Which protocol is commonly used for securing VPN connections in Palo Alto Networks devices?

The commonly used protocol for securing VPN connections in Palo Alto Networks devices is IPsec. This protocol operates at the network layer and is widely employed for creating secure tunnels over the internet. It works by providing authentication and encryption services to ensure that the data being transmitted is secure and cannot be intercepted or tampered with by unauthorized parties.

IPsec is particularly effective for site-to-site and remote access VPN configurations within Palo Alto's security framework, as it can integrate with various encryption algorithms and security associations to maintain data confidentiality and integrity. It supports both transport and tunnel modes, allowing flexible deployment based on specific network requirements.

While other protocols like TLS (used for securing web traffic) and SSTP (a type of VPN that encapsulates PPP traffic over an SSL channel) have their use cases, IPsec stands out as the preferred choice for securing VPN connections specifically in the context of Palo Alto Networks devices due to its robustness and compatibility with their security architecture. L2TP, on the other hand, is often used in conjunction with IPsec but does not provide encryption on its own, making it less suitable for standalone use in securing VPNs.