SUNNYVALE, Calif. – May 18, 2015 – Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global leader in high-performance cyber security solutions, today announced that it has signed a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). With the CRADA in place, Fortinet can now share and gain access to new threat information in order to help improve threat detection and prevention for users of Fortinet security solutions.
The CRADA will allow Fortinet to participate in the Cyber Information and Sharing and Collaboration Program (CISCP), which entails sharing cyber threat, incident, and vulnerability information in near real-time, drawing on data of observed threat activity submitted by CISCP participants.
Fortinet intends to also soon participate in the following two Homeland Security programs:
- Enhanced Cybersecurity Services (ECS) Program: shares sensitive and classified government-vetted cyber threat information with participants, helping them protect systems from unauthorized access or data exfiltration.
- Cyber Resilience Review (CRR): provides assessments on an organization’s operational resilience and cybersecurity capabilities.
Fortinet’s partnership with the Department of Homeland Security helps the company improve its access to the latest information about cyber threats, thereby better protecting its customers worldwide from increasingly sophisticated and potentially damaging threats.
“Detecting and halting attacks is dependent on our ability to understand in real-time what threats are on the horizon and how they can impact our customers’ network safety,” said Derek Manky, global security strategist from Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs. “Our new partnership with the DHS gives us access to a wealth of valuable information through CISCP partners, which include many of the top Information Sharing and Analysis Centers across multiple vertical industries. This allows us to understand up-to-date threat information across federal, banking, energy/industrial, healthcare, enterprise and more, which will have a direct and positive impact on our customers’ security and ability to operate their networks efficiently.”
In addition to improving network safety, the CRADA with DHS recognizes the value of Fortinet’s security approaches and expertise for other program participants. “Our own deep knowledge of the threat landscape will feed back into the DHS cyber safety programs, bringing value to other businesses and government agencies,” said Manky. “We view this new relationship as a validation of Fortinet’s trusted position as an innovator in cyber security.”
With the signing of the CRADA, Fortinet anticipates developing stronger ties with federal government agencies supporting information sharing to strengthen security. The Department of Homeland Security announced in late April that it will open an office in Silicon Valley, a move that will encourage closer connections with security-focused organizations such as Fortinet. In addition, security information-sharing is being given greater attention by the federal government; in February, President Obama signed an Executive Order to encourage and promote information sharing between the private sector and government.
