Fortinet Enhances OT Security Platform to Strengthen Critical Infrastructure

Fortinet Enhances OT Security Platform to Protect Critical Infrastructure, Expands Industry’s Most Comprehensive OT Security Platform, Enhances Visibility, Segmentation, and Secure, Worry-Free Connectivity

On June 25, 2568, Fortinet announced an upgrade to its Operational Technology (OT) security platform to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure and industrial sites against evolving cyber threats. This new enhancement provides further advancements than traditional OT visibility solutions.

By increasing visibility into specific OT threats in greater depth and detail through the FortiGuard OT Security Service, as well as expanding solutions that provide exceptionally high levels of robustness for network segmentation and support for 5G deployments in rugged environments, and upgrading the OT SecOps product portfolio to automate threat response and effectively monitor regulatory compliance.

“Fortinet has developed an industry-leading OT security platform for over 20 years and continues to be at the forefront of OT security innovation as cyber threats increasingly target critical infrastructure across industries such as energy, transportation, and manufacturing.”

Fortinet continues to deliver comprehensive security solutions designed specifically for OT environments, and these latest enhancements provide organizations with key tools to help them elevate OT security and meet regulatory compliance requirements, all from a single, centralized platform.”

Key enhancements to Fortinet’s OT security platform

• The latest updates to Fortinet’s OT security platform deliver powerful new capabilities to enhance OT security. The new FortiGate Rugged NGFWs include new advancements in the FortiGuard OT Security Service, which provides enterprises with enhanced security enforcement across OT environments, enabling them to detect cyberthreats across more than 3,300 OT protocols, nearly 750 OT Operational Technology Intrusion Prevention System (OT IPS), and more than 1,500 virtual patches.

These capabilities help protect against known exploitable vulnerabilities (KEVs) and other cyber risks, while also providing advanced threat protection via virtual patching for legacy OT systems. New OT network security capabilities include updates to FortiSRA to enhance remote application security by enhancing credential and password management for OT environments.

• Fortinet also introduced the FortiSwitch Rugged 108F and FortiSwitch Rugged 112F-POE, expanding its portfolio of industrial-grade small form factors switches to ensure secure network segmentation.

These rugged switches enable deep security enforcement at the port level to prevent unauthorized movement across OT networks, while still integrating seamlessly with Fortinet’s entire security ecosystem. Built on Fortinet’s centralized FortiOS operating system, they enable efficient network and security management.

• Fortinet is also delivering flexible and secure connectivity with the launch of two rugged 5G solutions: the FortiExtender Rugged 511G, an IP5 rated wireless WAN gateway that delivers high-speed, secure connectivity for remote OT sites, and the FortiExtender Vehicle 67G, an IP511 rated 5G router designed for vehicles.

Both solutions come with built-in Wi-Fi 6 and a new eSIM feature, eliminating the need for a traditional SIM card, making it easier to choose a mobile network provider.

• Fortinet also strengthens its AI-driven OT SecOps capabilities with enhancements to FortiAnalyzer 7.6 and FortiDeceptor 6.1 to provide insights into security threats and help OT security teams easily generate compliance reports.

Additionally, the FortiNDR Cloud update adds support for new OT protocols for threat intelligence, while FortiNDR (on-premises) adds several new features, including Purdue Model visualization and a new OT-wide device inventory with threat intelligence linked to the Mitre ATT&CK ICS Matrix.

The Fortinet OT Security Platform delivers centralized security visibility and management for remote OT and site security, enabling customers to more easily and efficiently assess, secure and report risks, and comply with complex security regulations. Only Fortinet offers seamless network segmentation and a comprehensive portfolio of OT security products. Powered by a single operating system, FortiOS, deeply integrated with the Fortinet Security Fabric, the OT security platform provides the industry’s most comprehensive and comprehensive protection, delivering efficiency, effectiveness, and holistic security for OT and regulatory compliance that exceeds industry standards.

Industry recognition and customer success

The Fortinet OT Security Platform is widely trusted by global organizations seeking a seamless IT and OT security solution, and was recognized as the sole leader in the Westlands Advisory 2023 IT/OT Network Protection Platforms Navigator™, reinforcing Fortinet’s market leadership.

“Fortinet and Honeywell are working together to strengthen cybersecurity for critical infrastructure and OT environments. As cyber threats continue to escalate, operators of industrial and commercial buildings need a more integrated and comprehensive defense system than ever before. Our partnership with Fortinet enhances Honeywell’s cybersecurity and ICT portfolio, providing multiple strategic advantages to secure and manage risk both on-site and remotely, reinforcing our commitment to our partnership with Fortinet.”

Manish Goyal, General Manager, Cybersecurity at Honeywell Connected , stated, “Honeywell utilizes both Fortinet FortiGate and FortiGate Rugged series, along with Honeywell’s cybersecurity product portfolio for OT systems, to deliver superior service, reduce risk, increase resilience, and enhance operational compliance, securing operations from the edge to the interior.”

Chris Lubinski, Network Security Engineer at Alleima, said, “Alleima’s management team overseeing remote sites highly praised Fortinet’s infrastructure, noting the faster and more stable connectivity and approximately tenfold faster response times to support requests. Everyone at Alleima is extremely satisfied with the world-class network and security infrastructure they currently utilize.”

The new network provides greater efficiency and flexibility, as well as simplified management, reporting and analytics, reducing the workload on our security teams by at least 15%, meaning we now have the resources to take the next steps in our digital transformation journey – from zero trust to IT and OT convergence – and, based on our experience, we fully expect to continue our digital transformation journey with Fortinet.

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