In our contemporary digital landscape, businesses face some of the most ubiquitous as well as lethal cybersecurity threats that have ever existed. They pose the ability to threaten business continuity and expose sensitive data. Every kind of cyber assault, from advanced ransomware assaults and unending phishing plans to information breaks, is unavoidable. Business organizations need to evolve with cybercriminals by implementing stronger security. That brings us to the extreme importance of having protective measures in place on your network.

But fear not because here comes FortiGate Firewall; a leading solution in the realm of security. When you think of robust security features, two things must come to mind; a tool or set of tools that can provide comprehensive protection against threats of various kinds. But also, a tool that does not compromise network performance but keeps it seamless. You are in luck today because with FortiGate Firewall, you have the one-stop solution to both your needs.

From its features and benefits it can offer to your business, to its various applications across different sectors; we have a comprehensive guide ready for you down below.

Let’s get started!

When it comes to advanced network security solutions, FortiGate Firewall is at the forefront. Its manufacturers, Fortinet, kept its purpose simple, to simply safeguard businesses from a wide range of cyber threats. Since it is a next-generation firewall system, it does everything. Being a critical line of defense or monitoring and regulating incoming and outgoing traffic and more, all while keeping in mind the predefined security rules. It’s got some sophisticated features too. For instance, the deep packet inspection and application control, which makes sure that only the safe data is allowed through. Say goodbye to any unauthorized access attempt or potential breaches.

How it Works
As mentioned, FortiGate is not just a firewall system. How, you ask? Well, there aren’t many firewall systems out there in the market that can also provide endpoint protection, secure networking and cloud security too. If you need proof of the commitment Fortinet has invested in this product of theirs, you can just look at the innovative capabilities they have added to the tool. For instance, the robust threat detection capabilities which use real-time intelligence from FortiGuard labs. How could they not stay ahead of emerging threats!

But there’s more! What really sets FortiGate apart is how seamlessly it integrates hardware and software. What that means is that businesses do not need to hire two separate tools to ensure their hardware and software security, FortiGate provides a holistic approach to their entire cybersecurity concerns. And what about the enhanced visibility across the network and centralized management brought to you by this holistic approach. All in all, FortiGate provides businesses with the opportunity to cater to their security measures so they can meet their specific operational needs. Regardless of the development in your security requirements, FortiGate will ensure your business achieves comprehensive protection.

Key Features of FortiGate Firewall

Now that you know what FortiGate Firewall is and how it works, why don’t we look at key features! Before we get into them though, there are a couple of things you should know. These key features are all tailored to achieve the following: enhanced security and streamlined management. Let’s just say that the following features are essential for business if they wish to operate confidently in a digital environment where risks are an inevitability. Here are the key features:

Unified Threat Management
What are the common security features of a typical cybersecurity apparatus? Firewalls, VPNs, antivirus, intrusion prevention, web filtering and more. Now what if you could have that all within one platform, within one tool? That’s the first key feature of FortiGate Firewall. You know what that means for a business? No need to have all these separate so no more prolonged maintenance, simply look after FortiGate and you have got it all within that one tool. Also, with unified threat management comes streamlined security operations, meaning a wide array of threats can attack and your business will be safe as houses. Lastly, when the time isn’t consumed in trying to flick through all different security apparatus, your team can focus on more strategic initiatives, hence increased productivity and efficiency.

High Performance and Low Latency
When you have Fortinet’s custom-built security processors (SPUs), you will have a tool that is engineered to offer nothing but exceptional performance when it comes to ensuring rapid packet processing. You know how jarring it is when you’ve got a high volume of network traffic, and your operational speed or security gets compromised. Well, not anymore! Because FortiGate Firewalls ensure no matter how huge the volume of traffic your business network has, neither the security nor the speed will ever be compromised.

But it also has a low latency feature, which means all your critical business applications will have seamless connectivity regardless of the high network traffic volume. Moreover, advanced load balancing and failover features guarantee maximum uptime, making FortiGate an ideal choice for businesses that rely on consistent network performance.

Advanced Threat Protection
Think of all the different cyber threats; you’ve got malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, data breaches and more. With FortiGate Firewall, all these are taken care of. That’s because Fortinet has designed FortiGate to use real-time intelligence which was carefully crafted in the FortiGuard Labs. What it essentially means is that there is continuous scanning of both encrypted and unencrypted traffic. So, any potential threats that may or may not hold the capacity to infiltrate the business network and cause harm, are identified and neutralized before they could get a sniff. This feature has another benefit apart from doing its job which is to identify and mitigate threats; it also makes sure the business meets all the regulatory requirements of compliance.

SSL Inspection
Speaking of monitoring encrypted traffic, FortiGate Firewall excels at it because it has a designed feature for this very job. We are aware that a significant portion of the internet is encrypted, and it is often the encrypted section of the internet where cyber threats emerge from. With SSL inspection, FortiGate de-encrypts and inspects SSL/TLS traffic, the aim is obviously to ensure threat detection and mitigation before any significant harm is incurred. This feature is not just essential for the business and its data, but for safeguarding customer information too.

Scalability
Such security apparatus tends to be outdated with the course of time, and this is the reason that businesses are often not keen to adopt them. FortiGate is not that tool and provides you with something more than you would have envisaged in terms of scalability. FortiGate also is great for any business, big or small, because of its various models and scalability in different settings. Also, there is flexibility for businesses, say you upgraded from small company to medium enterprise; with FortiGate Firewall it would be able to scale automatically. It truly is a future-proof solution for comprehensive cybersecurity.

Benefits of Using FortiGate Firewall for Businesses

Now that you have seen what key features FortiGate Firewall offers to businesses, it’s time to explore some of its benefits. Remember, the primary aim is always to enhance the security of businesses:

• Enhanced Security Posture: When there is such robust and all-encompassing protection against some of the most sophisticated cyber threats, it is bound to improve the security posture of the organization involved. With it comes reduced data breaches, and an overall lower risk of an organization’s security apparatus being affected.
• Cost-effectiveness: As we mentioned earlier, FortiGate Firewall has built several features within its single platform. All your VPNs, firewalls, antivirus are now under one roof. This means you don’t have to spend a large sum on separate tools nor a further requirement to maintain them either. Further, this also means a simplified management system and no more complexity that you would have faced if you had separate systems.
• Improved Network Performance: FortiGate has high speed processing capabilities as we had established earlier. What the high speed does is that it makes sure all the critical applications of a business run smoothly even if there is heavy network traffic. When a system runs smoothly without hiccups, the efficiency and productivity of the network is bound to bolster.
• Compliance Support: Businesses are all run under a certain regulated industry administration. This administration has certain compliance regulations which a business must follow. For instance, protection of sensitive information, whether business’s own or customers. FortiGate offers businesses much needed compliance support, and all those regulatory requirements are easily met. Once those are met, navigating the business landscape is not all a hassle. Businesses can then think about investing in innovation and growth.

Use Cases for FortiGate Firewall in Business Environments

FortiGate Firewall is a versatile solution that caters to various business environments, enhancing security across multiple scenarios:

• Enterprise Security: Enterprises tend to have a large and complex network where data moves from one location to the other and in large numbers too. In such an environment, FortiGate excels by protecting extensive networks that are within large organizations. What you get in the end is that all your data that’s sensitive remains secure regardless of the location it is moving to or from.
• Branch Office: Where there are remote offices and headquarters, there is a connection between them in a branch office environment. Securing that connection is imperative to maintaining uniform security policies and protecting data in transit. Businesses that need seamless communication between sites, this integration is necessary between them.
• Remote Work: As we all know, working from home has become a lot more prevalent these days. Companies allowing remote work are targeted by cybercriminals. Well, if you are not keen on landing in the line of fire, FortiGate has your back. FortiGate will establish VPN connections so the employees can reach the corporate resource without losing their protection from threats. With a distributed workforce, FortiGate is there to reduce risks and improve security.
• Cloud Environments: One more new idea in the advanced landscape is the adoption of cloud environments within a business’s IT infrastructure. FortiGate provides virtual firewalls which cover the environment by protecting data in the cloud. This allows organizations to take advantage of the cloud without sacrificing their security posture overall.

How to Configure FortiGate Firewall for Optimal Business Security

Let’s make one thing abundantly clear, if your FortiGate is not properly configured, you can say goodbye to achieving tailored business security needs. But don’t worry, we’ll guide you step-by-step on how to configure your FortiGate device:

1. Update Firmware: Your firewall must be running on the latest firmware and the user settings must also be secure so there is undivided protection against vulnerabilities.
2. Establish Firewall Zones: Businesses have several assets, and they have a specific nature of sensitivity. So, your job is to define firewall zones and IP network structures based on that sensitivity.
3. Set Up Access Control Lists (ACLs): When you want to allow certain traffic or deny it depending on the zone, you must set up access control lists. These lists are a must-have; they make your life easier as you won’t need to manually provide access to employees and users every time, they log in.
4. Test Configurations: Ping it for a penetration test if you believe done with setting it up. This will let you know if your firewall has any limitations or whether it is solid and ready to go.

Key Takeaways

Lastly, in this digital age we live in, making a purchase on a FortiGate Firewall technology should be a no-brainer for any organization. This not only enhances the security posture of the entire organization but also promises continuity of network operation without disruption. Most impressively, it offers enterprise-level capabilities for all size enterprises that could address in-depth cybersecurity needs.

Looking to install or maintain your FortiGate Firewall? FunctionEight Singapore provides expert FortiGate services tailored to your needs. Whether it’s setup, configuration, or ongoing support, we’ve got you covered. Contact FunctionEight today for reliable and professional FortiGate solutions!