Fortinet provides update on recent security incident

US-based cybersecurity company Fortinet has released details of a recent security incident that resulted in unauthorized access to a limited number of files.

According to the company, the breach affected only a small portion of its customer base, less than 0.3% of all customers. The person responsible for the unauthorized access did not conduct any malicious activity against customers, Fortinet said. The company also confirmed that its products, services, and overall operations were not affected by the breach. In addition, no evidence suggests that the person gained access to other Fortinet resources.

The breach was initially reported by Bleeping Computer, with a threat actor on a particular cybercrime forum claiming to have stolen 440 gigabytes of Fortinet customer files. Fortinet stressed that the breach did not involve data encryption, the use of ransomware, or access to the internal corporate network. The company's response included immediately contacting customers to assist with mitigation efforts.

Shortly after the incident, Fortinet determined that the scope of the incident was unlikely to have a significant financial or operational impact on the company. After discovering the breach, Fortinet blocked the individual's access and launched a thorough investigation, working closely with law enforcement and global cybersecurity authorities. An external forensics firm was retained to review the findings of Fortinet's internal investigation.

In addition, Fortinet has implemented additional security measures such as enhanced account monitoring and improved threat detection protocols to reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future.

More information about Fortinet

Fortinet is one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the world, selling secure network products such as firewalls, routers, and VPN devices. The company also offers SIEM, network management, consulting services, and EDR/XDR solutions.

In May 2023, an individual claimed to have hacked into the GitHub repositories of Panopta, a company acquired by Fortinet in 2020, and published stolen data on a Russian-language hacker forum.