Intern - Software Engineer

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks , we're united by a shared mission-to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you're ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you're in the right place.

Who We Are

In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us!

We believe collaboration thrives in person. That's why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it's needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes.

Job Summary

Your Career
As a Software Engineer Intern, you will join a world-class Research and Development (R&D) team dedicated to protecting our digital way of life by preventing successful cyberattacks. This role offers a unique opportunity to collaborate on software that solves real-world problems, working on impactful projects for our Strata, Prisma, or Cortex organizations. You will be part of a hybrid work environment, mentored by industry leaders, and contribute to projects that provide real hands-on experience. Our program is designed to inspire your intellectual curiosity and expand your knowledge in a dynamic, supportive setting.
We collaborate to build software that does not just work, but also solves real problems. Some of our most impactful projects started off with an engineer asking "why" and working with mentors and peers to create value. You will join a Research and Development (R&D) team that will give you the opportunity to make a global impact. One that protects our way of life in the digital age by preventing successful cyber attacks. A team looking for engineers who are passionate about technology, have an interest in cybersecurity, and also want to make a positive difference in the world that we live in. The projects our engineers are assigned will give real hands-on experience working on our products from our Strata, Prisma and Cortex organizations.

Our Summer Internship Program from May-August or June-September provides you:
1:1 mentorship

Fun and engaging events that inspire your intellectual curiosity

Opportunities to expand your knowledge and work on challenging projects

Connections to other interns, recent grads, and employees across the company as well as our leaders

Your Impact
Collaborate with experienced engineers to design, develop, and execute on software development projects, ensuring alignment on shared objectives.

Apply cutting-edge technologies and innovative thinking to challenge the status quo and help disrupt the cybersecurity industry.

Develop, test, and debug high-quality code that delivers meaningful and simplified improvements to Palo Alto Networks' products and services.

Engage in applied learning, gaining deep insights into the cybersecurity industry by working alongside leading security experts.

Contribute to the full software development lifecycle, from initial problem analysis and ideation to implementation and deployment.

Qualifications
Your Experience
Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, or a related technical field, and returning to school post-internship.

Solid understanding of computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, and software design principles.

Demonstrated initiative and the ability to work independently with limited direction on complex tasks.

Preferred Qualifications
Experience or strong interest in the cybersecurity domain.

Proven ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment with other engineers, researchers, and product managers.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/com-missioned roles) is expected to be the annual range listed below. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

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Our Commitment

We're trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity's status quo. It's simple: we can't accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.