AT&T CISO: Rich Baich

What the company sells

AT&T sells business networking and security services, including AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks, which delivers AI-driven threat prevention as a fully cloud-based service.

AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks is delivered as a fully cloud-based service with end-to-end provisioning and operational support backed by both AT&T and Palo Alto Networks. AT&T says AI-powered detection helps stop malware, ransomware, phishing, and command-and-control traffic before it reaches users. Automated blocking and mitigation in AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks act at the first indicator of compromise.

AT&T says AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks helps organizations simplify the managing of separate networking and security platforms in an integrated cloud security model. AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks combines AT&T networking and Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access to bring secure cloud access for users, branches, and applications. In this service, Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access can help enable secure access to private applications without users needing to be connected to the internal network. Strata Cloud Manager applies consistent security policies across users, branches, and locations. SPI is a type of integration that lets a service provider like AT&T connect its network directly to the Prisma Access infrastructure.

On firewalls, AT&T says AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks can reduce the need for traditional hardware-based firewalls among distributed users and branches. Customers may use the service alongside existing firewalls when transitioning. AT&T Threat Intelligence helps secure AT&T customers in the same way AT&T secures its own infrastructure and digital assets. AT&T points to AT&T Dynamic Defense, AT&T SASE, and AT&T SD-WAN as its cybersecurity solutions.

AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto is available only to AT&T business customers that maintain or newly establish at least one active AT&T wireless or wireline service connection. Customers may use it with wireless and wireline services provided by other carriers or service providers. AT&T describes a use case in which AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks helps reduce the risk of care disruptions and sensitive data exposure across hospitals and clinics.

AT&T Switched Ethernet on Demand is an on-demand private connection powered by AT&T's high-speed fiber network, with optional embedded threat detection, secure cloud access, and smart traffic control. AT&T provides a customer port connection at each location, with a standard Ethernet interface of 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, or 100 Gbps. The port is connected via fiber to an AT&T core Ethernet switch that is part of AT&T's nationwide fiber network. Customers can scale, provision, and change network configurations with a self-service portal and only pay for the bandwidth they use. AT&T Dynamic Defense is available with AT&T Business Fiber, AT&T Dedicated Internet, and select customers of AT&T Switched Ethernet on Demand.

AT&T sells business internet as well as security products. AT&T Business Fiber comes with no data caps, no equipment fees, and no annual contract. For AT&T Dedicated Internet, equipment may be provided by AT&T or, where eligible, supplied by the customer.

AT&T Private 5G Edge is designed to be an integrated platform providing connectivity and embedded applications through a single platform, using CBRS spectrum and/or AT&T spectrum. AT&T says it is being developed for mid-size companies or large organizations with distributed facilities. AT&T says the service complements the existing Azure Public MEC service, which AT&T co-created with Microsoft.^{[1][3][4][5][12]}

Categories

• SASE and SSE (primary category)
• Firewalls and NGFW
• Compare AT&T with companies in the same categoryside by side

Headquarters

Not established from our sources

Founded

Not established from our sources

Ownership

Public (NYSE: T)^{[2][8][9][10][11][13][16][17]}

CISO on record

Rich Baich, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) (roster, verified September 8, 2026)

Website

att.com

Products and services

Product names as the company writes them; what each does, in our words, from the company's own product pages. Never how well it does it.

• AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks^[1][10]

  A fully cloud-based service for AI-driven threat prevention and automated response and enforcement.

  AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto Networks combines AT&T networking and Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access for secure cloud access for users, branches, and applications. Strata Cloud Manager applies consistent security policies across users, branches, and locations. It is delivered as a fully cloud-based service with end-to-end provisioning and operational support backed by both AT&T and Palo Alto Networks.

• AT&T Switched Ethernet on Demand^[11]

  An on-demand private connection over AT&T's fiber network with optional threat detection.

  AT&T Switched Ethernet on Demand offers five Class of Service options with Service Level Agreements. Customers adjust bandwidth through a web-based dashboard.

• AT&T Business Fiber^[11][12]

  Business fiber internet with no data caps, no equipment fees, and no annual contract.

  AT&T Business Fiber offers the same upload and download speeds. Select plans at 1 GIG and above include built-in wireless backup at no extra cost. If the fiber network is interrupted, service can switch over automatically.

• AT&T Private 5G Edge^[13]

  An integrated platform providing connectivity and embedded applications.

  AT&T Private 5G Edge is designed as an integrated platform providing connectivity and embedded applications through a single platform using CBRS spectrum and/or AT&T spectrum. It is being developed for mid-size companies or large organizations with distributed facilities.

Competitors and alternatives

The other companies on our record filed under the same categories, category by category: first those that lead with that category and share more of AT&T's categories, then alphabetical. A list from the record, never a ranking.

• On sase and sse, AT&T competes with Aryaka, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Versa Networks, Cato Networks, Dispersive Stealth Networking, Netskope, Skyhigh Security, Check Point Software Technologies, Cisco, Ecessa Corporation and 7 more.

• On firewalls and ngfw, AT&T competes with Check Point Software Technologies, Cisco, Ecessa Corporation, Fortinet, Juniper Networks, SonicWall, Huawei, Palo Alto Networks, WatchGuard Technologies, Aryaka and 5 more.

What review platforms show

The headline rating and review count each platform showed in public search results on the day we looked, with the link. We do not read or reproduce the reviews, and a rating is the platform's, not ours.

• G2 · 4.0 out of 5^[8]seen November 4, 2026
• Gartner Peer Insights · 4.3 out of 5^[9]seen November 4, 2026

Recent news

Dated company events from the last twelve months, each in one sentence of ours with its source. Newest first.

• August 6, 2026

  AT&T selected Ericsson to supply 600 MHz dual-band radios to support deployment of spectrum it acquired from EchoStar. AT&T^[16]

• July 28, 2026

  AT&T closed its acquisition of wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar for approximately $23 billion. PR Newswire^[17]

• June 3, 2026

  AT&T launched a streamlined fiber home internet lineup with savings for customers who combine its wireless and home internet services. AT&T^[7]

• May 21, 2026

  AT&T launched Build-A-Plan, a wireless plan customers can adjust month to month, available online starting May 27 at $15.00 a month. AT&T^[14]

• March 31, 2026

  AT&T launched OneConnect, a single subscription covering wireless and home internet at one flat monthly price. AT&T^[15]

• March 18, 2026

  AT&T launched a new app for managing wireless and home internet services. AT&T^[6]

References

Every fact above cites one of these by number. Tier A is the company itself, a regulator or a filing; tier B is trade or business press.

1. [1]CybersecurityAT&T · business.att.com · undated page, accessed October 12, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
2. [2]Att announces 250 billion commitmentAT&T · about.att.com · published March 10, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
3. [3]Terms of Service - Legal Policy Center - AT&TAT&T · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
4. [4]AT&T Cloud Voice with WebexAT&T Business · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
5. [5]AT&T Dedicated Internet Access for Business – AT&T BusinessAT&T Business · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
6. [6]AT&T Launches New App to Simplify Customers’ Digital ExperienceAT&T · published March 18, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
7. [7]AT&T Launches Simple Fiber Plans: Built for More, Sold for LessAT&T · published June 3, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
8. [8]AT&T Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier C
9. [9]AT&T Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier C
10. [10]Enterprise Unified Threat Management & Intelligence | AT&T Dynamic Defense with Palo Alto NetworksAT&T Business · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
11. [11]AT&T Switched Ethernet on DemandAT&T Business · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
12. [12]AT&T Business Fiber®: High Speed Business Fiber Internet ServiceAT&T Business · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
13. [13]Private 5G Edge Network with Apps and Services For Business | AT&T BusinessAT&T Business · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
14. [14]AT&T Launches Build-A-PlanAT&T · published May 21, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
15. [15]AT&T Launches OneConnectAT&T · published March 31, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
16. [16]AT&T and Ericsson Enhance Wireless Capacity, Coverage, and Performance NationwideAT&T · published August 6, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing
17. [17]AT&T Closes Acquisition of Spectrum Licenses from EchoStarPR Newswire · published July 28, 2026 · Tier A: the company, a regulator or a filing

Last verified October 12, 2026. Our code found the quoted passage behind each fact on its source page when the fact was recorded, and re-checks every record against its sources each month.

Recorded October 12, 2026, expanded November 4, 2026 from the references above.

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