Fortinet Strengthens Its Position as a Hybrid Enterprise Security Leader

Fortinet today announced it has been recognized as a Leader in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hybrid Mesh Firewall report and was positioned highest for Ability to Execute for the second consecutive year.

Powered by custom-built FortiASICs and FortiOS, a single operating system spanning physical, virtual, cloud-native, and as-a-service deployments, Fortinet FortiGate firewall solutions are an integral part of the Fortinet AI-Native Security Fabric, providing consistent protection, performance, and operational simplicity across the hybrid enterprise.

“Enterprise firewall expertise is earned through the trust and confidence customers place in a solution to protect their most critical environments. We believe our recognition as a Leader and highest position for Ability to Execute reflect Fortinet’s proven ability to deliver security and networking at scale. At the same time, we continue to expand what customers should expect from a firewall solution through innovation in AI-driven operations, post-quantum cryptography [PQC], multi-cloud orchestration, and cyber-physical visibility.” - Anthony James, EVP of Marketing at Fortinet.

Fortinet Hybrid Mesh Firewall (HMF) solutions protect enterprise perimeter, heavy branch, data center, carrier-grade, and managed security environments across physical, virtual, cloud-native, and as-a-service deployments. Supported by the FortiOS operating system, centralized management, and common FortiGuard AI-Powered Security Services, this consistent foundation enables organizations to standardize policies and simplify operations without introducing separate products and operating models for each environment.

Organizations also gain the flexibility to determine where security inspection and enforcement occur based on their unique business, performance, compliance, and sovereignty requirements. Security can be delivered from the cloud through FortiSASE, through a customer-controlled FortiGate with FortiSASE Outpost capabilities, or an on-site FortiGate providing local enforcement with FortiSASE. This convergence of cloud-delivered security and local enforcement defines a SASE firewall, enabling organizations to optimize user experience, meet regulatory obligations, and maintain operational control.

Fortinet’s long-standing strategy converges networking and security within a common operating system. FortiOS integrates enterprise-class routing, secure SD-WAN, and next-generation firewall capabilities, enabling organizations to coordinate connectivity and security policies, improve application performance, accelerate branch and campus modernization, and centrally manage distributed environments.

By bringing these capabilities together, Fortinet helps customers reduce complexity, improve operational efficiency, and build more resilient infrastructure.

Fortinet continues to advance the HMF through AI-based automation, PQC, and multi-cloud orchestration. AI-driven assistance, automation, and analytics help networking and security teams investigate issues faster, automate routine activities, and improve policy management. Fortinet is also helping customers prepare for emerging cryptographic risks while enabling consistent security policy and orchestration across multi-cloud environments.

Fortinet further extends visibility across the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems environments through passive and active device discovery. These capabilities help organizations identify and categorize connected assets by manufacturer, firmware, and industrial function, while real-time firewall file monitoring helps identify unauthorized changes and protect the integrity of critical security infrastructure.