Fortinet Debuts Secure SD-WAN Integration in Azure Virtual WAN

Fortinet, a global enabler in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, has announced the expansion of its collaboration with Microsoft to deliver the industry’s first next-generation firewall (NGFW) and Secure SD-WAN integration with Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN.

Customers can now – for the first time ever from any vendor – apply advanced security policies to virtual WAN traffic and extend Secure SD-WAN into the Azure virtual WAN hub. The result is the convergence of advanced security and networking capabilities in the cloud for an even more simplified, automated, and secure cloud on-ramp and SD-WAN experience.

The integration also allows enterprises to more effectively interconnect with applications and workloads running Azure with the rest of their hybrid and multi-cloud deployments.

Secure Traffic Into, Out of and Through Azure Virtual WAN with Fortinet

Companies are increasingly looking to utilize Azure Virtual WAN as a global transit network architecture, providing seamless connectivity between endpoints. While Microsoft has long provided secure access to the Virtual WAN Hub, until now, it has been difficult to provide the same security policies with the same security tools within Azure Virtual WAN and across clouds and data centers.

The integration of FortiGate-VM and Fortinet Secure SD-WAN into Azure Virtual WAN empowers organizations to achieve their desired digital innovation outcomes in the cloud while reducing complexity. Specifically, this integration enables IT and security professionals to easily configure networking and security in Microsoft Azure and delivers the following benefits:

Advanced Security for Virtual WAN Traffic: FortiGate-VM allows security policies to extend to traffic within the Azure Virtual WAN hub to enable better, more secure application experiences for users and branch offices by supporting encrypted data transports, granular segmentation and application-layer protection against advanced threats, and seamless overlay network with uniform policies across multi-clouds.

One-Click Deployment: Azure Virtual WAN integration provides one-click deployment and easy scalability for FortiGate-VM in Azure. With this integration, customers can select, configure and deploy FortiGate virtual machines directly from the Azure Marketplace or from within the Azure Virtual WAN interface, allowing security to be part of the workflow for setting up a Virtual WAN in Azure.

Securely Interconnect Applications and Workloads Across Clouds: Azure Virtual WAN provides a global network transit backbone for branch-to-branch connectivity readily interconnecting regions together. Customers looking to deploy hybrid and multi-cloud networks that include Azure can now easily and securely interconnect applications and workloads, further extending the benefits of the Fortinet Security Fabric and Fortinet Secure SD-WAN across their entire infrastructure to enable consistent policies and centralized visibility. This simplifies security management, enables global visibility into security events and policies, and improves quality of experience (QoE) for users and customers.

Earlier this month, Fortinet and Microsoft also announced the availability of FortiGate-VM integration with Azure gateway load-balancer, which enables customers to deliver superior experiences for applications and workloads running in Azure.

Secure Any Application on Any Cloud

FortiGate-VM is one piece of the Fortinet Adaptive Cloud Security portfolio of products, services, and industry-leading threat intelligence built to empower customers to secure any application on any cloud. With flexible deployment options, broad integration, and centralized management and visibility, Security and DevOps teams are able to close cloud security gaps while alleviating security management burdens and supporting the rapid release of innovation.

Leveraging the broad, integrated, and automated nature of the Fortinet Security Fabric, the industry’s highest-performing cybersecurity mesh platform, organizations gain consistent security posture, visibility, and enforcement through uniform security management across multi-cloud and hybrid environments.

John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet, said, “Partnering with Microsoft Azure gives our joint customers the best of both worlds combining Azure’s secure infrastructure with Fortinet’s industry-leading next-generation firewall capabilities and best-in-class Secure SD-WAN solution. The integration of FortiGate-VM extends the Fortinet Security Fabric into Azure Virtual WAN and enhances our ability to secure any application on any cloud and to secure the cloud on-ramp into, between, and within the cloud.”

“We’re pleased to provide customers with new options for securing network traffic into, between and within cloud deployments thanks to the integration of Fortinet’s FortiGate-VM with Microsoft Azure Virtual WAN," said, Erin Chapple, Corporate Vice President, Azure Core Products and Design, Microsoft.