It's used to detect non-signature-based malware.
Cyber Security Presales Team Leader at Giza Systems
Good product that detects non-signature-based malware
Pros and Cons
- "The product is great. It can be deployed on the cloud or on-premises."
- "It would be better if it had support for Mac and Linux."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The product is great. It can be deployed on the cloud or on-premises. There's a virtual machine and a hardware appliance available, so it's quite versatile.
What needs improvement?
In future releases, it would be better if it had support for Mac and Linux.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution since its release.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiSandbox
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiSandbox. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It doesn't crash as often as other vendors' products. So, yeah, I think it's a good product.
How was the initial setup?
It was pretty basic, nothing too complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's not very expensive. I would rate it around a five or six, somewhere in the middle.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise you to connect FortiSandbox with all available Fortinet appliances, such as the Endpoint Protection Suite, FortiGate firewall, FortiMail, and FortiWeb, as well as any other Fortinet appliance they have. It's important to ensure that the deployment is connected to the Sandbox.
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Consultant Business Development - Security at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Easy to configure and implement because of templates and has a competitive price, but there could be a higher number of VMs
Pros and Cons
- "Compared to other solutions, it's easy to configure and implement because of the templates. The timing of scanning files is faster."
- "There could be more templates and a higher number of simulated VMs to configure more use cases. Sometimes we need to configure many use cases in many different environments, and if the number of VMs that we configure is limited, we have to remove some and reconfigure the environment if we need another environment."
What is our primary use case?
I provide this solution in the FortiGate firewall as a cloud license. I'm in presales and I qualify the solution, so I don't install it or deploy it. I worked with Sandbox for one project two years ago, especially with FortiGate 200E. I worked with the customer and prepared the solution according to their needs, and we decided on the architecture and design to deploy this solution.
We put the firewall in the front end design and we configured it so that every file will be downloaded through the HTTP, or HTTPS, and the file will be scanned and analyzed with the antivirus of FortiClient. This is checked with the signature of this antivirus. If it's not okay, we will configure it to be scanned and analyzed with Sandbox.
There, we will configure, for example, a virtual machine for in the cloud that contains Windows Server or Windows Desktop, the version that the customer already has. We deploy some services like Active Directory, or the service that the customer uses. We try to send this file to the virtual cloud. Then we check it. If the file attains a certain score, we will block it. If not, we can make an event quarantine. We configure our event in the firewall or in the switch that connects in this firewall, and we will put it in quarantine until that administrator checks this file and where or not it contains malware or not.
In general, we purchase the license and we configure it in the front end firewall, not in the internal or data center firewall. This is especially for downloading the files that we can receive.
For the firewall, we were using the version FortiOS 7.0. The first version that we deployed was the 6.5 version. That includes this cloud license.
The firewall is on-premise, but the license for FortiSandbox is on the cloud.
There are 10 people using this solution in my company.
How has it helped my organization?
The price has been a benefit to our organization. Fortinet has given us a very interesting financial offer compared to others. For example, if we compared it with Palo Alto, they have a specific license for sandbox but call it WildFire, and it's very expensive. In comparison with the Fortinet, the license is included in a bundle that includes antivirus and URL file filtering. This is for an SMB, small and medium businesses. It's competitive in terms of the price.
What is most valuable?
Compared to other solutions, it's easy to configure and implement because of the templates. The timing of scanning files is faster.
What needs improvement?
There could be more templates and a higher number of simulated VMs to configure more use cases. Sometimes we need to configure many use cases in many different environments, and if the number of VMs that we configure is limited, we have to remove some and reconfigure the environment if we need another environment. It's better to have more use cases and more simulated environments that we can configure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. The performance is okay because Fortinet is based on FortiADC, and they have the capability to have a higher performance than others.
I do not use the solution daily. It depends on the project. At the moment, we don't have plans to increase usage.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
With the cloud license, the scalability is okay, but it depends on the firewall type. For a smaller business, I think they are limited with the number of files. It depends on the number of firewalls.
For the on-prem solution, it certainly depends. I think there are problems with the scalability. If you need to extend or add more sizing, that means more files per day. We have to change the kind of appliance. This is a problem for that. But if it was on a VM solution, maybe it wouldn't be a problem for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used other solutions previously. It depends on the needs of our customers and the budget.
Concerning security, Trend Micro is better in comparison.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup is complex. The length it takes to deploy the solution just depends. We also need to have a tuning phase to collect more information for the environment and how to configure it. If we already have the template, we can easily configure it in two days. But after that, we have to make a learning phase or tuning phase to see how the solution responds and what the results are, and then we can optimize the configuration. The timing depends on the context.
For maintenance, patching, and updating, we need maybe two people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is competitive.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 7 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiSandbox
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiSandbox. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.
ICT Manager at Nic. J. Theocarakis
It can emulate several operating systems and is stable and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "The scanner office document as well as PDF are useful. The most valuable thing is that you can emulate different operating systems without having the danger of getting something infected. It emulates several operating systems, and as a result, you either get the file or you don't get the file."
- "I don't know if it is viable to do an improvement like this. When there are passwords in the password-protected files, it can't scan them or do things like this. I don't know if an algorithm or something else could make it better. Nowadays, many legitimate office documents have passwords."
What is our primary use case?
We mainly use it for incoming mail from all our domains because we have several of them. We are servicing many companies as the holding company. Every mail is passed to the Sandbox virtual machine. It is a VM. Occasionally, a link or a standalone file that we want to check is also passed to the Sandbox virtual machine.
What is most valuable?
The scanner office document as well as PDF are useful. The most valuable thing is that you can emulate different operating systems without having the danger of getting something infected. It emulates several operating systems, and as a result, you either get the file or you don't get the file.
What needs improvement?
I don't know if it is viable to do an improvement like this. When there are passwords in the password-protected files, it can't scan them or do things like this. I don't know if an algorithm or something else could make it better. Nowadays, many legitimate office documents have passwords.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiSandbox for about five to six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable. The only thing is that you have to manually check for some extensions. You have to do that mainly for the office documents because they change their extension. You have to manually add the new extension, but it is not a big problem.
How are customer service and technical support?
They are very responsive. At first, I had interacted with only the Greece branch of Fortinet, which has only pre-sales engineers, not the support engineers, and they were very helpful. For the last two and a half years, we have a contract with a dedicated team for support. They're getting bigger, better, and greater.
How was the initial setup?
It is very simple. You just specify the operating system that you want to emulate as well as the office version. It is pretty straightforward in terms of the procedure. It is easy to use and has a very useful interface.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Altogether, it is about €10,000 for the Sandbox and Email Gateway.
What other advice do I have?
I have used it within the Fortinet ecosystem. The whole Fortinet ecosystem collaborates very well. It is a standalone product as well, but I haven't tested it as a standalone product. If I had a choice, I would opt for the cloud version. I currently have the on-premises version.
I would rate Fortinet FortiSandbox a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Senior Security Engineer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Effective behavior analysis, useful manual scan, and overall comprehensive features
Pros and Cons
- "The dynamic behavior analysis is excellent. We have many attacks caught by the FortiSandbox as zero-day attacks. Additionally, the administration is simple and can be customized to fit your companies needs."
- "The reporting tools could be improved in Fortinet FortiSandbox."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Fortinet FortiSandbox to inspect and scan all our files. All the files inside our organization that is transferred through the company. The solution scans the files inside the PSVM because it has many VMs inside the FortiScan. It's working on zero-day attacks and not based on the signature of the threat. It's based on behavior analysis.
What is most valuable?
The dynamic behavior analysis is excellent. We have many attacks caught by the FortiSandbox as zero-day attacks. Additionally, the administration is simple and can be customized to fit your companies needs.
Fortinet FortiSandbox has manual scan features. We have other sandboxes solutions from other vendors but they don't have this feature. It allows you to interpret or intervene in the scan whatever you want. It is a SOC analyzer, and it is called Manual Scan or something similar. Comparing this feature to other vendors, it's very good.
What needs improvement?
The reporting tools could be improved in Fortinet FortiSandbox.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiSandbox for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have not tried to scale the solution, it has been working fine for what we have been using it for at this time.
We have approximately 50 devices and 1,000 to 2,000 files being scanned daily.
We use the solution extensively.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use similar sandbox solutions from Forcepoint and Palo Alto.
How was the initial setup?
The installation of Fortinet FortiSandbox is very easy.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are on an annual license to use the solution. We have an additional feature that is integrated with S5, which is working well.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Fortinet FortiSandbox to others, it is the most comprehensive sandbox available.
I rate Fortinet FortiSandbox an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Consultant at Vivaro
A multi-functional solution that detects files packed with viruses and quarantines them
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiSandbox puts suspicious files in quarantine, analyzes for virus risks, and lets them out of quarantine if it detects no risk."
- "If updated, Fortinet FortiSandbox could cover other risks."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiSandbox is a multi-functional solution. When some files have been packed with viruses, the solution detects and quarantines them.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiSandbox puts suspicious files in quarantine, analyzes for virus risks, and lets them out of quarantine if it detects no risk.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be limited in some scenarios. If updated, Fortinet FortiSandbox could cover other risks.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiSandbox is a very stable solution. In my experience, it has the most stability that I have seen because a lot of clients got the solution and didn't report any problems with the network or the availability of the appliance. Fortinet FortiSandbox is different from other vendors. Percentage-wise, 80% got Fortinet FortiSandbox solutions in Mexico.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There is a specific list of Fortinet products you can select from, and they have a range of user functionalities and performance. So it's easy to increase it or to change to another appliance that can support the growth of any of the factors I mentioned. So it's easy to change it or increase it.
How are customer service and support?
Fortinet FortiSandbox could provide better customer support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
Fortinet FortiSandbox's initial setup is easy because its graphic interface is very friendly and in 3D. I have been working with Juniper, and they have the same interface. The solution is easy to configure.
What other advice do I have?
There is a special solution in Fortinet for sandboxing that increases the level of security. In that solution, you could get more efficiency in using sandboxing.
Overall, I rate Fortinet FortiSandbox an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Student at KL University
A scalable tool to detect malware that offers its users good performance and security
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the solution is that the performance it offers to users is good, making it useful for us in our company."
What is our primary use case?
I use Fortinet FortiSandbox to detect malware in the system, especially when uploading or downloading files from the internet.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is that the performance it offers to users is good, making it useful for us in our company. Fortinet FortiSandbox is more like a SASE solution.
What needs improvement?
The solution is unavailable at a lower cost and can be difficult to deploy. From an improvement perspective, I would like the solution to be made available to users at a cheaper price while making its deployment phase easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with Fortinet FortiSandbox.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. I can't rate the solution's stability since I am unaware of it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution.
Around 500 people in my institution use the solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have some previous experience with Check Point and NetScaler.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Fortinet FortiSandbox is straightforward.
The solution can be deployed on either a cloud or on-premises.
What other advice do I have?
Though I haven't worked with Fortinet FortiSandbox, it is a good solution based on the opinion of one of my colleagues who has worked with it. Fortinet FortiSandbox can be deployed on a cloud or on-premises.
I recommend the solution to those who plan to use it. Fortinet FortiSandbox is a good security option for those who plan to use it.
The overall solution is an eight to nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Project Management at a energy/utilities company with 11-50 employees
A stable solution requiring an easy setup phase
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has the highest stability...The solution's setup is not complex as they are already included in Fortinet."
- "In general, maybe they are not updated to cover risks."
What is our primary use case?
I have experience installing solutions with the sandbox, along with its functionality that is multifunctional. When some files are detected with viruses, they are placed in quarantine.
What is most valuable?
The solution puts the suspected file in quarantine, then analyzes if there is a risk by scanning it. If not, they remove it from the quarantine.
What needs improvement?
Improvement is needed considering that it could be a scenario where it is limited, especially it may be during those periods of time when they are not updated. In general, maybe they are not updated to cover other risks.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with Fortinet FortiSandbox. My previous company had a partnership with Fortinet. In my current company, we don't have any partnerships with Fortinet. I work as an IT consultant.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution has the highest stability because a lot of clients have adopted Fortinet solutions with different variations. They didn't give me a report of its issues or problems. A lot of clients got Fortinet solutions without reporting any network or appliance availability problems, while it was different for other vendors. When implementing and designing Fortinet, around 80 percent of the solutions in Mexico were for Fortinet solutions.
I rate the solution's stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There is a specific list of Fortinet products you can select from, and they offer a variety of user functionalities and performance levels that can cover our approach. It is easy to increase or change to another appliance that can support the growth of any of the factors. Therefore, it is easy to change it or increase it.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the solution's service and support an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The solution is not complex as they are already included in Fortinet. There is a special solution for sandboxing, but it increases the level of security. In that version, you can get more from that solution and more efficiency in using sandboxing.
The initial setup is easy because I have been working with Juniper, and they have the same interface. The graphic interface is friendly and it is intuitive. For me, it is easy to configure.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Manager-Infrastructure at Southstar Drug
A stable solution that can be used to extract any file and check for malicious activity
Pros and Cons
- "The solution extracts an attached file before reaching the user and notifies the user if there's something malicious in the attachment received along with an email."
- "When you reach the maximum capacity, you cannot upgrade the solution because its hardware is very expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiSandbox for malware. Fortinet FortiSandbox is used before entering the firewall to extract any file and check for malicious activity.
What is most valuable?
The solution extracts an attached file before reaching the user and notifies the user if there's something malicious in the attachment received along with an email. The solution prevents such malicious content from entering your enterprise network.
What needs improvement?
When you reach the maximum capacity, you cannot upgrade the solution because its hardware is very expensive. All you can do is discard it and buy another.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiSandbox for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We didn't face any issues with the solution's stability for the three years it was installed on-premises at our data center.
How are customer service and support?
The solution’s technical support is good.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment with Fortinet FortiSandbox because it helped us a lot on the security part.
What other advice do I have?
If you're using Fortinet, it's best to use the solution when using FortiGate antivirus because it's all connected and easy to manage.
Overall, I rate Fortinet FortiSandbox an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiSandbox Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiSandbox Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
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