Integrating Fortinet’s Cloud Security for Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Environments

Introduction

Hybrid and multi-cloud environments are now the major buzz words in which businesses mix on-premises infrastructure with a broad array of cloud services to deliver performance, cost and flexibility benefits. This complex multi-tier architecture however presents serious security challenges, and requires a holistic approach to security.

Fortinet, The Leading Cybersecurity Solutions Provider. By running Fortinet’s advanced cloud security solutions, organisations are able to protect the data and applications in their hybrid- and multi-cloud environments. For those companies, specifically in the business of firewall rental as well as servers and routers renta a Fortinet has put together security solutions to provide end-to-end dynamic network protection.

Obstacles in Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Security

These are a few challenges to secure hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

1. Visibility and Control: Increased complexity in data spread across different platforms makes it hard to maintain visibility and control.
2. Compliance and Standards: Meeting regulatory requirements and standards is challenging when data sits within multiple jurisdictions.
3. Common Security Policies: It is hard to enforce consistent security policies across disparate landscapes, but it is necessary.
4. Scalability: Security solutions should be able to scale with the dynamic hybrid and multi-cloud deployments.
5. Integration: Deploying security solutions must be done in a way that allows them to work with the existing infrastructure and applications so as not to disrupt operations.

These challenges require a comprehensive, sophisticated security solution suitable for hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Fortinet’s Solutions

To help organizations address these challenges, Fortinet has a breadth of cloud security capabilities designed for hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Let’s get a further look into how Fortinet

Fortinet Security Fabric

The Fortinet Security Fabric is the only architectural approach to security that leverages a dynamic and interconnected infrastructure to rethink how organizations can most effectively protect their ever-expanding attack surface. It is an ecosystem of interconnected solutions that share intelligence and work seamlessly together to detect, prevent, respond. A great number of files are being processed every day.

FortiGate NGFW (Next-Generation Firewall)

Key capabilities include advanced threat protection. FortiGate NGFWs have advanced security functions that include intrusion prevention, application control, and malware protection. It is available as virtual instances deployable throughout the several cloud platforms and on-premises environments. For businesses that are leasing firewalls, the FortiGate delivers enough security and flexibility to qualify as our Editors’ Choice.

FortiCASB (Cloud Access Security Broker)

Visibility and control are managed by FortiCASB. It allows organizations to apply security policies consistently across cloud services, which enables lowering of risks due to shadow IT and data breaches. FortiCASB is crucial to multi-cloud environments, as it guarantees that information safety and compliance requirements for data are properly safeguarded across various cloud platforms.

FortiWeb Cloud

FortiWeb Cloud provides strong web application security, given that web applications are well established as one of the top attack vectors today. You get defense in depth for OWASP Top 10 and zero-day attacks, along with regulatory compliance.

FortiGate-VM

As a cornerstone of multi-cloud, FortiGate-VM delivers scalable virtual firewall capabilities that seamlessly integrate with popular cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. FortiGate-VM is designed to provide high levels of security for organizations renting virtual machines and servers in the cloud but do not want the deployment handling physical hardware.

FortiCWP (Cloud Workload Protection Community Edition)

FortiCWP enhances those cloud security capabilities by securing workloads that run in the cloud with visibility, compliance, and threat protection. Integrating with leading public cloud providers, Prisma Cloud secures all workloads anywhere they are deployed.

Implementation Guide

That means getting all of the benefits and security features that Fortinet promises you by integrating their cloud security with your hybrid/multi-cloud environment.

1. Assessment and Planning

Asses your existing infrastructure and highlight all important security needs. Confirm that entities such as rentable hardware which your business is using are included among the areas of coverage for Fortinet solutions.

2. Deployment of FortiGate NGFW

Secure your on-premises environment alongside FortiGate NGFWs with ease. Consistent security policies can be maintained by launching virtual instances on supported cloud platforms. Ensure that weakest links are tuned to look for threats encryption and deep packet inspection.

3. Integration of FortiCASB

FortiCASB can be integrated with your cloud services to monitor and manage the use of many different cloud applications. Establish security policies that safeguard data and maintain compliance with edge-to-edge protection across SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.

4. How FortiWeb Cloud Secure Web Applications

FortiWeb Cloud — Secure Your Web Applications and customize to deliver a multi-tiered security shield with WAF protections, bot control, and regulatory compliance enforcement.

5. Deploy FortiGate-VM for Virtual Machines

Deploy FortiGate-VM for your virtual machines, and if you’re using hired infrastructure such as AWS. Configure it to suit the security requirements corresponding with your virtualized workloads, e.g., intrusion prevention, VPN capabilities, and threat intelligence sharing.

6. Enable Workload Protection with FortiCWP

Protect your cloud-native apps by integrating FortiCWP. Put in place monitoring and security processes to ensure that the workloads are still safe as they keep on scaling across your hybrid and multi-cloud.

7. Ongoing Observation and Response

Your integrated security solutions should be monitored in order to identify any other issues. Observe and tweak with Fortinet’s centralized management and analytics tools. Continuous improvement is the key to security sustainability.

The steps if followed in the right order can secure your hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure by utilizing Fortinet’s vast cloud security features.

Conclusion

The complexity of securing these kinds of infrastructures only gets stronger as businesses continue to adopt hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Fortinet’s cloud security capabilities deliver an integrated, comprehensive solution to solve the very specific challenges of these environments.

By adopting Fortinet, the enterprise renting firewalls, servers, and routers achieves a level of security, visibility, and control not possible with technologies from other traditional networking vendors. Taking a strategic approach to implementation ensures that companies not only improve their security but drive compliance and operational efficiency.

Given the threat landscape today, a proactive and comprehensive cybersecurity approach is more important than ever. Fortinet is dramatically different in that they protect their customers’ hybrid and multi-cloud environments, so businesses have assurances to focus on creating innovative solutions for growth.