AT&T this week introduced a managed firewall service for 5G network deployments that combines the operator’s security services with Palo Alto Networks’ firewall. 

The managed firewall is currently available to U.S.-based AT&T Business customers that use the carrier’s edge, IoT, private network, or multi-access edge computing services. It provides threat visibility, attack prevention at the application layer, and security policy management for IoT, operational technology (OT), and information technology (IT) stacks running on 5G, according to AT&T.

“AT&T’s managed firewall service covers use cases for OT/IT environments, health care, retail, and in combination with AT&T’s connectivity solution in each of these use cases,” Rupesh Chokshi, VP at AT&T Cybersecurity, wrote in response to questions.

“In addition to edge computing, AT&T multi-access edge computing (MEC) also allows sensitive and proprietary data to keep locally on private networks, keeping it safe from cyberthreats with end-to-end firewall protection for both network and traffic routed through AT&T MEC,” Chokshi added. 

The operator claims native integration of AT&T’s 5G network and security services with Palo Alto Networks’ firewall provides enterprises with a foundation to implement zero-trust architecture and threat detection, especially in the IoT and OT spaces. There are no implementations of AT&T’s managed firewall service for 5G network deployments to date, Chokshi said. 

“With the shift of workloads to the mobile edge, enterprises need a comprehensive security solution to ensure a consistent security experience across a breadth of use cases,” IDC Research VP Ghasson Abdo said in a statement.

The managed service, like other offerings from AT&T, includes round-the-clock management and monitoring of threats through AT&T’s centers for security and network operations. AT&T intends to release additional security products and capabilities for 5G network deployments in the coming months.