Cybersecurity has evolved from a niche idea to a popular tech-investing angle as companies in the space have grown and the need for online security has become ubiquitous. Many leading cybersecurity companies are also deeply invested in artificial intelligence (AI), utilizing the latest models to identify, detect, and eliminate threats more quickly than ever.
However, with a plethora of cybersecurity stocks to choose from, it can be difficult to know which companies are true standouts. Here's why Palo Alto Networks (PANW 4.01%), Microsoft (MSFT 1.48%), and CrowdStrike (CRWD 2.10%) could be great stocks to buy and hold for the next decade.
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1. Palo Alto Networks
Unsurprisingly, Palo Alto Networks tops this list right now after the company just announced a monster $25-billion deal to acquire fellow cybersecurity company CyberArk. The acquisition puts Palo Alto in a better position to take on rivals in the identity access management space.
Palo Alto's stock dipped on the news, but there's good reason to believe it can successfully integrate CyberArk into its broadened suite of products, considering that the company has made nearly two dozen acquisitions over the past decade. CyberArk is a particularly expensive one, no doubt, but the company is also growing at a healthy clip, with sales rising 46% in Q2 to $328 million.
Palo Alto had 80,000 customers before the acquisition, and its third quarter was impressive, with revenue rising 15% to $2.3 billion and non-GAAP earnings jumping about 21% to $0.80 per share. The company's shares took a recent dip after the CyberArk acquisition announcement, so investors may have a good buying opportunity before the company reports its Q4 results on Aug. 18.
2. Microsoft
Microsoft spans so many different technology opportunities that it's almost hard to keep up with them. As one of the top cloud computing companies -- and certainly the fastest growing, with sales from Azure and other cloud services up 39% in Q4 -- it's no surprise that Microsoft would need its own cybersecurity services to offer its customers.
Azure is taking 21% of the cloud market, and Microsoft 365 is a mainstay of many offices, so the company benefits from upselling cybersecurity services to its millions of customers. The result is that it could generate an estimated $37 billion in cybersecurity sales this year.
Investors get the added benefit of Microsoft being a leading AI stock, as well. The company is on the cutting edge of integrating chatbots into its products and services and made early investments in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. That's already helped it expand AI-powered security, like its Microsoft Security Pilot and Azure AI Security services.
3. CrowdStrike
CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity pure play that's consistently on many tech investors' buy lists because it's so good at what it does. The company's Falcon security platform gives customers an all-in-one solution that's easy to set up and manage because it's 100% cloud-based.
If you're wondering whether or not it matters that Falcon is easy to use and offers a one-stop shop for cybersecurity, consider that CrowdStrike's customer-retention rate is currently hovering around 97%. The company's subscription gross margin is just as impressive and was at 77% in Q1 of fiscal 2026. CrowdStrike's annual recurring revenue (ARR) is $4.4 billion, and the company recently reiterated its goal of reaching $10 billion in ARR in the coming years.
If all of that's not impressive enough, consider that CrowdStrike is also a leader in cybersecurity AI, with the company launching its Charlotte AI tool two years ago. Charlotte can automatically detect and contain threats without managers having to lift a finger. The company estimates it saves customers about 40 hours per week.
Any of the above companies will likely be a good long-term investment over the next decade as AI-powered cybersecurity threats increase. If I had to pick one right now, I'd personally choose Microsoft, since it has additional opportunities for growth in AI and cloud computing. But each one has its own unique approach in the market and will likely be a good investment in the coming years.
