In today’s interconnected world, our daily activities, both at work and at home, are inseparably linked to the online environment. Information flows continually between entities, ranging from companies and organizations to educational institutions and government agencies, all the way down to individual users. However, as the virtual landscape continues to evolve, it brings with it not only opportunities for societal advancement but also risks to its seamless functioning. The presence of vulnerabilities in information systems can be exploited by organized groups, underscoring the critical importance of cybersecurity across all involved parties. It’s not just our physical gadgets like mobile devices and computer systems that are at risk; even logical environments like operating systems, applications, email, and cloud services are vulnerable targets.
For the Republic of Moldova, cybersecurity stands as a top national priority. Given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the escalating challenges of the digital age, strengthening the capabilities of this sector is paramount. In line with advancing the government’s cybersecurity agenda and with the support of a trusted partner in the United States, a delegation from Moldova, composed of Cătălina Plinschi, Secretary of State for Digitalization within the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization of the Republic of Moldova; Mihai Lupașcu, Director at the National Cybersecurity Agency; and Dinu Țurcanu, Vice-Rector for Digitalization at UTM and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Cybercor, participated in a study and documentation visit to Fortinet, as part of the “Accelerate 2024” conference held in the USA from April 1-5. The group aimed to discover insights into the latest developments in cybersecurity, networking, and artificial intelligence.
According to the program, the forum included sessions featuring professional presentations on security, hands-on labs, and engaging case studies. Moreover, the Tech Expo area showcased the most innovative security products and tools, catering to the over 4,000 participants: cybersecurity experts, system administrators, system architects, IT directors, technical leaders, government officials, and decision-makers.
During the visit, the Moldovan delegation engaged in a series of discussions and B2B meetings on security, defense, and cyber-related matters with Fortinet’s top management, who possess extensive experience in security products, educational content, and establishing cybersecurity partnership agreements. These exchanges focused on Moldova’s cybersecurity challenges and crisis management needs, paving the way for actionable solutions to benefit our country. The company representatives included:
– Joe SARNO, Executive Vice-President, International Sales, EMEA & APJ;
– Hugh P. CARROLL, Vice President of Corporate & Government Affairs;
– Derek MANKY, Chief Security Strategist & VP Global Threat Intelligence;
– Eli PARNASS, Vice President Israel, Greece & Eastern Europe;
– Adrian DANCIU, Senior Regional Director;
– Lucian NANAU, Major Account Manager;
– Robert GUȚULEAC, Country Manager NetSafe, Fortinet distributor in the Republic of Moldova.
The delegation highlighted Moldova’s recent initiatives in cybersecurity, including the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Agency and the “Cybercor” National Institute for Cybersecurity Innovation. The main goal of these institutions is to contribute to safeguarding the country’s digital infrastructure and promoting excellence in cybersecurity education and training under the management of the Technical University of Moldova. The Secretary of State for Digitalization emphasized the importance of preparing public officials and students to tackle sector-specific challenges. Fortinet’s representatives came up with ideas and solutions for various cybersecurity scenarios, which will not only fortify the National Cybersecurity Agency but also enhance the curriculum at UTM and Cybercor. This collaboration aims to equip students, faculty, and industry professionals with the skills needed to address the growing demand for cybersecurity expertise.
Additionally, both parties agreed to sign a Partnership Agreement in the immediate future. This arrangement will serve as the foundation for ongoing discussions held within Accelerate 2024 and will provide assistance in the field of cybersecurity in the Republic of Moldova. This includes improving study programs in Information Security at the Technical University of Moldova / Cybercor.
Reflecting on Fortinet’s tools and platforms, which offer accelerated hardware performance and multiple integrated security layers for network and application protection against threats, Mr. Țurcanu, UTM Vice-Rector, expressed his strong conviction regarding the necessity of such partnerships for the effective functioning of Cybercor. “In this regard, I extend sincere appreciation for the openness of the company representatives, and I am convinced that Fortinet’s range of solutions, spanning innovative protection and content analysis technologies, inter-network screens, VPNs, anti-malware tools, unauthorized access prevention measures, application control, web filtering, anti-spam features, wireless controllers and WAN accelerators, management systems, analytics, email protection mechanisms, database safeguards, and end-user protection products, will become an integral part of Cybersecurity in the Republic of Moldova!”
Furthermore, the members of the delegation seized the opportunity to meet with Ken XIE, the American billionaire behind Systems Integration Solutions (SIS), NetScreen, and Fortinet, currently holding the positions of Founder, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer within the company. His inspiring journey emphasized the transformative force of innovation and perseverance: Xie, the son of two Chinese academics, was initially destined for academia, with his parents envisioning his future as a professor. However, his path diverged when he pursued Engineering at Stanford University. It was there that Xie’s interest in entrepreneurship flourished, leading him to establish his first business in 1993—the SIS software firewall company. Subsequently, he founded NetScreen, a cybersecurity firm that was later acquired by Juniper Networks for $4 billion in 2004. Xie also built the first ASIC-based firewall/VPN device back in 1996.
It is noteworthy to mention that Fortinet, a global leader in integrated cybersecurity solutions, has also been named a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for LAN infrastructure – wired and wireless. Fortinet’s innovative approach, which uses Security Fabric, unified by FortiOS, has allowed extremely tight integration between its wired and wireless products, positioning it as a frontrunner in the industry.
The main aspects from the Gartner report are as follows:
Integrated security: Fortinet stands out with its differentiated LAN offering with a strong focus on security, providing an architecture in which wired, wireless, and security elements are all integrated into a single unified operating system (FortiOS) and a cloud management platform.
AI Operations Module: The FortiAIOps AI engine provides network assurance, including event correlation and issue remediation, across all domains – security, wired, and wireless – using data flows from the FortiGate portfolio.
Microbranch solution: Fortinet offers an efficient solution for micro-branches, allowing FortiAP to act as an endpoint for Unified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). This solution, combined with digital experience monitoring, provides converged access for a hybrid workforce.
