Practical Zero Trust Security with Fortinet Universal ZTNA

Introduction

Zero Trust, simply defined, is a strategy to prevent or contain breaches by eliminating the inherent trust relationships in digital systems. Rather than relying on traditional perimeter defenses, Zero Trust focuses on identifying and safeguarding protect surfaces, which are small, manageable groupings of data, applications, assets, and services.

To successfully implement Zero Trust, organizations must adopt a risk-based, phased approach supported by strong executive leadership and cross-functional governance. The five-step process outlined in the 2022 NSTAC report provides a useful framework for delivering on a Zero Trust strategy. 

Figure 1: The Five-Step Process for Zero Trust Implementation

The key steps include:

• Identifying protect surfaces and prioritizing them by risk
• Mapping transaction flows to understand how data moves
• Designing the Zero Trust architecture from the inside out
• Creating granular policies based on identity and context
• Continuously monitoring and refinement based on real-time analytics

This journey requires a shift in organizational mindset toward continuous verification, least-privilege access, and relentless visibility. Starting with technology selection can lead to misaligned investments and priorities, potentially causing Zero Trust initiatives to fail. Instead, beginning with a strategic approach aligned with Zero Trust principles can enable successful adoption. 

How Fortinet Enables Zero Trust

Translating strategy into reality requires designing a Zero Trust architecture supported by modern cybersecurity technologies. Fortinet's Security Fabric is architected to holistically support Zero Trust principles across complex, hybrid environments. Its capabilities span advanced network segmentation, user-to-application access control, operational technology (OT) security, and robust identity and access management (IAM). 

Fortinet's Universal Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution delivers user-to-application access seamlessly. Universal ZTNA denotes a security framework that enforces ZTNA uniformly across all users and devices, irrespective of their physical or network location including remote, on-premises, and branch environments. Universal ZTNA is natively embedded within FortiOS and FortiClient, eliminating the need for separate licensing and simplifying deployment across distributed enterprises.

This approach ensures consistent, context-aware authentication and authorization for application access, eliminating traditional perimeter-based distinctions and enabling a seamless, policy-driven security posture across distributed enterprise infrastructures.

Fortinet Universal ZTNA is architected upon the foundational elements of the Fortinet Security Fabric, leveraging the advanced capabilities of FortiGate as the trust broker, FortiClient as the unified endpoint agent, FortiSASE for secure access service edge enforcement, and FortiAnalyzer for centralized analytics and automation. To provide greater clarity, let's examine each of these core solutions and their roles within the Universal ZTNA framework in more detail.

FortiGate: Core Enforcement and Segmentation

FortiGate acts as the enforcement point, controlling access based on user identity, device posture, and context. It authenticates and inspects traffic before allowing access to applications, using deep inspection and threat intelligence to ensure security. FortiGate helps enforce granular access policies, reducing the attack surface within a Zero Trust framework. 

FortiSASE: Cloud-Native ZTNA for Hybrid Workforces

FortiSASE enables ZTNA by delivering secure, identity-based access to applications through a cloud-based service. It authenticates users and devices, checks compliance, and enforces context-aware policies, ensuring consistent security for remote and on-premise users without relying on traditional VPNs.

FortiClient: Endpoint Enforcement and Visibility

FortiClient is the endpoint agent in a ZTNA architecture. It verifies user identity and device posture before granting access. FortiClient Endpoint Management Server (EMS) manages endpoint security and shares device posture data with FortiGate or FortiSASE. This enables dynamic access control, ensuring only trusted, compliant devices can access protected applications in the ZTNA architecture.

FortiAnalyzer: Analytics and Continuous Monitoring

FortiAnalyzer provides centralized logging, analytics, and reporting across all Fortinet components. It collects and correlates data from FortiGate, FortiClient, and FortiSASE to monitor user activity, assess risks, and ensure compliance. This visibility helps enforce zero-trust policies, detect anomalies, and respond to threats in real time.

The figure below shows how each of these solutions work in a Universal ZTNA design.

Figure 2: Fortinet ZTNA reference architecture

Conclusion

A Zero-Trust strategy requires a thoughtful approach, but once your organization is ready to act, Fortinet delivers the tools to do it effectively and at scale. With Fortinet's Universal ZTNA solution you can build a practical, risk-based Zero Trust architecture that evolves with your business and threat landscape.

Ready to transform your cybersecurity approach with Zero Trust? Partner with WWT to leverage Fortinet's comprehensive suite of solutions and build a robust, risk-based Zero Trust architecture tailored to your organization's needs. Our experts will guide you through every step, from identifying critical assets to implementing and managing Fortinet's Security Fabric, ensuring seamless integration and continuous protection.

Contact WWT today to schedule a consultation and discover how Fortinet can empower your organization to achieve Zero Trust security at scale.