Softcat Limited

Palo Alto Cortex XSIAM

Cortex XSIAM unifies best-in-class security operations functions, including EDR, XDR, SOAR, ASM, UEBA, TIP, SIEM, and more. Cortex XSIAM also centralizes all of your security data and uses machine learning data models designed specifically for detecting and stopping known and unknown security incidents.

Features

• Identifies and prevents exploits and malware at the endpoint/device
• Replaces traditional antivirus with advanced AI driven multi-method prevention
• Replaces complex EDR solutions with a fully-integrated approach
• Pre-emptive inspection of unknown executables and files
• Assists organisations in meeting various compliance standards
• Patch and protect End of Support operating systems
• Local analysis via machine learning, continual protection in offline environments
• Behaviour-Based Ransomware Protection
• Support for Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS and VDI workloads

Benefits

• Improves detection and prevention capabilities, stopping attacks from becoming incidents
• Enables SOCs to ingest more data sources, improving response times
• Improves incident closure rates, minimising incidents requiring manual support
• Simplifies data onboarding and reduces infrastructure complexities
• Provides security practitioners with the knowledge/capabilities to be proactive

£70 a unit

• Education pricing available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  ODS

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at psitq@softcat.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

400445551761036

Contact

Charles Harrison
01628 403403
psitq@softcat.com

Service scope

• Service constraints: XSIAM is a SaaS product and requires the deployment of the XSIAM Endpoint agent to appropriate and compatible endpoints.
• System requirements:
  • Microsoft-OS supported for three years beyond end of Microsoft support.
  • Other operating systems are supported until they reach end-of-life.
  • Android uses latest Cortex XDR Agent App on Google Store
  • More information can be found on the Cortex Help Center

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: 24x7x365 Support; Priority 1 (Critical) - < 1 Hour ; Priority 2 (High) - 2 Hours; Priority 3 (Medium) - 4 Hours; Priority 4 (Low) - 8 Business Hours; Support Service Level Agreements (SLA) are identical for Monday to Friday and Weekends/Public Holidays.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Onsite support
• Support levels: All Cortex products from Palo Alto Networks come with a standard support offering included which entitles the customer to 24x7x365 email and telephone support.; Other 'enhanced support' options exist inclusive of premium customer success support and provision of dedicated engineers for short or long term engagements - all such options can be negotiated and applied as required.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: As a customer or partner of Palo Alto Networks, provision to our online training platform (Beacon - https://beacon.paloaltonetworks.com/student/catalog) is made available. Which enables customers and partners to learn at their own pace and only invest in classroom training either when they are ready or if they need to at all. ; Palo Alto Networks offers on-site training (EDU-210, EDU-214, EDU-220, EDU-330, and more) and online training (EDU-110, EDU-114, EDU-120, etc.).; In addition, publicly accessible user-documentation which details everything from initial setup through to ongoing maintenance & usage and how to use the API.; Professional Services are also available in the form of "Quickstart" packages to rapidly onboard organisations.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Cloud data that Palo Alto Networks hold on an organisation/tenant can be exported and deleted by contacting Palo Alto Networks support. If no contact is made data will automatically be purged after 90 days post cessation of the contract(s).
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contract, if the organisation chooses not to renew and continue with the service all data pertaining to the organisation is deleted. If the organisation chooses to renew then the service continues as normal. 90-days prior to the contract expiration date an initial reminder email is sent, followed up by gradually increasing reminders until the date of expiration.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: All features and functionality are primarily delivered through the secure web admin console.; This includes the initial setup, system-configuration, on-boarding and operational functions such as monitoring and reporting.; A role-based access control (RBAC) system is in place to enforce the relevant access and configuration permissions requirements for certain types of individual users or groups.
• Web interface accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web interface is accessible: The secure web admin console is accessible via a subdomain of traps.paloaltonetworks.com (e.g. organisation.aperture.paloaltonetworks.com) or via apps.paloaltonetworks.com. IP Whitelisting can be utilised to restrict access to the management web interface.
• Web interface accessibility testing: The secure web admin console is accessible via a subdomain of traps.paloaltonetworks.com (e.g. organisation.aperture.paloaltonetworks.com) or via apps.paloaltonetworks.com. IP Whitelisting can be utilised to restrict access to the management web interface.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Get Incidents; Get Extra Incident Data; Update an Incident; Insert CEF Alerts; Insert Parsed Alerts; Isolate Endpoints; Un-isolate Endpoints; Get Endpoints; Get All Endpoints; Scan Endpoints; Cancel Scan Endpoints; Delete Endpoints; Get Policy; Get Device Violations; Get Distribution Version; Create Distributions; Get Distribution Status; Get Distribution URL; Get Audit Management Log; Get Audit Agent Report; Blacklist Files; Whitelist Files; Quarantine Files; Get Quarantine Status; Restore File; Retrieve File
• API automation tools: Other
• Other API automation tools: Python/Go Modules Available
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• Command line interface: Yes
• Command line interface compatibility:
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
  • MacOS
• Using the command line interface: The CLI is primarily used for debugging and support purposes of the endpoint software. It is not used for general purposes.

Scaling

• Scaling available: Yes
• Scaling type: Automatic
• Independence of resources: Palo Alto Networks through an automated process is constantly evaluating and monitoring the load placed upon the application. Each customers instance is unique so there is no risk of shared resources being fully utilised by another organisation. As load increases the service will automatically bring online additional compute resources to accommodate the additional load.
• Usage notifications: No

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • Disk
  • Memory
  • Number of active instances
  • Other
• Other metrics:
  • Asset details
  • Compliance
  • Policy violations
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller (no extras)
• Organisation whose services are being resold: Palo Alto

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Penetration testing approach: In-house
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: Service are supplied from Google and Amazon Data centers (further information to follow); Google Security statement; https://cloud.google.com/security/overview/ ; https://cloud.google.com/security/; ; AWS Security Statement; https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/data-center/controls/ ; https://d1.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/aws-security-whitepaper; https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/data-center/data-centers/; ; All logs are stored in the Cortex data lake, user activity is monitored and stored in the Cortex data lake for the agreed retention period.
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
  • Hardware containing data is completely destroyed
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Backup and recovery

• Backup and recovery: No

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Other
• Other protection within supplier network: Palo Alto Networks uses a proprietary encryption layer for API calls, telemetry and update services.

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Palo Alto Networks commits to using commercially reasonable efforts to make the Cortex XSIAM service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (excluding downtime resulting from any planned outage wherein Palo Alto Networks had provided prior notice; or any emergency outage making it impracticable for Palo Alto Networks to issue advance notice). Palo Alto Networks commits to achieving uptime availability of 99.9 percent, measured over the calendar month.
• Approach to resilience: Palo Alto Networks delivers the Cortex XSIAM service utilising public cloud providers Amazon Web Services and Google Compute Platform. Within each of these providers the use of “availability zones” (AZ) to ensure geo and service redundancy and resiliency within a region (e.g. United Kingdom) and at a regional level with traffic being able to be steered to another region/availability zone/location should an incident occur.
• Outage reporting: A public dashboard available at status.paloaltonetworks.com and via email alerting.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Restrictions can be implemented by restricting IP addresses able to access the management interface(s). In addition a role-based access control (RBAC) system is in place to further restrict users to user definable configuration views and modes.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
• Devices users manage the service through:
  • Dedicated device on a segregated network (providers own provision)
  • Dedicated device on a government network (for example PSN)
  • Dedicated device over multiple services or networks
  • Any device but through a bastion host (a bastion host is a server that provides access to a private network from an external network such as the internet)
  • Directly from any device which may also be used for normal business (for example web browsing or viewing external email)

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: PECB MS
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 2020/07/06
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: Palo Alto Network's overarching information security program is aligned to ISO 27001/2, and includes key controls from HIPAA, PCI and SOC2 we maintain certification against ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701. To ensure high quality and reliability, our factory certifications do however include: ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, AS9100, TL 9000, ANSI ESD S20:20-2007, ISO 1384:2003. All products are UL and TUV certified and have undergone Electromagnetic emissions and immunity testing.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: Yes
• CSA STAR accreditation date: Available upon request
• CSA STAR certification level: Level 1: CSA STAR Self-Assessment
• What the CSA STAR doesn’t cover: N/A
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/legal-notices/trust-center/technical-certifications#

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: Palo Alto Networks has a formal Enterprise Risk Management program, which includes the performance of an annual risk assessment, with periodic updates, as applicable, to identify and assess key risks and their mitigation approaches. The scope of the program encompasses information security risks and product risks. Our security program consists of a risk-based approach that includes administrative, technical and physical safeguards reasonably designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of customer data. Palo Alto Network's information security program is aligned to ISO 27001/2, and includes key controls from HIPAA, PCI and SOC2.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Both Palo Alto Networks and the end-user organisation are in full control of their relevant and respective change control processes.; Additional details are available upon request.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Applications and software that collect, transmit or display, or process End User Data, Palo Alto Networks conducts an application security assessment review to identify common security vulnerabilities as identified by industry recognized organizations annually or for all major releases, whichever occurs first. The scope of the security assessment will primarily focus on application security, including, but not limited to, a penetration test of the application, as well as a code review.; ; Palo Alto Networks utilizes a qualified third party to conduct the application security assessments. Palo Alto Networks may conduct the security assessment review directly, following industry standard best practices.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: Applications and software that collect, transmit or display, or process End User Data, Palo Alto Networks conducts an application security assessment review to identify common security vulnerabilities as identified by industry recognized organizations annually or for all major releases, whichever occurs first. The scope of the security assessment will primarily focus on application security, including, but not limited to, a penetration test of the application, as well as a code review.; ; Palo Alto Networks utilizes a qualified third party to conduct the application security assessments. Palo Alto Networks may conduct the security assessment review directly, following industry standard best practices.
• Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: This information is available upon request.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Separation between users

• Virtualisation technology used to keep applications and users sharing the same infrastructure apart: Yes
• Who implements virtualisation: Supplier
• Virtualisation technologies used: Other
• Other virtualisation technology used: Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Platform
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: Each organisations compute instances are unique to that individual organisation with logical separation being achieved at the cloud provider level. This ensures that no virtualized infrastructure is shared organisation to organisation and each respective organisations data and network traffic is isolated from one another.

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: Information available upon request

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  Softcat are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact and actively promoting sustainability. Our commitment to sustainability is a core aspect of our business strategy, driving us to innovate and lead in the creation of a more sustainable future for our company and the communities we serve. This commitment is embedded in our policies, operating procedures, and training programs.; ; We are proud to be the first FTSE 250 company to be awarded 5-star status in relation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. ; ; We aim to achieve a Carbon Net-Zero Value Circle by 2040 by prioritising renewable energy, reducing natural resource use, minimising waste, and safeguarding biodiversity in compliance with environmental legislation.; ; At Softcat, we have taken significant steps towards securing renewable energy across our organisation, reducing our scope 1 & 2 emissions. We had the target of using 100% Renewable Energy across all our locations by 2024. We successfully delivered against this target ~2 years early.; ; In May 2023 we took delivery of 15 electric vehicles, replacing all existing fossil-fuelled company cars used by employees for business means. The implementation of the EV pool fleet will see a saving of over 80 tons of CO2e per year. A huge impact on our Net Zero targets.

  Tackling economic inequality

  As a value-add reseller, Softcat outsources the products, services, and solutions through our extensive network of partners, to best suit the needs of our broad client base. We always consider and promote SMEs and local providers where appropriate, particularly for the products and services we offer via the G Cloud framework.; ; We remain dedicated to improving employability and educational awareness across schools, colleges, and universities to help break down the barriers to joining technology organisations.; ; We work collaboratively with many schools that are close in proximity to our offices, to ensure we are actively supporting the community as well as schools from lower socio-economic backgrounds. ; ; We visit the schools to talk about the IT sector and the roles in our organisation, as well as promoting work-experience opportunities during the summer. In particular, we actively encourage students from diverse backgrounds to engage in work experience to appreciate the roles available in our sector.; ; For ambitious school and college leavers, a Softcat Apprenticeship is a great first step into the world of work, with 94% of our apprentices offered a permanent position at Softcat post apprenticeships, which goes to show the amazing opportunity available with us.; ; We were ranked 1st in IT & Consultancy, and 10th overall in by RateMyApprenticeship.com - Best 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2023-2024 list.; ; Softcat now also offer 12 month paid internships to University students looking to complete a year in industry as part of their undergraduate studies.

  Equal opportunity

  Our approach to diversity and inclusion is introduced first during our induction training, as part of our Softcat values, outlining responsibility to uphold our principles. This message is reinforced by our process and policies, networks, Allyship Training and Inclusion Awareness campaigns.; ; Softcat supports diversity and inclusion through various networks including:; - Supporting Women in Business (SWIB); - The Ethnic and Cultural Network; - The Pride Network; - The Family Network; - The Empowering Disability and Neurodiversity Network (EDN); - The Faith at Work Network; - Armed Forces & Veterans Network; These networks aim to create a supportive and inclusive work environment for all employees, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or family commitments.; ; Our allyship programme, Stronger Together, is a mixture of event and workshop-based training available to all staff. Programme topics include, bias, power, privilege, and being a greater ally. ; ; Inclusion Awareness campaigns include race, disability, sexual orientation, gender, faith, and caring responsibilities. These sessions highlight and celebrate minority groups, through panel sessions, Q&A sessions and training, providing an opportunity to discuss and understand ways to be more inclusive. ; ; Our efforts to improve diversity and inclusion have been incredibly successful. Since 2020, the number of female employees below management level has increased to 35%, and the number of ethnic minority employees rose to 17%.

  Wellbeing

  At Softcat, all employees are provided with access to our multidimensional wellbeing programme which includes flexible work arrangements, free nutritious breakfast, mental health support, employee benefits scheme, health and wellbeing week activities, and online workshops.; ; Giving back to the community is an innate part of who we are as a company. All Softcat employees are therefore given two volunteer days per year to support a charitable or community cause. ; ; Each of our 10 regional offices also support local charities through fundraising, donations and events. For example, our Manchester office has raised over £30,000 for the WeLoveMCR charity. This funding has supported young, disadvantaged Manchester citizens in gaining qualifications to broaden their work opportunities and supporting local groups in delivering indispensable services that enable community cohesion.

Pricing

• Price: £70 a unit
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  ODS

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at psitq@softcat.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.