Cybersecurity vendor Palo Alto Networks has announced the release of Prisma SASE 4.0, which the company is terming the industry’s most advanced AI-driven secure access service edge (SASE) solution. It sets a new standard with innovations in Prisma Browser that neutralize sophisticated web threats in real-time directly within the browser, where legacy solutions have critical blind spots. It’s also designed to intercept and neutralize encrypted, evasive attacks that assemble inside the browser and bypass traditional secure web gateways.
“The conversation with business leaders has evolved,” said Anand Oswal, Executive Vice President of Network Security, Palo Alto Networks. “It’s no longer just about blocking threats. It’s about enabling growth. You can’t achieve that with a complex and disjointed security stack. The innovations in Prisma SASE 4.0, particularly our last-mile protections in the browser, are a direct response to the digital landscape, where AI-driven attacks and the widespread adoption of AI tools are making traditional security approaches obsolete. By neutralizing sophisticated threats that evade legacy solutions and directly target the browser, we are setting a new standard for security.”
The browser is becoming the new operating system for the enterprise, the primary interface for AI and cloud applications. Securing it is not optional. As more critical applications and data reside within the browser, traditional consumer-grade browsers are no longer sufficient for businesses as they lack the necessary security controls to protect against the increasing number of cyberattacks. With Prisma SASE 4.0, Prisma Browser’s new in-browser advanced web protection identifies and neutralizes malware in real-time before it can do harm. This provides a critical layer of defense that other solutions miss.
“The perimeter has dissolved,” Oswal stated. “Adversaries are now armed with AI, and sensitive data is flowing everywhere – from countless SaaS and GenAI tools to autonomous AI agents. The old security playbook is officially obsolete.
“In this new reality, security must be smarter, faster, and more integrated than ever before,” Oswal added. “That’s why I am incredibly proud to announce the launch of Prisma SASE by Palo Alto Networks 4.0, our vision for securing the AI-ready enterprise.”
In addition, Prisma SASE 4.0 delivers new capabilities designed to secure the modern workforce, including a unified, frictionless data security approach, essential for protecting against the growing risks posed by AI agents, copilots, and plugins directly accessing corporate data. It uses AI-augmented classification to automatically and precisely classify sensitive information across all formats, including unstructured content and data in use – achieving 10x fewer false positives than traditional methods. It includes over 140 pre-trained machine learning classifiers and customizable models to secure critical assets like patents, contracts and source code.
Another innovation is the smarter, faster protection that comes with Private App Security. Private applications are the engine of many businesses and are prime targets for cyberattacks. Older static rule-based web application firewalls (WAF) are simply no match for threats custom-built for dynamic applications. Palo Alto Networks’ new Private App Security automatically adapts to shield these essential applications and constantly updates security policies for applications.
“We built Prisma SASE 4.0 from the ground up to address today’s most pressing challenges,” Oswal said. “This empowers organizations to stop sophisticated threats that hide in encrypted traffic, malware assembled in the browser, and DNS attacks at scale. We’re embedding AI into the core of our security to anticipate and block evasive attacks that legacy proxies and WAFs miss.”
You can also safeguard sensitive data across your entire digital fabric, including its use in thousands of GenAI apps and by AI agents.
“Our augmented LLM-powered data classification is more than 10x more accurate, ensuring you can protect what matters without slowing down innovation,” Oswal stated. “You can also consolidate your security stack with a single, intelligent platform. Our AI assistants automate troubleshooting, provide insights with natural language, and optimize digital experiences, giving your teams the visibility and control they need without the complexity of point products.
“This is more than a tech refresh,” Oswal said. “It’s a fundamental shift in cybersecurity hygiene, demanding a multi-year roadmap and sustained investment. The organizations that treat this as a strategic imperative for maintaining digital trust will build a significant competitive advantage.”
Palo Alto Networks continues to demonstrate market leadership and disruptive innovation in SASE, with SASE ARR reaching $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2025, growing 35% year-over-year – more than twice the rate of the overall market.
“Prisma SASE 4.0 is more than a platform – it’s a blueprint for the future,” Oswal said. “It delivers security that matches the speed of modern threats, data protection that follows information everywhere, and operations that are seamless and intelligent, all while ensuring a phenomenal user experience.
“AI is more than just a new technology,” Oswal said. “It’s a game changer that’s redefining what’s possible. Leaders across every industry are harnessing its power to innovate at a speed we’ve never seen before. But true genius isn’t just about the idea – it’s having the courage to see it through. As AI reshapes our world, it introduces a new class of risks that can’t be ignored.”
These innovations and other key SASE features will be generally available later this year.