FortiSASE for FortiGate Customers — Replace Your VPN, Secure Every Branch, One Console
Published 10 Apr 2026
· By
Pawan Sharma
· Cybersecurity
· 7 min read
You already run FortiGate. Your policies are tuned, your FortiGuard subscriptions are active, your team knows FortiOS. Now your CEO wants secure remote access without VPN headaches. Your CFO wants to close 3 branch offices and move staff to co-working spaces. Your CISO wants Zero Trust. The answer isn't ripping out your Fortinet investment — it's extending it to the cloud with FortiSASE. Same FortiOS. Same policies. Same FortiManager console. Same FortiGuard threat intelligence. Just delivered from 170+ cloud PoPs instead of your rack.
Fortinet was named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for SASE Platforms and ranked #1 in the Secure Branch Network Modernization use case. They are the only vendor named Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice across all three SASE pillars: SD-WAN, SSE, and ZTNA.
Why FortiSASE — If You Already Run FortiGate
Most SASE vendors ask you to start from scratch — new policies, new console, new agent, new learning curve. FortiSASE is different because it's built on the same FortiOS that runs your FortiGate:
Same FortiOS Engine
FortiSASE runs FortiOS VMs in cloud PoPs. The exact same application signatures, IPS rules, web filtering categories, and FortiGuard threat intelligence that protects your on-prem FortiGate also runs in FortiSASE. No policy translation. No feature gaps.
One FortiManager Console
Manage your on-prem FortiGates AND cloud FortiSASE from the same FortiManager. Same policy packages, same object library, same workflow. No second console to learn. Fortinet is the only vendor delivering this level of management convergence.
One Agent (FortiClient)
FortiClient is the unified agent for VPN, ZTNA, endpoint protection (NGAV + EDR), CASB, URL filtering, and DEM — all in one install. No agent sprawl. Your users already have FortiClient for VPN — FortiSASE just lights up more capabilities.
SD-WAN Overlay Integration
FortiSASE PoPs act as spokes in your existing FortiGate SD-WAN fabric. IPsec VPN overlays + iBGP route exchange. ADVPN for dynamic spoke-to-spoke shortcuts. Your FortiGate hub stays; FortiSASE extends the fabric to remote users and thin-edge branches.
What's Inside FortiSASE
| Component | What It Does | FortiGate Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| FWaaS | Cloud NGFW: IPS, AV, anti-botnet, SSL inspection, app control | Your on-prem FortiGate firewall policies |
| SWG | Web proxy: URL filtering, DNS security, anti-malware, DLP, SSL inspection | FortiGate web filter + DNS filter profiles |
| ZTNA | Zero Trust per-app access — replaces VPN. Identity + device posture per session | FortiGate ZTNA proxy (built into FortiOS) |
| CASB | Dual-mode (inline + API): SaaS visibility, Shadow IT, data controls | FortiCASB add-on |
| DLP | Prevent data leakage to SaaS, email, web — pattern + context analysis | FortiGate DLP (Enterprise bundle) |
| SD-WAN | Application-aware routing, link redundancy, SLA monitoring | FortiGate Secure SD-WAN |
| DNS Security | Block malicious/newly-registered domains, full DNS visibility | FortiGuard DNS Filter |
| RBI | Remote Browser Isolation — isolates risky web sessions in cloud | No on-prem equivalent |
| DEM | Digital Experience Monitoring — end-to-end latency, endpoint health, SaaS perf | No on-prem equivalent |
4 Deployment Models
Remote Workers (Agent)
FortiClient on laptop/mobile connects to nearest PoP. Full ZTNA + SWG + FWaaS + DLP + CASB. Up to 3 devices per user. Replaces SSL VPN.
BYOD / Agentless
SWG proxy via browser for unmanaged devices. No agent install needed. URL filtering, DLP, malware scanning via cloud proxy.
Branch (Thick Edge)
On-prem FortiGate does local security + SD-WAN. Integrates with FortiSASE via IPsec overlay for cloud services. Best for 50+ user branches.
Micro-Branch (Thin Edge)
FortiExtender or FortiBranchSASE — minimal hardware, all inspection in cloud. Zero-touch provisioning. Ideal for co-working, retail, home offices.
FortiSASE Sovereign — for BFSI, government, and defense: build your own private SASE PoP network on customer-owned infrastructure. All traffic inspection, logs, and telemetry stay within your jurisdiction. Full SASE stack retained. Learn more.
FortiSASE in India — 4 PoPs
Live status: status.fortisase.com
FortiSASE vs Competitors
| Capability | FortiSASE | Zscaler | Cato Networks | Prisma Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in SD-WAN | Yes (integrated) | No | Yes | Separate product |
| On-prem FW integration | Native (FortiGate overlay) | GRE/IPsec tunnels | Cato Socket | IPsec tunnels |
| Unified management | FortiManager (FW + SASE) | Separate ZIA/ZPA | Cato console | Strata Cloud Mgr |
| Single agent | FortiClient (VPN+ZTNA+EPP+DEM) | ZCC | Cato Client | GlobalProtect |
| Sovereign/on-prem option | Yes | No | No | No |
| Gartner MQ SASE 2025 | Leader | Visionary | Leader | Leader |
| Best for | Existing Fortinet shops | Cloud-first, no on-prem FW | Greenfield, private backbone | Existing PA shops |
Pricing
| User Tier | Standard (per user/yr) | Advanced (per user/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 – 499 users | ~$81 | ~$106 |
| 500 – 1,999 | ~$72 | ~$94 |
| 2,000 – 9,999 | ~$56 | ~$73 |
| 10,000+ | ~$38 | ~$49 |
Published list prices in USD. Standard includes all security features (FWaaS, SWG, ZTNA, CASB, DLP, DNS, IPS, AV, SSL inspection), FortiCare Premium, up to 3 devices/user. Advanced adds: public cloud PoPs, DEM, dedicated public IPs, NOC/SOC integrations. Contact Ogma for INR pricing.
Migration Path: VPN to ZTNA to Full SASE
Start with ZTNA (Free in FortiOS)
Universal ZTNA is built into FortiOS and FortiClient at no extra cost. Enable alongside existing VPN — both coexist. FortiClient checks device posture before granting per-app access through FortiGate ZTNA proxy. No cloud subscription needed yet.
Add FortiSASE for Remote Workers
Subscribe to FortiSASE Standard. FortiClient connects to nearest India PoP. Full SWG + CASB + DLP + FWaaS applied to remote traffic. FortiGate handles office traffic; FortiSASE handles remote. FortiManager manages both.
Extend SD-WAN to FortiSASE
Connect FortiGate SD-WAN hubs to FortiSASE PoPs via IPsec overlay + iBGP. Remote users and thin-edge branches access internal apps through the SD-WAN fabric. ADVPN enables dynamic spoke-to-spoke shortcuts.
Replace Small Branch FortiGates with Thin Edge
For branches with fewer than 20 users, replace on-prem FortiGate with FortiBranchSASE or FortiExtender. All inspection moves to cloud PoP. Zero-touch provisioning. Reduces branch hardware costs 60–80%.
India Compliance: RBI, DPDPA, CERT-In
- RBI — Payment data must stay in India. FortiSASE's Mumbai and Delhi PoPs process traffic locally. FortiSASE Sovereign keeps all data on customer-owned infrastructure within Indian borders.
- DPDPA 2023 — FortiSASE DLP prevents sensitive data (Aadhaar, PAN, financial records) from leaking to unauthorized SaaS apps. Inline CASB controls shadow IT.
- CERT-In — 6-hour breach reporting. FortiSASE DEM + FortiAnalyzer enable rapid incident detection and forensic evidence collection.
FortiOS 8.0: AI-Aware Security (March 2026)
Fortinet announced FortiOS 8.0 at Accelerate 2026 with capabilities that extend to both FortiGate and FortiSASE:
- FortiView for AI attack surface — real-time visibility into GenAI app usage, sanctioned vs unsanctioned
- AI-aware application control — approve GenAI tools by department while preventing data exposure
- MCP and agent-to-agent visibility — reveals hidden AI activity between applications and tools
Source: Fortinet FortiOS 8.0 Press Release
How Ogma Deploys FortiSASE
Ogma is an authorized Fortinet partner with FortiSASE deployment experience. Our approach for existing FortiGate customers:
- Assessment — audit current FortiGate, VPN, remote user count, branch locations, compliance needs
- Architecture design — thick edge vs thin edge per site, PoP selection, SD-WAN overlay, split tunneling
- Provisioning — tenant setup, PoP config, FortiClient EMS, authentication (Entra ID/Okta/LDAP)
- FortiManager integration — unified policy packages for FortiGate + FortiSASE from one console
- Pilot rollout — 10–20 users first, monitor DEM, tune SWG, validate ZTNA access
- Full deployment — roll out to all remote workers and branches via FortiClient EMS push
- Managed operations — ongoing policy management, DEM monitoring, 24/7 support
Email [email protected] or contact Ogma for a FortiSASE readiness assessment and pricing in INR.
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