Fortinet partners with Intel to develop next-generation cybersecurity chip, strengthen global supply chain resilience
Intel and Fortinet have expanded their strategic partnership to develop Fortinet's next-generation Security Processor 6, combining advanced chip design and manufacturing to boost cybersecurity performance and supply chain resilience.
The Intel-Fortinet partnership reflects a broader industry trend towards integrating semiconductor innovation with cybersecurity to build faster, more resilient and future-ready digital infrastructure.
BENGALURU: Intel Corporation and cybersecurity major Fortinet have announced a strategic collaboration to develop Fortinet’s next-generation Security Processor 6 (SP6), marking a significant step towards enhancing cybersecurity performance while strengthening the resilience of global semiconductor supply chains. The partnership brings together Intel’s advanced semiconductor design, packaging and manufacturing capabilities with Fortinet’s specialised expertise in purpose-built security processors to address the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape.
The expanded collaboration builds on the long-standing relationship between the two technology companies and aims to accelerate the development of Fortinet’s proprietary ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) technology. The companies said the initiative would also diversify and reinforce Fortinet’s global supply chain, ensuring greater reliability in the delivery of critical cybersecurity infrastructure to customers worldwide.
Security processors are specialised chips designed to perform encryption, threat detection and network security functions at high speed without compromising overall system performance. As enterprises increasingly adopt artificial intelligence, cloud computing and hybrid digital infrastructure, the demand for faster and more efficient cybersecurity hardware has grown significantly.
According to Intel, the collaboration will combine Fortinet’s purpose-built security processor architecture with Intel’s broad portfolio of semiconductor intellectual property, advanced packaging technologies and expertise in designing high-performance chips for AI-enabled and enterprise applications. The companies aim to develop a highly integrated security processor capable of supporting increasingly sophisticated cyber defence services while meeting the demanding performance requirements of modern digital enterprises.
Intel Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan said organisations today require security infrastructure that delivers both innovation and performance at scale. He noted that Intel’s semiconductor capabilities would help accelerate the development of next-generation cybersecurity technologies while contributing to a more resilient and diversified global supply chain.
Fortinet Founder, Chairman and CEO Ken Xie said the company’s purpose-built ASICs have been central to its cybersecurity portfolio for more than two decades by delivering high-performance and energy-efficient security solutions. He said the expanded relationship with Intel would accelerate Fortinet’s ASIC strategy while enhancing its ability to support customers worldwide through stronger semiconductor manufacturing and supply chain capabilities.
Beyond the immediate development of Security Processor 6, Intel and Fortinet said they would explore broader opportunities for collaboration across semiconductor technology, manufacturing and cybersecurity infrastructure. The partnership is expected to advance Fortinet’s long-term ASIC roadmap, deliver richer security capabilities and improve assurance for organisations operating mission-critical digital infrastructure.
The announcement comes at a time when cybersecurity is becoming increasingly hardware-driven. AI-powered cyberattacks, growing ransomware threats and the rapid expansion of cloud-native applications are placing unprecedented demands on security infrastructure. Dedicated security processors enable network appliances to inspect encrypted traffic, detect malicious activity and enforce security policies with minimal latency, making them an increasingly critical component of enterprise cyber defence.
For India, where digital public infrastructure, cloud adoption and AI-driven services are expanding rapidly under the Digital India programme, advances in cybersecurity hardware will play a vital role in safeguarding critical sectors such as banking, telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing and government services. The Intel-Fortinet partnership reflects a broader industry trend towards integrating semiconductor innovation with cybersecurity to build faster, more resilient and future-ready digital infrastructure.
