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Merged Fortinet draft into article space, kept antivirus template and categories, changed infobox text from trades_as to traded_as to display stock ticker, wiki-linked SIEM & better described the term, split refs 30em
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{{cleanup|reason=Non-filled out categories and missing information|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
| name = Fortinet, Inc.
| name = Fortinet, Inc.
Line 5: Line 4:
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = {{NASDAQ|FTNT}}
| traded_as = {{NASDAQ|FTNT}}
| company_slogan = Real Time Network Protection
| slogan = Security Without Compromise
| foundation = 2000
| foundation = 2000
| founder = CEO: [[Ken Xie]]<br />CTO: Michael Xie
| founder = CEO: [[Ken Xie]]<br />CTO: Michael Xie
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|industry = [[Network security]] & [[Computer security]]
|industry = [[Network security]] & [[Computer security]]
| products = FortiGate [[Unified threat management|UTM]], [[Next-Generation Firewall|Next Generation Firewall]], [[Firewall (networking)|Firewalls]], [[Antivirus]], [[Intrusion-prevention system]], [[Antispyware]], [[Antispam]], [[VPN]], [[Wireless security]], [[Application firewall|Application Control]], [[Content-control software|Web Filtering]]
| products = FortiGate [[Unified threat management|UTM]], [[Next-Generation Firewall|Next Generation Firewall]], [[Firewall (networking)|Firewalls]], [[Antivirus]], [[Intrusion-prevention system]], [[Antispyware]], [[Antispam]], [[VPN]], [[Wireless security]], [[Application firewall|Application Control]], [[Content-control software|Web Filtering]]
| revenue = US $1.01 billion (2015)<ref name="annual">{{cite web |title=Fortinet Inc. Annual Report 10-K|website=Fortinet.com | url=http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ABEA-3VRC5R/2038508911x0x881995/7C6BEC28-8564-4A2A-A87B-FF20C61E7ADF/SEC-ABEA-3VRC5R-1262039-16-53.pdf | accessdate=May 10, 2016}}</ref>
| revenue = {{increase}} [[US$]] 615.3 million (2013)<ref name=10k>{{cite web|url=http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1262039/000126203914000007/ftnt-201310k.htm#s0380FD72BB4BD2F2B0219AEC98AC1FE0|title=FORTINET, INC. ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2013|publisher=Fortinet|accessdate=2 May 2014}}</ref>
| operating_income = {{decrease}} US$ 72.09 million (2013)<ref name=10k/>
| operating_income = US $14.8 million (2015)<ref name="annual"/>
| net_income = {{decrease}} US$ 44.27 million (2013) <ref name=10k/>
| net_income = US $8 million (2015)<ref name="annual"/>
| assets = {{increase}} US$ 1.16 billion (2013)<ref name=10k/>
| assets = US $1.27 billion (2015)<ref name="annual"/>
| equity = {{increase}} US$ 585.76 million (2013)<ref name=10k/>
| equity = US $755.38 million (2015)<ref name="annual"/>
| num_employees = 4,000+<ref>{{cite web|title=About Fortinet |url=http://www.fortinet.com/aboutus/aboutus.html}}</ref>
| num_employees = 4,239 (2016)<ref>{{cite web|title=Fortinet Quarterly Report, 10-Q|date=May 6, 2016|accessdate=May 10, 2016|url=https://biz.yahoo.com/e/160506/ftnt10-q.html }} </ref>
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.fortinet.com}}
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.fortinet.com}}
}}<b>Fortinet</b> is an American multinational corporation headquartered in [[Sunnyvale, California]]. It develops and markets cybersecurity software, appliances and services, such as firewalls, anti-virus, intrusion prevention and endpoint security, among others. It is the fourth-largest network security company by revenue.
}}


Fortinet was founded in 2000 by brothers Ken and Michael Xie. It raised about $93 million in funding by 2004 and introduced ten FortiGate appliances. That same year was the beginning of a recurring patent dispute between Fortinet and [[Trend Micro]]. The company went public in 2009, raising $156 million through an [[initial public offering]]. Throughout the 2000s, Fortinet diversified its product lines, adding products for [[wireless access point]]s, sandboxing, and messaging security, among others.
{{Refimprove section|date=December 2012}}


==Corporate history==
'''Fortinet, Inc.''' is an American [[multinational corporation]] founded in 2000 by brothers [[Ken Xie|Ken]] and Michael Xie. The company sells high performance [[network security]] products and services including their flagship integrated network security solution, the FortiGate [[Firewall (computing)|firewall]]. Fortinet distributes its systems and subscription-based services using the [[channel partner]] sales method via more than 20,000 partners worldwide.<ref name=IPO>{{cite news |first=Hao |last=Jin|title=Fortinet IPO: Joining the Hot Network Security Sector|url=http://seekingalpha.com/article/194779-fortinet-ipo-joining-the-hot-network-security-sector |work=Seeking Alpha|date=March 21, 2010|accessdate=March 31, 2014}}</ref> Fortinet is positioned as the revenue leader in [[unified threat management]] (UTM) solutions.<ref>{{cite web
===Early history===
| url=http://www.fortinet.com/press_releases/120111.html
Fortinet was founded in Sunnyvale, California in 2000 by brothers Ken and Michael Xie.<ref name="seven">{{cite book |last=Hill |first=Karen |date=2012 |title=International Directory of Company Histories:Fortinet|publisher=St James Press |accessdate= March 10, 2015|pages=223-227|volume=128}}</ref> The founders had previously served in executive positions at [[NetScreen]] and ServGate respectively.<ref name="one">{{cite book|author1=Kenneth Tam|author2=Martín H. Hoz Salvador|author3=Ken McAlpine|author4=Rick Basile|author5=Bruce Matsugu|author6=Josh More|title=UTM Security with Fortinet: Mastering FortiOS|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zjz9kY4ENEoC&pg=PA16|date=December 31, 2012|publisher=Newnes|isbn=978-1-59749-977-4|pages=16-17}}</ref> The company was initially named Appligation Inc., then renamed to Appsecure in December 2000 and later renamed to Fortinet, based on the phrase "Fortified Networks".<ref name="one"/> It spent two years in [[research and development]],<ref name="nine">{{cite news|newspaper=BusinessWorld|date=March 2, 2004|first=Beverly|last=Natividad|title=Real-time firewalls preserve performance}}</ref> before introducing its first product in 2002.<ref name="seven"/>
| title=Fortinet Named Leader of Worldwide Unified Threat Management Market for 23rd Consecutive Quarter by Leading Market Research Firm
| date=2012-01-11}}</ref>


Fortinet raised $13 million in private funding from 2000 to early 2003.<ref name="seven"/> An additional $30 million in financing was raised in August 2003, followed by $50 million in March 2004, reaching a total of $93 million in funding.<ref>{{cite news|date=March 3, 2004|title=Fortinet's Money Machine Rolls On|url=http://www.networkcomputing.com/data-centers/fortinets-money-machine-rolls-on/d/d-id/1207561?|newspaper=Network Computing|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> According to Fortinet, its revenues grew ten-fold from 2002 to 2003.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet raises $50M|first=Cheryl|last=Meyer|publisher=The Deal|date=March 2, 2004}}</ref> Its first channel program was established in October 2003.<ref name="three">{{cite news|title=Fortinet Adds New Partner Program|first=Christina|last=Torode|date=October 24, 2003|url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/18825753/fortinet-adds-new-partner-program.htm|newspaper=CRN|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> Westcon Canada started distributing FortiGate products in Canada in December 2003, which was followed by Norwood Adam in the UK in February 2004.<ref name="seven"/> The reseller program was re-organized in January 2006 and named "SOC in a BOX".<ref name="seven"/> By 2004 Fortinet had offices in Asia, Europe and North America.<ref name="nine"/>
Fortinet competes in the UTM and network security industry, and has the third-highest market share in security appliances after [[Cisco Systems]] and [[Check Point]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Donovan|first1=Fred|title=Cisco, Check Point, Fortinet top growing security appliance market, says IDC|url=http://www.fierceitsecurity.com/story/cisco-check-point-fortinet-top-growing-security-appliance-market-says-idc/2014-03-10|accessdate=14 January 2015|work=FierceITSecurity|date=2014-03-10|ref=fierceitsecurity}}</ref>


In October 2005, a study by [[OpenNet]] found that Fortinet's appliances were being used for internet censorship in [[Myanmar]]. Fortinet said its products are sold by third party resellers and it respects US embargoes, however photographs were found of a Fortinet salesperson with Burma's Prime Minister.<ref>{{cite news|title=Study Says Software Makers Supply Tools to Censor Web|first=Tom|last=Zeller|date=October 12, 2005|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=March 15, 2015|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/technology/12filter.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1426443816-v4aoPQxnHNV922VPqpeixg}}</ref><ref name="Inc.2013">{{cite book|author=IBP, Inc.|title=Myanmar Internet and E-Commerce Investment and Business Guide - Regulations and Opportunities|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=UHCuBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA57|date=August 1, 2013|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-4387-3445-3|pages=57–58}}</ref>
==History==
In 1993, 29-year-old Ken Xie started Stanford Information Systems (SIS) with classmates and friends to develop and sell software-based firewalls. The part-time venture led Xie to realize the limitations of software-based firewalls and in 1997 he founded NetScreen with Yan Ke and Feng Deng. NetScreen developed ASIC-based Internet security systems and appliances and paved the way for what would become one of Fortinet's key technologies. In 2004 NetScreen was sold to Juniper Networks for $4 billion.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://goldsea.com/Text/index.php?id=10973
| title=Ken Xie Builds Second Network Security Star
| date=2011-05-16}}</ref>


===Legal disputes===
In 1999, Ken Xie left NetScreen and founded Fortinet with his brother Michael Xie. With $1 million in angel funds and a personal investment of $50,000, Fortinet quickly grew, gaining recognition for their growth in Forbes Magazine, Entrepreneur, and on the Deloitte Fast 500.<ref>{{cite web
A German Linux programmer from GPLviolations.org obtained a preliminary injunction against Fortinet's UK subsidiary in April 2005, due to allegations that the company was using encryption to hide its use of Linux kernels that are subject to a [[General Public License]] (GPL). The license's terms require disclosure of the source code.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Under Fire for Allegedly Violating GPL Terms| first=Peter|last=Galli|date=May 14, 2005|url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Fortinet-Under-Fire-for-Allegedly-Violating-GPL-Terms#sthash.iNzBlixL.dpuf|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet accused of GPL violation|first=Ingrid|last=Marson |date=April 14, 2005|url=http://www.zdnet.com/article/fortinet-accused-of-gpl-violation/|publisher=ZDNet|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref> The following month Fortinet agreed to make its source code for GPL-licensed elements available upon request, modified its licensing terms and made other changes, ending the dispute.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 26, 2005|title=Fortinet settles GPL violation suit|first=Ingrid|last=Marson|url=http://news.cnet.com/Fortinet-settles-GPL-violation-suit/2100-7344_3-5684880.html|publisher=CNET|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref>
| url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/77840-2
| title=Smokin'
| date=2005-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedStates/Local%20Assets/Documents/us_tmt_2008TechnologyFast500Winners.pdf
| title=2008 Technology Fast 500
| year=2008}}</ref>


In May 2004, [[Trend Micro]] filed a legal complaint against Fortinet alleging that its antivirus technology infringed Trend Micro's patents on methods for scanning email and internet traffic.<ref>{{cite news|title=Judge rules for Trend Micro in Fortinet patent case|first=Grant|last=Gross|date=May 13, 2005|newspaper=Infoworld|url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/2670879/techology-business/judge-rules-for-trend-micro-in-fortinet-patent-case.html|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref> That August the [[International Trade Commission]] ruled against Fortinet, prohibiting the sale of effected products. Fortinet said Trend Micro's patents were too broad, but it complied with the ruling.<ref>{{cite news|title=ITC Rules Against Fortinet in Patent Dispute|first=Paul|last=Roberts|date=August 9, 2005|url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/ITC-Rules-Against-Fortinet-in-Patent-Dispute#sthash.FNmFEAy2.dpuf|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> Fortinet and Trend Micro reached an agreement with undisclosed terms in January 2006 and Fortinet modified its antivirus products to avoid Trend Micro's patents.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet, Trend Micro Settle Antivirus Patent Dispute|first=Larry|last=Hooper|date=January 30, 2006|url=http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/177105231/fortinet-trend-micro-settle-antivirus-patent-dispute.htm|newspaper=CRN|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet ordered to suspend U.S. sales|first=John|last=Dunn|newspaper=Computerworld|date=August 11, 2005|url=http://www.computerworld.com/article/2555217/security0/fortinet-ordered-to-suspend-u-s--sales.html|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref>
In 2009 the company filed for its initial public offering, opening at $12.50 per share and closing the same day $16.62, a 33% increase.<ref name=IPO/>


A few years later, an attorney from the International Trade Commission filed an opinion for another case that said he felt the related patents from Trend Micro were invalid. Fortinet made a new legal filing and in December 2010, the [[US Patent and Trademark Office]] declared the patents as invalid.<ref name="seven"/><ref>{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Shimel|title=The Patent That Refuses To Die|newspaper=Network World | date=April 12, 2011|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2228993/opensource-subnet/the-patent-that-refuses-to-die.html|accessdate=March 14, 2015}}</ref>
Fortinet has made several acquisitions, including [[VoIP]] manufacturer [[TalkSwitch]] in April 2011,<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.fortinet.com/press_releases/110427.html
| title=Fortinet Acquires TalkSwitch to Further Expand into Multi-Service Business Gateway Market
| date=2011-04-27}}</ref> [[application delivery controller]] (ADC) manufacturer [[Coyote Point Systems]] in March 2013,<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.networkcomputing.com/next-generation-data-center/news/networking/fortinet-acquires-adc-vendor-coyote-poin/240151850
| title=Fortinet Acquires ADC Vendor Coyote Point
| last=Kontzer
| first=Tony
| publisher=networkcomputing.com
| date=2013-03-27
| accessdate=2013-08-06}}</ref> and [[Wireless LAN|wireless networking]] provider [[Meru Networks]] in May 2015.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.securityweek.com/fortinet-acquire-meru-networks-44-million
| title=Fortinet to Acquire Meru Networks for $44 Million
| last=Lennon
| first=Mike
| publisher=securityweek.com
| date=2015-05-27
| accessdate=2015-06-17}}</ref>


In December 2013 Fortinet sued Sophos under allegations that it was poaching Fortinet employees and infringing on Fortinet patents.<ref name="Wright 2013">{{cite web | last=Wright | first=Rob | title=Sophos CEO Slams Fortinet In Response To Employee Poaching Lawsuit | website=CRN | date=December 20, 2013 | url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/240164951/sophos-ceo-slams-fortinet-in-response-to-employee-poaching-lawsuit.htm | accessdate=July 6, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Williams 2013">{{cite web | last=Williams | first=Martyn | title=Fortinet sues Sophos over alleged employee poaching | website=PCWorld | date=December 17, 2013 | url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2081340/fortinet-sues-sophos-over-alleged-employee-poaching.html | accessdate=July 6, 2016}}</ref> The legal dispute was settled two years later in mediation with non-disclosed terms.<ref name="Kuranda 2015">{{cite web | last=Kuranda | first=Sarah | title=Sophos And Fortinet End 2-Year Legal Feud Over Patents, Talent, Secrets | website=CRN | date=December 10, 2015 | url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/300079115/sophos-and-fortinet-end-2-year-legal-feud-over-patents-talent-secrets.htm | accessdate=July 6, 2016}}</ref>
<!--major cat-->

===Further development===
In 2008, Fortinet researchers said a Facebook widget from [[Zango]] had tricked more than three million users into downloading malicious [[spyware]] under the guise of telling users their secret crush.<ref>{{cite news|title=Facebook's "Secret Crush" malicious widget tricks users|first=Ellen|last=Messmer|newspaper=Network World |date=January 3, 2008|accessdate=August 5, 2016|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2281930/lan-wan/facebook-s--secret-crush--malicious-widget-tricks-users.html }}</ref> Zango denied the allegations, saying their software was opt-in.<ref>{{cite news|title=Facebook hack fuels Web 2.0 concerns|first=Matt|last=Hines|newspaper=InfoWorld | date=January 3, 2008|url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/2650381/security/facebook-hack-fuels-web-2-0-concerns.html|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref>

In late 2008, Fortinet acquired the database security and auditing intellectual property of IPLocks, and extended job offers to the company's 28 employees.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet buys assets of security vendor IPLocks|first=Robert|last=McMillan|publisher=IDG News Service |date=June 17, 2008|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2280818/lan-wan/fortinet-buys-assets-of-security-vendor-iplocks.html|accessdate=March 14, 2015}}</ref> It acquired the intellectual property and other assets of Woven Systems, an ethernet switching company, in August 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=Woven Systems technology lives on with Fortinet|newspaper=IT News|first=Munir|last=Kotadia|date=August 20, 2009|url=http://www.itnews.com.au/News/153468,woven-systems-technology-lives-on-with-fortinet.aspx|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref> According to [[IDC]], by this time it was the largest [[unified threat management]] vendor, with a 15.4 percent market-share.<ref name="audhfiadhn">{{cite news|title=Six New Stocks Rush to the Market|first=Lynn|last=Cowan|date=November 16, 2009|url=http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB20001424052748703683804574536094140531628|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name="public"/> The company had been growing steadily and became profitable after losing money from 2004 - 2007.<ref>{{cite news|title=Security Security: Fortinet IPO Jumps 33%|first=Lynn|last=Cowan|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=November 19, 2006|page=C6}}</ref> Fortinet was also rising in <i>CRN Magazine's</i> survey-based annual report card (ARC), reaching first place in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet IPO: Love Of Services|first=Robert|last=DeMarzo|date=September 25, 2009|url=http://www.crn.com/blogs-op-ed/channel-centric/220200266/fortinet-ipo-love-of-services.htm|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref>

In November 2009, Fortinet had an [[initial public offering]].<ref name="audhfiadhn"/> It was planning to raise $52.4 million through the sale of 5.8 million shares.<ref name="public">{{cite news|title=Computer security co. Fortinet plans IPO this week|url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2010287638_apusfortinetipopreview.html|newspaper=Seattle Times|accessdate=March 13, 2015|date=November 17, 2009}}</ref> Many stockholders also sold their shares simultaneously.<ref>{{cite news|date=November 18, 2009|first=Kelly|last=Jackson|url=http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/product-watch-fortinet-issues-an-ipo/d/d-id/1132432?|publisher=Dark Reading|title=Product Watch: Fortinet Issues An IPO|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref> Just before the first day of trading, Fortinet increased the share price from $9 to $12.50 and the price increased in the market to $16.62 by the end of the first day of trading, raising $156 million in financing.<ref>{{cite news|first=Robert|last=McMillan|publisher=IDG News|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/182549/article.html|date=November 18, 2009|accessdate=March 13, 2015|title=Security Vendor Fortinet Sparkles in IPO}}</ref>

===Recent history===
By 2010, Fortinet had $324 million in annual revenues.<ref name="seven"/> That November, [[Bloomberg]] covered rumors that [[IBM]] was considering acquiring the company,<ref>{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Burrows|date=November 1, 2010|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-10-29/fortinet-said-to-have-takeover-approach-from-ibm-talks-at-advanced-stage|accessdate=March 13, 2015|title=Fortinet Said to Be Approached by IBM; Shares Soar}}</ref> which Fortinet denied.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Says IBM Acquisition Talk Untrue|publisher=Reuters|date=January 11, 2010|url=http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Security/Fortinet-Says-IBM-Acquisition-Talk-Untrue-824633#sthash.X0FyrBiq.dpuf|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</reF><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Denies IBM Acquisition Rumors|first=Brian|last=Prince|date=November 1, 2010|url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Fortinet-Denies-IBM-Acquisition-Rumors-558242#sthash.WNFn75ii.dpuf|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref> In December 2012, Fortinet acquired XDN (formerly known as 3Crowd), which provided an app-hosting service called CrowdDirector.<ref>{{cite news|title=Did Fortinet acquire XDN in a bid to add more cache to its portfolio?|first=Jim|last=Davis|date=December 17, 2012|url=https://451research.com/report-short?entityId=75234|accessdate=March 14, 2015 }}</ref> In 2013 Fortinet acquired Coyote Point, an application delivery company, for an undisclosed sum. Coyote had 1,800 employees and $534 million in annual revenue.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet to Buy Coyote Point to Merge Security with Application Delivery|first=Stephen|last=Lawson|publisher=IDG News Service |date=March 22, 2013|url=http://www.cio.com/article/2387320/mergers-acquisitions/fortinet-to-buy-coyote-point-to-merge-security-with-application-delivery.html|accessdate=March 13, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet buying Coyote Point for application delivery model|first=Rachel|last=King|publisher=ZDNet |date=March 22, 2013|url=http://www.zdnet.com/article/fortinet-buying-coyote-point-for-application-delivery-model/|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref>

Fortinet made changes to its reseller program in July 2013, in order to provide financing and other options for small [[managed security service]] vendors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Refines MSSP Program For Broader Reach|first=Robert|last=Westervelt|date=July 10, 2013|url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/240158008/fortinet-refines-mssp-program-for-broader-reach.htm?pgno=1|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref> Recently some resellers have complained that Fortinet is competing with its own resellers, whereas Fortinet says it does not do any direct sales.<ref>{{cite news|title=We Are A 100 Percent Channel Company|newspaper=CRN|date=July 15, 2013|url=|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref>

Fortinet founded the Cyber Threat Alliance with [[Palo Alto Networks]] in 2014, in order to share security threat data across vendors. It was joined by [[McAfee]] and [[Symantec]] later that year.<ref>{{cite news|title=McAfee, Symantec Join Cyber Threat Alliance|first=Nathan |last=Eddy | date=September 17, 2014|url=http://www.eweek.com/small-business/mcafee-symantec-join-cyber-threat-alliance.html#sthash.NUrrMKA6.dpuf|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=March 14, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Obama Wants Tech Firms to Alert Feds to Cyber Threats|first=Chloe|last=Albanesius|date=February 13, 2015|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2476732,00.asp|newspaper=PC Magazine|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref> In May 2015, Fortinet acquired the [[Silicon Valley]]-based Wi-Fi hardware company, [[Meru Networks]], for $44 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Biz Break: Fortinet steps up security challenge to Cisco with Meru acquisition|first=Jeremy|last=Owens|newspaper=The San Jose Mercury News|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_28200121/biz-break-fortinet-steps-up-security-challenge-cisco|accessdate=June 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Dives Deep Into Enterprise Secure Wireless Market With Meru Networks Acquisition|first=Sarah|last=Kuranda |date=May 27, 2015|accessdate=June 10, 2015|url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/300076943/fortinet-dives-deep-into-enterprise-secure-wireless-market-with-meru-networks-acquisition.htm|newspaper=CRN}}</ref> In late 2015, Fortinet security researchers demonstrated a [[Fitbit]] hack that gained access through Bluetooth, then allowed the hacker into synchronized devices.<ref>{{cite news | last=Weise | first=Elizabeth | title=Fitbit hacked from 10 feet away, security firm says | newspaper=USA TODAY | date=October 22, 2015 | url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/10/22/fitbit-hacked-10-feet-away-security-firm-says/74390914/ | accessdate=March 10, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author=fitbit | title=Fitbit hack: '10 second' vulnerability makes wearables spew malware (Wired UK) | website=Wired UK | date=February 11, 2016 | url=http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2015-10/22/fitbit-hack-malware-ten-seconds | ref=harv | accessdate=March 10, 2016}}</ref>

In June 2016, Fortinet acquired an IT security, monitoring and analytics software vendor, AccelOps for about $28 million.<ref name="Kuranda 2016">{{cite web | last=Kuranda | first=Sarah | title=Fortinet Dives Into SIEM Market With $28M Acquisition Of AccelOps | website=CRN | date=June 7, 2016 | url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/300080956/fortinet-dives-into-siem-market-with-28m-acquisition-of-accelops.htm | accessdate=June 16, 2016}}</ref> According to ZDNet, the company was best known for its [[Security Information and Event Management]] (SIEM) products, products which analyse hardware and software security alerts.<ref name="Gagliordi 2016">{{cite web | last=Gagliordi | first=Natalie | title=Fortinet acquires security analytics firm AccelOps | website=ZDNet | date=June 7, 2016 | url=http://www.zdnet.com/article/fortinet-acquires-security-analytics-firm-accelops/ | accessdate=June 16, 2016}}</ref>


==Products==
==Products==
Fortinet develops and markets IT security and networking hardware and software.<ref name="primary">{{cite|url=https://www.fortinet.com/content/dam/fortinet/assets/brochures/FortinetBroch.pdf|date=February 2016|accessdate=May 15, 2016|title=Fortinet Security Fabric}}</reF> It is best-known for the FortiGate family of security appliances, which combine many cybersecurity functions.<ref name="twentyone">{{cite news|title=Will Investors Find Safe Haven With Network Security Company?|last=Reeves|first=Amy|newspaper=Investor's Business Daily|date=November 17, 2009}}</ref> According to a 2015 report by IT analyst firm The Dell'Oro Group, Fortinet had an eight percent market-share of the IT security appliance market by revenue in 2014, up from 2.9 percent in 2012.<ref name="Greene 2015">{{cite web | last=Greene | first=Tim | title=Dell Oro Group: Check Point, Fortinet, Palo Alto making gains in security appliances | website=Network World | date=August 25, 2015 | url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2975751/security/dell-oro-group-check-point-fortinet-palo-alto-making-gains-in-security-appliances.html | accessdate=March 10, 2016}}</ref> This makes it the fourth-largest vendor in the industry.<ref name="www.idc.com 2015">{{cite web | title=Worldwide Security Appliance Market Continues Its Growth Trajectory in the First Half of 2015, According to IDC | website=www.idc.com | date=September 14, 2015 | url=http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS25907015 | accessdate=May 16, 2016}}</ref> According to Fortinet, its users are 35% small businesses, 28% enterprises and 37% large companies.<ref name="primary"/>
{{Refimprove section|date=February 2013}}


Fortinet products include the following categories:
===FortiGate firewall platform===
{| cellpadding=5 style="border:1px solid #BBB" width="700" align="center"
The FortiGate [[Firewall (computing)|firewall]] is Fortinet's flagship integrated network security solution. The FortiGate offers data center firewall (DCFW), [[Unified Threat Management|unified threat management]] (UTM), and [[Next-Generation Firewall|next-generation firewall]] (NGFW) technologies including:
|-
|
<b>Products</b>
* Firewall
* Firewall
* Advanced Threat Detection
* [[Virtual Private Network]] (VPN)
* Wireless LAN
* [[Application firewall|Application Control]]
* Secure Email Gateway
* [[Antivirus software|Anti-malware]]
* Web Application Firewall
* [[Intrusion prevention system|Intrusion Prevention]]
* Application Delivery Controllers
* [[Content-control software|Web Filtering]]
* Endpoint Protection
* Vulnerability Management
* SIEM
* [[Anti-spam techniques|Anti-Spam]]
* Management and Reporting
* Wireless Controller
* Switches
* Wide Area Network Acceleration
|
The FortiGate appliance makes use of FortiASIC technology, an [[Application-specific integrated circuit]] designed for accelerated processing of security and networking functions,<ref>{{cite web
<b>Security Subscriptions</b>
| url=http://news.techworld.com/security/9130/fortinet-beefs-up-security-asic/
* Antispam
| title=Fortinet beefs up security ASIC
* Antivirus
| date=2007-06-13}}</ref> the FortiOS operating system,<ref>{{cite web
* Mobile Secuity
| url=http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/fortinet-overhauls-operating-system/46972
* Application Control
| title=Fortinet overhauls operating system
* Web Application Security
| date=2012-10-18}}</ref> and a cloud-based security subscription to the FortiGuard network.<ref>{{cite web
* Web Filtering
| url=http://www.avfirewalls.com/FortiGuard-Analysis-Management-Service.asp
* IP Reputation and Anti-botnet Security
| title=Fortinet FortiGuard Analysis & Management Services
* Database Security
| date=2012-01-11}}</ref> The platform is also available as a [[Virtual firewall|virtual appliance]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Fortinet goes virtual|url = http://www.networkworld.com/article/2191613/virtualization/fortinet-goes-virtual.html|accessdate = 2015-06-17|first = Tim|last = Greene}}</ref>
|}

===FortiGate===
Fortinet's flagship product line is the FortiGate family of [[unified threat management]] physical and virtual appliances, which include a number of security features like firewalls, intrusion prevention, web-filters and protection from malware or spam. The family includes products for small businesses and branch offices like the FortiGate 20 and appliances for large enterprises, data centers and internet service providers, like the FortiGate-5000.<ref name="annual"/><ref name="Tam Salvador McAlpine Basile 2012 p. 36">{{cite book | last=Tam | first=K. | last2=Salvador | first2=M.H.H. | last3=McAlpine | first3=K. | last4=Basile | first4=R. | last5=Matsugu | first5=B. | last6=More | first6=J. | title=UTM Security with Fortinet: Mastering FortiOS | publisher=Elsevier Science | year=2012 | isbn=978-1-59749-977-4 | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zjz9kY4ENEoC&pg=PA36 | accessdate=August 5, 2016 | page=36}}</ref> It also sells products like the Fortigate-5001B, which is a Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), something [[Gartner]] defines as being a product that combines firewall, VPN, intrusion prevention and other security features in a single appliance.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet unveils high-speed security blade for Fortigate-5000 chassis: FortiGate-5001B blade combines firewall, VPN, IPS, application controls, filtering|last=Messmer|first=Ellen|newspaper=Network World|date=November 30, 2010}}</ref>

Fortinet's first product was the FortiGate 3000, released in October 2002,<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet to unveil 3Gbps security appliance|first=Paul|last=Roberts|newspaper=Infoworld|date=October 22, 2002}}</ref> which had a throughput of 3 gigabytes per second (GB/s).<ref>{{cite news|first=Tim|last=Greene|newspaper=Network World | date=March 10, 2003|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2340931/wi-fi/fortinet-revs-its-security-gear.html|accessdate=March 10, 2015|title=Fortinet revs its security gear}}</ref> The 5000 family was released two years later.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Welcomes New VPs, Finishes Security Appliance|first=Matt|last=Villano|newspaper=CRN|date=September 13, 2004|url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/47204138/fortinet-welcomes-new-vps-finishes-security-appliance.htm|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> According to <i>The International Directory of Company Histories</i>, Fortinet's early products for small businesses and branch offices, were well received by the industry.<ref name="seven"/> A review in <i>PC Magazine</i> gave the FortiGate 100 network security and VPN appliance five out of five stars,<ref>{{cite news|title=Entry VPN|first1=Robert|last1=Lipschutz|first2=Gregg|last2=Harrington|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,480556,00.asp|accessdate=March 9, 2015}}</ref> though <i>PC Magazine</i> gave it only three stars.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet FortiGate 60|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1522160,00.asp|newspaper=PC Magazine|accessdate=March 11, 2015|first=Oliver|last=Kaven}}</ref> <i>Network Magazine</i> said the cost difference between a Fortinet appliance and purchasing each security function separately was "stunning," however it said Fortinet's spam tools were not as good as those from specialized anti-spam vendors.<ref name="five">{{cite news|title=Fortinet's Anti-virus Firewall|first=Andrew|last=Conry-Murray|newspaper=Network Magazine|date=September 2004}}</ref>

Fortinet continued to release new controllers, features, and FortiGate firewalls for business of different sizes.<ref name="may">{{cite news|title=Fortinet Aims to Secure High-End Networks|url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/188700172/fortinet-aims-to-secure-high-end-networks.htm|accessdate=March 13, 2015|first=Kevin|last=McLaughlin|date=June 2, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet claims ‘breakthrough’ price-performance|first=Dave|last=Webb|date=April 1, 2008|url=http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/fortinet-claims-breakthrough-price-performance/2438#ixzz3UI63zmTq |accessdate=March 13, 2015|publisher=IT World Canada}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=UTM 2.0: FortiGate 620B|first=Samara|last=Lynn|date=May 12, 2009|url=http://www.crn.com/features/components-peripherals/217400535/utm-2-0-fortigate-620b.htm|publisher=CRN|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref><ref name="eltod"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet firewalls reach 120Gbps|last=Solomon|first=Howard|newspaper=ComputerWorld Canada|date=June 8, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2195643/network-security/fortinet-unveils-high-speed-security-blade-for-fortigate-5000-chassis.html|newspaper=Network World|title=Fortinet unveils high-speed security blade for Fortigate 5000 chassis|accessdate=March 13, 2015|first=Ellen|last=Messmer}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet adds third 5000-series blade|first=Howard|last=Solomon |date=January 8, 2013|url=http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/fortinet-adds-third-5000-series-blade/47249#ixzz3UPWkCYkR|accessdate=March 13, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Targets MSSPs, Enterprises With New Security Blade|first=Brian|last=Prince|date=January 8, 2013|url=http://www.eweek.com/security/fortinet-targets-mssps-enterprises-with-new-security-blade#sthash.AMp5P5kL.dpuf|accessdate=March 14, 2015|newspaper=eWeek}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet refreshes SMB security lineup|first=Heather|last=Clancy |date=July 22, 2013 |accessdate=March 13, 2015|url=http://www.zdnet.com/article/fortinet-refreshes-smb-security-lineup/|publisher=ZDNet}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Expands FortiGate UTM Appliances for Small Businesses |url=http://www.eweek.com/small-business/fortinet-expands-fortigate-utm-appliances-for-small-businesses#sthash.CijOhPl1.dpuf|first=Nathan|last=Eddy|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=March 14, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=FortiGate 3700D: high performance firewall at low cost|first=Tony|last=Bradley|date=October 7, 2013|newspaper=PCWorld|accessdate=March 15, 2015|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/2052780/fortigate-3700d-firewall-high-performance-at-low-cost.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Launches 5000 Series Firewall Appliance, Blades|first=Nathan|last=Eddy | date=July 24, 2014|url=http://www.eweek.com/small-business/fortinet-launches-5000-series-firewall-appliance-blades.html#sthash.MuTBZRqv.dpuf|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=March 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Releases Internal Network Firewall|first=Nathan|last=Eddy|url=http://www.eweek.com/small-business/fortinet-releases-internal-network-firewall.html#sthash.b5xgtYPv.dpuf|accessdate=March 13, 2015|newspaper=eWeek|date=January 23, 2015}}</ref> <i>Infoworld</i> said the FortiGate 500 and 800 were easy to setup and was effective in a lab environment at detecting security threats. The publication gave it 8.1 out of ten stars.<ref>{{cite news|title=Feature-stoked firewalls sizzle|last=Behr|first=Alyson|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=November 3, 2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4DkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4&lpg=PA4&dq=%22Feature-stoked+firewalls+sizzle%22&source=bl&ots=EYX5C0UiAL&sig=45O0EXYW_9YOVRnYoqq2p9FJk0U&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wqf_VIHrLvK1sQTimILgDA&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Feature-stoked%20firewalls%20sizzle%22&f=false|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Alyson|last=Behr|newspaper=Infoworld|title=Storming the Network Gates|date=September 13, 2004|page=32}}</ref> A review by <i>Business Communications Review</i> said the FortiGate 3000 was easy to configure and had good call quality, but its reliability was "problematic" and the security settings required excessive manual configuration for outbound calls.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stumbling blocks on the road to ubiquitous VOIP|first1=Betsy|last1=Yocom|first2=Jonathan|last2=Taylor|first3=Michael|last3=Hommer|first4=Randall|last4=Birdsall|date=July 2003|newspaper=Business Communications Review}}</ref><Ref>{{cite news|title=Security gateways debut|last1=Yocom|first1=Betsy|last2=Birdsall|first2=Randall|newspaper=Business Communications Review|date=August 2003}}</ref> According to <i>Federal Computer Week</i>, the FortiGate 3600 appliance was effective and its user interface was easy to use.<ref name="fcw">{{cite news|title=A fortress in a box|first1=Earl|last1=Greer|first2=Vincil|last2=Bishop|date=October 13, 2003|url=http://fcw.com/articles/2003/10/13/a-fortress-in-a-box.aspx|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> A lab test by <i>Network Computing</i> said it blocked 100% of security threats and was its top choice for "bang for the buck," but ranked it as a close second to the NetScreen ISG2000, which it said had slightly better technical performance.<ref>{{cite news|title=Clash of the Titans|date=April 28, 2005|newspaper=Network Computing|first1=Adrian|last1=Peters|first2=Michael|last2=Jones}}</ref> The FortiGate 3200D tied for first place in a test by NSS Labs on an "overall security-effectiveness assessment" and was the best performing product in a real-world test that mimics a data center environment.<ref name="Network Computing 2016">{{cite web | title=Next-Generation Firewalls Put To The Test | website=Network Computing | date=March 3, 2016 | url=http://www.networkcomputing.com/network-security/next-generation-firewalls-put-test/379303122 | accessdate=August 9, 2016}}</ref> In a 2008 comparative review done by <i>CRN</i>, the publication said the FortiGate 1000A was "one of the most comprehensive" [[unified threat management]] appliances. It noted that Fortinet built its own appliances using dedicated security semiconductors, whereas most vendors use generic OEM parts. It ranked the FortiGate 1000A in second place, behind a WatchGuard product, giving it 4-5 stars in each category that was evaluated.<ref>{{cite news|title=Review: Putting UTM To The Test|newspaper=CRN|first=Mario|last=Morejon|date=January 18, 2008|url=http://www.crn.com/reviews/security/205901102/review-putting-utm-to-the-test.htm|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref>

In early 2013, Fortinet introduced a family of firewall products for internal networks that relies heavily on special-purpose ASICs.<ref>{{cite news | title=Fortinet Releases Internal Network Firewall | newspaper=eWeek.com | date=January 23, 2015 | url=http://www.eweek.com/small-business/fortinet-releases-internal-network-firewall.html | accessdate=June 24, 2016}}</ref> The FortiGate virtual appliance was later added to the Amazon Web Services in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.eweek.com/small-business/fortinet-security-platform-hits-amazon-web-services.html|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=June 11, 2015|title=Fortinet Security Platform Hits Amazon Web Services|first=Nathan|last=Eddy|date=March 27, 2014}}</ref> In April 2016, Fortinet announced the Fortinet Security Fabric, which is intended to allow third-party devices to share information with Fortinet appliances and software through APIs. It also introduced the FortiGate 6040E 320Gbps firewall, which includes the new CP9 ASIC that takes on some processing tasks from the main CPU, and was used in future FortiGate releases.<ref>{{cite news | last=Greene | first=Tim | title=New security fabric to unite Fortinet gear with that of other vendors | newspaper=Network World | date=April 25, 2016 | url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/3060685/security/new-security-fabric-to-unite-fortinet-gear-with-that-of-other-vendors.html | accessdate=May 10, 2016}}</ref>


===Other===
===Advanced Threat Protection===
Fortinet provides numerous other software and hardware products, including:<ref name="annual"/><ref name="Tam Salvador McAlpine Basile 2012 p. 36"/>
* Virtual versions of its appliances
* The FortiOS operating system used in all of Fortinet's products
* The FortiGuard subscription that provides security updates
* The FortiManager data center management software
* The FortiAnalyzer product family for logging, analysis and reporting
* More than one dozen other products for switching, web security, desktops, messaging, VOIP services, DNS, user authentication and other applications'


FortiManager was first introduced in April 2003.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet uncorks security mgmt. app|first=Time|last=Greene|date=April 7, 2003|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2341207/lan-wan/fortinet-uncorks-security-mgmt--app.html|newspaper=Network World|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> That December, Fortinet released FortiOS 2.8, which added 50 new features to the operating system.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet: Complete Content Protection|first=Christina|last=Torode|date=December 19, 2003|url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/18831203/fortinet-complete-content-protection.htm|newspaper=CRN|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> The FortiClient VPN software was first released in April 2004.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Branches OUt, Launches Client Solution|first=Matt|last=Villano|date=April 1, 2004|url=http://www.crn.com/news/security/18841349/fortinet-branches-out-launches-client-solution.htm|newspaper=CRN|accessdate=March 11, 2015}}</ref> The operating system has been continually updated throughout the years.<ref name="twentyfivese">{{cite news|title=Fortifying Firewalls the Fortinet Way|date=March 6, 2006|accessdate=March 12, 2015|url=http://www.crn.com/reviews/security/181401669/fortifying-firewalls-the-fortinet-way.htm|newspaper=CRN|first=Frank|last=Ohlhorst}}</ref><ref name="twentysixse">{{cite news|title=Fortinet upgrades security system|newspaper=Knight Ridder Tribune Business News|date=February 14, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Unwraps New, Integrated Security Platform|first=Lawrence|last=Walsh|date=March 3, 2009|url=http://www.channelinsider.com/c/a/Security/Fortinet-Unwraps-New-Integrated-Security-Platform#sthash.T1Imfqo2.dpuf|accessdate=March 13, 2015|publisher=Channel Insider}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Ups 10G Ethernet Security Game|first=Mike|last=Vizard|date=June 10, 2013|url=http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/it-unmasked/fortinet-ups-10g-ethernet-security-game.html|accessdate=March 13, 2015|publisher=IT Business Edge}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet tweaks Web application firewalls|first=Howard|last=Solomon|date=May 21, 2013|url=http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/fortinet-tweaks-web-application-firewalls/47790#ixzz3UTG0wWkG }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet introduces new features in its FortiOS 5 OS |newspaper=InformationWeek|date=June 20, 2013|url=http://www.informationweek.in/informationweek/news-analysis/179053/fortinet-introduces-features-fortios?utm_source=referrence_article|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Unveils FortiOS 5.2 to Fight APTs|date=May 14, 2014|url=http://www.computerworld.in/news/fortinet-unveils-fortios-5.2-to-fight-apts|accessdate=March 14, 2015|newspaper=Computerworld}}</ref> In October 2010, Fortinet released virtual software versions of its FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer and FortiMail appliances.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet goes virtual: Fortinet announces virtual versions of four of its appliances|last=Greene|first=Tim|newspaper=Network World|date=October 12, 2010}}</ref> It updated the FortiCloud management system in August 2015.<ref name="dafhuowiehfj"/> A [[software-defined networking]] offering was introduced in September 2015.<ref>{{cite news | last=Cusanelli | first=Michael | title=Fortinet Develops SDNS Framework, Expands Partner Ecosystem | newspaper=Network Security and Data Protection Software Solutions content from The VAR Guy | date=September 14, 2015 | url=http://thevarguy.com/network-security-and-data-protection-software-solutions/091415/fortinet-develops-sdns-framework-expands-par | ref=harv | accessdate=March 10, 2016}}</ref><ref name="SearchSDN 2016">{{cite web | title=Security in SDN effort puts Fortinet in limelight | website=TechTarget | date=March 10, 2016 | url=http://searchsdn.techtarget.com/news/4500253149/Security-in-SDN-effort-puts-Fortinet-in-limelight | accessdate=March 10, 2016}}</ref>
Fortinet's premiere Advanced Threat Protection appliance, the FortiSandBox, is designed to identify and mitigate against [[advanced persistent threat]]s. The system utilizes a dual-level Sandbox for run-time analysis of activity, [[Antivirus software|antimalware]] technology, a real-time query of all FortiSandbox intelligence across customers and partners, and proprietary callback detection.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&p=1&S1=Fortinet.ASNM.&OS=AN/Fortinet&RS=AN/Fortinet
| title=US 8,693,348 B1
| date=2014-04-08}}</ref> The FortiSandbox earned a recommended rating from NSS Labs as part of a 2013 Breach Detection Report.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014/040214-breach-detection-280286.html|title=FireEye, AhnLab score low in lab test of breach detection systems|publisher=Network World|accessdate=2 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fortinet.com/sites/default/files/whitepapers/BDS-Fortinet-FortiSandbox-3000D.pdf|title=Breach Detection System Product Analysis: Fortinet FortiSandbox 3000Dv1.2|publisher=NSS Labs|accessdate=2 May 2014}}</ref>


===Wireless LAN===
====Security====
Fortinet produces and markets a database security and compliance product called FortiDB, which helps users manage security policies and vulnerabilities for databases.<ref name="annual"/><ref name="Tam Salvador McAlpine Basile 2012 p. 36"/> The product family was first started in 2008 with the FortiDB 100B.<ref name="thirteen">{{cite news|title=Fortinet Builds Database Monitoring, Auditing into Portfolio|first=Brian|last=Prince|date=January 21, 2009|url=http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Database/Fortinet-Builds-Database-Monitoring-Auditing-into-Portfolio#sthash.TxyAmQH3.dpuf|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref> The FortiDB 1000C got 5/5 stars in <i>SC Magazine</i><ref>{{cite news|title=FortiDB-1000C|newspaper=SC Magazine|url=http://www.scmagazine.com//fortidb-1000c/review/4041/|accessdate=March 13, 2015|first=Peter|last=Stephenson|date=November 1, 2013}}</ref> and the FortiDB 1000D got 4 and three quarters out of five stars in the same magazine.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet FortiDB 1000D|first=Peter|last=Stephenson|date=November 3, 2014|url=http://www.scmagazineuk.com/fortinet-fortidb-1000d/review/4309/|accessdate=March 13, 2015|newspaper=SC Magazine}}</ref>


The first FortiMail messaging security product and FortiGuard antispam product were released in February 2005.<ref name="seven"/> The FortiMail 400B and FortiMail 200D each received five out five stars by <i>SC Magazine</i>.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet FortiMail-400B|first=Nathan|last=Ouellette|date=March 1, 2009|url=http://www.scmagazine.com/fortinet-fortimail-400b/review/2771/|newspaper=SC Magazine|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet FortiMail-200D|first=Peter|last=Stephenson|date=September 3, 2013|url=http://www.scmagazine.com/fortinet-fortimail-200d/review/3997/|accessdate=March 14, 2015|newspaper=SC Magazine}}</ref> FortiWeb also produces the FortiWeb [[Web Application Firewall]] (WAF), which focuses on security threats common to web applications and helps offload certain tasks from web-servers.<ref name="Tam Salvador McAlpine Basile 2012 p. 36"/>
Fortinet has three main [[Wireless LAN]] products: FortiAP, FortiWiFi, and a WLAN planning utility called FortiPlanner. The FortiAP is a [[wireless access point]] that conforms to [[IEEE 802.11ac]] and [[IEEE 802.11n-2009|802.11n]] standards. Newer access points can be [[power over ethernet|powered over ethernet]] and offer data rates in excess of 1 [[Data rate units#Gigabit per second|gigabits per second]].<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.cnmeonline.com/news/fortinet-launches-twelve-network-security-products-for-connected-utm-platform/
| title=Fortinet launches twelve network security products for ‘Connected UTM’ platform
| date=2014-02-12}}</ref> FortiWifi is a firewall appliance with wireless antennas allowing it to double as a wireless access point. FortiPlanner is a graphical Wireless LAN Planning and Post-Deployment Site Survey utility designed to simplify the deployment of wireless networks.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://wrlwnd.com/fortinets-new-connected-utm-looks-to-simplify-distributed-wireless-networks/
| title=Fortinet’s new Connected UTM looks to simplify distributed wireless networks
| date=2014-01-13}}</ref>
In 2014, Fortinet unveiled a 3G/4G [[Wireless WAN]] extender called FortiExtender<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.opptrends.com/2014/01/fortinet-inc-launches-connected-utm-platform-releases-twelve-network-security-products-for-distributed-enterprises/
| title=Fortinet Inc (FTNT) Launches "Connected UTM" Platform, Releases Twelve Network Security Products for Distributed Enterprises
| date=2014-01-13}}</ref>


FortiClient is an endpoint security product for desktops, phones, and other devices. It includes functions like anti-virus, malware protection, web filtering and VPN services. It received five out of five stars in <i>PC Magazine</i>. The publication noted that the software was free and could be used even without Fortinet products. It got high scores for phishing and malware detection, but was less effective at blocking new malicious URLs.<ref>{{cite news|title=FortiClient 5.0|newspaper=PC Magazine|url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2427610,00.asp|accessdate=March 13, 2015|first=Neil|last=Rubenking}}</ref> A 2013 review of FortiClient 5.0 in <i>SC Magazine</i> gave it 4 and three quarters stars out of five. It said FortiClient was easy to implement and use, but many of its features required FortiGate appliances to be effective.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet FortiClient 5.0 for Windows|first=Peter|last=Stephenson|date=August 1, 2013|url=http://www.scmagazine.com//fortinet-forticlient-50-for-windows/review/3968/#|accessdate=March 13, 2015|newspaper=SC Magazine}}</ref>
===Switches===


====Networking and wireless====
Fortinet offers Ethernet Access and Data Center [[Network switch|switches]]<ref>{{cite web
Fortinet produces and markets wireless versions of its flagship FortiGate product called FortiWifi.<ref name="Tam Salvador McAlpine Basile 2012 p. 36"/> Fortinet released the FortiWiFi 60 [[wireless access point]] in March 2004.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Unit Shines for Wi-Fi|first=Frank|last=Ohlhorst|date=March 26, 2004|url=http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/18841273/fortinet-unit-shines-for-wi-fi.htm|newspaper=CRN|accessdate=March 10, 2015}}</ref> The FortiWiFi 60 was the most expensive out of similar wireless units tested by <i>VARBusiness</i>, but also the most feature-rich and effective, according to the publication's review.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wireless Routers Worth Your Consideration -- We examine five products|first=David|last=Strom|newspaper=VARbusiness|date=May 3, 2004|page=63}}</ref> <i>SC Magazine</i> gave the FortiWifi-40c 4.5 out of 5 stars. The publication said the appliance was affordable for small-office environments, but advanced configuration had a learning curve.<ref name="Stephenson 2012">{{cite web | last=Stephenson | first=Peter | title=Fortinet FortiWiFi-40c product review | website=SC Magazine | date=March 1, 2012 | url=http://www.scmagazine.com/fortinet-fortiwifi-40c/review/3618/ | accessdate=July 6, 2016}}</ref> and introduced a new family of cloud-based wireless access points, in August 2015.<ref name="dafhuowiehfj">{{cite web | author=CIO.in | title=Fortinet launches industry's most secure cloud-managed enterprise Wi-Fi solution | website=CIO | url=http://www.cio.in/news/fortinet-launches-industry%27s-most-secure-cloud-managed-enterprise-wi-fi-solution | ref=harv | accessdate=March 10, 2016}}</ref>
| url=http://www.fortinet.com/products/fortiswitch/secure-access-switches.html
| title=Secure Access Switch - FortiSwitch Series
| date=2012-01-11}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.fortinet.com/products/fortiswitch/access-switch-series.html
| title=Access Switches - FortiSwitch
| date=2012-01-11}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.fortinet.com/products/fortiswitch/data-center-switches.html
| title=Data Center Switches - FortiSwitch
| date=2012-01-11}}</ref>


Fortinet also sells [[application delivery controller]]s, which perform tasks like load-balancing to off-load the demand on web-servers. The first Forti ADC (Application Delivery Controller) family was released in August 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Expands Application Delivery Portfolio|first=Nathan|last=Eddy |date=August 15, 2013|url=http://www.eweek.com/small-business/fortinet-expands-application-delivery-portfolio#sthash.9i5QkBc8.dpuf|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref> This was followed by the FortiDDoS product family in March 2014.<ref>{{cite news|first=Nathan|last=Eddy|date=March 11, 2014|url=http://www.eweek.com/small-business/fortinet-unveils-line-of-ddos-security-appliances.html#sthash.fiehhRX7.dpuf|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=March 15, 2015|title=Fortinet Unveils Line of DDoS Security Appliances}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet Adds Four New Appliances To DDoS Portfolio|newspaper=CRN|date=March 18, 2014|accessdate=March 14, 2015|url=}}</ref> The FortiSwitch family of ethernet switches came out in 2009.<ref name="eltod">{{cite news|title=Fortinet Offers FortiGate Security Appliance|first=Nathan|last=Eddy |date=November 12, 2009|url=http://www.eweek.com/security/Fortinet-Offers-FortiGate-Security-Appliance#sthash.eQ9o3L3Z.dpuf|newspaper=eWeek|accessdate=March 13, 2015}}</ref>
== Criticism and controversy ==


==Operations==
=== US government sanctions violation ===
Fortinet also runs the FortiGuard Labs internal security research team, which was founded in 2005.<ref>{{cite web | title=Comparing the best NGFWs on the market | website=SearchSecurity | date=March 10, 2016 | url=http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/feature/Comparing-the-best-NGFWs-on-the-market | accessdate=March 10, 2016}}</reF><ref name="SearchSecurity 2016">{{cite web | title=Comparing the best NGFWs on the market | website=SearchSecurity | date=July 14, 2016 | url=http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/feature/Comparing-the-best-NGFWs-on-the-market | accessdate=July 15, 2016}}</ref> It has four research and development centers in Asia, as well as others in the US, Canada and France.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet establishes R&D lab in Singapore|date=August 27, 2014|first=Eileen|last=Yu |accessdate=March 14, 2014|url=http://www.zdnet.com/article/fortinet-establishes-r-d-lab-in-singapore/|publisher=ZDNet}}</ref> Fortinet hosts a certification and training program with eight levels of NSE certification.<ref>{{cite news|title=New online IT training touted to help meet skills shortage|publisher=IT World Canada|url=http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/fortinet-creates-new-network-security-expert-certification/95987#ixzz3UTfldWCt|first=Howard |last=Solomon |date=July 29, 2014|accessdate=March 14, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Fortinet creates new Network Security Expert certification|first=Howard |last=Solomon|date=July 29, 2014|url=http://www.itworldcanada.com/article/fortinet-creates-new-network-security-expert-certification/95987#ixzz3UTfRF8f3 |publisher=IT World Canda|accessdate=March 15, 2015}}</ref> It runs the Network Security Academy, which was founded in early 2016. It provides resources to universities teaching IT security classes.<ref>{{cite web | title=Intel, Fortinet, launch cybersecurity initiatives | website=San Jose Mercury News | date=March 22, 2016 | url=http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_29667157/intel-fortinet-launch-cyber-security-initiatives | accessdate=June 24, 2016}}</ref>
According to the [[OpenNet Initiative]],<ref>{{cite web
| url=https://opennet.net/studies/burma
| title=Internet Filtering in Burma in 2005: A Country Study
| date=October 2005
| accessdate=2013-08-06}}</ref> FortiGuard is used by the dictatorship of [[Myanmar]] to block communications critical of the regime carried over the [[Internet]], a system known as the [[Myanmar Wide Web]].<ref>{{cite news
| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/12/technology/12filter.html
| title=Study Says Software Makers Supply Tools to Censor Web
| last=Zeller
| first=Tom, Jr
| date=2005-10-12
| work=The New York Times}}</ref> Fortinet has promised to investigate the allegations, and the implied violation of US government sanctions against the regime, noting that the software may have been sold to the regime by a third party;<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2144178/fortinet-investigates-sanctions
| title=Fortinet investigates sanctions busting claim
| last=Thomson
| first=Iain
| date=2005-10-19
| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071125174112/http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2144178/fortinet-investigates-sanctions
| archivedate=2007-11-25
| deadurl=yes
| accessdate=2013-08-06}}</ref> meanwhile, the Myanmar government features its adoption of the Fortinet firewall on its official website<ref name="myanmar-gov">{{cite web
| url=http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/NLM-2004/May04/enlm/May16_h1.html
| title=Prime Minister attends ceremony to introduce Fortinet Antivirus Firewall
| date=2004-05-16
| archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100125224557/http://www.myanmar.gov.mm/NLM-2004/May04/enlm/May16_h1.html
| archivedate=2010-01-25
| deadurl=yes
| accessdate=2013-08-06}}</ref> with other photos showing a Fortinet sales director presenting a gift to the Myanmar Prime Minister during a ceremony.<ref name="myanmar-gov"/> In 2005, after becoming aware that its product may have reached Myanmar, Fortinet conducted an exhaustive review of channel partners and their compliance with import/export controls. The company implemented additional back-end controls which now render a product useless if it is diverted without appropriate authorizations to a party located in a [[United States embargoes|U.S. sanctioned country]].{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}


==References==
=== GPL violations ===
{{reflist|30em}}
In 2005, the [[gpl-violations.org]] project uncovered evidence that Fortinet had used [[GNU General Public License|GPL]] code in its products against the terms of the license, and used [[cryptographic]] tools to conceal the violation. The violation was alleged to have occurred in the ''FortiOS'' system, which the gpl-violations.org project said contained elements of the [[Linux kernel]]. In response, a [[Munich]] court granted a temporary injunction against the company, preventing it from selling products until they were in compliance with the necessary license terms;<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://gpl-violations.org/news/20050414-fortinet-injunction.html
| title=gpl-violations.org project was granted a preliminary injunction against Fortinet UK Ltd.
| date=2005-04-14
| publisher=[[gpl-violations.org]]}}</ref> Fortinet was required to make the source code of GPL portions of their FortiOS freely available in compliance with GPL licensing.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://ftp.gpl-devices.org/pub/vendors/Fortinet/20050514/
| title=Index of /pub/vendors/Fortinet/20050514
| date=2005-05-22
| publisher=gpl-devices.org}}</ref>


== See also ==
==Further reading==
*{{cite book|author1=Martín H. Hoz Salvador|author2=Ken McAlpine|author3=Rick Basile|author4=Bruce Matsugu|author5=Josh More|title=UTM Security with Fortinet: Mastering FortiOS|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=DNp-MAEACAAJ|date=November 27, 2012|publisher=Syngress|isbn=978-1-59749-747-3}}
{{Portal|Companies|Software|Computer security}}
* {{cite news|title=2013 Partner Programs Guide Details: Fortinet|url=http://www.crn.com/partner-program-guide/ppg2013-details.htm?c=71|newspaper=CRN}}
* [[Comparison of antivirus software]]
* {{cite news|title=Putting Realism into your network: A conversation with Fortinet CEO Xen Xie|newspaper=Network World|date=April 1, 2013|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2224393/cisco-subnet/a-conversation-with-fortinet-ceo-ken-xie.html}}


== References ==
==External links==
* [http://www.fortinet.com Official website]
{{Reflist}}
[http://www.fortinetguru.com/2016/04/fortigate-6040e/ Fortinet FortiGate 6040E]


== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.fortinet.com/}}
{{Antivirus}}
{{Antivirus}}


Revision as of 17:15, 9 August 2016

Fortinet, Inc.
Company typePublic
Nasdaq: FTNT
IndustryNetwork security & Computer security
Founded2000
FounderCEO: Ken Xie
CTO: Michael Xie
Headquarters
Sunnyvale, California
,
United States
ProductsFortiGate UTM, Next Generation Firewall, Firewalls, Antivirus, Intrusion-prevention system, Antispyware, Antispam, VPN, Wireless security, Application Control, Web Filtering
RevenueUS $1.01 billion (2015)[1]
US $14.8 million (2015)[1]
US $8 million (2015)[1]
Total assetsUS $1.27 billion (2015)[1]
Total equityUS $755.38 million (2015)[1]
Number of employees
4,239 (2016)[2]
Websitewww.fortinet.com

Fortinet is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. It develops and markets cybersecurity software, appliances and services, such as firewalls, anti-virus, intrusion prevention and endpoint security, among others. It is the fourth-largest network security company by revenue.

Fortinet was founded in 2000 by brothers Ken and Michael Xie. It raised about $93 million in funding by 2004 and introduced ten FortiGate appliances. That same year was the beginning of a recurring patent dispute between Fortinet and Trend Micro. The company went public in 2009, raising $156 million through an initial public offering. Throughout the 2000s, Fortinet diversified its product lines, adding products for wireless access points, sandboxing, and messaging security, among others.

Corporate history

Early history

Fortinet was founded in Sunnyvale, California in 2000 by brothers Ken and Michael Xie.[3] The founders had previously served in executive positions at NetScreen and ServGate respectively.[4] The company was initially named Appligation Inc., then renamed to Appsecure in December 2000 and later renamed to Fortinet, based on the phrase "Fortified Networks".[4] It spent two years in research and development,[5] before introducing its first product in 2002.[3]

Fortinet raised $13 million in private funding from 2000 to early 2003.[3] An additional $30 million in financing was raised in August 2003, followed by $50 million in March 2004, reaching a total of $93 million in funding.[6] According to Fortinet, its revenues grew ten-fold from 2002 to 2003.[7] Its first channel program was established in October 2003.[8] Westcon Canada started distributing FortiGate products in Canada in December 2003, which was followed by Norwood Adam in the UK in February 2004.[3] The reseller program was re-organized in January 2006 and named "SOC in a BOX".[3] By 2004 Fortinet had offices in Asia, Europe and North America.[5]

In October 2005, a study by OpenNet found that Fortinet's appliances were being used for internet censorship in Myanmar. Fortinet said its products are sold by third party resellers and it respects US embargoes, however photographs were found of a Fortinet salesperson with Burma's Prime Minister.[9][10]

A German Linux programmer from GPLviolations.org obtained a preliminary injunction against Fortinet's UK subsidiary in April 2005, due to allegations that the company was using encryption to hide its use of Linux kernels that are subject to a General Public License (GPL). The license's terms require disclosure of the source code.[11][12] The following month Fortinet agreed to make its source code for GPL-licensed elements available upon request, modified its licensing terms and made other changes, ending the dispute.[13]

In May 2004, Trend Micro filed a legal complaint against Fortinet alleging that its antivirus technology infringed Trend Micro's patents on methods for scanning email and internet traffic.[14] That August the International Trade Commission ruled against Fortinet, prohibiting the sale of effected products. Fortinet said Trend Micro's patents were too broad, but it complied with the ruling.[15] Fortinet and Trend Micro reached an agreement with undisclosed terms in January 2006 and Fortinet modified its antivirus products to avoid Trend Micro's patents.[16][17]

A few years later, an attorney from the International Trade Commission filed an opinion for another case that said he felt the related patents from Trend Micro were invalid. Fortinet made a new legal filing and in December 2010, the US Patent and Trademark Office declared the patents as invalid.[3][18]

In December 2013 Fortinet sued Sophos under allegations that it was poaching Fortinet employees and infringing on Fortinet patents.[19][20] The legal dispute was settled two years later in mediation with non-disclosed terms.[21]

Further development

In 2008, Fortinet researchers said a Facebook widget from Zango had tricked more than three million users into downloading malicious spyware under the guise of telling users their secret crush.[22] Zango denied the allegations, saying their software was opt-in.[23]

In late 2008, Fortinet acquired the database security and auditing intellectual property of IPLocks, and extended job offers to the company's 28 employees.[24] It acquired the intellectual property and other assets of Woven Systems, an ethernet switching company, in August 2009.[25] According to IDC, by this time it was the largest unified threat management vendor, with a 15.4 percent market-share.[26][27] The company had been growing steadily and became profitable after losing money from 2004 - 2007.[28] Fortinet was also rising in CRN Magazine's survey-based annual report card (ARC), reaching first place in 2009.[29]

In November 2009, Fortinet had an initial public offering.[26] It was planning to raise $52.4 million through the sale of 5.8 million shares.[27] Many stockholders also sold their shares simultaneously.[30] Just before the first day of trading, Fortinet increased the share price from $9 to $12.50 and the price increased in the market to $16.62 by the end of the first day of trading, raising $156 million in financing.[31]

Recent history

By 2010, Fortinet had $324 million in annual revenues.[3] That November, Bloomberg covered rumors that IBM was considering acquiring the company,[32] which Fortinet denied.[33][34] In December 2012, Fortinet acquired XDN (formerly known as 3Crowd), which provided an app-hosting service called CrowdDirector.[35] In 2013 Fortinet acquired Coyote Point, an application delivery company, for an undisclosed sum. Coyote had 1,800 employees and $534 million in annual revenue.[36][37]

Fortinet made changes to its reseller program in July 2013, in order to provide financing and other options for small managed security service vendors.[38] Recently some resellers have complained that Fortinet is competing with its own resellers, whereas Fortinet says it does not do any direct sales.[39]

Fortinet founded the Cyber Threat Alliance with Palo Alto Networks in 2014, in order to share security threat data across vendors. It was joined by McAfee and Symantec later that year.[40][41] In May 2015, Fortinet acquired the Silicon Valley-based Wi-Fi hardware company, Meru Networks, for $44 million.[42][43] In late 2015, Fortinet security researchers demonstrated a Fitbit hack that gained access through Bluetooth, then allowed the hacker into synchronized devices.[44][45]

In June 2016, Fortinet acquired an IT security, monitoring and analytics software vendor, AccelOps for about $28 million.[46] According to ZDNet, the company was best known for its Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) products, products which analyse hardware and software security alerts.[47]

Products

Fortinet develops and markets IT security and networking hardware and software.[48] It is best-known for the FortiGate family of security appliances, which combine many cybersecurity functions.[49] According to a 2015 report by IT analyst firm The Dell'Oro Group, Fortinet had an eight percent market-share of the IT security appliance market by revenue in 2014, up from 2.9 percent in 2012.[50] This makes it the fourth-largest vendor in the industry.[51] According to Fortinet, its users are 35% small businesses, 28% enterprises and 37% large companies.[48]

Fortinet products include the following categories:

Products

  • Firewall
  • Advanced Threat Detection
  • Wireless LAN
  • Secure Email Gateway
  • Web Application Firewall
  • Application Delivery Controllers
  • Endpoint Protection
  • SIEM
  • Management and Reporting
  • Switches

Security Subscriptions

  • Antispam
  • Antivirus
  • Mobile Secuity
  • Application Control
  • Web Application Security
  • Web Filtering
  • IP Reputation and Anti-botnet Security
  • Database Security

FortiGate

Fortinet's flagship product line is the FortiGate family of unified threat management physical and virtual appliances, which include a number of security features like firewalls, intrusion prevention, web-filters and protection from malware or spam. The family includes products for small businesses and branch offices like the FortiGate 20 and appliances for large enterprises, data centers and internet service providers, like the FortiGate-5000.[1][52] It also sells products like the Fortigate-5001B, which is a Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), something Gartner defines as being a product that combines firewall, VPN, intrusion prevention and other security features in a single appliance.[53]

Fortinet's first product was the FortiGate 3000, released in October 2002,[54] which had a throughput of 3 gigabytes per second (GB/s).[55] The 5000 family was released two years later.[56] According to The International Directory of Company Histories, Fortinet's early products for small businesses and branch offices, were well received by the industry.[3] A review in PC Magazine gave the FortiGate 100 network security and VPN appliance five out of five stars,[57] though PC Magazine gave it only three stars.[58] Network Magazine said the cost difference between a Fortinet appliance and purchasing each security function separately was "stunning," however it said Fortinet's spam tools were not as good as those from specialized anti-spam vendors.[59]

Fortinet continued to release new controllers, features, and FortiGate firewalls for business of different sizes.[60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72] Infoworld said the FortiGate 500 and 800 were easy to setup and was effective in a lab environment at detecting security threats. The publication gave it 8.1 out of ten stars.[73][74] A review by Business Communications Review said the FortiGate 3000 was easy to configure and had good call quality, but its reliability was "problematic" and the security settings required excessive manual configuration for outbound calls.[75][76] According to Federal Computer Week, the FortiGate 3600 appliance was effective and its user interface was easy to use.[77] A lab test by Network Computing said it blocked 100% of security threats and was its top choice for "bang for the buck," but ranked it as a close second to the NetScreen ISG2000, which it said had slightly better technical performance.[78] The FortiGate 3200D tied for first place in a test by NSS Labs on an "overall security-effectiveness assessment" and was the best performing product in a real-world test that mimics a data center environment.[79] In a 2008 comparative review done by CRN, the publication said the FortiGate 1000A was "one of the most comprehensive" unified threat management appliances. It noted that Fortinet built its own appliances using dedicated security semiconductors, whereas most vendors use generic OEM parts. It ranked the FortiGate 1000A in second place, behind a WatchGuard product, giving it 4-5 stars in each category that was evaluated.[80]

In early 2013, Fortinet introduced a family of firewall products for internal networks that relies heavily on special-purpose ASICs.[81] The FortiGate virtual appliance was later added to the Amazon Web Services in 2014.[82] In April 2016, Fortinet announced the Fortinet Security Fabric, which is intended to allow third-party devices to share information with Fortinet appliances and software through APIs. It also introduced the FortiGate 6040E 320Gbps firewall, which includes the new CP9 ASIC that takes on some processing tasks from the main CPU, and was used in future FortiGate releases.[83]

Other

Fortinet provides numerous other software and hardware products, including:[1][52]

  • Virtual versions of its appliances
  • The FortiOS operating system used in all of Fortinet's products
  • The FortiGuard subscription that provides security updates
  • The FortiManager data center management software
  • The FortiAnalyzer product family for logging, analysis and reporting
  • More than one dozen other products for switching, web security, desktops, messaging, VOIP services, DNS, user authentication and other applications'

FortiManager was first introduced in April 2003.[84] That December, Fortinet released FortiOS 2.8, which added 50 new features to the operating system.[85] The FortiClient VPN software was first released in April 2004.[86] The operating system has been continually updated throughout the years.[87][88][89][90][91][92][93] In October 2010, Fortinet released virtual software versions of its FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer and FortiMail appliances.[94] It updated the FortiCloud management system in August 2015.[95] A software-defined networking offering was introduced in September 2015.[96][97]

Security

Fortinet produces and markets a database security and compliance product called FortiDB, which helps users manage security policies and vulnerabilities for databases.[1][52] The product family was first started in 2008 with the FortiDB 100B.[98] The FortiDB 1000C got 5/5 stars in SC Magazine[99] and the FortiDB 1000D got 4 and three quarters out of five stars in the same magazine.[100]

The first FortiMail messaging security product and FortiGuard antispam product were released in February 2005.[3] The FortiMail 400B and FortiMail 200D each received five out five stars by SC Magazine.[101][102] FortiWeb also produces the FortiWeb Web Application Firewall (WAF), which focuses on security threats common to web applications and helps offload certain tasks from web-servers.[52]

FortiClient is an endpoint security product for desktops, phones, and other devices. It includes functions like anti-virus, malware protection, web filtering and VPN services. It received five out of five stars in PC Magazine. The publication noted that the software was free and could be used even without Fortinet products. It got high scores for phishing and malware detection, but was less effective at blocking new malicious URLs.[103] A 2013 review of FortiClient 5.0 in SC Magazine gave it 4 and three quarters stars out of five. It said FortiClient was easy to implement and use, but many of its features required FortiGate appliances to be effective.[104]

Networking and wireless

Fortinet produces and markets wireless versions of its flagship FortiGate product called FortiWifi.[52] Fortinet released the FortiWiFi 60 wireless access point in March 2004.[105] The FortiWiFi 60 was the most expensive out of similar wireless units tested by VARBusiness, but also the most feature-rich and effective, according to the publication's review.[106] SC Magazine gave the FortiWifi-40c 4.5 out of 5 stars. The publication said the appliance was affordable for small-office environments, but advanced configuration had a learning curve.[107] and introduced a new family of cloud-based wireless access points, in August 2015.[95]

Fortinet also sells application delivery controllers, which perform tasks like load-balancing to off-load the demand on web-servers. The first Forti ADC (Application Delivery Controller) family was released in August 2013.[108] This was followed by the FortiDDoS product family in March 2014.[109][110] The FortiSwitch family of ethernet switches came out in 2009.[63]

Operations

Fortinet also runs the FortiGuard Labs internal security research team, which was founded in 2005.[111][112] It has four research and development centers in Asia, as well as others in the US, Canada and France.[113] Fortinet hosts a certification and training program with eight levels of NSE certification.[114][115] It runs the Network Security Academy, which was founded in early 2016. It provides resources to universities teaching IT security classes.[116]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Fortinet Inc. Annual Report 10-K" (PDF). Fortinet.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  2. ^ "Fortinet Quarterly Report, 10-Q". May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hill, Karen (2012). International Directory of Company Histories:Fortinet. Vol. 128. St James Press. pp. 223–227. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ a b Kenneth Tam; Martín H. Hoz Salvador; Ken McAlpine; Rick Basile; Bruce Matsugu; Josh More (December 31, 2012). UTM Security with Fortinet: Mastering FortiOS. Newnes. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-1-59749-977-4.
  5. ^ a b Natividad, Beverly (March 2, 2004). "Real-time firewalls preserve performance". BusinessWorld.
  6. ^ "Fortinet's Money Machine Rolls On". Network Computing. March 3, 2004. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  7. ^ Meyer, Cheryl (March 2, 2004). "Fortinet raises $50M". The Deal.
  8. ^ Torode, Christina (October 24, 2003). "Fortinet Adds New Partner Program". CRN. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  9. ^ Zeller, Tom (October 12, 2005). "Study Says Software Makers Supply Tools to Censor Web". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  10. ^ IBP, Inc. (August 1, 2013). Myanmar Internet and E-Commerce Investment and Business Guide - Regulations and Opportunities. Lulu.com. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-1-4387-3445-3.
  11. ^ Galli, Peter (May 14, 2005). "Fortinet Under Fire for Allegedly Violating GPL Terms". Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  12. ^ Marson, Ingrid (April 14, 2005). "Fortinet accused of GPL violation". ZDNet. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  13. ^ Marson, Ingrid (April 26, 2005). "Fortinet settles GPL violation suit". CNET. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  14. ^ Gross, Grant (May 13, 2005). "Judge rules for Trend Micro in Fortinet patent case". Infoworld. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  15. ^ Roberts, Paul (August 9, 2005). "ITC Rules Against Fortinet in Patent Dispute". eWeek. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  16. ^ Hooper, Larry (January 30, 2006). "Fortinet, Trend Micro Settle Antivirus Patent Dispute". CRN. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  17. ^ Dunn, John (August 11, 2005). "Fortinet ordered to suspend U.S. sales". Computerworld. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  18. ^ Shimel, Alan (April 12, 2011). "The Patent That Refuses To Die". Network World. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  19. ^ Wright, Rob (December 20, 2013). "Sophos CEO Slams Fortinet In Response To Employee Poaching Lawsuit". CRN. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  20. ^ Williams, Martyn (December 17, 2013). "Fortinet sues Sophos over alleged employee poaching". PCWorld. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  21. ^ Kuranda, Sarah (December 10, 2015). "Sophos And Fortinet End 2-Year Legal Feud Over Patents, Talent, Secrets". CRN. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  22. ^ Messmer, Ellen (January 3, 2008). "Facebook's "Secret Crush" malicious widget tricks users". Network World. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  23. ^ Hines, Matt (January 3, 2008). "Facebook hack fuels Web 2.0 concerns". InfoWorld. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  24. ^ McMillan, Robert (June 17, 2008). "Fortinet buys assets of security vendor IPLocks". IDG News Service. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  25. ^ Kotadia, Munir (August 20, 2009). "Woven Systems technology lives on with Fortinet". IT News. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  26. ^ a b Cowan, Lynn (November 16, 2009). "Six New Stocks Rush to the Market". Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  27. ^ a b "Computer security co. Fortinet plans IPO this week". Seattle Times. November 17, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  28. ^ Cowan, Lynn (November 19, 2006). "Security Security: Fortinet IPO Jumps 33%". The Wall Street Journal. p. C6.
  29. ^ DeMarzo, Robert (September 25, 2009). "Fortinet IPO: Love Of Services". Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  30. ^ Jackson, Kelly (November 18, 2009). "Product Watch: Fortinet Issues An IPO". Dark Reading. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  31. ^ McMillan, Robert (November 18, 2009). "Security Vendor Fortinet Sparkles in IPO". IDG News. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  32. ^ Burrows, Peter (November 1, 2010). "Fortinet Said to Be Approached by IBM; Shares Soar". Retrieved March 13, 2015.
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Further reading

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