Network security is undergoing a profound transformation. With the massive adoption of generative AI and the emergence of the first autonomous AI agents in enterprise environments, the traffic crossing networks is no longer generated only by users: increasingly, it is applications and agents communicating with one another, accessing data, and making decisions without direct human intervention.

In this context, Fortinet unveiled FortiOS 8.0 at Accelerate 2026 — the most significant release in years of the operating system that powers the Security Fabric. This is not an incremental update, but a paradigm shift addressing two critical areas: AI-driven security and quantum-safe protection.

AI-driven security: knowing what’s happening on your network

The starting point speaks for itself: industry estimates suggest that around 98% of GenAI applications used in enterprise environments are not formally authorized by IT teams. This phenomenon — known as shadow AI — represents a rapidly expanding attack surface that traditional security solutions struggle to detect.

FortiOS 8.0 introduces concrete tools to address the issue:

• FortiView for the AI attack surface and shadow AI: a dedicated dashboard that delivers real-time visibility into how AI applications are being used across the organization, automatically distinguishing between authorized and unauthorized tools. Security teams can quickly identify risky or unknown usage, reduce non-compliance exposure, and enable safe AI adoption without having to react after an incident.
• AI-aware Application Control: granular policies that allow the use of approved GenAI tools while blocking risky actions that could expose intellectual property, customer data, or regulated information.
• MCP and agent-to-agent (A2A) observability: arguably the most relevant innovation for organizations adopting AI agent–based architectures. FortiOS 8.0 detects and classifies traffic generated by the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and agent-to-agent communications, bringing visibility to interactions that would otherwise remain entirely opaque.
• Enhanced DLP with OCR: the Data Loss Prevention system integrated into FortiGuard can now identify sensitive data hidden in images and screenshots, closing an often-overlooked exfiltration vector.
• FortiAI-Assist for FortiGate: an integrated AI assistant that simplifies firewall diagnostics and troubleshooting through a conversational interface, reducing configuration errors and accelerating response times — even in SD-WAN environments.

Quantum-safe protection: acting today against tomorrow’s threat

The quantum threat follows an insidious pattern known as “harvest now, decrypt later”: attackers capture encrypted data today with the intent of decrypting it in the future, once quantum computers become powerful enough. For data with a long lifecycle — industrial secrets, government information, healthcare records — the risk is already concrete.

FortiOS 8.0 extends post-quantum cryptography with:

• Hybrid key exchange compliant with FIPS 204/205, combining classical cryptography and quantum-resistant algorithms
• Enhanced SSL deep inspection with post-quantum cryptography, enabling traffic inspection without compromising end-to-end security
• Protection of critical paths: management access and agentless VPN with quantum-resilient security
• Crypto-agility: the ability to update cryptographic algorithms as standards evolve, without significant re-architecture

Want to learn more?

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Virtualization is now a strategic pillar of enterprise IT infrastructures, as it enables operational agility, resilience, and effective resource control. In this context, VMware has historically been the industry benchmark: a solid, reliable platform with a mature and widely integrated ecosystem.

However, with Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware in 2023, the landscape has changed. This is not merely a standard product evolution: the new licensing model is concretely reshaping renewal strategies, scalability plans, and the long-term economic sustainability of virtualized infrastructures.

The New Broadcom–VMware Model: What Is Really Changing

The transition to Broadcom has marked a clear break from the past, particularly in terms of commercial and contractual models:

End of perpetual licenses, subscription-only: the traditional perpetual licensing model has been replaced by an exclusively subscription-based approach.

More standardization, less flexibility: the new licensing framework introduces stricter rules, including:

• Minimum purchase and renewal thresholds set at 72 cores.
• BMandatory bundles that limit the ability to purchase only what is actually needed.
• Penalties for late renewals, introducing additional financial risk for organizations.

These approaches support a large-scale simplification strategy, but they may prove poorly aligned with the realities of mid-sized environments, distributed sites, or SMB contexts, where flexibility and modularity are essential.

Increasingly unpredictable renewals: widely adopted editions such as VMware vSphere Standard 8 are no longer available as new SKUs. At renewal time, many organizations are being steered toward higher-tier bundles—such as vSphere Foundation—resulting in a significant cost impact compared to previous configurations.

Rising costs: finally, a significant increase in Broadcom’s price lists further compounds the issue, with additional hikes expected in 2026. This trend makes renewal and expansion costs less predictable, particularly for infrastructures with a limited number of cores.

Looking Beyond: HPE VM Essentials with Morpheus

In a context where licensing is becoming increasingly decisive, evaluating alternatives is not merely a cost-driven choice, but a strategic decision.

HPE VM Essentials, built on the Morpheus platform, positions itself as a modern solution for virtualization and infrastructure management, capable of bringing together in a single platform:

• Virtual machine management
• Advanced orchestration and automation
• Governance and cost control

Key Benefits of HPE VM Essentials

Cost control: the licensing model is aligned with actual infrastructure capacity, with no imposed minimum thresholds. This enables clearer, more sustainable, and more predictable long-term planning.

Native automation and centralized management: provisioning, orchestration, and policy management are natively integrated, reducing operational complexity and freeing up valuable time for IT teams to focus on higher-value activities.

Designed for hybrid cloud: HPE VM Essentials is built for on-premises environments and hybrid scenarios, adapting to continuously evolving infrastructures without rigid platform constraints.

Why Consider It Today

In light of recent changes to VMware’s licensing model, HPE VM Essentials with Morpheus represents a concrete option for organizations looking to:

• Reduce the risk of rising costs and contractual complexity associated with mandatory bundles and core-based thresholds.
• Adopt a modern, scalable, and automation-driven platform.
• Benefit from more transparent entry and renewal costs, based on actual infrastructure needs rather than standardized models.

In Summary:

• VMware under Broadcom remains a robust and well-established platform, still central to many enterprise environments.
• However, the new licensing model introduces additional complexity and a significant cost impact, particularly for mid-sized and smaller organizations.
• HPE VM Essentials with Morpheus positions itself as a credible and modern alternative, delivering operational simplicity, automation, and greater cost control.

Evaluating available options today means protecting IT investments, increasing infrastructure resilience, and building a more sustainable model for the future.

The new FortiGate G firewall series has been designed to meet the needs of modern businesses, characterized by increasingly distributed infrastructures across offices, cloud, and data centers.

Why choose FortiGate G

• Advanced security: integrated intrusion prevention, antivirus, web filtering, and zero-day threat protection.
• Enhanced performance: optimized hardware to ensure high throughput even in demanding environments with critical traffic and resource-intensive applications.
• Centralized management: a single console to monitor and control hybrid environments (on-premises and cloud), reducing response times and simplifying IT operations.
• Energy efficiency: lower consumption and operating costs thanks to an optimized architecture.
• Scalability: designed for growing and distributed enterprises, with the flexibility to easily adapt to new business needs.

Value for SMEs in Ticino

Small and medium-sized businesses now face the same cyber threats as large enterprises, often with fewer resources at their disposal. FortiGate G firewalls provide a complete and scalable solution that allows SMEs to:

• Protect business data and critical systems without adding complexity.
• Reduce risks from ransomware, phishing, and automated attacks.
• Optimize costs with a platform that combines networking and security in a single device.

The 7networks approach

As a system integrator and managed service provider (MSP), 7networks integrates Fortinet solutions into its managed security services. This enables our clients to benefit from:

• Proactive 24/7 monitoring of their infrastructures.
• Fast and targeted response in case of threats or anomalies.
• Ongoing consultancy to evolve their cybersecurity strategy in line with business growth.

The new generation of Fortinet FortiGate G firewalls marks a decisive step forward for companies that want to ensure business continuity and robust protection.

Siamo entusiasti di annunciare che 7networks è stata premiata da Fortinet come Partner of the Year SMB Ticino!

Un riconoscimento che, pur non essendo nuovo per noi, continua a regalarci ogni anno la stessa emozione e soddisfazione.

Il premio viene assegnato da Fortinet ai partner che si distinguono per:

• Crescita di progetti e clienti nell’ambito Small & Medium Business (SMB)

• Eccellenza nella consulenza e nella personalizzazione delle soluzioni di sicurezza

• Impegno costante nel portare innovazione tecnologica e supporto di alto livello sul territorio

• Collaborazione attiva con il team Fortinet per costruire strategie vincenti

Riceverlo anche quest’anno è per noi la conferma di essere un punto di riferimento nel mercato ticinese per la cybersecurity di nuova generazione, capace di unire protezione, performance e semplicità.

Una partnership di valore

Collaborare con un leader mondiale come Fortinet ci permette di offrire soluzioni di cybersecurity innovative e scalabili, pensate per la crescita delle PMI e per proteggere il loro business dalle minacce digitali sempre più sofisticate. Questo premio rappresenta il risultato di una collaborazione solida e strategica, che ci spinge a innovare e a garantire ai nostri clienti la migliore protezione possibile.

Grazie a chi ha reso possibile tutto questo

Un enorme grazie a Fortinet per la fiducia e per il riconoscimento, e a tutto il nostro team per la dedizione e la passione con cui lavora ogni giorno.

🚀 Continuiamo a crescere insieme, proteggendo il futuro digitale delle aziende del Ticino!