CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Cato Networks vs SonicWall

Cato Networks sells the Cato SASE Cloud, a SASE platform built as a global cloud with a single-pass engine, a single data lake and single policy enforcement. SonicWall is a unified cybersecurity portfolio that helps SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams consolidate network, endpoint, cloud, and threat response across hybrid environments. CISO Tribune files both under SASE and SSE. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

Change the companies

Up to four companies side by side.

  • Cato Networks
  • SonicWall
Cato Networks vs SonicWall: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
Cato NetworksCato Networks sells the Cato SASE Cloud, a SASE platform built as a global cloud with a single-pass engine, a single data lake and single policy enforcement.catonetworks.comSonicWallSonicWall is a unified cybersecurity portfolio that helps SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams consolidate network, endpoint, cloud, and threat response across hybrid environments.sonicwall.com
What it sells
  • Cato SASE Cloud[5]A global cloud with a single-pass engine, a single data lake and single policy enforcement.
  • Cato AI Security[1][5]Secures and governs AI interactions, from third-party AI usage to homegrown AI applications and agents.
  • Cato DLP[11]Data loss prevention with a catalog of 350+ pre-defined data types.
  • DNS Security[13]Inspects all DNS traffic and blocks requests to malicious destinations before a connection is made.
  • Capture Client[3][12]Endpoint detection and response built on SentinelOne.
  • Cloud Secure Edge[1][3][7][13][15]SonicWall's Security Service Edge (SSE) platform.
  • SonicSentry MDR[3][7][11]Managed detection and response from SonicWall analysts.
  • SonicWall Unified Management[3]A single console for managing SonicWall products.
Categories
Headquarters
Tel Aviv, Israel[3]Not stated on its pages
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Privately held[1][2][4][5][8][11]Owned by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management since 2016[2][3][5][6]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • October 27, 2026Cato Networks launched Cato AI Endpoint, an endpoint client for discovering AI use, protecting sensitive data and enforcing AI policies across browsers, desktop applications and local agents.[16]
  • August 3, 2026Cato Networks launched Cato Agentic Threat Prevention, a capability using autonomous agents to predict likely attack paths and personalize protections for each customer environment.[17]
  • May 12, 2026SonicWall announced availability of the Gen 8 NSv XS, a subscription-based virtual firewall for MSPs and MSSPs serving small and distributed environments.[18]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 4, 2026[4]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 4, 2026[5]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: listed, seen November 4, 2026[6]
Who it fits
From its own pages, Cato Networks sells mainly to organizations that want to replace point products with a single platform for networking, security and access. Cato Networks says organizations can start with a capability such as SD-WAN, SSE or ZTNA and expand over time. Cato Networks says its managed services let teams choose how much to hand off, from co-managed to fully managed. For data protection, Cato Networks says its DLP is designed for organizations that need to protect sensitive data across distributed users, multiple locations and cloud environments. Cato Networks describes that DLP as suited for security and IT teams looking to consolidate data protection into a single platform.From its own pages, SonicWall sells mainly to SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams, and to MSSPs and distributed enterprises. Its pages name healthcare, education, local government, finance, manufacturing, and retail as the kinds of organizations it protects. TZ series firewalls are positioned for SMBs and branch locations.
Last verified
November 2, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Cato Networks and SonicWall are both filed under SASE and SSE.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Cato Networks's primary category is SASE and SSE; SonicWall's is Firewalls and NGFW.
  • Cato Networks is also filed under Zero trust network access and Workforce AI usage security. SonicWall is also filed under EDR and XDR and MDR and managed SOC.
  • Cato Networks lists Cato SASE Cloud, Cato AI Security, Cato DLP and DNS Security. SonicWall lists Capture Client, Cloud Secure Edge, SonicSentry MDR and SonicWall Unified Management.
  • Cato Networks is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.
  • Cato Networks is privately held. SonicWall is owned by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management, since 2016.

What it sells: Cato Networks

What Cato SASE Cloud does[5]
Cato's SASE platform converges networking, security and access into a single, global, AI-powered cloud service. Thousands of SPACEs run on bare-metal compute across worldwide PoPs, interconnected by tier-1 carriers.
What Cato AI Security does[1][5]
Cato AI Security secures and governs all AI interactions, from sanctioned third-party AI usage to runtime protection of homegrown AI applications and AI agents. Cato Networks says AI security can be deployed independently to protect AI usage and AI agents across the organization.
What Cato DLP does[11]
Cato DLP offers a catalog of 350+ pre-defined data types covering common use cases for sensitive data, PII, and compliance. The Cato DLP engine inspects all traffic to private applications and SaaS apps. Cato DLP offers inline scanning and policy enforcement tailored for GenAI traffic such as ChatGPT.
What DNS Security does[13]
Cato DNS Security inspects all DNS traffic in real time to prevent malicious activity hiding within the protocol. It protects against phishing, domain squatting, website impersonation, DNS tunneling and crypto-mining activity.

What it sells: SonicWall

What Capture Client does[3][12]
Capture Client is built on SentinelOne. SonicWall describes it as delivering endpoint detection and response integrated with the SonicWall ecosystem.
What Cloud Secure Edge does[1][3][7][13][15]
Cloud Secure Edge delivers secure access to internal resources and safe connections to the internet for remote and hybrid workers. It covers ZTNA, SWG, CASB, and DNS Security from one platform.
What SonicSentry MDR does[3][7][11]
SonicSentry MDR combines SonicWall telemetry with expert analysts who hunt, triage, and contain threats around the clock. For endpoints, SonicWall describes 24/7 expert monitoring and response backed by proactive threat hunting.
What SonicWall Unified Management does[3]
SonicWall Unified Management gives IT teams and MSPs a single console to manage, monitor, and respond. It covers firewalls, switches, endpoints, and Cloud Secure Edge.

Questions about Cato Networks and SonicWall

What do Cato Networks and SonicWall sell?
Cato Networks sells Cato SASE Cloud, Cato AI Security, Cato DLP and DNS Security. SonicWall sells Capture Client, Cloud Secure Edge, SonicSentry MDR and SonicWall Unified Management.
Are Cato Networks and SonicWall in the same category?
They share SASE and SSE. Cato Networks's primary category is SASE and SSE and SonicWall's is Firewalls and NGFW.
Where are Cato Networks and SonicWall headquartered?
Cato Networks is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Who owns Cato Networks and SonicWall?
Cato Networks is privately held. SonicWall is owned by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management, since 2016.
Who are Cato Networks and SonicWall sold to?
From its own pages, Cato Networks sells mainly to organizations that want to replace point products with a single platform for networking, security and access. From its own pages, SonicWall sells mainly to SMBs, MSPs, and IT teams, and to MSSPs and distributed enterprises.
What have Cato Networks and SonicWall announced recently?
October 27, 2026: Cato Networks launched Cato AI Endpoint, an endpoint client for discovering AI use, protecting sensitive data and enforcing AI policies across browsers, desktop applications and local agents. May 12, 2026: SonicWall announced availability of the Gen 8 NSv XS, a subscription-based virtual firewall for MSPs and MSSPs serving small and distributed environments.

About Cato Networks

Cato Networks sells the Cato SASE Cloud, a SASE platform built as a global cloud with a single-pass engine, a single data lake and single policy enforcement. Cato Networks describes its SASE platform as converging networking, security and access into a single, global, AI-powered cloud service. Cato Networks states that the platform delivers secure, optimized access from distributed points of presence close to users and business resources.[15]

Cato Networks states that day-to-day planning, scaling and maintenance depend on specialized, hard-to-find expertise. In the company's account, controls differ across users, sites, datacenters and cloud, leaving gaps as applications migrate. Cato Networks positions its platform as a replacement for point products, with a single policy and console running on an SLA-backed global backbone.[6][7]

The core of the platform is the Single Pass Cloud Engine, called SPACE. SPACE converges NGFW, threat prevention, and CASB, DLP and ZTNA into one cloud-native stack. Thousands of SPACEs run on bare-metal compute across worldwide PoPs, interconnected by tier-1 carriers. Every inspected flow feeds network, device, user, app and data context into one open data lake that is accessible through the Cato API. Cato Networks says NGFW, CASB, DLP, ZTNA, threat prevention and AI controls all run on a single policy engine.[6]

On the networking side, Cato Networks carries SD-WAN traffic over a private global backbone. Cato Networks connects sites to the Cato Cloud, where they are managed centrally. For access, Cato Networks offers adaptive, risk-based, zero-trust access to private applications located on-premises or in the cloud. The access methods include ZTNA Client, Enterprise Browser, Browser Extension and Clientless Portal. Cato Networks says these access methods can coexist with current access solutions and be selectively deployed to secure some or all application access.

Cato Networks discovers local, custom and managed agents across the enterprise, including their tools, MCP servers, data access and execution paths. Cato Networks controls prompts, responses, tool calls and tool actions before agents create business impact. Cato Networks says AI security can be deployed independently to protect AI usage and AI agents across the organization. Organizations can run AI Security for Applications on-prem or in their own cloud with AI Security Outposts.[9][10]

Other modules run on the same platform. Cato DLP offers a catalog of 350+ pre-defined data types covering common use cases for sensitive data, PII, and compliance. The Cato DLP engine inspects all traffic to private applications and SaaS apps. Cato EPP is fully managed through the Cato Management Application. Cato DNS Security inspects all DNS traffic in real time to prevent malicious activity hiding within the protocol, and it blocks DNS requests to malicious destinations before a connection is ever made. The Cato Management Application unifies configuration, monitoring and analytics in a single pane of glass.[12][13][14]

Cato Networks offers MDR, which delivers zero-footprint detection of persistent threats with no agents or appliances. Cato Networks monitors last-mile ISPs 24×7 at every site. On an outage or performance degradation, Cato Networks works with the ISP to resolve it. For management, customers can choose Cato or a qualified partner to help manage the networking and security environment. For site deployment, the zero-touch Cato Socket deploys quickly at customer premises, by the customer or with Cato and partner remote or on-site support. Customers can self-manage, co-manage with a partner and Cato, or hand over complete hands-free operations.[15]

On deployment, Cato Networks says zero-touch provisioning and self-service client rollout enable selective deployment by use case, geography, or org unit. Cato Networks says its modular platform coexists with existing infrastructure, allowing gradual adoption. Cato Networks says organizations can start with a specific capability such as SD-WAN, SSE, or ZTNA and expand over time without rearchitecting the environment.[6][12][13][14][15]

Cato Networks on the record

Sources

Cato Networks full record

  1. [1]catonetworks.comCato Networks · catonetworks.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Cato raises 359 millionCato Networks · catonetworks.com · published June 30, 2025 · Tier A
  3. [3]Cato continues expansion with new global headquartersCato Networks · catonetworks.com · published June 2, 2024 · Tier A
  4. [4]Cato SASE Cloud Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier C
  5. [5]Cato Networks: World’s Leading Single-Vendor SASE PlatformCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Platform Architecture | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]SASE Platform | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Agentic AI Security | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]AI Security | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Data Loss Prevention (DLP) | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Endpoint Protection (EPP) | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]DNS Security | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Cato Management Application (CMA) | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Cato Managed Services | Cato NetworksCato Networks · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Cato Networks Launches Cato AI Endpoint to Secure AI Use Beyond the BrowserCato Networks · published October 27, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Cato Networks Launches Agentic Threat Prevention to Predict and Mitigate AI-Assisted AttacksCato Networks · published August 3, 2026 · Tier A

SonicWall full record

  1. [1]sonicwall.comSonicWall · sonicwall.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Francisco partners and elliott management complete acquisition of dell software groupFrancisco Partners · franciscopartners.com · published November 1, 2016 · Tier A
  3. [3]Cybersecurity That Delivers Real Business Outcomes | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Federal Government Cybersecurity | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]SonicWall Next Generation Firewall Reviews & Product Details - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier C
  6. [6]SonicWall Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier C
  7. [7]Cybersecurity Solutions by Use Case | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Cybersecurity for Cloud Virtual and Hybrid Networks | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]SonicWall TZ Series: Advanced Protection for SMBs | Entry Level Next Generation FirewallsSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Firewall & Network Security Services | SonicwallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Endpoint Security & Managed EDR Solutions | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Endpoint Security Solutions | EDR, NGAV & Ransomware Protection | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Cloud Secure Edge (CSE): ZTNA Solution | SonicWallSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]SonicWall VPN Clients | NetExtender & Mobile ConnectSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]SonicWall Unified Management | Cybersecurity PlatformSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)SonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]On-Premise ATP | SonicWall Capture Security applianceSonicWall · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]SonicWall Expands Gen 8 Platform to the Cloud with New NSv XS Virtual Firewall to Help MSPs and MSSPs Deliver Managed Security Wherever Workloads RunSonicWall · published May 12, 2026 · Tier A

Spot a factual error? Request a correction.