Palo Alto Networks announce the release of Traps Version 4

Palo Alto Networks, today announced enhancements to its Traps, an advanced endpoint protection offering that strengthen its malware and exploit prevention capabilities and extend support to more operating systems, including macOS and Android (beta).

A verified AV-replacement for organizations subject to HIPAA regulations or PCI DSS standards, Traps employs a multi-method prevention approach to blocking both known and unknown malware as well as exploits before they compromise endpoints.

The enhancements announced as part of Traps version 4 comes with an addition of support for macOS and Android (beta), plus several new prevention modules designed to detect and stop ransomware and other advanced threats. when implemented in conjunction with other elements of the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform, customers can now correlate endpoint and network security events and threat intelligence information via Panorama network security management to mitigate the risk of cyber breaches across endpoints, firewalls, cloud and SaaS applications.

Key new advancements introduced include:

  • Support for macOS and Android (beta): Traps now secures macOS systems, replacing legacy AV with a multi-method approach to prevention. Protection for Android devices is also available via a community access beta program.
  • Protection from malicious macros: Prevent macro-based attacks often used by ransomware and other advanced attacks by preemptively blocking known and unknown malicious macros embedded in Microsoft Office documents.
  • Prevention of script-based attacks: Prevent vulnerable processes like browsers and Office applications from launching sensitive tools like PowerShell and scripting engines.
  • Exploit kit fingerprint protection: Disrupt attacker attempts to identify and target vulnerable endpoints by blocking their profiling tools.
  • Kernel privilege escalation protection: Block advanced attacks targeting the operating system itself.

“Traps unique approach preemptively stops attacks by blocking the techniques that attackers rely upon, including never-before-seen attacks. The advancements announced today extend protections to macOS and Android, while adding to the attack techniques that can be prevented, to include macro- and script-based attacks, fingerprinting techniques, and kernel privilege escalation. These protections harness and add to the power of our platform to prevent advanced and never-before-seen threats from infiltrating the enterprise, at any point, and render them ineffective.”-Lee Klarich, executive vice president, Product Management, Palo Alto Networks.