Fortinet Unveils Firewalls for SMBs

The firewalls--FortiWiFi-60 and FortiGate-50A --include a full suite of network-level security functions. Both were released at last week's RSA Conference in San Francisco and were available to Fortinet channel partners immediately.

The devices were designed to facilitate quick set-up and virtually automated intrustion detection and prevention, said Richard Kagan, vice president of marketing at Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Fortinet.

"Small to medium-size businesses have the same security concerns as large enterprises, [but] they don't have the resources to implement complex and expensive solutions that require constant upkeep and attention," Kagan said. The new firewalls "provide comprehensive, realtime content security for the wired and unwired worlds in dedicated platforms that are not only cost-effective, but easy to manage."

Specifically, the FortiWiFi-60 unit features an integrated 802.11b and 802.11g WLAN access point and allows administrators to apply antivirus, firewall, VPN and intrusion-detection services to wireless connections. The FortiGate-50A device builds on the functionality of the original FortiGate-50 firewall.

Both devices also can be kept up-to-date automatically through the company's FortiProtect Network, which provides continuous updates for all Fortinet subscribers.

Kagan added that both firewalls are based on Fortinet's patent-pending Accelerated Behavior and Content Analysis System technology. The ASIC-based architecture analyzes network content and behavior in realtime and is certified by ICSA Labs.