What is App-ID?

App-ID is a traffic classification system developed by Palo Alto Networks that identifies applications traversing a network, regardless of port, protocol, or encryption. It uses multiple identification mechanisms, including signature-based matching, protocol analysis, and behavioral analysis, to accurately determine the application type. This allows for granular policy control, security enforcement, and application-specific traffic management. It is commonly used in firewalls and other network security devices to enable application-aware security policies, such as allowing or blocking specific applications or prioritizing bandwidth for critical applications.