What Google Cloud’s $10B Palo Alto Deal Signals for IT Pros
Google Cloud and Palo Alto Networks announced an expanded security partnership to allow the secure development and deployment of cloud and AI initiatives. While the full price tag wasn’t disclosed, the agreement could be worth nearly $10 billion over several years. This makes the agreement one of Google Cloud’s biggest security services commitments to date.
The companies worked on the agreement around deeper product and go-to-market alignment. Palo Alto said customers will be able to secure AI workloads and data running on Google Cloud services such as Vertex AI and Agent Engine using Prisma AIRS. There will also be tighter integration between VM-Series firewalls and Prisma SASE.
Directly Embedding Security Controls
This Google Cloud-Palo Alto deal demonstrates how new developments enable vendors to embed security controls directly into cloud and dev platforms. As a result, teams spend less time connecting separate products and more time running security as part of their daily systems.
In its 2025 State of Cloud Security Report, Palo Alto said 99 percent of surveyed teams saw at least one attack on their AI infrastructure last year. Once AI systems go live, they tend to get attention fast.
No New Certs
The announcement did not mention any new exams or retirements. Even so, it gives a clue about what future test outlines may cover. Skills now span cloud setup, security work, and AI systems rather than being in separate tracks.
These are the skills likely to matter more as cloud and security tools continue to merge:
Writing access rules that control who can reach apps and data across cloud services
Reviewing security alerts in a Security Operations Center (SOC) and using automated response
Limiting who can use AI models and tracking what those models do when they run live
Making sure firewall rules and cloud security settings match across the network and cloud systems
If you’re in charge of your team’s training plans, you can tailor them by job role. CBT Nuggets offers courses for both Palo Alto and Google Cloud specialties.
What to Do Next
Look at how well your team handles cloud security design, cloud-based SOC tasks, and simple automation. Then, build a plan that mixes vendor tools with everyday incident and defense practice.
If you want a structured path, use CBT Nuggets to assemble role-based learning in cloud security and SOC operations that keep you aligned with where Google Cloud and major security vendors are investing. Start training with CBT Nuggets, and your first 7 days of training are free.
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