Fortinet acquires cloud security and networking firm OPAQ Networks

Fortinet, a global provider of integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, has announced the acquisition of OPAQ Networks, a secure access service edge (SASE) cloud provider.

OPAQ’s Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) cloud solution protects organisations’ distributed networks – from data centres, to branch offices, to remote users and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Fortinet, said: “The recent SASE market momentum further validates our security-driven networking approach and underscores what we’ve been saying for years. In this era of hyper connectivity and expanding networks, with the network edge stretching across the entire digital infrastructure, networking and security must converge. In fact, the acquisition of OPAQ enhances our existing SASE offering enabling Fortinet to deliver the most complete SASE platform on the market.”

Xie said the Fortinet SASE platform delivers the broadest security and industry-leading SD-WAN and networking offerings that can all be delivered to customers and partners through a flexible, cost efficient and patented zero-trust cloud architecture.

Fortinet’s Security Fabric combined with OPAQ’s patented ZTNA solution augments Fortinet’s existing SASE offering to form the best-in-class SASE cloud security platform with the industry’s Zero Trust access and security by providing industry-leading next-generation firewall and SD-WAN capabilities, web security, sandboxing, advanced endpoint, identity / multi factor authentication, multi-cloud workload protection, cloud application security broker (CASB), browser isolation and web application firewalling capabilities.

In addition, OPAQ’s platform is purpose built to be partner friendly, empowering MSSPs, carriers and high value-add partners to easily integrate the SASE multi-tenant platform into their own offering and add value to business and government organisation customers with their Network Operations Centre and Security Operations Centre expertise and advanced professional services.