Fortinet expands CNAPP capabilities for hybrid and multi-cloud security

Fortinet has announced updates to its FortiCNAPP platform aimed at improving how organisations assess and prioritise cloud risk. The enhancements are designed to provide broader context by correlating cloud configuration, identity exposure, vulnerabilities, network controls, data sensitivity and runtime behaviour within a single workflow.

According to Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President of Products and Solutions at Fortinet, many cloud security teams are not short of data but face increasing complexity, limited resources and skills shortages. He said the updated platform is intended to help teams move from managing large volumes of alerts to identifying and acting on risks based on actual exposure and business impact.

As organisations expand across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, security teams often rely on multiple tools to assess risk, which can result in fragmented visibility and slower response times. Fortinet’s 2026 Cloud Security Report found that nearly 70 per cent of organisations cited tool sprawl and visibility gaps as key obstacles to effective cloud security. The latest FortiCNAPP updates seek to address these issues by integrating network, data and runtime context more directly into risk evaluation.

Incorporating Network Context into Risk Assessment

FortiCNAPP now factors network-level protection into workload risk scoring. The platform can detect FortiGate deployments along internet-accessible paths to cloud workloads and incorporate that information into exposure assessments. This approach is intended to provide a more accurate view of real-world risk and reduce false positives by considering existing network enforcement measures.

The platform also introduces native Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) capabilities. These allow organisations to identify sensitive data, monitor access patterns and detect potential malware without exporting or relocating data. Risks affecting sensitive information are prioritised automatically, helping teams focus remediation efforts where the potential business impact is greatest.

The updated FortiCNAPP consolidates insights from cloud posture management, infrastructure entitlements, vulnerability assessments, DSPM and network security posture into a single interface. It also incorporates runtime validation to help distinguish theoretical vulnerabilities from actively exploitable risks. By correlating configuration issues, identity exposure, vulnerabilities, network reachability, data sensitivity and runtime behaviour, the platform aims to support faster and more coordinated responses.

Addressing Growing Cloud Complexity

As cloud environments become more complex, risk management increasingly depends on understanding not only what is misconfigured or vulnerable, but also the level of protection in place, the sensitivity of affected data and the likelihood of exploitation. Fortinet states that the enhancements are intended to reduce operational noise and support more informed decision-making.

Huy Ly, Head of Global IT Security and Infrastructure at Monolithic Power Systems, said the organisation uses FortiCNAPP to gain visibility across identities, workloads and vulnerabilities, and to assess overall cloud security posture within a broader security framework.