What is the Fortinet Security Fabric?
In this article
The term "Platform" is widely used in the cybersecurity industry, often as a buzzword. While many security vendors use it to describe their solutions, Fortinet stands out with what is arguably the closest offering to a true Platform.
What is a cybersecurity platform?
A cybersecurity platform is a centralized system designed to manage and protect an organization's data, users and network through a unified interface. It enables organizations to implement various security controls, monitor network activity and perform configuration updates, acting as a comprehensive solution for managing cybersecurity across multiple systems and devices.
Key attributes of a cybersecurity platform include:
- Unified management platform: Offers a centralized interface for overseeing various security tools and functionalities across the network.
- Comprehensive security: Integrates features such as firewall management, intrusion detection/prevention, endpoint protection, vulnerability scanning, and threat intelligence.
- Real-time monitoring: Constantly tracks network traffic and system behavior to identify potential threats and irregularities as they occur.
- Incident response features: Provides tools for swift incident response, often with automated remediation capabilities.
This article kicks off a series exploring the Fortinet security fabric. It focuses specifically on the Fortinet network security solution. The next installment will cover Fortinet's security management solutions like FortiSIEM, FortiSOAR and others.
The Fortinet Security Fabric
Fortinet's Platform, the Fortinet Security Fabric, exemplifies these principles. It integrates a range of security solutions, such as next-generation firewalls, SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Network), endpoint protection and more, all managed through a single operating system (FortiOS). This approach ensures unified security management and threat response across an organization's network, cloud, and endpoint environments. By combining networking and security within a single Platform, Fortinet effectively addresses security gaps and simplifies operations.
Why is the Fortinet security fabric so appealing to customers?
One key advantage is the use of a unified operating system, FortiOS, across the entire solution, simplifying management and operations. Additionally, the integration of network segmentation with network and application security within a single platform is a major benefit. Fortinet's ability to address multiple layers of the network in one cohesive solution is another significant strength.
Some of the key advantages include a comprehensive FortiOS into a unified Security Operations Center (SOC) / Network Operations Center (NOC) platform, with solutions that redefine cybersecurity, helping customers to respond to an ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape to meet constantly accelerating business needs. The solution to simplifying complex networks, distributed users and hybrid applications is the convergence and consolidation of security, all with flexible consumption models to make deployment, integration and management easy.
How does Fortinet deliver solutions across the layers of information systems?
The Fortinet Security Platform goes beyond standalone solutions. It begins with the FortiOS operating system, incorporates proprietary ASIC technology, and is built on the foundation of a robust Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW). From there, it expands into a comprehensive ecosystem of interconnected security tools.
The security fabric consists of a suite of Fortinet products, each designed to complement the others, creating a unified and resilient IT security framework.
Use cases
Below are highlights of some of the most widely discussed and deployed solutions among customers.
Secure networking
FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) safeguard data, assets and users in modern hybrid environments. Powered by Fortinet's patented security processors, FortiGate NGFWs enhance security and networking performance, ensuring robust protection for increasing data-heavy traffic and cloud-based applications. Supported by FortiGuard AI-Driven Security Services, these firewalls provide real-time, consistent defense and proactive responses to prevent cyberattacks and mitigate risks from emerging and advanced threats.
FortiGate provides high-performance, scalable and adaptable Secure SD-WAN solutions for both on-premises and cloud environments. Designed to meet the needs of cloud-first, security-focused and global enterprises, as well as hybrid workforces, Fortinet Secure SD-WAN integrates seamlessly. With a unified operating system, it consolidates SD-WAN, Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW), advanced routing and zero trust network access (ZTNA) application gateway capabilities into a single, secure networking solution.
Fortinet integrates networking and security by extending security infrastructure to Ethernet through FortiSwitch FortiAPs and FortiLink. Easy to deploy and manage, FortiSwitch delivers a range of features, including NAC, without requiring additional licensing. Utilize FortiAPs for your wireless users. With a comprehensive portfolio of secure, straightforward and scalable Ethernet switches, Fortinet provides optimal solutions for campuses, branches and data centers.
Fabric management
FortiManager, enhanced with FortiAI, delivers automation-driven centralized management for your Fortinet devices through a single, unified console. It offers comprehensive administration and visibility across your network devices, leveraging streamlined provisioning and advanced automation tools. FortiManager's AI-powered features include configuration scripting, validation, and Internet of Things (IoT) vulnerability analytics, ensuring efficient and secure device management.
FortiAnalyzer simplifies threat intelligence, AI-driven support, and security automation by integrating IT and OT systems into a unified framework. Designed for lightweight deployment, it provides essential Security Operations (SecOPs) capabilities, converting raw data into actionable insights. FortiAnalyzer boosts operational efficiency, eliminates security bottlenecks, and delivers both historical and real-time analysis for comprehensive protection.
AI has become an essential topic in any discussion about security or automation, appearing in meetings, emails, instant messages, and other communications. This is particularly true for security operations centers (SOC), security information and event management (SIEM) data, and infrastructure management. FortiSOAR and FortiSIEM services leverage a network of advanced sensors powered by AI and analytics to continuously monitor devices, users, files, networks, emails, applications, clouds, logs, and even the dark web, proactively identifying potential cyber threats.
Application protection
FortiWeb offers comprehensive security for web applications and APIs, defending against threats, advanced bots, and denial-of-service attacks. Its key features include anomaly detection, API discovery and protection, bot mitigation, and advanced threat analytics. Leveraging machine learning, FortiWeb mitigates zero-day exploit risks while simplifying management. With the FortiFlex program, it provides flexible service options and cost-efficient solutions. FortiWeb integrates with the security fabric, leveraging FortiGuard and FortiAI to enhance detection of Layer 7 attacks.
FortiMail protects organizations from a wide range of email-based threats, including phishing, ransomware, zero-day exploits, and business email compromise (BEC) attacks. Powered by FortiGuard AI-driven Security Services developed by FortiGuard Labs, FortiMail delivers advanced technology to prevent, detect, and respond to email threats in real time. The future of email security lies in leveraging platform- or fabric-enabled solutions to address increasingly sophisticated threats and multi-vector attacks. By integrating with the Fortinet security fabric, Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) and other telemetry data can be shared, enhancing security across your entire infrastructure.
Zero trust access
Fortinet's secure access service edge (SASE) solution ensures secure access to the web, cloud, and applications for hybrid workforces while streamlining operations. By integrating software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) with FortiSASE cloud-delivered security service edge (SSE), it extends the convergence of networking and security from the network edge to remote users.
Getting fabric-ready
Fortinet fabric integration
Switching from your current firewall vendor to Fortinet might feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Instead of a lift-and-shift deployment approach, you can leverage Fortinet's Partner Alliance Program to become "Fabric-Ready" to seamlessly integrate and gradually transition to Fortinet's security fabric.
Fortinet's Open Fabric Ecosystem provides customers with integrated solutions for robust, end-to-end security. The Fortinet Fabric-Ready Technology Alliance Partner Program unites a global network of specialized technology partners, fostering seamless integration. This program equips partners with the necessary resources and tools to streamline collaboration. By working with the partners listed on the Open Fabric Ecosystem, Fortinet delivers cutting-edge, comprehensive security solutions powered by the industry-leading Fortinet security fabric.
Conclusion
Fortinet's security fabric offers a cohesive ecosystem of solutions designed to secure modern IT environments. From core networking to endpoint protection, its Platform integrates advanced security technologies, making it an ideal choice for organizations seeking robust, scalable, and unified cybersecurity solutions.
The Fortinet security fabric enables automated protection, detection, and response along with consolidated visibility across both Fortinet solutions and a broad ecosystem of over 500 third-party solutions.
Read the WWT Technical Debt blog showing how the Fortinet security fabric can help reduce that debt.