Product Overview: Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)
Fortinet’s FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) are industry-leading security solutions designed to protect data, assets, and users across diverse and hybrid environments. Here’s a comprehensive overview of what FortiGate NGFWs do and their key features.
What FortiGate NGFWs Do
FortiGate NGFWs serve as a robust first line of defense at the network perimeter, safeguarding internal networks from external threats such as hackers, malware, and denial-of-service attacks. These firewalls are engineered to accelerate security and networking performance, effectively securing the growing volume of data-rich traffic and cloud-based applications.
Key Features and Functionality
Performance and Scalability
FortiGate NGFWs are powered by Fortinet’s patented security processors, which enable high performance and low latency, even when multiple security services are operating concurrently. This results in faster firewall performance compared to competitors using standard CPUs.
Comprehensive Security Protection
- Firewalling and Intrusion Prevention: FortiGate firewalls provide accurate network access controls, deep packet inspection, and intrusion prevention systems (IDPS) to monitor and block malicious traffic.
- Application Control: Administrators can gain visibility into and control applications using the network, creating policies to restrict unproductive, risky, or bandwidth-intensive apps.
- Web Content Filtering: FortiGate can filter web content and block access to specific websites or categories, enforcing acceptable use policies and maintaining a secure browsing environment.
- Antivirus and Antimalware Protection: These firewalls include antivirus and antimalware scanning capabilities to detect and block malicious files and content.
Advanced Threat Protection
- AI-Powered Security: FortiGate NGFWs are backed by FortiGuard AI-Powered Security Services, which provide real-time protection and responses against sophisticated threats, including zero-day attacks and unknown threats.
- Sandboxing and Deception Tools: Advanced threat detection and prevention capabilities include sandboxing and deception tools to identify and mitigate advanced threats.
Centralized Management
FortiGate firewalls can be centrally managed through Fortinet’s FortiManager platform, allowing administrators to configure, monitor, and analyze security policies across the entire infrastructure. This unified management reduces network complexity and automates security posture across all edges.
Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Capabilities
FortiGate NGFWs are designed for flexible deployments across physical, virtualized, and cloud environments. They can be set up in data centers, campus sites, branch offices, and public or private clouds, ensuring consistent security policies and performance.
Secure Remote Access and SD-WAN
- VPN and SSL Inspection: FortiGate supports VPN functionality and SSL inspection, enabling secure remote access for employees and partners while ensuring the security of encrypted traffic.
- Secure SD-WAN Integration: These firewalls seamlessly integrate security into SD-WAN deployments, establishing secure connectivity across distributed networks.
Additional Features
- Zero-Trust Network Access (ZTNA): FortiGate firewalls enforce secure access for users anywhere to applications and infrastructure using ZTNA capabilities.
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP): They help organizations monitor and prevent data leakage by inspecting outgoing data and enforcing security policies.
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): FortiGate integrates with SIEM solutions, providing real-time monitoring and reporting of security events.
Conclusion
Fortinet FortiGate NGFWs are highly versatile and powerful security solutions that offer unparalleled performance, scalability, and comprehensive security protection. With their advanced threat detection capabilities, centralized management, and support for hybrid and multi-cloud environments, FortiGate firewalls are a cornerstone in the Fortinet Security Fabric, helping organizations optimize security coverage and operational efficiency.