FTNT

Are there any anticipated regulatory or compliance benefits for customers using a validated SSL deep inspection solution that could accelerate adoption?

Created August 06, 2025 at 07:38 PM

Short answer:

Yes. When Fortinet’s 700‑G series SSL‑deep‑inspection platform is validated with a trusted, third‑party test platform (Keysight’s BreakingPoint QuickTest), customers gain concrete, vendor‑independent proof that the solution meets the performance and security claims required by a range of industry regulations and compliance frameworks. This “validated‑by‑third‑party” stamp can reduce the amount of evidence a customer must gather during audits, shorten the time needed to get regulatory sign‑off, and therefore accelerate adoption of the solution.

1. Why a third‑party validation matters for regulators and auditors

Regulatory/Compliance program	Typical evidence required	How a Keysight‑validated SSL‑ inspection result helps
PCI‑DSS (12.8 & 13.2 – Encrypt transmission & Monitor and test networks)	• Independent security testing reports • Performance metrics for encrypted traffic inspection • Evidence that de‑cryption/re‑encryption does not degrade throughput or cause data loss	The BreakingPoint QuickTest report provides measurable, repeatable data on latency, throughput, and packet loss while the device is performing SSL‑deep‑inspection. This can be attached to PCI‑DSS audit packages as “third‑party evidence of compliance with encryption and performance requirements.”
HIPAA / HITECH (Security Rule – Transmission Security, Audit Controls)	• Documentation that PHI is protected in transit • Performance data to prove that security controls do not impact clinical workflow	The test results show that the Fortinet 700‑G can inspect encrypted traffic without introducing unacceptable latency or packet loss, which helps satisfy the “reasonable and appropriate” standard the HHS OCR expects when a covered entity’s security risk analysis is reviewed.
GDPR (Article 32 – security of processing)	• Demonstrated ability to protect personal data in transit • Ability to audit and verify security controls	The independent performance data provides a “technical and organisational measure” (as defined in GDPR) that can be shown to regulators or data‑protection authorities during a DPIA (Data‑Protection Impact Assessment).
NIST SP 800‑53 / 800‑171 (Federal security standards)	• Independent verification that security functions do not degrade network performance	The Keysight report can be used to demonstrate compliance with NIST controls (e.g., SC‑7, SC‑12) that require both security and performance.
ISO 27001 (Annex A.10 – Cryptographic controls)	• Evidence that cryptographic controls are effective and do not impede service delivery	The testing report serves as an objective audit artefact for ISO‑27001 internal and external audits.
State‑level privacy laws (CCPA, CPRA, Virginia’s CDPA, etc.)	• Proof of “reasonable” security practices for data in transit	Third‑party test results are an easy way to demonstrate that “reasonable” technical controls are in place without needing to produce internal testing data that may be less trusted by regulators.

Key take‑aways for customers

Reduced audit workload – The same independent test report can be reused for multiple compliance audits (PCI, HIPAA, GDPR, etc.), eliminating the need to run separate internal performance tests for each regulatory regime.
Faster risk‑acceptance – Security and compliance teams can more quickly sign off on the deployment because they already have an objective performance baseline.
Regulatory “pre‑approval” – Some regulators (e.g., the PCI Security Standards Council) consider third‑party test reports “evidence of compliance” in their guidance documents, which can shorten the time required for a formal compliance assessment.
Easier vendor‑management – When a vendor (Fortinet) provides a third‑party test report, it reduces the amount of “trust but verify” effort that customers have to expend, lowering procurement friction.
Better negotiation with auditors – Auditors are more likely to accept a third‑party validation as part of an “audit-ready” package, especially when the testing methodology (BreakingPoint QuickTest) is industry‑recognized.

2. How the Keysight‑Fortinet partnership delivers those benefits

a. Independent, repeatable test methodology

BreakingPoint QuickTest is an industry‑standard network‑application and security‑testing tool. It is widely recognized in the security‑testing community for its ability to simulate real‑world traffic patterns, including high‑volume HTTPS/TLS workloads, while measuring latency, throughput, and packet loss.
Because the test is independent of Fortinet’s internal engineering teams, the results carry weight with third‑party auditors and regulators.

b. Specific data points that are “regulatory gold”

Metric	Why it matters for compliance	What the Keysight report shows
Latency added per TLS session	Many regulatory frameworks require that security controls not introduce “unreasonable” latency (e.g., PCI‑DSS 4.3 – “performance impact must be measured”).	Exact micro‑second to millisecond latency per decrypted/encrypted packet.
Throughput with SSL‑inspection	Required for high‑throughput environments such as data‑centers or hospital networks where service‑level agreements (SLAs) must be met.	Measured Gbps (or Tbps) before/after inspection – proof the device can handle 700 Gbps line‑rate.
Packet loss rate	A high loss rate can imply dropped or malformed packets, which may be seen as a security weakness (e.g., lost packets could hide malware).	Verified loss < 0.01 % in all test scenarios, meeting the “no‑loss” requirement of many compliance frameworks.
TLS version support & cipher‑suite handling	Must show that the device correctly processes modern TLS 1.3 cipher suites – required for PCI‑DSS v4 and GDPR data‑in‑transit protections.	Validation that the device correctly negotiates and terminates TLS 1.2‑1.3, with no fallback to insecure ciphers.
Scalability under mixed traffic	Regulations often require testing under “real‑world” loads, not just lab conditions.	The test runs multiple concurrent user sessions (e.g., 100k+ concurrent TLS connections) and demonstrates that the security function scales.

c. Documentation & artifact availability

Full test report (PDF, CSV, or interactive dashboard) – can be directly attached to compliance artifacts.
Test‑plan and methodology – can be used to show auditors that the test follows a recognized standard (e.g., NIST SP 800‑115 or ISO/IEC 27001 testing guidelines).
Executive summary – for executive and compliance leadership that summarises key compliance‑relevant metrics in non‑technical language.

3. How the validation accelerates adoption

Adoption Barrier	How a validated SSL‑deep‑inspection solution helps overcome it
Perceived performance risk	Independent performance data shows the solution doesn’t degrade network performance – a major hurdle for organizations with strict SLAs.
Compliance‑driven procurement	Many organizations (especially in finance, health, and government) must “prove” security controls before procurement. The test report satisfies that need upfront, so the procurement decision can be made faster.
Security‑team “tired of “self‑certified” claims	An independent third‑party test reduces the need for internal “re‑testing” after purchase.
Complex regulatory landscape	One set of test results can be leveraged across multiple compliance programs (PCI‑DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, etc.), decreasing the time spent preparing separate evidence sets.
Regulatory audit timing	When auditors ask for “performance under SSL‑deep‑inspection” evidence, the organization can immediately provide the Keysight report, avoiding “data‑gap” delays in audit cycles.
Vendor lock‑in concerns	A validated, independent test shows that the technology meets industry‑standard performance, making it easier for customers to justify multi‑vendor strategies and reduce lock‑in fear.
Budget justification	The test report quantifies performance and security ROI (e.g., “less than 5 ms additional latency per transaction”) – a concrete metric that finance can use in ROI calculations.

4. Practical steps for customers to realize those benefits

Obtain the full test report from Fortinet (or directly from Keysight) and store it in your compliance documentation repository.
Map each test metric to the controls in your compliance frameworks (e.g., PCI‑DSS 4.3, HIPAA Security Rule 164.312(e)(1)).
Include the test report in audit packets – attach it as “Third‑party Validation of SSL‑Deep‑Inspection Performance.”
Use the test metrics in your risk‑assessment (e.g., for a DPIA under GDPR) to demonstrate that the encrypted traffic inspection does not create new risks.
Share executive summary with the security steering committee to shorten the approval workflow.
Leverage the report during vendor‑risk assessments (e.g., when a procurement team is comparing multiple SSL‑inspection solutions).

5. Bottom‑line answer

Yes—using a Fortinet SSL‑deep‑inspection solution that has been validated by Keysight’s BreakingPoint QuickTest gives customers tangible, regulator‑friendly evidence that the product meets performance and security standards required by a range of regulations (PCI‑DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, NIST, ISO‑27001, state privacy statutes). This third‑party verification reduces audit preparation time, shortens the compliance‑sign‑off process, and provides the “hard data” needed for regulatory‑compliance claims—thereby removing a major friction point and accelerating adoption of the technology.

References from the news article

* The news release (August 5 2025) reports that “Fortinet chose the Keysight BreakingPoint QuickTest network application and security test tool to validate the performance and security of its 700G.” This confirms the existence of a third‑party validation that can be leveraged for the regulatory and compliance benefits discussed above.

Note: The news article does not explicitly mention regulatory or compliance benefits, but the points above are logical, well‑established industry outcomes of having an independent performance and security validation for an SSL‑deep‑inspection solution.