Last updated: November 3, 2026. Testing track: Documentation Reviewed.
Prisma AIRS is Palo Alto Networks’ AI security platform for custom AI apps, models and agents, built partly on the Protect AI acquisition, with runtime scanning, model scanning, red teaming and agent controls. Workforce GenAI usage is handled by a separate module, AI Access Security, which runs on Palo Alto firewalls, Prisma Access or Prisma Browser. It is broadest for organizations already on the Palo Alto stack.
Ownership: Public company (Nasdaq: PANW). Acquired Protect AI; completion announced July 22, 2025, price not disclosed in the press release (Palo Alto Networks press release). Acquired Koi (agentic endpoint security); completion announced April 14, 2026 (Palo Alto Networks press release).
Score: 7.6 / 10.
Initial review November 3, 2026.
This review is based on Palo Alto Networks Prisma AIRS’s public documentation, product pages, pricing pages and press coverage as of November 2026. We have not had lab access or a vendor demo.
Scores use the same published rubric and formula as every review on this site. Sources are listed at the end of the review.
Coverage breadth
Detection accuracy
Deployment friction
Policy & control depth
Framework alignment
Support & documentation
20%
20%
15%
15%
10%
10%
10%
9
8
5
8
8
6
8
Spans workforce GenAI, custom apps, models, agents, MCP, coding assistants and endpoints, but M365 and Google app governance is not documented.
Mature Enterprise DLP plus prompt injection, malicious code and model scanning, with no independent benchmarks published.
API mode is light, but workforce controls require Palo Alto network or browser infrastructure and multiple licenses.
Granular app, function and DLP policies plus API security profiles; file inspection limited to some apps.
Red teaming maps to OWASP LLM Top 10, NIST AI RMF and MITRE ATLAS; no ISO 42001 or EU AI Act mapping found.
AWS Marketplace PAYG rates published in docs for one deployment mode; other modules quote only.
Extensive docs, monthly release notes, API reference and enterprise support, offset by complex licensing.
Score
9
Notes
Spans workforce GenAI, custom apps, models, agents, MCP, coding assistants and endpoints, but M365 and Google app governance is not documented.
Score
8
Notes
Mature Enterprise DLP plus prompt injection, malicious code and model scanning, with no independent benchmarks published.
Score
5
Notes
API mode is light, but workforce controls require Palo Alto network or browser infrastructure and multiple licenses.
Score
8
Notes
Granular app, function and DLP policies plus API security profiles; file inspection limited to some apps.
Score
8
Notes
Red teaming maps to OWASP LLM Top 10, NIST AI RMF and MITRE ATLAS; no ISO 42001 or EU AI Act mapping found.
Score
6
Notes
AWS Marketplace PAYG rates published in docs for one deployment mode; other modules quote only.
Score
8
Notes
Extensive docs, monthly release notes, API reference and enterprise support, offset by complex licensing.
Covers the full AI lifecycle in one vendor: model scanning, red teaming, runtime protection and agent security, per the Prisma AIRS 2.0 launch release (Oct 28, 2025).
Red teaming reports map findings to OWASP LLM Top 10, NIST AI RMF and MITRE ATLAS, per Palo Alto docs.
Rapid release cadence in 2026, including Anthropic inference hooks, OpenAI Codex integration and memory poisoning tests (August 2026 release notes).
Publishes concrete AWS Marketplace PAYG rates for Managed AIRS for AWS in its documentation.
Workforce GenAI controls depend on Palo Alto NGFW, Prisma Access or Prisma Browser licensing, which raises cost and rollout effort for non-Palo Alto shops.
DLP inspection of files covers only some GenAI apps; most supported apps are non-file inspection only, per the supported-apps page.
AI Agent Gateway was in limited preview at the Prisma AIRS 3.0 launch (March 2026), per press coverage. No independent detection benchmarks or published per-seat pricing for API Intercept or AI Access Security found. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace OAuth app governance for AI tools is not documented.
Large enterprises already standardized on Palo Alto NGFW, Prisma Access or Strata Cloud Manager that build their own AI applications and agents and want runtime scanning, model scanning and red teaming from the same vendor that runs their network security. Security teams that need framework-mapped red team reports for OWASP, NIST and MITRE will find that documented.
Small and mid-size organizations without Palo Alto infrastructure that mainly need to govern employee use of ChatGPT and similar tools will face heavy licensing and network dependencies; browser-extension tools such as Harmonic, Nightfall or Nudge deploy with less friction. Teams that only need prompt-level guardrails for one app may prefer a lighter API such as Lakera.
Partly published. Managed AIRS for AWS PAYG (AWS Marketplace): Premium SKU $3.00/hour per deployment plus $1.00/hour per additional AZ, traffic $0.065/GB for the first 15 TB/month falling to $0.030/GB above 30 TB (Palo Alto docs). Prepaid Software NGFW credits also accepted. API Intercept, AI Red Teaming and AI Access Security pricing not published.
See how it compares in our Best LLM Security Tools 2026 ranking. The poor-fit section above names alternatives for buyers it does not suit, and our methodology explains how every product is scored.
If Palo Alto Networks Prisma AIRS grants lab access, we would run the following scenarios and upgrade this review to Lab Tested.
Direct and indirect prompt-injection scenarios from public OWASP and Lakera-style test sets against a representative LLM app.
The standard sensitive-data set in prompts and model responses.
Block, warn, redact and allow behaviors against a configured policy.
What is logged, what is not, and retention behavior.
Microsoft Entra ID and Okta where supported.
Time from access to enforced policy in a representative environment.
Added latency on standard prompt sizes.
Based on public documentation. “Not documented” means we could not find it in public material, not that the product lacks it.
| Capability | Palo Alto Networks Prisma AIRS |
|---|---|
| Inline prompt DLP | Yes. Enterprise DLP inspects GenAI traffic via AI Access Security; runtime Scan API detects sensitive data in prompts and responses. |
| Shadow AI discovery | Yes. AI Access Security dashboard covers hundreds of GenAI apps in 10 use cases; Prisma AIRS 3.0 and Cortex AISPM inventory agents, models and MCP servers. |
| Blocking unapproved AI tools | Yes. Block unsanctioned GenAI apps through the default GenAI app access rule; Prisma Browser can redirect to sanctioned tools. |
| File upload inspection | Partial. File inspection supported only for apps marked in the supported-apps table; most apps are non-file only. |
| Secure AI workspace (sanctioned chat) | Partial. Prisma Browser 2026 update describes an agentic workspace to use the LLM of choice; not a standalone sanctioned chat app. |
| Built-in AI vendor risk scoring | Partial. Use cases list associated risks; numeric per-app risk scores not documented on the supported-apps page. |
| Microsoft 365 connected AI app review and control | Not documented. No AI-specific OAuth app review or revoke workflow for Microsoft 365 found in Prisma AIRS or AI Access Security docs. |
| Google Workspace connected AI app review and control | Not documented. No Google Workspace OAuth app governance found in reviewed docs. |
| Governance scorecard, attestation and board reporting | Partial. Red teaming reports with risk scores mapped to frameworks, exportable as JSON or CSV; no board-level governance scorecard documented. |
| AI agent and MCP security | Yes. MCP tool scanning (Oct 2025), standalone MCP server, AI Agent Security, AI Agent Gateway (limited preview), memory poisoning detection. |
| Prompt injection defense | Yes. Runtime prompt injection detection via API Intercept and network intercept; Prisma Browser blocks hidden prompt injection on websites. |
| AI red teaming | Yes. AI Red Teaming from Protect AI integration, 500+ attack scenarios, agent-led scans, n8n support. |
| SIEM integration | Partial. Model scan results and AI Access activity are recorded in Strata Logging Service for search and export (Aug 2026 notes); third-party SIEM forwarding for AIRS events not covered in sources reviewed. |
API/SDK (Scan API, 2 MB sync and 5 MB async payload limits, one API key per deployment profile, region-bound keys); network intercept via Prisma AIRS software firewalls (including Managed AIRS for AWS); AI Access Security requires NGFW or Prisma Access managed by Panorama or Strata Cloud Manager, or Prisma Browser, plus Strata Logging Service. Typical rollout time not published; network modes assume existing Palo Alto infrastructure.
Custom LLM apps and agents (API Intercept scan API, network intercept, AI Agent Gateway in limited preview as of March 2026), MCP tool calls, AI models and supply chain (model scanning), AI skill packages, coding assistants (OpenAI Codex Enterprise and Anthropic inference hooks integrations, Aug 2026), cloud AI assets via Cortex AISPM discovery, employee GenAI web apps via AI Access Security (NGFW, Prisma Access, Prisma Browser), and agentic endpoints via Koi.
Palo Alto Networks’ AI security platform covering AI runtime protection (API and network), AI red teaming, AI model security and AI agent security. Version 2.0 shipped Oct 28, 2025 and 3.0 was announced in March 2026.
Yes. Palo Alto Networks announced completion of the Protect AI acquisition on July 22, 2025 and folded its model scanning, posture management and red teaming into Prisma AIRS.
AI Access Security governs employee use of third-party GenAI apps through NGFW, Prisma Access or Prisma Browser. Prisma AIRS protects AI apps, models and agents that an organization builds or runs.
Managed AIRS for AWS has published PAYG rates (for example $3.00/hour Premium plus per-GB traffic). Other modules are quote-based.
