Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer
Course Summary
The PCNSE course is an advanced-level training program for professionals responsible for securing enterprise networks using Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewall (NGFW) technologies. This course delivers in-depth knowledge of the Palo Alto PAN-OS, enabling learners to deploy, configure, manage, and troubleshoot firewalls with a security-first mindset.
The training includes real-world lab exercises, advanced security features, and scenario-based learning to ensure participants can confidently handle modern threats across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid environments.
Why Choose This Course
In today’s cybersecurity landscape, organizations require professionals who can implement zero-trust architectures, enforce deep-packet inspection, and integrate advanced threat prevention across networks.
By choosing this course at Linux Training Center, you benefit from:
Training by certified instructors with real-world firewall deployment experience
A practical, lab-oriented approach focused on hands-on firewall administration
Deep dives into traffic flow, threat inspection, NAT, VPN, User-ID, and more
Guidance tailored for enterprise security teams and security-focused IT roles
This course is ideal for those preparing for security engineering positions or managing mission-critical infrastructure in a modern threat landscape.
Who Should Enroll
This course is ideal for:
Network and security administrators managing enterprise firewalls
Security analysts and engineers deploying Palo Alto NGFWs
IT professionals moving from general networking into cybersecurity roles
Engineers preparing for roles in SOC, NOC, or MSSP environments
Professionals working toward mastery in network security engineering
What You Will Learn
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
Understand the architecture and core functionality of PAN-OS
Configure and manage Palo Alto firewalls in standalone and HA modes
Create and enforce security policies, NAT, and decryption policies
Implement App-ID, Content-ID, and User-ID for granular traffic control
Use WildFire, antivirus, anti-spyware, and URL filtering to block threats
Configure site-to-site and remote access VPNs
Set up logging, monitoring, and threat visibility using Panorama and the CLI
Troubleshoot common network and security issues across deployments
Skills You Will Gain
Advanced configuration of next-generation firewalls
Deep understanding of threat detection and prevention techniques
Expertise in network segmentation, NAT, and VPN design
Real-time monitoring and incident response using Palo Alto tools
Enterprise-level policy creation and identity-based access control
Experience with centralized management via Panorama
Career Benefits
Completing this course will enable you to:
Secure high-demand roles such as Network Security Engineer, Firewall Administrator, or Security Consultant
Lead security operations in both on-premise and hybrid cloud environments
Be recognized as a specialist in Palo Alto Networks security architecture
Work confidently in environments requiring NIST, PCI-DSS, or ISO 27001 compliance
Lay the foundation for future specialization in cloud security, SOC analysis, or zero-trust infrastructure
Secure the Network. Secure Your Future.
With the PCNSE course, you don’t just learn how to configure firewalls—you gain the ability to design, manage, and defend complex networks using one of the industry’s leading cybersecurity platforms.
Get trained by experts. Get hired as a security leader.
Course Syllabus
Modules
- Identify how the Palo Alto Networks products work together to detect and prevent threats
- Given a scenario, identify how to design an implementation of the firewall to meet business requirements that leverage the Palo Alto Networks Security Operating Platform
- Given a scenario, identify how to design an implementation of firewalls in High Availability to meet business requirements that leverage the Palo Alto Networks Security Operating Platform
- Identify the appropriate interface type and configuration for a specified network deployment
- Identify strategies for retaining logs using Distributed Log Collection
- Given a scenario, identify the strategy that should be implemented for Distributed Log Collection
- Identify how to use template stacks for administering Palo Alto Networks firewalls as a scalable solution using Panorama
- Identify how to use device group hierarchy for administering Palo Alto Networks firewalls as a scalable solution using Panorama
- Identify planning considerations unique to deploying Palo Alto Networks firewalls in a public cloud
- Identify planning considerations unique to deploying Palo Alto Networks firewalls in a hybrid cloud
- Identify planning considerations unique to deploying Palo Alto Networks firewalls in a private cloud
- Identify methods for authorization, authentication, and device administration
- Identify the methods of certificate creation on the firewall
- Identify options available in the firewall to support dynamic routing
- Given a scenario, identify ways to mitigate resource exhaustion (because of denial-of-service) in application servers
- Identify decryption deployment strategies
- Identify the impact of application override to the overall functionality of the firewall
- Identify the methods of User-ID redistribution
- Identify VM-Series bootstrap components and their function
Deploy and Configure
- Identify the application meanings in the Traffic log (incomplete, insufficient data, non-syn TCP, not applicable, unknown TCP, unknown UDP, and unknown P2P)
- Given a scenario, identify the set of Security Profiles that should be used
- Identify the relationship between URL filtering and credential theft prevention
- Implement and maintain the App-ID lifecycle
- Identify how to create security rules to implement App-ID without relying on port-based rules
- Identify configurations for distributed Log Collectors
- Identify the required settings and steps necessary to provision and deploy a next-generation firewall
- Identify which device of an HA pair is the active partner
- Identify various methods for authentication, authorization, and device administration within PAN-OS software for connecting to the firewall
- Identify how to configure and maintain certificates to support firewall features
- Identify the features that support IPv6
- Identify how to configure a virtual router
- Given a scenario, identify how to configure an interface as a DHCP relay agent
- Identify the configuration settings for site-to-site VPN
- Identify the configuration settings for GlobalProtect
- Identify how to configure features of NAT policy rules
- Given a configuration example including DNAT, identify how to configure security rules
- Identify how to configure decryption
- Given a scenario, identify an application override configuration and use case
- Identify how to configure VM-Series firewalls for deployment
- Identify how to configure firewalls to use tags and filtered log forwarding for integration with network automation
Operate
- Identify considerations for configuring external log forwarding
- Interpret log files, reports, and graphs to determine traffic and threat trends
- Identify scenarios in which there is a benefit from using custom signatures
- Given a scenario, identify the process to update a Palo Alto Networks system to the latest version of the software
- Identify how configuration management operations are used to ensure desired operational state of stability and continuity
- Identify the settings related to critical HA functions (link monitoring; path monitoring; HA1, HA2, and HA3 functionality; HA backup links; and differences between A/A and A/P)
- Identify the sources of information that pertain to HA functionality
- Identify how to configure the firewall to integrate with AutoFocus and verify its functionality
- Identify the impact of deploying dynamic updates
- Identify the relationship between Panorama and devices as pertaining to dynamic updates versions and policy implementation and/or HA peers
Configuration Troubleshooting
- Identify system and traffic issues using the web interface and CLI tools
- Given a session output, identify the configuration requirements used to perform a packet capture
- Given a scenario, identify how to troubleshoot and configure interface components
- Identify how to troubleshoot SSL decryption failures
- Identify issues with the certificate chain of trust
- Given a scenario, identify how to troubleshoot traffic routing issues
- Given a scenario, identify how to troubleshoot a bootstrap install process
Core Concepts
- Identify the correct order of the policy evaluation based on the packet flow architecture
- Given an attack scenario, identify the appropriate Palo Alto Networks threat prevention component to prevent or mitigate the attack
- Identify methods for identifying users
- Identify the fundamental functions residing on the management plane and data plane of a Palo Alto Networks firewall
- Given a scenario, determine how to control bandwidth use on a per-application basis
- Identify the fundamental functions and concepts of WildFire
- Identify the purpose of and use case for MFA and the Authentication policy
- Identify the dependencies for implementing MFA
- Given a scenario, identify how to forward traffic
- Given a scenario, identify how to configure policies and related objects
- Identify the methods for automating the configuration of a firewall
