Fortinet launches FortiGuard Inline AI Security for FortiGate

Fortinet has announced the launch of FortiGuard Inline AI Security, a cloud-delivered subscription service designed to integrate artificial intelligence security directly into existing FortiGate firewall infrastructures. The service aims to provide organizations with real-time inspection of AI prompts, model responses, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) traffic, allowing for the detection of threats and data leaks without the need to deploy separate, specialized AI security stacks.

The solution is powered by FortiAIGate, Fortinet’s AI gateway, which incorporates technology from the company’s August acquisition of Virtue AI. This capability allows businesses to mitigate risks such as Shadow AI, where employees use unauthorized AI tools, by enforcing data loss prevention (DLP) policies and managing permissions across different workspaces or user roles.

While the service is primarily cloud-delivered for ease of deployment, Fortinet offers on-premises options for organizations with stringent privacy, security, or data sovereignty requirements. This strategic move positions Fortinet to compete in a rapidly expanding AI security market, where major vendors are increasingly acquiring startups to bolster their platform capabilities.