Fortinet, a leading network security provider, has selected the Keysight Technologies' APS-M8400 network cybersecurity test platform to vet the hyperscale distributed denial of service (DDoS) defence capabilities of its FortiGate 4800F next-generation firewall. This strategic partnership between Fortinet and Keysight Technologies aspires to support carrier networks, data centre operators and service providers, amid a sharp rise in cyber-attacks, including DDoS attacks that have surged by 40% during the past six months.

The APS-M8400 cybersecurity test platform by Keysight Technologies will be used to validate the paranoid distributed denial of service (DDoS) defence capabilities and carrier-grade performance of Fortinet's FortiGate 4800F NGFW. The APS-M8400 is the industry's pioneering and most influential eight-port 400GE Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density (QSFP-DD) network security test platform. Amid an exponential increase in cyber-attacks, including a 40% surge in DDoS attacks in the last six months, this partnership carries significant implications for carrier networks, data centre operators, and service providers.

The FortiGate 4800F NGFW is Fortinet's robust response to the critical need for protection against hyperscale DDoS attacks and other cybersecurity threats. The firewall tool can process multi-terabit volumes of legitimate customer traffic driven by the growing adoption of 400GE, while safeguarding the critical network infrastructure of carriers, data centre operators, and service providers. The high-capacity performance and security capabilities of the FortiGate 4800F NGFW were validated prior to deployment in a live customer network using Keysight’s APS-M8400.

With Keysight's innovative APS-M8400, Fortinet generated 3 Tbps of both legitimate and malicious traffic in a single test, establishing the hyperscale firewall protection delivered by the Fortigate 4800F. The firewall successfully defended against an 800 Gbps layer 2-3 DDoS attack, while handling a substantial 2.2 Tbps of legitimate layer 4-7 traffic without impeding CPU, memory usage, or system response. The test was made possible by using all eight of the APS-M8400’s 400GE QSFD-DD interfaces, confirming the advantage of flexibility as well as the hyperscale throughput and scalability of the APS-M8400.

John Maddison, Executive Vice President of Products and Chief Marketing Officer, Fortinet, stated: "The FortiGate 4800F is the industry’s fastest compact hyperscale firewall, delivering carrier-grade performance and scalability to safeguard data centre and service providers as cyber-attacks continue to accelerate at an unprecedented pace. With Keysight’s APS-M8400 8x400GE cybersecurity test platform, Fortinet can easily generate cyber-attacks and legitimate traffic at scale to validate that the FortiGate 4800F delivers the hyperscale performance and real-time threat protection our customers expect."

Ram Periakaruppan, Vice President and General Manager, Keysight Network Test and Security Solutions, asserted: "Cybersecurity threats like DDoS attacks are continually rising in scope, scale, and impact. It is vital that carriers, service providers and data centres shield their critical infrastructure from these attacks to continue serving the growing volume of legitimate traffic. Keysight's APS-8400 helps manufacturers like Fortinet confirm that their solutions are up to the task, delivering carrier-grade application and cybersecurity test loads in an adjustable, 8x400GE solution that can evolve to meet their changing needs."