Fortinet Converges 5G Dual Modem, AI-Powered Security, and Zero Trust to Securely Connect and Protect Operational Technology

Rhea-AI Summary

Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) announces the FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem, designed to deliver secure networking capabilities and 5G connectivity to operational technology (OT) environments. The appliance provides industry-leading wireless WAN functionality, high availability, and AI-powered security services. It is compact, ruggedized, and designed to withstand harsh conditions. The primary use case is deploying and managing remote ATMs, offering a seamless, secure, and scalable solution for the banking industry.

Cybersecurity Analyst

The announcement of Fortinet's FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem represents a significant advancement in secure networking for operational technology (OT) environments. The integration of 5G connectivity into a ruggedized appliance addresses the critical need for high-speed, reliable communication in remote and harsh environments. This is particularly relevant as the banking industry looks to deploy remote ATMs, which require both robust security and consistent network availability.

From a cybersecurity perspective, the appliance's AI-powered security features are noteworthy. The use of artificial intelligence in threat detection and response can significantly reduce the time to identify and mitigate cyber threats. Furthermore, the dual 5G modem offers redundancy, which is crucial for maintaining connectivity in case one link fails, thereby enhancing the resilience of the network infrastructure.

Fortinet's Security Processing Unit (SP5) and the claimed security compute rating benchmark suggest that the FortiGate Rugged 70G outperforms industry averages in key performance metrics such as firewall throughput and threat protection. This could lead to increased market competitiveness and potentially influence Fortinet's stock performance positively if these claims are validated by independent testing and customer adoption.

Financial Analyst

Fortinet's release of a 5G-capable rugged appliance is a strategic move to capture a niche but growing segment of the market: secure networking in remote OT environments. The financial implications of this product launch may be significant for Fortinet, as it could open up new revenue streams and strengthen its position in the cybersecurity market. The emphasis on energy efficiency, with lower watts per Gbps of firewall throughput compared to industry averages, could also appeal to cost-conscious customers looking to minimize operational expenditures.

Investors should monitor the adoption rate of the FortiGate Rugged 70G, as it could serve as an indicator of Fortinet's ability to innovate and meet specific market demands. Additionally, the performance numbers provided, such as firewall throughput and IPsec VPN throughput, are critical metrics that can influence purchasing decisions and, by extension, Fortinet's market share and financial performance.

However, it's important to note that the performance claims are based on Fortinet's internal benchmarks and publicly available data sheets from competitors. Investors should seek third-party validation of these performance metrics to accurately assess the product's competitive advantage.

Energy Efficiency Consultant

The FortiGate Rugged 70G's energy efficiency is an important aspect to consider, especially for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint and operational costs. The appliance's power consumption is significantly lower than the industry average when measured in watts per Gbps of firewall throughput. This efficiency can result in lower energy bills and a smaller environmental impact, making it an attractive option for companies with a focus on sustainability.

As organizations increasingly prioritize energy efficiency in their purchasing decisions, Fortinet's emphasis on lower power consumption could give it a competitive edge in the market. This is especially relevant in the context of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, which are becoming more influential in investment decisions. Companies that can demonstrate a commitment to energy efficiency may find favor with investors who are looking to support businesses with sustainable practices.

FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem delivers industry-leading secure networking features in a ruggedized, compact form factor ideal for industrial environments and remote ATMs

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced a new compact, ruggedized appliance explicitly built to deliver enhanced secure networking capabilities and 5G connectivity to operational technology (OT) environments. Backed by the latest, fifth-generation Fortinet Security Processing Unit (SP5), the FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem provides unparalleled networking performance, cutting-edge FortiGuard AI-Powered Security Services, and high availability through a 5G dual modem to address a variety of use cases in harsh, remote environments, including full-service remote ATMs within the banking industry.

“Organizations across a variety of verticals increasingly require a fast, reliable, and secure networking architecture in remote locations and harsh environments. Unfortunately, it can often be complicated and costly to bring these types of networks online,” said John Maddison, Chief Marketing Officer and EVP, Product Strategy at Fortinet. "With its 5G dual modem, AI-powered security, and zero-trust features, our newest FortiGate provides the latest secure networking innovations in a single, powerful appliance built to withstand the toughest environments. Customers can use the FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem to realize secure and simplified infrastructure, enhanced business efficiencies and cost savings, and an excellent user experience even in the most remote, hard-to-reach locations.”

Connecting and protecting remote locations
Networks are expanding to new, remote locations that must support and protect massive amounts of sensitive traffic and data while remaining highly available. In the past, companies would have deployed numerous point products to address individual networking, security, and connectivity needs at these locations. However, this creates a complex, poorly performing infrastructure that’s costly to manage and challenging to secure. The solution is a single appliance that meets all networking, security, and connectivity needs in remote OT environments.

Cutting-edge networking, security, and 5G connectivity for OT
The FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem brings 5G connectivity to the Fortinet portfolio of rugged next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) for the first time. This means the appliance not only converges enterprise-grade threat protection with high-performing networking capabilities like SD-WAN and zero-trust network access but also delivers industry-leading wireless WAN functionality to ensure high availability.

Key features include:

• A 5G dual modem that enables seamless, reliable, and lightning-fast communication to ensure high availability and enhanced connectivity for critical applications. 
• Unparalleled secure networking performance powered by the latest, fifth-generation Fortinet Security Processing Unit (SP5), including 8 Gbps firewall throughput and 7 Gbps IPSec VPN throughput.
• Compact form factor with a fan-less, ruggedized design that can withstand harsh conditions like extreme temperature, humidity, shock, and vibration.
• Industry-leading, AI-powered security through FortiGuard AI-Powered Security Services to protect critical data from sophisticated threats.

Below is a summary of target performance numbers of the FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem. Security Compute Rating is a benchmark (performance multiplier) that helps customers understand FortiGate target performance compared to similar appliances on the market:  

Specification	FortiGate Rugged 70G-5G- Dual	Secure Compute Rating	Industry Average	Allied Telesis AR4050 S-5G	Check Point Quantum 1570R	Check Point Quantum 1595R	Palo Alto Networks PA-450R
Firewall Throughput	8.0 Gbps	3.6x	2.2 Gbps	1.9 Gbps	1.9 Gbps	1.9 Gbps	3.2 Gbps
IPSec VPN	7.0 Gbps	6.3x	1.1 Gbps	N/A	1.1 Gbps	1.1 Gbps	N/A
Threat Protection	1.1 Gbps	1.5x	0.7 Gbps	N/A	0.4 Gbps	0.4 Gbps	1.4 Gbps
Concurrent Sessions	1.4M	3.7x	0.4M	0.3M	0.5M	0.5M	0.2M
Connections per Second	85K	6.9x	12K	12K	14K	14K	10K
Cellular Wireless Modem	2x 5G	-	-	1x 5G	1x 3G/4 LTE	1x 5G	1x 5G
Signatures Covered for OT Protocols	3,060	2.5x	1,210	6	1,838	1,838	1,156
Power Consumption	FortiGate Rugged 70G-5G- Dual	Energy Efficiency	Industry Average	Allied Telesis AR4050 S-5G	Check Point Quantum 1570R	Check Point Quantum 1595R	Palo Alto Networks PA-450R
Watts/Gbps Firewall Throughput	3.6 W	4.2x	15.4 W	14.7 W	16.2 W	15.5 W	15.1 W
Watts/Gbps IPsec VPN Throughput	4.1 W	6.6x	27.4 W	N/A	27.9 W	26.8 W	N/A
BTU/h per Gbps of Firewall Throughput	12.4 BTU	4.2x	52.4 BTU	50.3 BTU	55.2 BTU	52.9 BTU	51.2 BTU

• Threat protection performance is measured with firewall, IPS, application control, malware protection, and logging enabled.
• All performance numbers are extracted from publicly available data sheets. Note that different vendors may have different test methodologies.
• All power consumption values are taken from external data sheets and hardware system guides, using maximum power consumption.

Enabling the next evolution in banking
A primary use case for the FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem is deploying and managing remote ATMs, which are often installed in challenging environments like stadiums, malls, or outdoors. The appliance provides the networking functionality (SD-WAN for dynamic connectivity, network access control, and ZTNA application gateway), best-of-breed security (end-to-end encryption and embedded threat intelligence), and high availability (5G dual modem) needed to deploy, secure, and manage remote ATMs. And its ruggedized form factor meets the durability requirements of ATMs in extreme heat or cold.

Through this single, powerful appliance, the banking industry can elevate their remote ATM networks, seamlessly scale across thousands of locations, and easily spin up new services with minimal infrastructure investment.

“Remote locations and harsh environments are becoming increasingly important to the enterprise but pose significant technical and budgetary challenges to connect and secure. Fortinet is well suited for these applications due to their expertise in converging networking and feature-rich security into a single appliance built to endure extreme conditions. The addition of a 5G dual modem is also a stand-out feature, which provides redundant connectivity for remote locations, ensuring availability and uninterrupted service.”

– Pete Finalle, Research Manager, Security & Trust, IDC

Additional Resources

• Learn more about the Fortinet portfolio of rugged FortiGate NGFWs.
• Learn about Fortinet’s free cybersecurity training, which includes broad cyber awareness and product training. As part of the Fortinet Training Advancement Agenda (TAA), the Fortinet Training Institute also provides training and certification through the Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification, Academic Partner, and Education Outreach programs.
• Follow Fortinet on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Subscribe to Fortinet on our blog or YouTube.

About Fortinet

Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today, we deliver cybersecurity everywhere you need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet's solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

FTNT-O

Copyright © 2024 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCWP, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMoM, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPlanner, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM and FortiXDR. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

Media Contact:	Investor Contact:	Analyst Contact:
Margaret Reeb Fortinet, Inc. 408-235-7700 pr@fortinet.com	Peter Salkowski Fortinet, Inc. 408-331-4595 psalkowski@fortinet.com	Brian Greenberg Fortinet, Inc. 408-235-7700 analystrelations@fortinet.com

What is the ticker symbol for Fortinet?

The ticker symbol for Fortinet is FTNT.

What is the primary use case for the FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem?

The primary use case is deploying and managing remote ATMs, offering a seamless, secure, and scalable solution for the banking industry.

What are the key features of the FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem?

The key features include a 5G dual modem, unparalleled secure networking performance, compact form factor, industry-leading AI-powered security, and high availability.

What are the target performance numbers of the FortiGate Rugged 70G with 5G Dual Modem?

The target performance numbers include 8.0 Gbps firewall throughput, 7.0 Gbps IPSec VPN throughput, 1.1 Gbps threat protection, 1.4M concurrent sessions, and 85K connections per second.