FortiOS 8.0 debuts AI‑driven security, advanced SASE capabilities, and expanded quantum‑safe cryptography.
Fortinet, a global leader in cybersecurity and secure networking, has introduced FortiOS 8.0, the latest evolution of its flagship operating system powering the Fortinet Security Fabric. Announced at Fortinet Accelerate 2026, the new release brings AI‑aware controls, fabric‑wide AI agents, enhanced SASE deployment options, and quantum‑safe protections aimed at helping organizations simplify operations and secure modern, distributed infrastructures.
Ken Xie, Fortinet’s Founder, Chairman of the Board, and CEO, said the release reflects “more than 25 years of innovation at the intersection of networking and security,” emphasizing the need for a unified platform as organizations adopt AI, encrypted traffic, and cloud‑first architectures.
Strengthening Secure Networking for the AI Era
FortiOS 8.0 introduces deep AI‑centric visibility and governance tools as enterprises increasingly deploy generative AI and autonomous agents. New capabilities include FortiView for AI, offering real‑time insights into sanctioned and unsanctioned AI usage, AI‑aware application controls, and enhanced DLP with OCR to prevent data exposure through images and screenshots. The OS also incorporates Model Context Protocol (MCP) and agent‑to‑agent visibility to expose hidden AI interactions and reduce blind spots.
“FortiOS 8.0 is engineered to help organizations embrace AI, cloud, and encrypted environments without increasing complexity.”
— Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Fortinet
Fabric‑wide AI agents further streamline troubleshooting, configuration, and SD‑WAN operations, reducing the workload on IT teams while minimizing risks associated with misconfigurations.
Advancing Next‑Generation SASE
To meet rising sovereignty, performance, and compliance needs, FortiOS 8.0 expands SASE capabilities with SASE Outpost for customer‑controlled enforcement, sovereign SASE options for regional data controls, unified SD‑WAN bundles, and resilient multipath IPsec tunneling.
Expanding Quantum-Safe Security
Fortinet continues preparing customers for a post‑quantum world with expanded PQ‑resistant cryptographic protections, hybrid key exchange for SSL deep inspection, and quantum‑safe SASE enforcement across environments.
Fortinet said FortiOS 8.0 reinforces its vision of converging networking and security through a unified platform that scales with customers’ digital transformation and AI‑driven operations.