Executive Summary

This chapter briefly highlights some of the higher profile new FortiOS 5.6 features, some of which have been enhanced for FortiOS 5.6.1.

Security Fabric enhancements

Security Fabric features and functionality continue to evolve. New features include improved performance and integration, a security audit function that finds possible problems with your network and recommends solutions, security fabric dashboard widgets, improved device detection, and the remote login to other FortiGates on the fabric. See New Security Fabric features on page 20.

Security Fabric Audit

The Security Fabric Audit allows you to analyze your Security Fabric deployment to identify potential vulnerabilities and highlight best practices that could be used to improve your network’s overall security and performance. See Security Fabric Audit and Fabric Score on page 32.

Re-designed Dashboard

The Dashboard has been enhanced to show more information with greater flexibility and more functionality. See New Dashboard Features on page 40 for details.

NGFW Policy Mode

You can operate your FortiGate in NGFW policy mode to simplify applying Application control and Web Filtering to firewall traffic. See NGFW Policy Mode (371602) on page 57.

Flow-based inspection with profile-based NGFW mode is the default inspection mode in FortiOS 5.6.

Transparent web proxy

In addition to the Explicit Web Proxy, FortiOS now supports a Transparent web proxy. You can use the transparent proxy to apply web authentication to HTTP traffic accepted by a firewall policy.