Cortex and Prisma Cloud licensing covers the Palo Alto Networks security operations and cloud security platforms. Cortex XDR protects endpoints and servers. Cortex XSIAM is a security operations platform built on data ingestion and automation. Cortex Cloud Posture Management and Cortex Cloud Runtime Security protect cloud workloads. Prisma Cloud is a cloud-native application protection platform consumed through credits.[1][9] The Cortex documentation calls its offer “a modular set of license packages” in which Enterprise Runtime Security (XDR) is the base product and other capabilities become add-ons.[1] All of these are Subscriptions under the End User License Agreement, whose overuse clause allows true-up of endpoints, gigabytes, workloads and credits at the end of each month, quarter or year.[11] As term-based offerings, they have no grace period.[10]
Editions
Cortex XDR
Customers choose between two Cortex XDR variants based on where the infrastructure runs and whether the workload is containerized:[1]
- Cortex XDR Pro EP (on-premises): physical servers and workstations, and non-containerized virtual machines on hypervisors such as VMware ESXi or Hyper-V in the customer’s own facilities.
- Cortex XDR EP Cloud (cloud and containers): VMs or instances in AWS EC2, Azure VM or GCP Compute Engine, and any container workload (Docker, Kubernetes pods) even when it runs on-premises.
Security add-ons include Data Collection, Cloud Posture Management, Cloud Runtime Security, Application Security, Attack Surface Management, Identity Threat Detection and Response, Forensics, Host Insights, Extended Threat Hunting, Extended Threat Intelligence, Exposure Management, Advanced Email Security and DLP. Capacity add-ons are Data Retention, Extended Compute Units, Endpoint Event Forwarding and GB Event Forwarding.[1] The retention documentation also names Cortex XDR Prevent and a Cortex XDR per GB licence.[5]
Cortex XSIAM
Cortex XSIAM is sold in three tiers. NG-SIEM provides analytics, data collection, detection and automation. Enterprise adds the Cortex XDR agent, one per endpoint, and extended endpoint visibility. Premium adds Cloud Posture Security, Cloud Runtime Security, Extended Threat Intelligence, Threat Intel Management and Attack Surface Management.[6] Existing Cortex XSIAM Enterprise Plus licences keep their features, including cloud agent features.[6]
Cortex Cloud
Cortex Cloud Posture Management (agentless CSPM, CIEM, ASPM, DSPM, AI-SPM, Cloud ASM, KSPM, CI/CD posture and agentless workload scanning) and Cortex Cloud Runtime Security (posture plus Cloud Workload Protection and Web Application and API Security) are annual subscriptions, sold alone or bundled with other Cortex products.[7]
Prisma Cloud
Prisma Cloud is a one-, two- or three-year subscription. Compute Edition is self-operated software for workload protection. Enterprise Edition is SaaS made up of product modules.[8] Enterprise Edition offers two plans. Cloud Security Foundations covers agentless visibility, compliance, workload scanning, IaC and IAM security. Cloud Security Advanced adds host, container and serverless runtime security and WAAS.[9]
Metrics
- Cortex XDR Pro per Endpoint and Cortex XDR Cloud per Host.[2]
- GB/day (Cortex data ingestion): the Analytics ingestion tier is “GB/day-based, with a minimum of 100 GB/day”.[6]
- Cortex Cloud protected workload: “The fundamental metric for consumption is the protected workload.”[7]
- Prisma Cloud Credit and Prisma Cloud developer.[9]
Counting / floors
Cortex XDR agents
Each new Cortex XDR agent registers with the tenant to obtain a licence. Non-persistent VDI agents register when the user logs in. Licences are issued until the seats run out, and a cleanup policy returns unused licences to the pool.[2]
| Endpoint type | Licence returned | Removed from console | Removed from database |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard and mobile devices | After 30 days | After 186 days | After 186 days |
| Non-persistent VDI and temporary session | Immediately after log-off for VDI, otherwise after 90 minutes | After 6 hours | After 7 days |
Once all Pro per Endpoint and Cloud per Host licences are used, further agents fall back to a Cortex XDR Prevent policy without Pro capabilities. A small overage is tolerated, but enforcement starts after 14 days (rule).[2] A Fair Usage Policy also requires reasonable data ingestion, connected data sources and API usage relative to the cloud assets protected, and allows Palo Alto Networks to limit them (rule).[4]
Default retention is 31 days for ingested data on per Endpoint, Cloud per Host and per GB licences, and 186 days for case, issue and query data. Case and issue retention for Cortex XDR Prevent carries a minimum of 200 endpoints. Cold-storage retention add-ons require at least six months (rule).[5] After a licence expires, the tenant stays accessible for 48 hours. Endpoints stay protected and data is retained for 31 days, after which the tenant is decommissioned and agent prevention stops (rule).[3]
Cortex XSIAM floors
The Analytics ingestion tier has a minimum of 100 GB/day. The Cortex Data Lake tier is an optional add-on with a minimum of 50 GB/day, available once the 100 GB/day Analytics tier is met. Cloud Posture Security includes up to 400 workloads depending on the plan. Cloud Runtime Security in XSIAM Premium has a minimum of 200 workloads, priced per workload (rule).[6]
Cortex Cloud workloads
Billable units depend on the workload type:[7]
| Workload type | Billable unit |
|---|---|
| VM (with or without containers) | 1 VM |
| Endpoint | 1 endpoint |
| Container as a Service | 10 agent-protected managed containers |
| Cloud buckets | 10 buckets |
| Managed cloud database (PaaS) | 2 PaaS databases |
| DBaaS | 1 TB stored |
| SaaS users | 10 SaaS users |
| On-premises data assets | 1 connection |
| Cloud ASM service | 4 unmanaged assets |
| Container image scans | 10 per deployed workload free, then per 10 scans |
Utilisation is averaged over 90 days to smooth the peaks and troughs of ephemeral workloads, and exceeding capacity usually triggers a notification rather than disabling protection. When both licences are held, excess posture workloads spill into unused runtime quota, but never the reverse (rule).[7]
Prisma Cloud credits
Credits are sold in increments of 100.[8] Cloud Security Foundations needs 2 credits per VM in public cloud accounts. Cloud Security Advanced needs 5 credits per VM in public and private clouds (rule).[9] Module rates in the Credit Guide include:
| Module | Credits |
|---|---|
| Visibility, Compliance and Governance | 1 per VM |
| IAM Security | 0.25 x VCG credit usage |
| DSPM | 1 per IaaS/PaaS data asset; 1 per TB DBaaS; 0.1 per SaaS user |
| Cloud Discovery and Exposure Management | 100 minimum or 0.25 x VCG, whichever is greater |
| Host Security | 0.5 per Host Defender |
| Container Security | 5 per Container Defender; 1 per App-Embedded Defender |
| Serverless Security | 1 per 6 serverless functions |
| Web Application and API Security | 2 per Defender (inline or out-of-band) |
| IaC Security / SCA / Secrets / CI/CD | 3 / 4 / 1 / 3 per developer |
A developer is an active Git committer, identified by a unique Git author email, who has contributed to a protected repository in the last 90 days.[9] Usage is measured every hour, except for Data Security, and rolled up into averages, so short bursts do not cause overages. If aggregate usage exceeds the purchased credits, the vendor says its team will help the customer buy more (rule).[9] Only active or running resources count toward credit usage, and resources in disabled cloud accounts are not counted.[8]
Virtualization & partitioning
Cortex XDR does not license hypervisor hosts or processors. Each protected OS instance with an agent counts. The on-premises versus cloud-or-container distinction decides which variant applies, and containers count as cloud workloads wherever they run.[1] Non-persistent VDI licences are released on log-off.[2] Cortex Cloud counts a VM running containers as one VM.[7]
Cloud / BYOL
These are SaaS platforms, except Prisma Cloud Compute Edition, which the customer deploys in its own public, private, hybrid or air-gapped environments.[8] Prisma Cloud Credits can be bought from Palo Alto Networks, channel partners or marketplaces such as AWS Marketplace, and applied to plans or standalone modules in the console.[9]
Programs
No enterprise program specific to Cortex or Prisma Cloud is published in the cited documents. Cortex and Prisma Cloud are expressly excluded from the Enterprise Program for Attached Subscriptions (see the Enterprise Program article). The Prisma Cloud Credits program lets customers move credits between modules as needs change.[9]
Out of scope
This article does not cover Cortex XSOAR, Cortex Xpanse standalone licensing, Unit 42 managed detection and response (governed by a separate MDR subscription addendum), list prices, or Prisma Cloud Compute Edition credit rates, which the cited Enterprise Credit Guide does not state.