Fortinet boosts OT security with AI-driven insights and resilient 5G

Fortinet, a global cybersecurity provider focused on integrating networking and security has announced advancements to its OT Security Platform to enhance the protection of critical infrastructure and industrial sites from evolving cyber threats. These enhancements extend beyond traditional OT visibility solutions and introduce deeper OT-specific threat detection through the FortiGuard OT Security Service, expanded ruggedised solutions for segmentation and 5G in challenging environments, and an upgraded OT SecOps portfolio for automated threat response and regulatory compliance tracking.

According to Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President of Products and Solutions, "Cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure and industries such as energy, transportation, and manufacturing continue to rise. These latest enhancements aim to equip organisations with the necessary tools to strengthen their OT security and comply with regulatory requirements through a single, unified platform."

Key Enhancements to the OT Security Platform

The latest updates introduce several new capabilities to improve OT security:

• Enhanced OT Threat Detection: The new FortiGate Rugged NGFWs, combined with improvements to the FortiGuard OT Security Service, enable enhanced security enforcement in OT environments. Organisations can detect threats across more than 3,300 OT protocol rules, nearly 750 OT IPS rules, and 1,500 virtual patching rules. These capabilities help protect against known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs) and other cyber risks, while advanced threat protection is provided through virtual patching for legacy OT systems. Additional secure networking features include updates to FortiSRA, which improves secure remote access with enhanced secrets and password management.

• Secure Network Segmentation: The introduction of the FortiSwitch Rugged 108F and FortiSwitch Rugged 112F-POE expands the portfolio of industrial-grade small form-factor switches. These ruggedised switches enable granular security enforcement at the port level, preventing unauthorised lateral movement across OT networks while integrating with the wider security ecosystem. Built on the unified FortiOS operating system, they streamline network and security management.

• Resilient 5G Connectivity: Two new ruggedised 5G solutions have been introduced—the FortiExtender Rugged 511G, an IP67-rated 5G wireless WAN gateway for secure, high-speed connectivity at remote OT sites, and the FortiExtender Vehicle 511G, an IP64-rated 5G router designed for fleet vehicles. Both solutions feature embedded Wi-Fi 6 and new eSIM capabilities, removing the need for physical SIM cards and simplifying carrier selection.

• AI-Driven Security Operations: Enhancements to FortiAnalyzer 7.6 and FortiDeceptor 6.1 provide deeper insights into security threats and simplify compliance reporting for OT security teams. Updates to FortiNDR Cloud introduce new OT protocol support for threat hunting, while FortiNDR (on-premises) includes additional features such as a Purdue Model view and an updated device inventory integrating OT and the MITRE ATT&CK ICS Matrix.

The OT Security Platform offers unified visibility and security management across OT and remote-site environments, supporting organisations in assessing, securing, and reporting on risks, including regulatory compliance requirements. Integrated segmentation capabilities and a comprehensive ruggedised portfolio powered by a single operating system facilitate a streamlined approach to OT security management.

Industry Recognition and Case Studies

The OT Security Platform is widely adopted by organisations seeking to integrate IT and OT security. It has been recognised as a leader in the Westlands Advisory 2023 IT/OT Network Protection Platforms Navigator.

Manish Goyal, General Manager at Honeywell Connected Cybersecurity, commented: "As cyber threats intensify, industrial and commercial building operators require integrated, end-to-end protection. Our collaboration with Fortinet strengthens Honeywell’s cybersecurity offerings, enhancing our ability to manage risk for both remote and on-premises sites."

Chris Lubinski, Network Security Engineer at Alleima, noted: "Management at remote locations has reported significant improvements in network stability and speed. Support response times have improved approximately tenfold, leading to increased satisfaction with the security infrastructure."

Wolfgang Bitomsky, Ph.D., CIO of FCC Environment CEE, added: "The improved performance and resilience of our new network, along with simplified management and analytics, have reduced our security team’s workload by at least 15%. This efficiency allows us to progress with our digital transformation initiatives, including zero trust and IT/OT convergence."