GlobalProtect is a security platform that extends the capabilities of a firewall to end-user devices. It is a product of Palo Alto Networks and it provides a network security infrastructure that prevents cyber threats regardless of what device is being used and from where. However, there might be instances where you would want to stop or disable this service. This can be done by modifying a specific system file, known as the LaunchAgent property list (plist) for GlobalProtect.
The LaunchAgent plist is a type of file used by macOS systems to control the behavior of various services and applications. These files are written in XML and dictate when and how certain apps or services are launched, among other settings. In the case of GlobalProtect, the plist file of interest is com.paloaltonetworks.gp.pangpa.plist
.
Open you terminal and type
$ launchctl unload /Library/LaunchAgents/com.paloaltonetworks.gp.pangp*
If you wish to enable it again, type
$ launchctl load /Library/LaunchAgents/com.paloaltonetworks.gp.pangp*
Also you can disable it at startup:
$ sudo sed -i '' -e "s/true/false/g" /Library/LaunchAgents/com.paloaltonetworks.gp.pangpa.plist
To revert the changes and enable the GlobalProtect service again, the following command can be used:
$ sudo sed -i '' -e "s/false/true/g" /Library/LaunchAgents/com.paloaltonetworks.gp.pangpa.plist
Sometimes , Content Filter
is enabled which restricts access to internet despite disabling Global Protect
. You can remove this file and restart your computer (This file is autogenerated everytime global protect runs)
$ rm /Library/Preferences/com.paloaltonetworks.GlobalProtect.settings.plist