Mike Hurt
Vice President of Federal, Palo Alto Networks
When Mike Hurt was originally looking for a company to join, he knew he didn’t want a “one-trick pony,” focused only on one specific area of cybersecurity. “I wanted to work for a company that was not only specifically security-focused, but also keen to address the three main areas of cybersecurity: endpoint, network and cloud,” he said. “Palo Alto more than meets what I was looking for, and I can’t wait to see where the next year takes us.”
Today, his recent biggest achievement was working to secure Palo Alto Networks’ recently announced Defense Department deal. This is a game-changer for DOD, Hurt said, and his team is thrilled to bring its Xpanse platform to one of the most important networks in the world.
“I’m tremendously proud of the federal team we have at Palo Alto,” he said. “Everyone is committed to giving their all each day, and that combined dedication is paying off; we are really on the move.”
Why Watch
In 2023, Hurt’s team is heavily focused on bringing awareness for customers ⏤ showing them how the company’s portfolio works together and how they can take advantage of what Palo Alto Networks has to offer.
“We’re very proud of our capabilities and have done an excellent job inside the federal space, establishing ourselves as the ‘best-in-class’ for network security and firewalls,” Hurt said. But the main growth strategy he’s been working on since joining the company has been articulating its full breadth of solutions.
“Mike has been incredibly instrumental in our federal work at Palo Alto Networks delivering platform-based security to our customers,” said Eric Trexler, senior vice president of U.S. public sector. “His leadership and expertise are absolutely critical in securing our civilian agency and Department of Defense customers’ environments, and I can’t wait to see what he continues to bring to the table in the future.”
