella. Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 61% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 14% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
Palo Alto Networks DNS Security
September 2025
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Palo Alto Networks DNS Security mindshare

As of October 2025, the mindshare of Palo Alto Networks DNS Security in the Domain Name System (DNS) Security category stands at 11.5%, down from 14.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Domain Name System (DNS) Security Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Palo Alto Networks DNS Security11.5%
Cisco Umbrella20.6%
Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection19.3%
Other48.599999999999994%
Domain Name System (DNS) Security

PeerResearch reports based on Palo Alto Networks DNS Security reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryDomain Name System (DNS) SecurityOct 4, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersOct 4, 2025Download
ComparisonPalo Alto Networks DNS Security vs Cisco UmbrellaOct 4, 2025Download
ComparisonPalo Alto Networks DNS Security vs Infoblox Advanced DNS ProtectionOct 4, 2025Download
ComparisonPalo Alto Networks DNS Security vs F5 BIG-IP DNSOct 4, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Cisco Umbrella4.420.6%97%121 interviewsAdd to research
Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection4.119.3%93%18 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

Valuable features of Palo Alto Networks DNS Security include DNS filtering, built-in security, and ease of deployment without architecture changes. It provides DNSSEC, domain generation algorithm, DNS sinkhole, and real-time threat intelligence. The antifocus feature offers insights into DNS queries and blocks malicious requests. It protects against DNS tunneling, data exfiltration, malware, and malicious domains. It enhances internal DNS while allowing gateway flexibility, offering comprehensive protection and frequent threat updates.
  • "I think it's easy to manage Palo Alto Networks DNS Security compared to other firewalls, and the feature set is really good."
  • "The main feature of the Palo Alto Networks DNS Security protects our network from external attacks, malware, and data theft."
  • "The most valuable features of DNS Security include its ability to protect against command and control traffic, anonymizers, newly registered domains, and DNS tunneling."

Room for Improvement

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security could benefit from improved cloud-based and on-premise management, better pricing, and enhanced support responsiveness. It requires integration with Cisco Meraki, email protection, and DLP features. Many users face challenges with false positives and menu navigation. Scalability and user-friendly approaches, such as agentless integration, are necessary for enhanced productivity. Additionally, mitigating DNS look-up attacks and compatibility with SMBs are crucial areas for enhancement. Improving market competitiveness by reducing costs is also important.
  • "The number of hotfixes indicates that there are many bugs in the new releases. Comparing a few years earlier, a release contained much fewer hotfixes."
  • "The pricing of the Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is very high."
  • "I have found customer service to be quite problematic. The support is often outsourced, leading to delayed response times."

ROI

Users reported a significant return on investment from Palo Alto Networks DNS Security. They experienced reduced risks and improved threat detection capabilities saving on incident response time. Enhanced visibility into DNS traffic helped prevent malicious domains access, improving network security posture. The automation features streamlined processes, resulting in lower operational costs. Overall, businesses saw financial benefits through efficiency gains and reduced exposure to potential security breaches.

Pricing

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is considered a premium solution with its pricing generally rated as high. It tends to be more expensive compared to competitors like Fortinet but parallel with Cisco. Pricing includes an annual licensing fee, with options for quarterly payments. Educational institutions and enterprises often find it manageable. Support costs may rise annually. While deemed expensive, the solution's security features and premium status justify a 20%-30% higher cost for some.
  • "If one is very cheap and ten is very expensive, I rate the tool's price as two."
  • "There aren't many vendors offering DNS security solutions, but generally, Palo Alto subscriptions tend to be more expensive than other security vendors."
  • "The solution's pricing is equal to Cisco AMP or Cisco Umbrella."

Popular Use Cases

Organizations primarily use Palo Alto Networks DNS Security for DNS filtering, preventing malware and malicious requests, and safeguarding user access to the internet and servers. It protects against DDoS attacks, command-and-control traffic, dynamic DNS, and newly registered domains. Used in data centers, it secures both on-premise and remote users, critical servers, and provides DNS protection in mobile devices, laptops, and computers. It's favored by clients needing cost-effective DNS protection and security.

Service and Support

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security customer service features responsive technical support and extensive documentation. Some find direct support excellent, with rapid responses and high ratings, though others note outsourced teams lead to delays. Distributor support may have slow response times, whereas direct interactions are preferred. Users appreciate knowledgeable support teams, although occasional off-hours service and need for improvement in rapid communication are mentioned. Responses vary, with support ratings ranging between five and nine out of ten.

Deployment

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security's initial setup is generally considered straightforward and user-friendly. Many describe it as easy to configure, often rating it nine out of ten in simplicity. Most find that deploying takes minutes, especially when understanding their design and traffic flow. Some note that while it can be implemented quickly, it may take one to two weeks to fully grasp all features before deployment. Users activate it via subscription and apply it to security policies.

Scalability

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is considered highly scalable, with implementations ranging from small to large user bases. It efficiently handles varying user demands and is supported by cloud-driven automation. While some operational adjustments may be required, it generally performs well across diverse environments. Many users appreciate its scalability, rating it highly for effectively meeting the needs of organizations, including those with extensive user numbers. Scalability ratings frequently reach nine or ten out of ten.

Stability

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is largely seen as reliable and mature. Many users express satisfaction with its stability, noting no crashes or significant bugs. While some rate its stability lower, often due to false positives, most give it high marks. Comparisons with Fortinet highlight Palo Alto's advantage in reliability, though some find it less stable than Cisco Umbrella. Users frequently rate its stability between seven to ten out of ten.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our Palo Alto Networks DNS Security Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise9
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business116
Midsize Enterprise88
Large Enterprise314
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
7%
Healthcare Company
6%
Performing Arts
5%
Comms Service Provider
5%
Retailer
4%
Insurance Company
4%
Educational Organization
3%
Non Profit
3%
Energy/Utilities Company
3%
University
3%
Media Company
3%
Construction Company
3%
Transportation Company
3%
Legal Firm
2%
Wholesaler/Distributor
2%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Hospitality Company
1%
Outsourcing Company
1%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%
Logistics Company
1%

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Palo Alto Networks DNS Security Features

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

  • Full protection: Palo Alto Networks DNS Security uses deep learning algorithms that predict and identify new and advanced threats to offer protection against sophisticated DNS-based attacks.
  • Comprehensive visibility: With the solution, you gain complete visibility into your organization’s blind spots to prevent attacks from exploiting your network and stealing your data.
  • Real-time prevention: The solution includes real-time analysis and can identify millions of malicious domains before an attack even happens.
  • Native integration with your NGFW (Next Generation Firewall): You don’t have to reroute your DNS traffic or work through lengthy change management processes to deploy the solution.
  • Category-based action: The solution allows you to create policies specific to DNS traffic types. All DNS queries are checked against Palo Alto’s scalable cloud database to determine appropriate enforcement actions.
  • SaaS Security: Palo Alto Networks DNS Security delivers integrated SaaS security that lets you see and secure new SaaS applications, protect data, and prevent zero-day threats at the lowest TCO.

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Palo Alto Networks DNS Security. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

  • Saves time and money: The solution helps you reduce costs and extend your NGFW investment by saving time in operations with a single coordinated network security stack for all alerts, policies, rule violations, IDPS, web security, malware analysis, and DNS.
  • Uninterrupted security innovations: Palo Alto Networks DNS Security seamlessly adds new detection, prevention, and analytics capabilities without requiring reconfiguration.
  • Optimized security posture: The solution’s Security Analytics dashboard ensures protection for NGFWs with significant DNS traffic.

Reviews from Real Users

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it has remarkable anti-hacking features, excellent stability, provides valuable insights, and has good DNS filtering.

A Senior Technical Project Manager at a university explains why he likes the solution: “They have anti-hacking features which are quite useful. They have virus protection within the firewall. The stability is excellent and the product is very mature.”

Others express how the solution has been valuable in providing insights. A Network Engineer at an educational organization says, “We can actively see how many thousands of malicious requests have gotten knocked down in the last day or week that we didn't know about before.”

“The solution has good DNS filtering, is scalable, and highly-integrated,” mentions a Group Network Specialist at a financial services firm.

Related questions

  • 139
Which product do you prefer: Cisco Umbrella or Palo Alto Networks DNS Security?
  • 27
Which solution is better: Cisco Umbrella or Palo Alto Networks DNS Security?
  • 10
When evaluating DNS Security, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
  • 15
Why is Domain Name System (DNS) Security important for companies?
  • 28
What DNS security tool do you recommend?
  • 21
Why is domain name system security important?
  • 19
How does Infoblox stand out when compared to other solutions like Cisco Umbrella and Palo Alto Networks Prisma Cloud?
  • 49
How can I connect MEGA HOPEX to a domain using an active director?
  • 18
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Product Categories

Product Categories
Domain Name System (DNS) Security

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Palo Alto Networks DNS Security Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Global Network Tech Lead at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees4.0I use Palo Alto Networks DNS Security to protect against command and control traffic and newly registered domains. Its valuable features include integration with firewalls via subscription, but improvements are needed in pricing and agentless integration to enhance user-friendliness and efficiency.
Cybersecurity Coordinator at Pronaca4.5I use Palo Alto Networks DNS Security with our firewalls to protect against malware and threats using real-time analytics; it's effective and easy to configure, though expensive, with strong support and helpful reporting features.
IT Security Specialist at a tech services company with 11-50 employees4.0I've found Palo Alto Networks DNS Security easy to manage, feature-rich, and stable, though recent releases require more hotfixes. Support is decent, setup is simple, and while pricing is realistic, quality has slightly dropped compared to earlier versions.
Senior Consultant at Systems Limited4.5I use Palo Alto Networks DNS Security for enhancing our internal DNS protection and blocking malicious queries. However, it needs improvement in reducing false positives as it sometimes blocks legitimate traffic, necessitating manual interventions for custom application whitelisting.
Engineer at Exclusive Networks4.5I use Palo Alto Networks DNS Security to protect my enterprise network, valuing its data exfiltration and DNS tunneling features. However, better data security and clearer distinctions from Advanced Threat Prevention licenses are needed for improved usability.
Security Consultant at Airpel4.0We use Palo Alto Networks DNS Security to safeguard our DNS data from threats without blocking all DNS traffic. The solution effectively filters DNS-based attacks, but could improve DLP capabilities and be more cost-competitive with rivals like Infoblox and Cisco Umbrella.
Project Manager, Finance IT at Sun Hung Kai & Co. Limited3.5I use Palo Alto Networks DNS Security for mobile devices, laptops, and computers. Its valuable feature is the ability to switch gateways globally. However, DNS clients sometimes disconnect, which needs improvement for better reliability. No alternate or previous solutions were considered.
Network Security Engineer at Raya Integration4.0I find Palo Alto Networks DNS Security beneficial for customers needing affordable DNS protection. One valuable feature is the DNS sinkhole, which identifies compromised users by monitoring all DNS traffic. There are no noted areas needing improvement or alternate solutions considered.