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Techday NZ
16-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Fortinet named SASE leader by Gartner, eyes USD $28.5 billion market
Fortinet has been recognised as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Platforms and ranked first in the Secure Branch Network Modernisation use case in the associated Gartner Critical Capabilities for SASE Platforms report. The designation in the Magic Quadrant report marks a significant acknowledgement for Fortinet in the cybersecurity sector, as SASE platforms continue to play a central role in network security strategies across various industries. The evaluation from Gartner is of particular note to enterprise customers seeking solutions that unify networking and security functions. Market recognition Fortinet regards this latest recognition as supporting its strategic vision to bring together advanced secure software-defined wide area network (SD‐WAN), universal zero trust network access (ZTNA), and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled threat protection within a single platform. Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions at Fortinet, stated: "We are honoured to be recognised as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SASE Platforms and believe this recognition validates our commitment to organic innovation - building a unified, AI-powered platform that spans all secure access service edge (SASE) use cases. We believe being positioned in the Leaders quadrant in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SASE Platforms affirms our strategy of blending proven secure SD‐WAN, universal ZTNA, and AI‐powered threat protection under a single operating system, FortiOS, and one licence for added simplicity and faster return on investment." The company said this recognition follows its recent achievements, which include being acknowledged as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SD‐WAN for the fifth year in a row, and being named as a Customers' Choice in the 2024 and 2025 Gartner Peer Insights for key segments, including Security Service Edge (SSE), SD-WAN, and ZTNA. Unified approach Fortinet's Unified SASE offering is built on FortiOS, aiming to supply consistent security measures and user experiences across campuses, cloud environments, and remote workforces. The platform is designed for centralised management with a single console and agent, which Fortinet argues reduces complexity and streamlines both policy enforcement and deployment. According to the company, the unified approach incorporates over 160 points of presence globally and utilises a simplified licensing model. Fortinet emphasises monthly product updates, including AI-driven security workflows, as essential to maintaining protection against evolving threats. Branch modernisation The report's ranking in the Secure Branch Network Modernisation use case highlights Fortinet's capability to help clients upgrade from legacy branch network infrastructures. This includes facilitating the transition away from multiprotocol label switching to higher performance branch experiences. Fortinet claims that organisations benefit from faster, simpler site deployments using zero-touch provisioning and centralised management, supporting quicker scaling with less operational overhead. The company said its focus on converging networking and security at the network edge allows IT departments to deliver secure, scalable connectivity solutions. This integration is designed to help reduce costs while providing flexibility in branch modernisation. Growing market Fortinet's ongoing investment in SASE infrastructure and partner enablement positions the company to address demand in a sector which, according to Gartner forecasts, could exceed USD $28.5 billion by 2028. The company's offerings also aim to address regulatory requirements around data sovereignty, which are central concerns in industries such as finance, healthcare, and government. Fortinet was acknowledged for its broader performance in the cybersecurity market, being recognised in 11 separate Magic Quadrant reports spanning both security and networking. The press release noted: "Fortinet was recognised in 11 different Magic Quadrant reports including being named an Honorable Mention in Magic Quadrant for Data Centre Switching, for Access Management, and for Privileged Access Management." In addition to the recognition for SASE and SD-WAN, the company stated it remains the only provider named as a Customer's Choice across all three core SASE segments - SD-WAN, SSE, and ZTNA - on Gartner Peer Insights. Fortinet believes this further validates its strategy to unify networking and security through its Security Fabric platform.
TECHx
14-07-2025
- Business
- TECHx
Fortinet Reveals 2025 OT Cybersecurity Report Findings
Home » Emerging technologies » Cyber Security » Fortinet Reveals 2025 OT Cybersecurity Report Findings Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), announced the findings of its global 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report. The report presents insights into the current state of operational technology (OT) cybersecurity. It also highlights key trends, challenges, and best practices for securing IT and OT environments. According to Fortinet, organizations are showing greater maturity in OT cybersecurity. The assignment of OT risk responsibilities to executive leadership, especially the CISO or CSO, has significantly increased. In 2025, 52% of organizations reported the CISO/CSO now oversees OT security, up from 16% in 2022. 'The seventh installment of the Fortinet State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report shows that organizations are taking OT security more seriously. We see this trend reflected in a notable increase in the assignment of responsibility for OT risk to the C-suite, alongside an uptick in organizations self-reporting increased rates of OT security maturity,' said Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions, at Fortinet. 'Alongside these trends, we're seeing a decrease in the impact of intrusions in organizations that prioritize OT security. Everyone from the C-suite on down needs to commit to protecting sensitive OT systems and allocating the necessary resources to secure their critical operations.' Fortinet revealed that self-reported OT security maturity is improving. At Level 1 maturity, 26% of organizations have implemented visibility and segmentation, compared to 20% last year. Most organizations now fall under Level 2, involving access and profiling. The company reported a decline in the impact of cyber intrusions. Notably, operational outages that impacted revenue dropped from 52% to 42%. Organizations with higher OT maturity levels are facing fewer attacks or are better prepared to respond to basic threats like phishing. Fortinet also highlighted that adopting cybersecurity best practices, such as cyber hygiene and employee training, has led to a significant reduction in business email compromise. There has also been a notable increase in the use of OT-specific threat intelligence. The report showed that vendor consolidation is a sign of growing cybersecurity maturity. In 2025, 78% of organizations are working with one to four OT vendors, compared to previous years. Fortinet reported that its platform approach resulted in a 93% reduction in cyber incidents and a 7x improvement in setup and triage performance. Key recommendations in the report include: Establish visibility and compensating controls for OT assets. Deploy segmentation aligned with standards like ISA/IEC 62443. Integrate OT into SecOps and incident response plans. Adopt a platform-based security architecture. Use OT-specific, AI-powered threat intelligence. Fortinet's report is based on a global survey of over 550 OT professionals. Respondents came from industries including manufacturing, healthcare, energy, oil and gas, and utilities. Participants were from countries such as the U.S., UK, Germany, India, Japan, and others. Most respondents are actively involved in cybersecurity purchasing decisions or OT operations. Fortinet continues to emphasize the need for executive-level commitment and strategic investment to protect critical OT systems and infrastructure.
Zawya
14-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Fortinet Report: OT Cybersecurity Risk elevates within Executive Leadership Ranks
More than half (52%) of organizations report that the CISO/CSO is responsible for OT, up from 16% in 2022, while 95% of organizations report that the C-suite is responsible for OT, up from 41% in 2022 Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced the findings from its global 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report. The results represent the current state of operational technology (OT) cybersecurity and highlight opportunities for continued improvement for organizations to secure an ever-expanding IT/OT threat landscape. In addition to trends and insights impacting OT organizations, the report offers best practices to help IT and OT security teams better secure their cyber-physical systems. 'The seventh installment of the Fortinet State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report shows that organizations are taking OT security more seriously. We see this trend reflected in a notable increase in the assignment of responsibility for OT risk to the C-suite, alongside an uptick in organizations self-reporting increased rates of OT security maturity,' said Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions, at Fortinet. 'Alongside these trends, we're seeing a decrease in the impact of intrusions in organizations that prioritize OT security. Everyone from the C-suite on down needs to commit to protecting sensitive OT systems and allocating the necessary resources to secure their critical operations.' Key findings from the global survey include: Responsibility for OT security continues to elevate within executive ranks: There has been a significant increase in the global trend of corporations planning to integrate cybersecurity under the CISO or other executives. As accountability continues to shift into executive leadership, OT security is elevated to a high-profile issue at the board level. The top internal leaders who influence OT cybersecurity decisions are now most likely to be the CISO or CSO by an increasingly wide margin. Now more than half (52%) of organizations report that the CISO/CSO is responsible for OT, up from 16% in 2022. For all C-suite roles, this has spiked to 95%. Additionally, the number of organizations intending to move OT cybersecurity under CISO in the next 12 months has increased from 60% to 80% in 2025. OT cybersecurity maturity is affecting the impact of intrusions: Self-reported OT security maturity has made notable progress this year. At the basic Level 1, 26% of organizations report establishing visibility and implementing segmentation, up from 20% in the previous year. The largest number of organizations state their security maturity is at the Level 2 access and profiling phase. The report also found a correlation between maturity and attacks. Those organizations that report being more mature (higher of Levels 0–4) are seeing fewer attacks or indicate that they are better able to handle lower-sophistication tactics, such as phishing. It's worth noting that some tactics, such as advanced persistent threats (APT) and OT malware, are difficult to detect, and less mature organizations may not have the security solutions in place to determine they exist. Overall, although nearly half of organizations experienced impacts, the impact of intrusions on organizations is declining, with a noteworthy reduction in operational outages that impacted revenue, which dropped from 52% to 42%. Adopting cybersecurity best practices is having a positive impact: In addition to the Levels of maturity affecting the impact of intrusions, it appears that adopting best practices such as implementing basic cyber hygiene and better training and awareness are having a real impact, including a significant drop in business email compromise. Other best practices include incorporating threat intelligence, which spiked (49%) since 2024. Additionally, the report saw a significant decrease in the number of OT device vendors, which is a sign of maturity and operational efficiency. More organizations (78%) are now using only one to four OT vendors, which indicates that many of these organizations are consolidating vendors as part of their best practices. Cybersecurity vendor consolidation is also a sign of maturity and corresponds to Fortinet customer experiences with the Fortinet OT Security Platform. Unified networking and security at remote OT sites enhanced visibility and reduced cyber risks, leading to a 93% reduction in cyber incidents vs. a flat network. The simplified Fortinet solutions also led to a 7x improvement in performance through reductions in triage and setup.1 Best Practices Fortinet's global 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report provides actionable insights for organizations to strengthen their security posture. Organizations can address OT security challenges by adopting the following best practices: Establish visibility and compensating controls for OT assets: Organizations need the ability to see and understand everything that's on their OT networks. Once visibility is established, organizations then need to protect critical devices and ones that may be vulnerable, which requires protective compensating controls that are designed for sensitive OT devices. Capabilities such as protocol-aware network policies, system-to-system interaction analysis, and endpoint monitoring can detect and prevent compromise of vulnerable assets. Deploy segmentation: Reducing intrusions requires a hardened OT environment with strong network policy controls at all access points. This kind of defensible OT architecture starts with creating network zones or segments. Standards such as ISA/IEC 62443 specifically call for segmentation to enforce controls between OT and IT networks and between OT systems. Teams should also evaluate the overall complexity of managing a solution and consider the benefits of an integrated or platform-based approach with centralized management capabilities. Integrate OT into security operations (SecOps) and incident response planning: Organizations should be maturing toward IT/OT SecOps. To get there, OT needs to be a specific consideration for SecOps and incident response plans, largely because of some of the distinctions between OT and IT environments, from unique device types to the broader consequences of an OT breach impacting critical operations. One key step in this direction is to have playbooks that include your organization's OT environment. This kind of advanced preparation will foster better collaboration across IT, OT, and production teams to adequately assess cyber and production risks. It can also ensure that the CISO has proper awareness, prioritization, budget, and personnel allocations. Consider a platform approach to your overall security architecture: To address rapidly evolving OT threats and an expanding attack surface, many organizations have assembled a broad array of security solutions from different vendors. This has yielded an overly complex security architecture that inhibits visibility while placing an increased burden on limited security team resources. A platform-based approach to security can help organizations consolidate vendors and simplify their architecture. A robust security platform with specific capabilities for both IT networks and OT environments can provide solution integration for improved security efficacy while enabling centralized management for enhanced efficiency. Integration can also provide a foundation for automated responses to threats. Embrace OT-specific threat intelligence and security services: OT security depends on timely awareness and precise analytical insights about imminent risks. A platform-based security architecture should also apply AI-powered threat intelligence for near-real-time protection against the latest threats, attack variants, and exposures. Organizations should ensure their threat intelligence and content sources include robust, OT-specific information in their feeds and services. Report Overview The Fortinet 2025 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report is based on data from a global survey of more than 550 OT professionals, conducted by a third-party research company. Survey respondents were from different locations around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mainland China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States, among others. Respondents represent a range of industries that are heavy users of OT, including: manufacturing, transportation/logistics, healthcare/pharma, oil, gas, and refining, energy/utilities, chemical/petrochemical, and water/wastewater. Most of those surveyed, regardless of title, are deeply involved in cybersecurity purchasing decisions. Many respondents are responsible for operations technology at their organization and/or have reporting responsibility for manufacturing or plant operations. About Fortinet Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet's solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams ('CERTS'), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet's commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet's elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence.
CNN
07-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
CDC ends emergency response to H5N1 bird flu
Respiratory viruses Federal agencies FacebookTweetLink The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has ended its emergency response to H5N1 bird flu, citing a drop in cases. 'As reports of animal infections with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus ('H5N1 bird flu') have declined and no human cases have been reported since February 2025, on July 2, 2025, CDC's H5N1 emergency bird flu response was deactivated to transition back to regular program activity,' a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement Monday. The spokesperson said that surveillance, readiness and response for influenza – including H5N1 bird flu – will continue under the CDC's influenza division and other appropriate agency programs. Dr. Nirav Shah, who resigned this year from his position as CDC principal deputy director, says he would have also chosen to end the emergency response. 'This was not something that was imposed from the top down. It was initiated by the career scientists at CDC,' said Shah, now a visiting professor at Colby College in Maine. 'The rationale is, in short, there haven't been any human cases. And so there is not the need to sprint all-out every single day when there haven't been human cases in a while. If there were to be more human cases, it is very easy to ratchet back up the level of the intensity of the response. It can literally be done in an afternoon.' The end of the bird flu emergency was first reported by Bloomberg News. H5N1 was first identified in the late 1990s and has caused sporadic outbreaks around the world. Since 2022, the virus has affected nearly 175 million birds in the US, including wild birds, commercial flocks and backyard flocks. It has also spread to dozens of species of mammals in more than 100 countries around the world. In early 2024, the virus infected dairy cattle in the United States and became a threat to the dairy industry. Over the past 14 months, it spread to more than 1,000 herds across 17 states. A total of 70 human cases have been reported in the United States, with one death. The CDC H5N1 emergency was declared April 4, 2024, and allowed for additional support to the public health response, such as staffing. Reports of cases have slowed, but experts note that there's a seasonality to bird fu, with cases peaking in the fall or early winter. Changes at federal health agencies may mean some milder cases are going undetected, they say, but it's unlikely that serious cases are being missed. 'The current public health risk from H5N1 bird flu is low, however, CDC will continue to monitor the situation and scale up activities as needed,' the HHS spokesperson said.
CNN
07-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
CDC ends emergency response to H5N1 bird flu
Respiratory viruses Federal agenciesFacebookTweetLink Follow The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has ended its emergency response to H5N1 bird flu, citing a drop in cases. 'As reports of animal infections with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus ('H5N1 bird flu') have declined and no human cases have been reported since February 2025, on July 2, 2025, CDC's H5N1 emergency bird flu response was deactivated to transition back to regular program activity,' a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement Monday. The spokesperson said that surveillance, readiness and response for influenza – including H5N1 bird flu – will continue under the CDC's influenza division and other appropriate agency programs. Dr. Nirav Shah, who resigned this year from his position as CDC principal deputy director, says he would have also chosen to end the emergency response. 'This was not something that was imposed from the top down. It was initiated by the career scientists at CDC,' said Shah, now a visiting professor at Colby College in Maine. 'The rationale is, in short, there haven't been any human cases. And so there is not the need to sprint all-out every single day when there haven't been human cases in a while. If there were to be more human cases, it is very easy to ratchet back up the level of the intensity of the response. It can literally be done in an afternoon.' The end of the bird flu emergency was first reported by Bloomberg News. H5N1 was first identified in the late 1990s and has caused sporadic outbreaks around the world. Since 2022, the virus has affected nearly 175 million birds in the US, including wild birds, commercial flocks and backyard flocks. It has also spread to dozens of species of mammals in more than 100 countries around the world. In early 2024, the virus infected dairy cattle in the United States and became a threat to the dairy industry. Over the past 14 months, it spread to more than 1,000 herds across 17 states. A total of 70 human cases have been reported in the United States, with one death. The CDC H5N1 emergency was declared April 4, 2024, and allowed for additional support to the public health response, such as staffing. Reports of cases have slowed, but experts note that there's a seasonality to bird fu, with cases peaking in the fall or early winter. Changes at federal health agencies may mean some milder cases are going undetected, they say, but it's unlikely that serious cases are being missed. 'The current public health risk from H5N1 bird flu is low, however, CDC will continue to monitor the situation and scale up activities as needed,' the HHS spokesperson said.
