Getting Started with FortiGate

Simplify and protect your network using the FortiGate network security appliance

Overview

• Learn about FortiGate and FortiOS 5 starting from the ground up, with no previous knowledge of Fortinet products
• Understand and deliver Routing, VLANs, NAT, and high availability solutions using FortiGate units
• Design and deploy security policies, content filters, and endpoint security using UTM features inside a FortiGate unit

In Detail

FortiGate from Fortinet is a highly successful family of appliances enabled to manage routing and security on different layers, supporting dynamic protocols, IPSEC and VPN with SSL, application and user control, web contents and mail scanning, endpoint checks, and more, all in a single platform. The heart of the appliance is the FortiOS (FortiOS 5 is the latest release) which is able to unify a friendly web interface with a powerful command line to deliver high performance. FortiGate is able to give users the results they usually achieve at a fraction of the cost of what they would have to invest with other vendors.

This practical, hands-on guide addresses all the tasks required to configure and manage a FortiGate unit in a logical order. The book starts with topics related to VLAN and routing (static and advanced) and then discusses in full the UTM features integrated in the appliance. The text explains SSL VPN and IPSEC VPN with all the required steps you need to deploy the aforementioned solutions. High availability and troubleshooting techniques are also explained in the last two chapters of the book.

This concise, example-oriented book explores all the concepts you need to administer a FortiGate unit. You will begin by covering the basic tools required to administer a FortiGate unit, including NAT, routing, and VLANs. You will then be guided through the concepts of firewalling, UTM inside the appliance, tunnelling using SSL, and IPSEC and dial-up configurations. Next, you will get acquainted with important topics like high availability and Vdoms. Finally, you will end the book with an overview of troubleshooting tools and techniques.

What you will learn from this book

• Configure static and dynamic routing in a FortiGate unit
• Filter spam, viruses, and illegitimate Internet activities using the UTM features of FortiGate
• Enforce compliance and block threats using IPS and endpoint controls
• Design tunnels with SSL and IPSEC to extend your network in a secure manner
• Use high availability solutions including link aggregation, clustering, and virtual domains
• Identify the main features and uses of the Forticlient software
• Troubleshoot issues related to the aforementioned features

Approach

This book is a step-by-step tutorial that will teach you everything you need to know about the deployment and management of FortiGate, including high availability, complex routing, various kinds of VPN working, user authentication, security rules and controls on applications, and mail and Internet access.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: First Steps
Chapter 2: Filters, Policies, and Endpoint Security
Chapter 3: VPNs and Tunneling
Chapter 4: High Availability
Chapter 5: Troubleshooting