Siemens has announced a verified cybersecurity solution that provides secure industrial private 5G networks. This solution has been announced by Siemens and Palo Alto Networks, a renowned cybersecurity company. This announcement has come during Mobile World Congress 2026. This announcement has come at a critical juncture when organizations are moving towards AI-based production systems and automation systems.
Siemens has announced a solution that provides secure industrial private 5G networks by using its private 5G infrastructure and Palo Alto Networks’ AI-optimized Next Generation Firewall technology. This solution has been optimized for operational technology environments and has been thoroughly validated to ensure high availability and network resiliency. This solution provides secure industrial private 5G networks and can be used by organizations to protect their digital infrastructure and meet high-performance requirements.
As Siemens states, the validated solution allows manufacturers to address the particular cybersecurity challenges that emerge when integrating IT and OT systems within a smart factory. With production facilities increasingly depending on wireless networks to enable sensors, robots, and mobile assets, private 5G has emerged as a key enabler for industrial connectivity. Meanwhile, the potential risk of a cyber attack has heightened the need for a particular security architecture that is geared towards industrial networks.
“A pharmaceutical plant has different security requirements than an automotive assembly line,” said Michael Metzler, Vice President Horizontal Management Cybersecurity for Digital Industries at Siemens. “Siemens’ verified solution with Palo Alto Networks addresses these industry-specific needs through purpose-built architecture. Manufacturers get secure 5G connectivity tailored to their operations without performance trade-offs.”
The joint solution will help solve the long-standing problem of how to address industrial cybersecurity in a way that aligns with the traditional IT security tools, which often cause performance bottlenecks and lack the ability to identify industrial-specific network protocols. The proposed architecture, on the other hand, has been optimized to support the high performance and low latency of real-time industrial networks, in addition to providing in-depth network visibility and advanced threat detection capabilities.
The proposed joint solution will feature three layers of security, which will work in tandem to enhance the security of industrial networks. The first one will be Siemens’ own private 5G network, which will provide on-premise wireless connectivity and incorporate in-house security features to protect the network core and ensure data sovereignty, even in the absence of mobile network operators. The second one will be the SINEC Security Monitor, which will offer continuous and passive monitoring of industrial networks to detect anomalies, unknown devices, and potential threats. The third one will be the Palo Alto Networks’ firewall technology, which will offer advanced Layer 7 security and OT protocol analysis, in addition to its capabilities for deep packet inspection and maintaining low latency for real-time industrial network communications.
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These combined capabilities were tested across multiple industrial deployment scenarios at Siemens’ Digital Connectivity Lab in Erlangen, Germany. The verification process confirmed that the architecture can deliver robust cybersecurity while sustaining the operational performance required for time-critical manufacturing environments.
“Palo Alto Networks and Siemens are not just connecting the factory floor, we are building the central nervous system for the future of industry – a future that is intelligent, autonomous, and secure by design,” said Dharminder Debisarun, Smart Industries Cybersecurity Executive at Palo Alto Networks.
The solution is also designed to help organizations align with evolving regulatory and security frameworks. It supports defense-in-depth security architectures and complies with industrial cybersecurity standards such as IEC 62443, which guide the protection of industrial automation and control systems. Meeting these standards is increasingly critical as global regulations demand stronger cybersecurity measures across manufacturing and critical infrastructure sectors.
This validated architecture is now part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, an open digital business platform from Siemens that is committed to enabling the digital transformation of the industrial world. With the power of safe connectivity and AI-powered threat protection, Siemens and Palo Alto Networks are committed to helping the industrial world roll out Industrial 5G networks with confidence, not only to optimize operational efficiency but also to secure it.
As the industrial world continues to advance its digital transformation with smart manufacturing, AI-powered automation, and connected devices, the need for secure industrial networking will still exist. The Siemens/Palo Alto Networks relationship is a great example of how the industry is working together to create a new generation of cybersecure and intelligent factories.
