Fortinet Enhances Real-Time Network Security Operating System

Fortinet, the cybersecurity provider, advancing the integration of networking and security, has unveiled the newest iteration of its FortiOS operating system. Alongside, the company introduces significant enhancements to its cybersecurity platform, known as the Fortinet Security Fabric.

FortiOS 7.6 equips customers with enhanced capabilities to mitigate risks, streamline complexity, and enhance user experience throughout their entire network. These new features encompass various key areas, including:

• FortiOS 7.6 introduces numerous enhancements across the Fortinet Security Fabric, enhancing capabilities in Secure SD-WAN, secure access service edge (SASE), zero-trust network access (ZTNA), automation, provisioning, remote browser isolation, and digital experience monitoring (DEM), among others. These improvements are accompanied by flexible consumption options, including Software as a Service (SaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS).
• GenAI for Threat Analysis and Product Deployment: Expanding upon the existing Generative AI (GenAI) capabilities designed for expediting threat investigation and remediation, FortiOS 7.6 seamlessly incorporates FortiAI (previously known as Fortinet Advisor) into Fortinet’s central data repository, FortiAnalyzer, and its unified management console, FortiManager. These integrations enhance threat analysis and response while streamlining network and security operations. The integration of FortiAI across the Fortinet Security Fabric enables rapid decision-making, swift incident detection and remediation, and effortless adoption of necessary technologies for organizations.
• Comprehensive Network Data Protection: Through centralized data protection and enforcement points spanning the Fortinet Security Fabric, FortiOS 7.6 empowers enterprises to implement and oversee comprehensive data loss prevention (DLP) strategies more effectively. Enhanced features in FortiOS 7.6 guarantee the security of sensitive data regardless of its location within the hybrid network architecture.

Additional updates to enhance the Fortinet Security Fabric include:

• Endpoint detection and response features added to Fortinet’s unified agent: FortiClient, the unified agent of the Fortinet Security Fabric, will seamlessly integrate with full Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) functionality, enhancing ransomware protection, behavior-based detection, and automated response capabilities. This integration also offers deeper visibility, control, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) remote access features. Fortinet provides a consolidated agent encompassing VPN, ZTNA, Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP), EDR, Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM), Network Access Control (NAC), and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), reducing agent proliferation and streamlining management across intricate environments.
• More ways to combat the cyber skills shortage: Building upon GenAI, FortiAnalyzer now offers pre-configured SIEM and SOAR services, providing enhanced data ingestion and automated playbooks to streamline the adoption and expansion of security operations (SecOps). Furthermore, to assist SecOps, we offer robust SOC-as-a-Service for operations augmentation, and we've introduced a Managed FortiGate Service to support network operations teams. These services exemplify Fortinet's commitment to aiding partners in expanding their portfolios to reach a wider audience and promoting best-practice deployments universally. They specifically aid our partners in overcoming the ongoing shortage of cybersecurity skills and streamlining the digital transformation of their end customers.

The Power of One Operating System

Fortinet's commitment to consolidating its portfolio under a single operating system, alongside its investments in customized ASICs, has resulted in tangible advantages for customers of varying scales in the following domains:

• Firewall: FortiOS initially emerged as a firewall operating system and has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in this role. When combined with our internally developed ASICs, it delivers significant performance and power efficiency benefits. Utilizing a unified OS across all FortiGate models, Fortinet's custom ASICs expedite FortiOS functions, supporting 14 networking and security applications. This enables a hybrid mesh firewall approach to infrastructure security, safeguarding on-premises, remote, and cloud environments with consistent security policies and management.
• Segmentation and ZTNA: In managed environments, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) controls monitor user connections to applications and data, while also segmenting application access through the FortiOS application gateway. Additionally, internal segmentation firewalls, facilitated by high-throughput, low-latency data center firewalls powered by FortiOS, serve to restrict the lateral movement of cybercriminals and ransomware programs.
• OT/IoT/Edge security: As FortiOS can manage and safeguard both wired and wireless networks, this security extends seamlessly to the edge, ensuring uniform protection for IoT devices, OT networks, and other agentless devices.
• Unified SASE: Fortinet's expansive global network, powered by FortiOS across numerous worldwide points of presence, safeguards the hybrid workforce and remote edges effectively. Additionally, this network is reinforced by the industry-leading SD-WAN capabilities integrated into FortiOS, enhancing user experience.
• AI-Driven Security Operations: Fortinet's advanced AI-driven Security Operations safeguard all these scenarios, leveraging common data ingestion, telemetry, and threat information across our unified data lake. This unified approach, combined with the consistent application of FortiOS throughout the Fortinet Security Fabric, ensures comprehensive protection.
• The Fortinet Security Fabric Platform: Fortinet provides customers with a platform-oriented cybersecurity approach through the Fortinet Security Fabric, which consolidates networking and security via one operating system (FortiOS), one unified agent (FortiClient), one management console (FortiManager), and one data repository (FortiAnalyzer). This integration secures the entire digital attack surface efficiently. The platform is centered around three key enterprise pillars: secure networking, unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), and AI-driven security operations.

The Fortinet Security Fabric embodies over twenty years of steadfast commitment to the company's platform vision and continuous organic product development and innovation. Encompassing over 50 enterprise-grade products and services such as network firewalls, wired and wireless LAN, SD-WAN, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), SIEM, and Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP), this comprehensive integration ensures robust coverage. Moreover, with open APIs and an extensive technology alliance partner ecosystem comprising over 500 third-party vendors, customers can initiate platform development based on their existing deployments. They can then leverage the Fortinet Security Fabric to maximize value according to their specific requirements.