Fortinet Launches Operating System Upgrades That Extend Wireless Networking And Integrated Security

PRESS RELEASE

SUNNYVALE, Calif., February 14, 2011 - Fortinet' (NASDAQ: FTNT) - a leading network security provider and the worldwide leader of unified threat management (UTM) solutions – today announced a new release of its FortiOS™ 4.0 operating system for the FortiGate product family, including today’s newly introduced FortiGate-3140B multi-threat security appliance. Fortinet will showcase these and other products at the RSA Conference in Booth #923 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from February 14–18.

The comprehensive advancements offered in the FortiOS 4.0 MR3 operating system introduce wireless controller extensions that support automatic provisioning of wireless access points, detection and suppression of rogue access points, multiple authentication methods and strengthened unified management of both wired and wireless networks from a single FortiGate platform. The upgrade also introduces active profiling and flow-based threat inspection enhancements to the robust OS that already integrates firewall, virtual private network (VPN), intrusion prevention (IPS), antivirus, application control and many other security technologies.

Expanded Wireless Options With the release of FortiOS 4.0 MR3, powerful new security features and performance enhancements are now available for FortiGate consolidated security appliances. The advanced FortiOS operating system expands the wireless controller capabilities of any FortiGate running FortiOS 4.0 MR3. These capabilities improve security by enabling role-based access control to limit access to regulated, proprietary, or confidential data based upon a user’s role, as well as allowing customers to meet wireless PCI DSS compliance with improved rogue AP on-wire detection and suppression and integrated management and reporting for both wireless connectivity and security.

As a complement to this firmware feature, Fortinet is also introducing the FortiAP-222B outdoor wireless access point (AP), which completes the FortiAP family of access points and allows enterprise-wide wifi coverage across the campus with seamless roaming. The FortiAP-222B is a high power dual-radio outdoor thin AP that provides wireless client access or air monitor in a ruggedized weather-resistant enclosure. This device will benefit enterprises looking to extend their wireless network to challenging non-temperature controlled environments, or beyond the physical footprint of a building or campus. The simple-to-manage-and-deploy FortiAP-222B uses an industry leading high gain 27dB transmit output and highly sensitive receiver which permits coverage to a vast area.

FortiOS Inspection Enhancements The advanced FortiOS operating system features active profiling that provides the ability to use a form of behavioral analysis to create and actively enforce policies based on deviations from corporate, group or individual baseline profiles. A range of policy enforcement options is available for suspicious behavior, including monitoring, quarantining and/or outright blocking.

Flow-based inspection enhancements included with the FortiOS operating system enable more powerful Web filtering and traffic shaping features, interface-based “one-arm” IPS, and advanced data loss prevention (DLP) capabilities. Flow-based inspection also leverages FortiASIC processors to further accelerate anti-virus, application control, IPS and IPv6 firewall inspection. Customers can now select the flow-based or proxy-based security technologies best suited to their unique network environment and risk tolerance.

Other important FortiOS 4.0 MR3 operating system enhancements include: