Fortinet Adds Network Access Control for IoT Security to Its Security Fabric
Fortinet’s new network access control (NAC) product line secures IoT environments. The security vendor also integrated IoT device visibility and control capabilities into its Security Fabric platform.
The company acquired NAC vendor Bradford Networks earlier this summer, and today it’s essentially rebranding Bradford’s technology — FortiNAC. The new product line provides detailed profiling of each device on the network. It also enables granular network segmentation and automated responses for changes in device status or behavior. This ensures each device only has access to approved items on the network.
The initial integrations with the Security Fabric focus on IoT device visibility and detection, said John Maddison, SVP of products and solutions at Fortinet. The company plans to build deeper integrations between the NAC technology and its security platform in the future, Maddison added.
“We have two forms of integration,” he explained. “One is the Fabric API.” This allows other technology providers — Fortinet calls these its Fabric-Ready Partners — and it has 42 of them — to connect to the Security Fabric across various API integration points.
“As we go forward, the next level of integration is our Fabric Connectors,” Maddison said. Fortinet announced these Fabric Connectors in May. They automate security operations and policies through one-click integrations with partners including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco ACI, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, and VMware NSX.
“A really good example of this is a function called stitches,” Maddison said. “It connects objects to events — for example, an IoT device attaching to the network. I can stitch something to it that says identify this device and if you can’t identify it, then quarantine and segment it. So long-term the Fabric becomes this policy engine.”
Open Platform
The new NAC product line also integrates with Fortinet’s other products including its next-generation firewall, security information and event management (SIEM) tool, WiFi access points, Ethernet LAN switches, and WLAN controller.
The Security Fabric already integrated with other IoT security products from ForeScout, Cisco, and Aruba, which are all Fabric-Ready Partners. The security platform will continue to play nice with these third-party vendors because customers want an open platform, Maddison said. “But from our perspective, we will be working on FortiNAC as our main IOT device security solution,” he added.
