Fortinet has introduced new AI-focused capabilities to its endpoint security platform, FortiEndpoint, designed to give enterprises greater visibility and control over AI applications and agents. The update addresses growing concerns about shadow AI, data leakage, and the need for consistent governance across managed endpoints.

Enhanced AI Visibility and Control

The core of the update is improved AI visibility and control. FortiEndpoint now provides centralized dashboards that show which AI tools—including assistants, coding copilots, and autonomous agents—are being used across the organization. Security teams can identify both sanctioned and unsanctioned applications, monitor adoption trends, and detect shadow AI usage. This real-time insight enables organizations to enforce corporate policies and reduce the risk of data exposure associated with unapproved AI interactions.

According to Ankit Gupta, product and marketing leader for Fortinet, organizations cannot govern what they cannot see. As employees increasingly rely on a growing number of AI services, security teams need visibility into which tools are being used, who is using them, and whether those applications comply with corporate policy. The new dashboards address this by offering a unified view of AI activity across endpoints.

Integrated Data Loss Prevention

Another key addition is native data loss prevention (DLP) functionality within FortiEndpoint. The DLP engine automatically inspects sensitive business data exchanged with AI applications, agents, and web services. It provides real-time policy guidance and user coaching to help employees understand acceptable AI usage without hindering productivity. By integrating DLP directly into the endpoint security agent, Fortinet aims to prevent the leakage of personally identifiable information, intellectual property, and financial data at the source, eliminating the need for additional point products or management layers.

This approach aligns with broader industry trends where data security is becoming a top priority as AI adoption accelerates. Many enterprises struggle to balance AI enablement with data protection, and Fortinet's integrated DLP offers a streamlined way to maintain compliance and security.

AI Assistant for Security Operations

Fortinet has also embedded a natural language AI assistant, called FortiAI-Assist, directly into FortiEndpoint. This assistant helps security teams generate investigation summaries, identify high-risk devices, troubleshoot issues, and receive policy recommendations. It leverages the context of the endpoint environment to accelerate day-to-day operations and improve efficiency. For example, analysts can ask the assistant to summarize recent alerts, suggest remediation steps, or provide guidance on risk scoring.

These assisted workflows are complemented by adaptive zero-trust capabilities. FortiEndpoint continuously assesses endpoint health, compliance status, and risk posture. Access to AI applications and protected resources is dynamically adjusted based on real-time context. This risk-based approach ensures that access is granted only when conditions are met, reducing exposure and enforcing consistent policy across the organization.

Background and Market Context

Endpoint security has evolved significantly over the past decade. Traditional antivirus solutions have given way to integrated platforms that combine endpoint detection and response (EDR), zero trust network access (ZTNA), vulnerability management, and data protection. Fortinet's FortiEndpoint is part of this evolution, feeding into the company's broader Security Fabric architecture to improve enterprise threat detection and response.

The rise of generative AI and large language models has introduced new challenges for security teams. Employees increasingly use AI assistants for tasks like coding, content creation, and data analysis, often without IT oversight. This creates shadow AI risks, where sensitive data may be inadvertently shared with external AI services. According to a recent survey by Gartner, by 2027, 60% of organizations will have experienced a data breach due to employee misuse of AI tools. Fortinet's enhancements directly address this emerging threat landscape.

Competitors in the endpoint security space, such as CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, and Microsoft, have also been adding AI governance capabilities. However, Fortinet's integration of DLP and an AI assistant into a single agent, combined with its Security Fabric ecosystem, offers a differentiated value proposition for enterprises already using Fortinet infrastructure.

Analyst Perspective

Chris DePuy, technology analyst at 650 Group, commented that delivering these capabilities through FortiEndpoint gives customers a practical way to manage AI risk with the same agent and license they already rely on for endpoint security. This approach reduces complexity and cost while improving security posture.

Industry experts agree that the convergence of endpoint security, data loss prevention, and AI governance is a natural evolution. As AI becomes more embedded in enterprise workflows, security platforms must adapt to provide unified protection without adding friction for users.

Release Timeline

The FortiEndpoint enhancements are expected to be available in Q3 2026. Fortinet has not yet disclosed pricing or licensing details, but current FortiEndpoint customers are likely to receive the new features as part of their existing subscription, based on the company's typical update patterns.

In summary, Fortinet's latest update to FortiEndpoint represents a strategic move to help enterprises safely adopt AI while maintaining strong data security and compliance controls. By combining AI visibility, integrated DLP, and an AI assistant with adaptive zero-trust capabilities, Fortinet aims to simplify security operations and reduce the risks associated with the growing use of AI in the workplace.

Source: Network World News