What is FortiCloud? Getting Started Guide and Usage Tips

Today, network security and management has become a critical issue for businesses. At this point, FortiCloud stands out as a cloud-based management solution offered by Fortinet. FortiCloud allows businesses to remotely manage and monitor their network infrastructure, simplifying security management and increasing efficiency.

In this article, we will examine what FortiCloud is and why it is important. We will also go through the steps to create and configure a FortiCloud account. Along with this, we will explore how device management is done with FortiCloud and the key features that this platform offers. Finally, we will summarise the benefits of FortiCloud for businesses and evaluate its role in network security and management.

What is FortiCloud and Why is it Important?

Definition of FortiCloud

FortiCloud is a cloud-based security and network management service developed by Fortinet. This platform allows businesses to centrally manage, monitor and report on Fortinet security devices and network components. FortiCloud allows users to control various Fortinet products such as FortiGate, FortiAP, FortiSwitch and FortiClient through a single interface.

Advantages of FortiCloud

FortiCloud provides many advantages to businesses. Firstly, thanks to its easy and centralised management feature, administrators can perform configuration, monitoring and reporting from a single point. Its cloud-based structure offers scalability and adapts to the changing needs of growing businesses. It also reduces costs by reducing the need for local hardware and server infrastructure.

FortiCloud prevents data loss and helps systems recover quickly with reliable backup and recycling features. By providing real-time threat intelligence and automatic updates, it allows businesses to continuously monitor security status and protect against new threats. In addition, solutions such as FortiCloud can provide centralised management and monitoring capabilities for SOC teams, helping to run security operations more efficiently. Learn more about SOC L1 training here.

Use cases of FortiCloud

FortiCloud has various usage areas. With its centralised management feature, it performs the installation, configuration, monitoring and repair of FortiGate firewalls in a single cloud interface. Thanks to its monitoring and reporting features, it provides comprehensive information about security and network status and provides administrators with information about important events and threats.

FortiCloud helps detect security incidents and threats with its log storage feature. Cloud-based sandbox service (with FortiSandbox integration) analyses suspicious files and detects malware threats. In addition, with the automatic backup feature, Fortinet regularly backs up the configuration files of security and network components.

FortiCloud also provides support for update and licence management. In this way, administrators can ensure that Fortinet components are up to date and running with active licences. Finally, FortiWeb Cloud WAF service protects web applications against OWASP Top 10 threats and other cyber attacks.

Create and Configure a FortiCloud Account

Creating a FortiCloud account is the first step in gaining access to Fortinet’s security and network management services. This process allows users to take advantage of the benefits offered by FortiCloud. Various network tools used in FortiCloud administration can help with DNS queries and configurations. For example, see this guide to learn how to use the dig command.

Steps to create an account

To create a FortiCloud account, you must first go to www.forticloud.com. Here you can start the registration process by clicking on ‘Create Account’. During registration, you will be asked to provide a valid e-mail address and a strong password. You will also need to enter your personal and company details. After the account creation process is complete, a verification link will be sent to your e-mail address. You need to activate your account by clicking on this link.

Basic settings

After you have created your account, you can log in to the FortiCloud administration console. First, it is important to review your account settings and make any necessary adjustments. These settings include updating your profile information, setting security preferences, and configuring notification settings. You can also start adding Fortinet devices that you want to connect to FortiCloud.

Security configuration

Various measures should be taken to ensure the security of your FortiCloud account. Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) is an important step to increase your account security. This adds an additional verification step when logging into your account. It is also important to set a regular password change policy and use strong passwords.

FortiCloud provides users with a range of security features. These include FortiSandbox Cloud integration, advanced threat protection and real-time security updates. Enabling and configuring these features will help you strengthen your network security.

Once you have created your FortiCloud account and made basic settings, you can start managing your Fortinet devices. This allows you to centrally manage FortiGate firewalls, FortiAP access points and other Fortinet products. Thanks to the cloud-based management features offered by FortiCloud, you can control and monitor your network infrastructure more effectively.

Device Management with FortiCloud

FortiCloud provides a powerful platform for remote management of Fortinet devices. In this section, we will examine the features of adding, monitoring, and remotely managing devices through FortiCloud.

Add a device

To add a device to FortiCloud, you must first log in to the management console from FortiCloud. Then, you can add a new device using the ‘Add Device’ or ‘Import AP key’ option. You can start the registration process by entering the serial number of your device or the key on the device. After the registration process is complete, your device will be visible in the FortiCloud console.

During the device addition process, you need to give your device a name and specify which network it will be included in. You will also be presented with custom configuration options depending on the type of your device (for example, FortiGate, FortiAP or FortiSwitch).

Device monitoring

FortiCloud allows you to monitor the devices you add in real time. With the device monitoring feature, you can see the status of all Fortinet devices on your network from a single interface. This feature provides important information such as device operational status, connection quality, traffic statistics, and security events.

The device monitoring panel contains basic information about each device such as IP address, MAC address, firmware version and last seen time. You can also track performance metrics such as CPU usage, memory status and disc capacity of the devices.

FortiCloud’s advanced monitoring features include maps showing the geographic location of devices and customisable dashboards. In this way, you can easily manage all your devices even in a distributed network structure.

Remote management features

FortiCloud provides comprehensive capabilities for remotely managing your devices. These features include configuration management, firmware updates and security policy enforcement.

With remote configuration management, you can change and update the settings of your devices via FortiCloud. For example, you can remotely edit the SSID settings of a FortiAP device or the security policies of a FortiGate firewall.

Firmware updates can be scheduled and applied automatically via FortiCloud. This ensures that all your devices use the most up-to-date and secure software versions.

FortiCloud’s remote management features include the ability to back up and restore devices. In this way, you can quickly restore your devices to their previous state in case of any problems.

Conclusion

FortiCloud, Fortinet’s cloud-based solution, plays an important role in network security and management. The platform allows businesses to centrally manage and monitor their devices, simplifying security management and increasing efficiency. FortiCloud’s ease of use, scalability and wide range of features make it an attractive option for businesses of various sizes.

As a result, FortiCloud stands out as a powerful tool in modern network security management. It offers businesses comprehensive monitoring, effective management and advanced security features, helping them manage complex network infrastructures more easily and securely. The benefits FortiCloud offers allow businesses to adapt to changing security needs and better protect against cyber threats.

Frequently Asked Questions About Forticloud