Palo Alto Networks, IBM and Red Hat today announced a collaboration to help organizations identify vulnerabilities early and deploy protections fast across open source software, commercial applications, operational technology (OT) and healthcare technologies. By integrating Palo Alto Networks Virtual Patching capability with Project Lightwell from IBM and Red Hat, the collaboration combines rapid network-level protection with software remediation to help organizations reduce exposure to emerging threats. The collaboration connects IBM and Red Hat's $5 billion commitment to open source security via Project Lightwell with Palo Alto Networks' security platform.
IBM, Red Hat, and Palo Alto Networks expand Project Lightwell for vulnerability response.
AI has compressed the window between vulnerability discovery and exploit from weeks to minutes.
Collaboration combines virtual patching with software remediation for dual-action defense.
Protection covers open source software, commercial apps, OT, and healthcare technologies.
Network-level protections can be deployed the same day a vulnerability is discovered.
IBM Security Services provides advisory and deployment support for customers.
AI has supercharged vulnerability discovery, enabling flaws to be identified at unprecedented speed and scale. AI-driven threats can uncover security gaps across codebases far faster than defenders can patch them, exposing organizations to systemic supply-chain risks. Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto Networks, stated: "AI has compressed the window between vulnerability discovery and exploit from weeks to minutes. Traditional patching cannot keep pace. By collaborating with IBM and Red Hat, we are shifting the advantage back to defenders. This powerful combination allows us to neutralize threats in the network while providing uninterrupted business continuity for our global clients."
The collaboration connects IBM and Red Hat's $5 billion commitment to open source security via Project Lightwell with Palo Alto Networks' security platform. This creates a dual-action defense: Palo Alto Networks rapidly deploys a virtual patch at the network layer to block exploit attempts, while IBM and Red Hat's Project Lightwell offers software remediation for open source software that customers can test and deploy in their environments. Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, added: "IBM established Project Lightwell to secure the open-source software foundation that enterprises rely on every day. By collaborating with Palo Alto Networks, we are extending that security from the source code directly to the network front lines. This joint solution gives our clients exactly what they need to thrive in the AI era: immediate, automated resilience against emerging threats, combined with the rigorous validation required to safely update their core systems."
The collaboration combines vulnerability intelligence, software remediation and network-based protections to help organizations respond quickly to newly discovered vulnerabilities. Key capabilities include broader vulnerability coverage across open source software, commercial applications, operational technology (OT) environments and connected devices; preemptive coverage where organizations can receive virtual patch protections before official software patches become available, helping reduce exposure while remediation is underway; and rapid protection where when a new vulnerability is discovered, network-level protections can be deployed the same day, with a long-term goal of reducing the time from validated discovery to protection.
The companies also plan to establish secure processes for sharing vulnerability information across participating software vendors, technology providers and security teams. This collaboration is expected to support coordinated vulnerability disclosure, accelerate protection development and provide anonymized telemetry on real-world exploitation attempts. This ecosystem approach ensures that the entire software supply chain benefits from faster vulnerability response.
To help organizations respond more effectively to newly discovered vulnerabilities, IBM Security Services can also provide advisory and deployment services that help customers identify which vulnerabilities pose the greatest risk to their business and determine the best path to remediation. Working alongside Palo Alto Networks' virtual patching capabilities and Project Lightwell's software remediation capabilities, IBM Security Services can help customers prioritize, deploy and validate protections and fixes across complex environments.
About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks, the global AI cybersecurity leader, protects our digital way of life with a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity solutions and platforms across Network, Cloud, Security Operations, AI and Identity. Trusted by 70,000+ customers and powered by Unit 42 threat intelligence, our AI-driven platforms eliminate complexity, empowering enterprises to modernize with confidence and securing the speed of innovation.
About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.
About Red Hat
Red Hat is the open hybrid cloud technology leader, delivering a trusted, consistent and comprehensive foundation for transformative IT innovation and AI applications. Its portfolio of cloud, developer, AI, Linux, automation and application platform technologies enables any application, anywhere—from the datacenter to the edge. As the world's leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, Red Hat invests in open ecosystems and communities to solve tomorrow's IT challenges. Collaborating with partners and customers, Red Hat helps them build, connect, automate, secure and manage their IT environments, supported by consulting services and award-winning training and certification offerings.
