Jane Edwards 
- Palo Alto Networks and NTT DATA have created an alliance to advance secure AI adoption
- The partnership targets $1 billion in joint business by 2029
- Public sector, financial services and healthcare clients are among the initial focus areas
Palo Alto Networks and NTT DATA have formed a multiyear strategic alliance designed to help public sector, healthcare and financial services organizations securely adopt artificial intelligence, modernize cybersecurity and develop cyber resilience.
Palo Alto Networks said Thursday the agreement will combine its AI-powered cybersecurity platforms with NTT DATA’s managed services, consulting and engineering capabilities and targets $1 billion in joint business by 2029.
What Is the Scope of the NTT DATA-Palo Alto Networks Alliance?
The alliance is built on joint engineering, co-innovation and coordinated global delivery, with the goal of helping clients assess cyber risk, securely deploy AI and manage security operations on an ongoing basis. Initial offerings will target regulated and critical industries, including the public sector, financial services, healthcare and manufacturing.
NTT DATA brings more than 7,500 cybersecurity professionals, over 70 delivery centers and more than 20 autonomous cyber defense centers to the alliance, while Palo Alto Networks contributes its Unit 42 threat intelligence unit, more than 2,000 certified professionals and dedicated forward deployed engineers. The direct engineering collaboration will give NTT DATA early access to new platform features to speed up the delivery of AI security services to customers.
The partnership centers on six transformation areas:
- Autonomous security operations center — agentic AI and managed services to accelerate threat detection and response
- AI governance — risk management and oversight controls embedded across the AI lifecycle
- Identity security — protection for human, machine and AI agent accounts
- Zero trust and SASE — secure access service edge architectures for distributed environments
- Cloud security posture management — visibility and risk reduction across multi-cloud environments
- Firewall modernization — reduced complexity and improved visibility for legacy environments
What Did NTT DATA & Palo Alto Networks CEOs Say About the Strategic Alliance?
Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks, said the expanded alliance allows the company to extend its platform approach globally.
“Expanding our alliance with NTT DATA allows us to operationalize platformization at true global scale, helping enterprises eliminate legacy complexity and move fast without sacrificing safety,” Arora said.
Abhijit Dubey, CEO and chief AI officer of NTT DATA, said the partnership positions both companies to help clients manage AI-driven risk at scale.
“Together with Palo Alto Networks, we’re bringing AI-powered cybersecurity innovation together with NTT DATA’s consulting, engineering and managed services capabilities to help clients securely accelerate AI adoption and stay ahead of evolving threats,” Dubey noted.
How Does the Alliance Build on Palo Alto Networks’ Recent Security Moves?
The alliance follows a series of recent portfolio moves by Palo Alto Networks. Earlier this year, the company completed its $25 billion acquisition of identity security firm CyberArk and later acquired Portkey to expand its Prisma AIRS AI security platform.
Palo Alto Networks has also secured FedRAMP High authorization for its Idira Identity Security Platform, a milestone that reflects the company’s continued emphasis on zero trust and identity security as government and enterprise organizations expand their use of AI.
