Fortinet launches FortiGate 700G with AI & quantum protection

Fortinet has introduced the FortiGate 700G series, a next-generation firewall designed for campus environments.

The FortiGate 700G series is powered by Fortinet's proprietary hardware technologies, including the Network Processor 7 (NP7), Security Processor 5 (SP5) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and operates on the FortiOS platform. According to Fortinet, these components combine to deliver up to seven times higher firewall throughput, four times better threat protection, and seven times lower power consumption compared to competitor solutions.

The new firewall range incorporates support for advanced networking features, FortiGuard artificial intelligence (AI)-powered security services, and enhancements within the FortiOS operating system. These enhancements include post-quantum cryptography readiness, FortiAI-Protect for AI-driven threat detection, and new capabilities for generative AI risk assessment.

Fortinet stated that the FortiGate 700G series is intended to assist organisations in reducing risk, optimising performance, and preparing their hybrid IT infrastructure for future challenges. The company reports that the series offers 164Gbps firewall throughput and 26Gbps threat protection. Threat protection performance is measured with firewall, intrusion prevention system (IPS), application control, malware protection, and logging enabled, with performance comparisons based on publicly available sources.

The company highlighted the energy efficiency of the new series, stating that it consumes seven times fewer watts per gigabit per second (Gbps) than the industry average. This, Fortinet notes, can support continuous security operations in energy-constrained or sustainability-focused environments and offers the potential for reduced operational costs.

In addition to its hardware attributes, the FortiGate 700G series integrates FortiGuard security services with AI-powered threat detection through the FortiAI-Protect feature. FortiAI-Protect provides contextual risk assessments and enforces access controls for third-party generative AI (GenAI) applications, while offering visibility into shadow AI usage within business groups.

The series also features post-quantum cryptography capabilities via new functions within FortiOS. These features are designed to protect sensitive data against potential quantum-era threats through quantum-resistant encryption, algorithm stacking, and support for organisations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government that handle long-term sensitive information.

Additional technical features include a range of network interface support, from 5GE to 25GE, to enable flexibility for connecting different devices and accommodating future upgrades without the need for significant overhauls.

Deeper protections for critical system files are provided through FortiSentry, a hardware module that delivers continuous, non-intrusive file-system monitoring in order to detect and prevent unauthorised access to essential system files.

Nirav Shah, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions at Fortinet, commented on the launch: "With the FortiGate 700G series, we're delivering more than just industry-leading performance that customers have come to expect from Fortinet—we're equipping organisations with advanced capabilities to stay ahead of current and emerging cyberthreats.

"From AI-powered threat detection and GenAI risk mitigation with FortiAI-Protect to post-quantum cryptography readiness built into FortiOS, this new next-generation firewall series helps our customers consolidate infrastructure, reduce cyber risk, and confidently build for the future."

The FortiGate 700G series forms part of Fortinet's hybrid mesh firewall portfolio and is supported by the Fortinet Security Fabric, an integrated platform developed to provide consistent protection throughout hybrid environments. The Security Fabric is built on a centralised, unified operating system and incorporates both purpose-built technologies and support for third-party integrations. This setup is designed to provide automated threat intelligence, real-time visibility, and supports scaling from foundational network protection to more advanced solutions such as secure access service edge (SASE) and AI-driven security operations.

Fortinet outlined that its Security Fabric approach is aimed at supporting organisations to manage complexity, reduce cyber risk, and adapt their cybersecurity defences in line with evolving requirements.