Industrial grade firewalls for critical infrastructure and operational technology environments

Fortinet Ruggedised Firewalls provide industrial grade cybersecurity purpose built for operational technology networks (OT networks) and critical infrastructure environments. Designed to operate reliably in harsh physical conditions while delivering advanced threat protection, the FortiGate Rugged series secures distributed infrastructure across energy, utilities, transport, and industrial sectors throughout New Zealand.

The FortiGate Rugged portfolio includes models such as the FortiGate 70G Rugged, 60F Rugged, 50G Rugged and other compact industrial variants designed specifically for operational technology deployments. These models deliver enterprise grade security capabilities within hardened, space efficient appliances suited to substations, roadside cabinets and plant environments.

Operational technology environments underpin essential services including substations, water treatment plants, rail networks, ports and manufacturing facilities. These environments require resilient connectivity, strict segmentation between IT and OT systems, and protection capable of securing industrial control systems without compromising uptime. Traditional IT firewalls are not engineered for these conditions. Fortinet Rugged appliances combine hardened hardware with advanced security services, enabling protection to be deployed directly at the network edge.

Securing operational technology networks

As critical infrastructure operators increasingly connect remote assets and converge IT and OT systems, the attack surface expands. Threat actors are targeting industrial environments with the intent to disrupt operations rather than simply exfiltrate data. Securing OT networks requires segmentation, encrypted communications, intrusion prevention and centralised visibility across distributed sites.

FortiGate Rugged firewalls support secure remote access, enforce consistent policy across geographically dispersed infrastructure and reduce the risk of lateral movement between IT and OT environments. Integrated within the Fortinet Security Fabric, these devices enable coordinated monitoring and response across both domains.

Designed for critical infrastructure environments

Critical infrastructure assets are often located in remote or physically demanding environments. Roadside cabinets, substations, transport corridors and plant enclosures require equipment that can operate reliably in extended temperatures, vibration, dust and humidity. FortiGate Rugged models are engineered specifically for these industrial conditions, ensuring cybersecurity controls remain operational where reliability is non negotiable.

The FortiGate Rugged series was recognised with the 2025 Red Dot Product Design Award, reflecting Fortinet’s focus on combining industrial durability, compact form factor and high performance security within environments where both resilience and engineering precision matter.

Nextro partners with Fortinet to design and deploy secure architectures tailored to New Zealand’s geographically dispersed infrastructure. We support energy providers, utilities, transport operators and industrial organisations with solutions that prioritise resilience, safety and operational continuity.

Contact us today to discuss how we can strengthen the security and resilience of your critical infrastructure environment.