Fortinet is a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant, recognised for their Fortinet Secure SD-WAN solution with end-to-end SASE capability. Fortinet's SD-WAN edge services are delivered by FortiGate physical and virtual appliances with their on-premises security software licenses delivered via FortiManager's Orchestrator. Fortinet supports approximately 31,000 global SD-WAN enterprise customers across various industries. Over the next 18 months, Fortinet's development efforts will focus on integrating digital experience monitoring (with SD-WAN for unified management), deploying an AI-based assistant, and enhancing internet and application performance to improve the customer experience.
Netify Review
There are two main products used by Fortinet to configure and deploy networks. FortiManager is the central management component with FortiAnalyzer providing logging, reporting across threat detection, data aggregation, compliance reporting, security automation and dashboards. This combination of both FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer combines to simplify monitoring and report generation by collating logs and telemetry.
I started the test by creating a dual-hub SD-WAN overlay using Fortinet’s user-friendly four-step wizard. The wizard was effective for creating full mesh connectivity using Fortinet’s ADVPN technology. The ADVPN approach resolves traditional scalability challenges associated with full mesh networks by creating dynamic tunnels rather than nailing up processing power required to mesh tunnels across sites.
Fortinet Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) is made simply by using device blueprints. These blueprints offers templates and policy packages to help setup users and branch-offices with standard SD-WAN and SASE policies. The template capability significantly reduces the setup time to setup new devices configured as they configure themselves once connected.
The configuration of path selection and performance SLA health checks within the SD-WAN rules engine helps to understand how applications should perform across packet loss, latency and jitter. Fortinet active probes and passive measurements details accurate data to make failover decisions based on default or bespoke network policies.
Fortient ISDB and DPI are application databases designed for precise application management based on latency and jitter figures. The analytics help with fine-tuning across network performance for application steering and analytics.
Fortinet's multiple layers of security are created via the NGFW firewall policy (powered by FortiGuard Labs’ threat intelligence) to create the network's security. The Forti SASE integration extended these capabilities to remote users to secure internal resources via Fortinet SWG, DLP, and ZTNA.
Concluding the process was the integration of FortiSwitches and FortiAPs, managed under the FortiManager console to unify network and security management, which improves visibility and control over the network infrastructure.
Fortinet's SD-WAN has evolved significantly over the years, with continuous updates and improvements to features and capabilities. The evolution of Fortinet's SD-WAN can be traced through the various versions of FortiOS - Fortinet continued to enhance SD-WAN capabilities. An example is FortiOS 7 where users have reported stability of the SD-WAN features and the potential benefits of upgrading to this version.
What are the Pros & Cons of Fortinet SD-WAN?
List of the pros and cons associated with Fortinet SD WAN.
Fortinet Pros & Cons
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | ✓ Leadership Position: Fortinet is recognised as a Leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant. | ❌ Customer Experience: Some feedback indicates a below-average customer experience, as per Gartner client Peer reviews. |
| 2 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | ✓ Integrated Security: Offers a vast amount of SASE security experience. | ❌ Networking Capabilities: Concerns from large global clients about Fortinet's ability to handle complex enterprise networking requirements. |
| 3 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | ✓ Strong Market Share and Sales Execution: Fortinet has significant market share via range channel partners. | ❌ Limited SSE Integrations: Fortinet's current limited integrations with third-party Secure Service Edge (SSE) vendors might restrict choices in deploying dual-vendor SASE architectures. |
| 4 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | ✓ Expansive Global Reach: Approximately 31,000 enterprise customers worldwide. | |
| 5 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | ✓ Future Investments: Focused on integrating digital experience monitoring with SD-WAN, an AI-based assistant, and improved internet and application performance. | |
| 6 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:23 PM | ✓ Cost Effective: Fortinet are viewed as a cost effective provider with good ROI. | |
| Pros | Cons |
Fortinet SD-WAN Pros and Cons
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hyelland | 21/10/2024 04:04 PM | hyelland | 21/10/2024 04:04 PM | ✓ Comprehensive Cybersecurity: Provides extensive cybersecurity features. | ❌ Complexity: The solution can be complex to configure and manage. |
| 2 | hyelland | 21/10/2024 04:04 PM | hyelland | 21/10/2024 04:04 PM | ✓ Threat Prevention: Strong capabilities in threat prevention. | ❌ Learning Curve: There is a significant learning curve for new users. |
| 3 | hyelland | 21/10/2024 04:04 PM | hyelland | 21/10/2024 04:04 PM | ✓ Strong Firewall: Includes a strong firewall for enhanced security. | ❌ Vendor Lock-in: Potential for vendor lock-in due to reliance on Fortinet hardware and software. |
| 4 | hyelland | 21/10/2024 04:04 PM | hyelland | 21/10/2024 04:04 PM | ✓ Efficient QoS Configuration: Quality of Service (QoS) is efficiently managed. | ❌ Hardware Dependency: Dependency on specific hardware may limit flexibility. |
| Pros | Cons |
What are the Pros & Cons of Fortinet SASE?
List of the pros and cons associated with Fortinet SASE.
Fortinet SASE Pros & Cons
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hyelland | 23/10/2024 11:12 AM | hyelland | 23/10/2024 11:12 AM | ✓ Simplified Deployment: Easy and quick to deploy. | ❌ Limited Legacy Application Support: Limited support for legacy applications. |
| 2 | hyelland | 23/10/2024 11:12 AM | hyelland | 23/10/2024 11:12 AM | ✓ Advanced Security: Provides advanced security features. | ❌ Highly Secure Branch Office and Remote Users: Advanced security features may be challenging for branch offices and remote users. |
| Pros | Cons |
What are the Pros & Cons of Fortinet Managed CyberSecurity Services?
List of the pros and cons associated with Fortinet Managed CyberSecurity Services.
Fortinet Managed CyberSecurity Pros & Cons
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hyelland | 01/11/2024 03:19 PM | hyelland | 01/11/2024 03:19 PM | Comprehensive portfolio with a solution for almost anything | Inconsistent UI and features across (very wide) product range |
| 2 | hyelland | 01/11/2024 03:19 PM | hyelland | 01/11/2024 03:19 PM | Easier to deploy than competitors | Fortinet’s VPN solution is still considered a ‘legacy VPN solution’ and can’t be properly compared to ZTNA VPN replacement solutions |
| 3 | hyelland | 01/11/2024 03:19 PM | hyelland | 01/11/2024 03:19 PM | VPN performance and configurability are better than competitors with legacy VPN solutions | Lacking cloud workload protection features when compared to competitors |
| Pros | Cons |
Fortinet ZTNA Pros & Cons
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | ✓ The Fortinet solution feature set excels in areas of per-session access granted based on a verified user identity and device risk profile to better detect malicious actions or users. | ❌ Fortinet’s remote access solution still utilises VPN, despite features which allow it to operate with more control and performance than traditional VPN solutions. |
| 2 | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | ✓ Remote traffic is tunnelled to the ZTNA application proxy point, providing more security and better performance than traditional VPNs. | ❌ It has been noted that Fortinet and Fortigaurd’s firmwares could use more compatibility testing, as there are many occasions where upgrades have gone wrong and rollbacks may have been needed. |
| 3 | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | ✓ Offers strong SSO services, certificate management and guest control. | ❌ The solution lacks artificial intelligence and machine learning abilities for intrusion detection at firewall level. |
| 4 | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | ✓ Fortinet’s use of MAC address-based policies helps manage Zero Trust access more efficiently than vendors who default to IP-based policies. | ❌ Customer feedback indicates that Fortinet’s customer support response times are subpar compared to other industry leaders. |
| 5 | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | ❌ Fortinet’s interfaces for traffic logging and web filtering abilities are not very intuitive for the end-user. | |
| 6 | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | hyelland | 22/10/2024 02:52 PM | ❌ The FortiSIEM solution only provides marginal improvement over log analysis capabilities within the firewalls, but they do offer third-party SIEM integrations. | |
| Pros | Cons |
What are the Pros & Cons of Fortinet ZTNA?
List of the pros and cons associated with Fortinet ZTNA.
Comparison: Fortinet vs Palo Alto vs Check Point vs Darktrace SD WAN & Cybersecurity
Consider the points below to compare Fortinet vs Palo Alto vs Check Point vs Darktrace SD WAN and SASE security.
Fortinet
- Fortinet can connect and secure branch offices and remote users globally, making them a good choice for large multinational corporations.
- Fortinet offers a range of network security solutions, full SASE, and SD WAN.
- Fortinet's solutions are mainly hardware-based, although options for cloud deployments are available.
Palo Alto vs Fortinet vs FireEye vs Forcepoint Comparison
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Palo Alto | Fortinet | FireEye | Forcepoint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:50 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:50 PM | Palo Alto's main product focus is a converged SD WAN and SASE platform, delivered from the cloud. The solution supports remote and home workers as well as those on-premises. | Fortinet offers hardware-based SASE and SD WAN, with offerings for Extended Detection and Response (XDR). | FireEye offers XDR and cloud security services, with a range of managed security solutions. | Forcepoint offers SASE with options for integrated data protection services. |
| 2 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:50 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:50 PM | Palo Alto offers fully featured SD WAN via their acquisition of CloudGenix. | Fortinet's SD WAN offering was built internally from the ground up as a component of their overall solution. | FireEye does not offer SD WAN or SASE services. | Forcepoint does not have an SD WAN offering. |
| 3 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:50 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:50 PM | Palo Alto supports remote users with the Okyo Garde appliance, which works as an extension of the corporate network avoiding the need to configure VPNs. | Fortinet supports users with cloud-delivered threat protection, which removes the need for legacy VPN technologies. | FireEye offers security for remote users via a technology partnership with iBoss. The solution features authentication and SSL decryption, with intelligence-driven technologies to detect and protect against zero-day attacks. | Forcepoint offers security for remote users via a cloud-delivered security gateway, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and private access to applications. |
| Palo Alto | Fortinet | FireEye | Forcepoint |
Comparison: HPE Aruba vs Fortinet vs Cisco Catalyst (Viptela)
Aruba vs Fortinet vs Viptela Comparison
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | HPE Aruba (Silver Peak) | Fortinet (FortiGate) | Viptela |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:00 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:00 PM | HPE Aruba is angled towards large global enterprises, with complex requirements. | Fortinet is suitable for large global enterprises, connecting branch offices globally with their SD WAN and SASE offerings. | Viptela is suitable for large global enterprises with complex requirements and a robust IT team. |
| 2 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:00 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:00 PM | HPE Aruba does not provision or support underlay connectivity - it is always provisioned via a third-party MSP. | Fortinet supports MPLS, Internet, and 3G/LTE underlay connectivity. | Viptela supports MPLS, 4G/LTE, broadband and Internet underlay connectivity. |
| 3 | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:00 PM | hyelland | 04/11/2024 03:00 PM | HPE Aruba offer access to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud. | Fortinet Security Fabric offers security for public cloud environments such as Oracle Cloud, Google Cloud, Azure, AWS and Alibaba Cloud. | Viptela accesses Azure, AWS and Google Cloud via a cloud-agnostic backbone for site-to-site and multi-cloud services. |
| HPE Aruba (Silver Peak) | Fortinet (FortiGate) | Viptela |
Frequently Asked Questions
What industries do Fortinet deliver solutions for?
Fortinet offer solutions for the following industry verticals:
- Communications
- Federal Government
- Financial Services
- Healthcare
- Higher Education
- Hospitality
- K-12 School Districts
- Manufacturing
- Media and Entertainment
- Oil and Gas
- Pharmaceutical
- Power and Utilities
- Retail
- SCADA Control Systems
- State and Local Government
- Technology
- Transportation
What regulations do Fortinet comply with?
Fortinet offers compliance solutions for the following regulatory requirements:
- Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS)
- Privacy Amendment (Notifiable Data Breaches) Bill 2016
Fortinet Open Fabric Ecosystem Alliance Partners
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs):
- 1touch.io
- ABB
- Acalvio
- ADVA Optical Networking
- Advantech
- Aislelabs
- Alcide
- Algosec
- Altran
- Amdocs
- Ampere
- Anomali
- AppNeta
- AppViewX
- Aptilo Networks
- Area 1
- Arista Networks
- Arm
- Armis
- Array Networks
- Asavie
- Asimily
- ATAR Labs
- Attivo Networks
- AudioCodes Ltd.
- Auvik
- Aviatrix
- Axonius
- BackBox
- Bandura
- Beyond SSL
- Brocade
- Casque SNR
- Centrify
- Chronicle
- Cigent
- Citrix
- Claroty
- Cloudi-Fi
- Cloudify
- CloudMosa
- Corsa
- cPacket Networks
- CSPi
- CTModule
- Cubro
- Culinda
- Cyber Observer
- CyberArk
- Cybereason
- Cyberhaven
- CyberMDX
- Cybersixgill
- CyberX
- CyGlass
- Cylus
- Cynerio
- Cyr3con
- Cyturus
- D3 Security
- Darktrace
- DefendEdge
- Dell Technologies
- Delve
- Devo
- DFLabs
- Digital Defence
- Digital Realty
- DisruptOps
- DivvyCloud
- Dragos
- EclecticIQ
- ElevenPaths
- empow
- Endace
- Enea
- Entrust Datacard
- Equinix
- Ericom
- Ericsson
- ESET
- Everbridge, Inc.
- Extreme Networks, Inc.
- FileOrbis
- FireMon
- Firesec
- Flowmon Networks
- ForeScout Technologies
- Fornetix
- FRIXTEL
- Garland Technology
- Geoverse
- Gigamon
- Glasswall
- Gradient Cyber
- Graylog
- HashiCorp
- Hughes Network Systems
- HYAS
- HyTrust
- ID Quantique
- Idaptive
- Image Analyzer
- ImmuniWeb
- Indeni
- Industrial Defender
- Infoblox
- Infocyte
- InSync Information Technologies
- Intel
- IntelliSite
- Intentionet
- Intezer
- Intsights
- IP Infusion
- Jamf
- Keyfactor
- Keysight Technologies
- Kiana
- Lenovo
- Lightspeed Systems
- LinkShadow
- LiveAction
- Lookout
- Lumu
- Malware Patrol
- McAfee
- Medigate
- Megaport
- Menlo Security
- METTCARE
- Micro Focus
- Mimecast
- MistNet
- NEC
- NetDialog
- Network Perception
- Nexusguard
- Niagara Networks
- NodeWeaver
- Alcatel-Lucent
- NoviFlow
- NowSecure
- Nozomi Networks
- Nucleon
- Nutanix
- NVIDIA
- NXP
- Okta
- OMICRON
- Open Cloud Factory
- OPSWAT
- Ordr
- OTORIO
- Owl
- PacketFabric
- PC Matic
- PenguinIN
- Pensando Systems
- Persistent Systems
- Picus
- Pluribus Networks
- PowerDMARC
- Pulse Secure
- Pureport
- Qualys, Inc.
- Quantum Xchange
- RAD
- Radiflow
- RangeForce
- Rapid7
- Red Hat
- RedSeal
- Refactr
- Restorepoint
- Ribbon Communications
- RingCentral
- Rubrik
- SAASPASS
- Saasyan
- Safe-T
- Safetica Technologies
- SCADAfence
- Seclore
- Seclytics
- SecurityBridge
- Sensilla
- SentinelOne
- Siemens
- Siemplify
- Skybox
- SmartHive
- Sonpo
- Spirent
- Splunk, Inc.
- StratoZen
- Sumo Logic
- Swimlane
- Syncurity
- SYSCOM
- Tanium
- TDI Technologies
- Telco Systems
- TelcoBridges
- TeleBright
- Tenable
- Teridion
- Thales
- ThreatConnect
- ThreatQuotient
- Tigera
- TG8
- TokenEx
- TrapX Security
- Trend Micro
- TriagingX
- Trinity Cyber
- TrueFort
- Tufin
- UBiqube
- Varonis
- Vectra
- Venafi
- Vijilan
- VoIP.ms
- Volon
- Votiro
- Wandera
- Wavespot
- Welotec
- Westermo
- WhiteHat
- Wind River (An Intel Company)
- Wire X Systems
- WitFoo
- WootCloud
- Xona
- Zadara
- Zenlayer
- Zentera
- Zero Nines
- Ziften
DevOps:
- Alibaba Cloud
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Google Cloud
- HashiCorp
- Microsoft
- Oracle
- Red Hat
- Refactr
- VMware
Fabric Connectors:
- Alibaba Cloud
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Cisco
- Google Cloud
- GreyNoise
- Guardicore
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- IBM Security
- Microsoft
- Nuage Networks
- Oracle
- ServiceNow
- Symantec
- VMware
Fabric-Ready Partners:
- 1touch.io
- ABB
- Acalvio
- ADVA Optical Networking
- Advantech
- Aislelabs
- Alcide
- Algosec
- Alibaba Cloud
- Altran
- AWS
- Amdocs
- Ampere
- Anomali
- AppNeta
- AppViewX
- Aptilo Networks
- Area 1
- Arista Networks
- Arm
- Armis
- Array Networks
- Asavie
- Asimily
- ATAR Labs
- Attivo Networks
- AudioCodes Ltd.
- Auvik
- Aviatrix
- Axonius
- BackBox
- Baffin Bay Networks
- Bambenek Labs
- Bandura
- Beyond SSL
- Brocade
- Casque SNR
- Centrify
- Chronicle
- Cigent
- Cisco
- Citrix
- Claroty
- Cloudi-Fi
- Cloudify
- CloudMosa
- Corsa
- cPacket Networks
- CSPi
- CTModule
- Cubro
- Culinda
- Cyber Observer
- CyberArk
- Cybereason
- Cyberhaven
- CyberMDX
- Cybersixgill
- CyberX
- CyGlass
- Cylus
- Cynerio
- Cyr3con
- Cyturus
- D3 Security
- Darktrace
- DefendEdge
- Dell Technologies
- Delve
- Devo
- DFLabs
- Digital Defence
- Digital Realty
- DisruptOps
- DivvyCloud
- Dragos
- EclecticIQ
- ElevenPaths
- empow
- Endace
- Enea
- Entrust Datacard
- Equinix
- Ericom
- Ericsson
- ESET
- Everbridge, Inc.
- Extreme Networks, Inc.
- FileOrbis
- FireMon
- Firesec
- Flowmon Networks
- ForeScout Technologies
- Fornetix
- FRIXTEL
- Garland Technology
- Geoverse
- Gigamon
- Glasswall
- Google Cloud
- Gradient Cyber
- Graylog
- GreyNoise
- Guardicore
- HashiCorp
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- Hughes Network Systems
- HYAS
- HyTrust
- IBM Security
- ID Quantique
- Idaptive
- Image Analyzer
- ImmuniWeb
- Indeni
- Industrial Defender
- Infoblox
- Infocyte
- InSync Information Technologies
- Intel
- IntelliSite
- Intentionet
- Intezer
- Intsights
- IP Infusion
- Jamf
- Keyfactor
- Keysight Technologies
- Kiana
- Lenovo
- Lightspeed Systems
- LinkShadow
- LiveAction
- Lookout
- Lumu
- Malware Patrol
- McAfee
- Medigate
- Megaport
- Menlo Security
- METTCARE
- Micro Focus
- Microsoft
- Mimecast
- MistNet
- NEC
- NetDialog
- Network Perception
- Nexusguard
- Niagara Networks
- NodeWeaver
- Alcatel-Lucent
- NoviFlow
- NowSecure
- Nozomi Networks
- Nuage Networks
- Nucleon
- Nutanix
- NVIDIA
- NXP
- Okta
- OMICRON
- Open Cloud Factory
- OPSWAT
- Oracle
- Ordr
- OTORIO
- Owl
- PacketFabric
- PC Matic
- PenguinIN
- Pensando Systems
- Persistent Systems
- Picus
- Pluribus Networks
- PowerDMARC
- Pulse Secure
- Pureport
- Qualys, Inc.
- Quantum Xchange
- RAD
- Radiflow
- RangeForce
- Rapid7
- Red Hat
- RedSeal
- Refactr
- Restorepoint
- Ribbon Communications
- RingCentral
- Rubrik
- SAASPASS
- Saasyan
- Safe-T
- Safetica Technologies
- SCADAfence
- Seclore
- Seclytics
- SecurityBridge
- Sensilla
- SentinelOne
- ServiceNow
- Siemens
- Siemplify
- Skybox
- SmartHive
- Sonpo
- Spirent
- Splunk, Inc.
- StratoZen
- Sumo Logic
- Swimlane
- Symantec
- SYSCOM
- Tanium
- TDI Technologies
- Telco Systems
- TelcoBridges
- TeleBright
- Tenable
- Teridion
- Thales
- ThreatConnect
- ThreatQuotient
- Tigera
- TG8
- TokenEx
- TrapX Security
- Trend Micro
- TriagingX
- Trinity Cyber
- TrueFort
- Tufin
- UBiqube
- Varonis
- Vectra
- Venafi
- Vijilan
- VMware
- VoIP.ms
- Volon
- Votiro
- Wandera
- Wavespot
- Welotec
- Westermo
- WhiteHat
- Wind River (An Intel Company)
- Wire X Systems
- WitFoo
- WootCloud
- Xona
- Zadara
- Zenlayer
- Zentera
- Zero Nines
- Ziften