Fortinet

Official Websites

• https://www.fortinet.com
• http://www.fortinet.com

Brand Guidelines

2019

Brand Summary

Mission

• Fortinet delivers the promise of security—empowering customers to realize digital innovation, improve business performance, and achieve the most advanced and efficient protection available [^1].

Core Values

• dedicated
• resourceful
• agile
• resolute
• prescient
• engaging
• authentic
• optimistic
• astute
• assuring [^2]

Target Audience

• Large and midsize enterprises, small businesses, partners, investors, and employees across industries such as finance, healthcare, retail, energy, manufacturing, and hospitality [^3].

Personality Traits

• straightforward
• educational
• knowledgeable
• positive
• engaging
• authentic
• optimistic
• astute
• assuring [^4]

Visual Identity Overview

• The visual identity is designed to invoke an emotional response, using optimistic, progress-oriented photography, saturated protection coloring, and bursting rays centered on key artifacts. The color palette is carefully selected to differentiate Fortinet, with strict guidelines for logo usage, typography, and graphic treatment style. Imagery is realistic, uses natural lighting, and avoids complexity or metaphoric visuals [^5]].

Categories

Brand Voice

• The voice and tone of the language we use when writing content plays an important role in conveying brand personality.
• Brand voice never changes. It is how we want to act when speaking and writing and is directly tied to our brand attributes: dedicated, resourceful, agile, resolute, and prescient. Tone changes depending on the persona to which we are writing and the circumstances.
• Cybersecurity is a serious undertaking, and the stakes are very high. Flippant and comical language and content runs counter to this reality. A casual or conversational voice implies that neither the audience nor subject is taken seriously enough.
• We are also optimistic and use positive language to inform and encourage rather than employing negative language to scare them into action. We do not define a problem without providing a solution. We educate and assure rather than create ambiguity and alarm.
• At Fortinet, we are confident in our advanced technologies and assure audiences that they perform as advertised, protecting digital assets while enabling business performance.
• We always have the best interest of customers, partners, and the cybersecurity industry at heart and build rather than tear down; collaborate rather than criticize and dispute.
• All of this means we write copy that is: 1. Straightforward. We strip away all hyperbole, never overpromise, and avoid emotional language and metaphors (as they don’t always translate). We want to aim for sentences of 20 words or less and to write them so that they can be easily unpacked for translation. Additionally, we should stay away from metaphors and idioms that do not translate (e.g., only relate to U.S. audiences). 2. Educational. Network security professionals seek content that provides them with information, helping them solve problems, overcome challenges, and answer questions. While some regional-specific details and examples are important and necessary depending on the content asset, avoid including U.S.-centric examples only whenever possible. 3. Knowledgeable. When we write something, we research the subject to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues and ensure we have corroborating data to back up any claims that we make. 4. Positive. Our glass is half full rather than half empty. Rather than dwelling on what can go wrong, we are focused on providing answers and solutions to challenges and problems.
• Cybersecurity is a serious undertaking and the repercussions of a data breach, operational outage, or compliance violation are grave. Our tone needs to reflect this reality and does not assume a glib or casual tone.
• We always consider context and audience and craft a tone that reflects both. This also factors in the audience’s state of mind. Are they unaware they have a problem? Are they already seeking a solution? Are they skeptical and difficult to persuade to change their mind and behaviors? Are you addressing a C-suite executive or technical engineer or specialist who manages the actual security technologies?
• Depending on the answer to these and other questions, language tone and the type of content used needs to be adjusted accordingly. 1. We are engaging. We create content that is educates or challenges our audience with new information or a different perspective. Content is substantive and simply not a regurgitation of data points and details found in other content-whether generated by Fortinet or third party. We also write in a way that tells a narrative with a sequential flow where the intersections in our argument provide smooth transitions from one point to the next.
• 2. We are authentic. Authenticity is more than simply another word for honesty but rather conveys integrity and full transparency to certain set of principles. The definition of brand authenticity by the Journal of Consumer Psychology is helpful here: “The extent to which [customers) perceive a brand to be faithful toward itself, true to its [customers), motivated by caring and responsibility, and able to support [customers) in being true to themselves.“2 Our content tone must always remain faithful to our brand proposition and brand attributes, representing our commitment to help customers protect themselves in the most effective and efficient manner possible. We also write to specific personas, humanizing our brand messaging to ensure it relates to the targeted audience.
• 3. We are optimistic. Rather than focusing on what can go wrong, and certainly with cybersecurity there are plenty of negative repercussions, we focus on what can go right when broad, integrated, and automated security technologies and practices are used. Fortinet believes in a cyber world where customers embrace digital transformation with confidence and are excited about the future.
• 4. We are astute. Fortinet understands cybersecurity as well, if not better, than any other organization. This means we accurately assess trends and problems and provide ideas and propose solutions that turn these into advantages for customers, partners, and us. We are the smart “guys” and “gals” on the block but convey this knowledge without smugness or condescention.
• 5. We are assuring. Cyber threats can be unsettling. Their increasing volume, velocity, and sophistication, coupled with well-publicized data breaches, operational outages, and compliance violations caused by them, can paralyze organizations and inhibit business performance. Our brand tone must assure customers that they can protect themselves against advanced threats while ensuring that business performance does not suffer.

Brand Imagery

• Optimistic, progress-oriented photography that pops through the saturation of the protection coloring, creating a sharp connection to the success of the subject.
• Color from the rays saturating through the image around the subject produces an alignment to the comprehensive protection that is tied to performance.
• Bursting rays are centered on a primary artifact within the photography to instill emotive energy.
• Use subjects that reflect the target audience and industry.
• Use scenes and environments that are realistic.
• Use images with natural lighting and colors.
• Avoid using images that are complex or metaphoric that are difficult to understand. Never use imagery that is political, pornographic, religious, or offensive in any manner.
• Avoid images that appear overly produced or staged.
• Avoid filters or special effects that distort the image.

Color Palette

• Brand colors have been carefully selected to represent Fortinet and to differentiate us from competitors.
• Feature these colors in your design. Avoid combining multiple brand colors in the same composition. To maximize impact, reserve Fortinet Red for emphasizing key elements in your design. Darker shades add variety and should be used alongside their corresponding brand color.
• RED PMS 485C HEX OA291C CO M95 Y1 00 KO TEAL PMS 310C HEX 6AD1E3 C48 MOYO KO BLUE PMS 285C HEX0071CE C91 M53 YO KO PURPLE PMS 265C HEX9164CC C53 M68 YO KO DARK RED PMS 7421C HEX 651032 C18 M100Y45 K67 DARK TEAL PMS 3035C HEX 003E51 C1 00 M30 Y19 K76 DARK BLUE PMS 288C HEX 002074 C100 M87 Y27 K19 DARK PURPLE PMS 273C HEX24135F C62 M80 YO K63
• Neutral Colors complement the brand palette and can be used alongside them or on their own when a topic is not featured.
• Secondary Colors should never be featured in your designs. Use them sparingly in charts, graphs, or diagrams to denote status or warnings.
• LIGHT GRAY PMS 7541C HEX D9E1E2 C7 M1 Y3 K2 GRAY PMS 7544C HEX 768692 C35 M14Y11 K34 DARK GRAY PMS 7546C HEX 253746 C73 M45 Y24 K66 BLACK HEX131E29 C99 M74 Y31 K84 ORANGE PMS 7547 HEX F.F.8200 C0 M49 Y100 KO YELLOW PMS 109C HEX FFD100 CO M18 Y100 KO
• Color schemes align with Fortinet’s four key markets areas.
• The dark scheme features a dark background color paired with the corresponding brand color inside the rays. Fortinet red can be used with any dark scheme to emphasize key elements of the design.
• The bright scheme features a bright background color paired with the corresponding dark shade inside the rays. This scheme does not offer enough contrast for Fortinet red and should be used with the white logo.
• The light scheme features a white background paired with a brand color inside the rays. Fortinet red can be used with any light scheme to emphasize key elements to the design.

Typography

• Helvetica Neue LT Pro is the primary typeface for Fortinet. It is available for digital and print communications.
• Due to license cost and restrictions, distribution of this typeface is reserved for users creating content and graphics on a regular basis on behalf of Fortinet. If you need a copy of this typeface, please send an email to brand@fortinet.com.
• There will be occasions where use of our primary typeface is unavailable. In those instances, please use Arial as a secondary typeface that is available on all OS versions-both Windows and Mac.
• Typographic style should help convey the intended message and reinforce our brand.
• Set Headlines in title case to maximize legibility.
• Use the designated brand color to emphasize part of a headline.
• Headlines should be left-aligned or centered to best represent the intended message.
• Avoid ALL CAPS for long lines of text.
• Avoid multiple call-outs, weights, or colors in the same headline.
• Do not right-align text.

Logo Usage

• The Fortinet logo consists of a graphic symbol combined with logotype that together create a single, unified image.
• The symbol replaces the letter “O” in “Fortinet,” becoming an important part of the logo. This symbol is a graphic representation of the top-down view of a castle turret representing a fortress or security. Each individual letter in the word “Fortinet” has been custom drawn for balance throughout the wordmark. Do not create your own version of the Fortinet logo.
• The “®” registered trademark protection is a part of the logo artwork and must never be removed. It may be enlarged in instances where legibility is a concern.
• The primary version of our logo is red and black and should be used wherever possible. However, when used over color or imagery, there is often not enough contrast for our logo to be readable. In those instances, one color versions of our logo have been created (black and white) for placement over color or imagery background.
• Always select and use the version of the artwork that provides the logo with the most contrast and readability.
• The “O” symbol may be used as a shorthand to represent Fortinet in certain applications.
• To maximize recognition, the symbol should be used when the Fortinet brand has already been established.
• The symbol may also be employed in instances where there is insufficient room to accurately display the Fortinet logo. Some examples are social media icons or mobile application icons.
• If you are ever unsure about the appropriate use of the logo or the symbol, please contact brand@fortinet.com for guidance.
• Please exercise care when using the Fortinet logo.
• Do not modify, change, or otherwise alter any of the logo elements (color, typeface, proportions, etc.)
• Do not change the size relationship between the symbol and the logotype.
• Do not compress or stretch the logo, or alter it’s aspect ratio in any way.
• Do not add shadows, gradients or other visual effects to the logo.
• Do not place the logo over backgrounds that do not provide sufficient contrast.
• Do not replace the symbol with other graphics.
• Do not use the symbol with other text.
• Do not recreate the logo in a vertical format.
• Do not create your own type lockup by adding text in close proximity with the logo.
• Do not place the logo over visually busy backgrounds.
• Do not use the symbol next to the full logo.
• Do not combine part of the logo with other words.
• Do not use old versions of the logo.
• Many co-branding instances will require the Fortinet logo to be placed side by side with a partner logo (locked up).
• The guidelines on this page outline the proper way to construct a lockup with the Fortinet logo.
• Each logo should be sized to be optically equal. The left position of the lockup indicates brand dominance in brand-neutral environments.
• Fortinet dominance is established when Fortinet most heavily influences the communications experience-namely, when Fortinet is the foremost driver of the activities depicted or involved. Fortinet dominant experiences rely heavily on the Fortinet visual system for look and feel.
• These examples demonstrate conceptually how Fortinet dominant co­branded communications should appear in common marketing vehicles.
• Note: When the Fortinet visual identity is in the lead position, the partner logo is placed in a visually subordinate position.
• Partner dominance is established when the partner brand heavily influences the communications experience. As a result, the partner brand is featured more and the design reflects the partner’s visual system. While the execution is driven by the visual system of the partner’s brand, the visual display of the Fortinet logo must be compliant with our logo guidelines.
• These examples demonstrate conceptually how partner-dominant co­branded communications should appear in common marketing vehicles.
• Note: When the partner visual identity is in the lead, the partner logo is placed in the primary position and the Fortinet logo is in a subordinate position.

Tone And Messaging

• The language we use to talk about ourselves, partners, and customers is important. Every industry has a language, and every company chooses to use that language or create a new one. Whoever owns the language, owns the conversations­and the customer.
• When it comes to brand, the language we employ plays a pivotal role. Research shows that approximately 45% of our brand image is tied to what we say and how we say it (other 55% is visual).1 This is more than just marketing content and advertising copy (8% of brand perception); it includes every verbal and written touchpoint-from sales calls, to emails, to text on packaging, to voice mails, to how we answer incoming calls.
• The language we use is respectful and truthful. It aims to educate and influence audiences to: • Change behaviors, expectations, and beliefs. Must provide a rationale for change that does more than simply challenge the status quo, but rather uses storytelling to positively define what change looks like. • Empower for success: information, support, training, and enablement. Whether providing information, support, training, or enablement, the focus is on empowering customers and partners to succeed-as professionals and organizations.
• Assure or reaffirm decisions and practices. We are confident in our technologies and strategic vision and seek to assure or reaffirm customers and partners that they are protected from threats to their digital assets.
• To achieve this, language and content must be: • Useful. Content that has a specific objective and audience in mind and is written to both. • Clear. Subject and audience are well understood and copy is efficient and cogent, employing concise sentences and simple words. • Appropriate. Language needs to be written and adapted per specific personas and situations. It also needs to reflect the particular topic and the type of content being produced. • Corroborated. Claims are factual and validated with data and research.
• The voice and tone of the language we use when writing content plays an important role in conveying brand personality.
• Brand voice never changes. It is how we want to act when speaking and writing and is directly tied to our brand attributes: dedicated, resourceful, agile, resolute, and prescient. Tone changes depending on the persona to which we are writing and the circumstances.
• Cybersecurity is a serious undertaking, and the stakes are very high. Flippant and comical language and content runs counter to this reality. A casual or conversational voice implies that neither the audience nor subject is taken seriously enough.
• We are also optimistic and use positive language to inform and encourage rather than employing negative language to scare them into action. We do not define a problem without providing a solution. We educate and assure rather than create ambiguity and alarm.
• At Fortinet, we are confident in our advanced technologies and assure audiences that they perform as advertised, protecting digital assets while enabling business performance.
• We always have the best interest of customers, partners, and the cybersecurity industry at heart and build rather than tear down; collaborate rather than criticize and dispute.
• All of this means we write copy that is: 1. Straightforward. We strip away all hyperbole, never overpromise, and avoid emotional language and metaphors (as they don’t always translate). We want to aim for sentences of 20 words or less and to write them so that they can be easily unpacked for translation. Additionally, we should stay away from metaphors and idioms that do not translate (e.g., only relate to U.S. audiences). 2. Educational. Network security professionals seek content that provides them with information, helping them solve problems, overcome challenges, and answer questions. While some regional-specific details and examples are important and necessary depending on the content asset, avoid including U.S.-centric examples only whenever possible. 3. Knowledgeable. When we write something, we research the subject to gain a comprehensive understanding of the issues and ensure we have corroborating data to back up any claims that we make. 4. Positive. Our glass is half full rather than half empty. Rather than dwelling on what can go wrong, we are focused on providing answers and solutions to challenges and problems.
• Cybersecurity is a serious undertaking and the repercussions of a data breach, operational outage, or compliance violation are grave. Our tone needs to reflect this reality and does not assume a glib or casual tone.
• We always consider context and audience and craft a tone that reflects both. This also factors in the audience’s state of mind. Are they unaware they have a problem? Are they already seeking a solution? Are they skeptical and difficult to persuade to change their mind and behaviors? Are you addressing a C-suite executive or technical engineer or specialist who manages the actual security technologies?
• Depending on the answer to these and other questions, language tone and the type of content used needs to be adjusted accordingly. 1. We are engaging. We create content that is educates or challenges our audience with new information or a different perspective. Content is substantive and simply not a regurgitation of data points and details found in other content-whether generated by Fortinet or third party. We also write in a way that tells a narrative with a sequential flow where the intersections in our argument provide smooth transitions from one point to the next.
• We are authentic. Authenticity is more than simply another word for honesty but rather conveys integrity and full transparency to certain set of principles. The definition of brand authenticity by the Journal of Consumer Psychology is helpful here: “The extent to which [customers) perceive a brand to be faithful toward itself, true to its [customers), motivated by caring and responsibility, and able to support [customers) in being true to themselves.“2 Our content tone must always remain faithful to our brand proposition and brand attributes, representing our commitment to help customers protect themselves in the most effective and efficient manner possible. We also write to specific personas, humanizing our brand messaging to ensure it relates to the targeted audience.
• We are optimistic. Rather than focusing on what can go wrong, and certainly with cybersecurity there are plenty of negative repercussions, we focus on what can go right when broad, integrated, and automated security technologies and practices are used. Fortinet believes in a cyber world where customers embrace digital transformation with confidence and are excited about the future.
• We are astute. Fortinet understands cybersecurity as well, if not better, than any other organization. This means we accurately assess trends and problems and provide ideas and propose solutions that turn these into advantages for customers, partners, and us. We are the smart “guys” and “gals” on the block but convey this knowledge without smugness or condescention.
• We are assuring. Cyber threats can be unsettling. Their increasing volume, velocity, and sophistication, coupled with well-publicized data breaches, operational outages, and compliance violations caused by them, can paralyze organizations and inhibit business performance. Our brand tone must assure customers that they can protect themselves against advanced threats while ensuring that business performance does not suffer.

Brand Values

• Fortinet delivers the promise of security-empowering customers to realize digital innovation, improve business performance, and achieve the most advanced and efficient protection available.
• ATTRIBUTES TONE We are dedicated Engaging We are resourceful Authentic We are agile Optimistic We are resolute Astute We are prescient Assuring
• POSITION STATEMENT The value of brand awareness and engagement is not based the quantity of interactions a customer, partner, employee, or others have with our brand but the quality and relatability of the interaction.
• Powering the secure [business]

Visual Style

• Optimistic, progress-oriented photography that pops through the saturation of the protection coloring, creating a sharp connection to the success of the subject.
• Color from the rays saturating through the image around the subject produces an alignment to the comprehensive protection that is tied to performance.
• Bursting rays are centered on a primary artifact within the photography to instill emotive energy.
• Brand colors have been carefully selected to represent Fortinet and to differentiate us from competitors.
• Feature these colors in your design. Avoid combining multiple brand colors in the same composition. To maximize impact, reserve Fortinet Red for emphasizing key elements in your design. Darker shades add variety and should be used alongside their corresponding brand color.
• Neutral Colors complement the brand palette and can be used alongside them or on their own when a topic is not featured.
• Secondary Colors should never be featured in your designs. Use them sparingly in charts, graphs, or diagrams to denote status or warnings.
• Color schemes align with Fortinet’s four key markets areas.
• The dark scheme features a dark background color paired with the corresponding brand color inside the rays. Fortinet red can be used with any dark scheme to emphasize key elements of the design.
• The bright scheme features a bright background color paired with the corresponding dark shade inside the rays. This scheme does not offer enough contrast for Fortinet red and should be used with the white logo.
• The light scheme features a white background paired with a brand color inside the rays. Fortinet red can be used with any light scheme to emphasize key elements to the design.
• Use subjects that reflect the target audience and industry.
• Use scenes and environments that are realistic.
• Use images with natural lighting and colors.
• Avoid using images that are complex or metaphoric that are difficult to understand. Never use imagery that is political, pornographic, religious, or offensive in any manner.
• Avoid images that appear overly produced or staged.
• Avoid filters or special effects that distort the image.

Iconography

• The “O” symbol may be used as a shorthand to represent Fortinet in certain applications.
• To maximize recognition, the symbol should be used when the Fortinet brand has already been established.
• The symbol may also be employed in instances where there is insufficient room to accurately display the Fortinet logo. Some examples are social media icons or mobile application icons.
• If you are ever unsure about the appropriate use of the logo or the symbol, please contact brand@fortinet.com for guidance.
• Do not modify, change, or otherwise alter any of the logo elements (color, typeface, proportions, etc.)
• Do not change the size relationship between the symbol and the logotype.
• Do not compress or stretch the logo, or alter it’s aspect ratio in any way.
• Do not add shadows, gradients or other visual effects to the logo.
• Do not place the logo over backgrounds that do not provide sufficient contrast.
• Do not replace the symbol with other graphics.
• Do not use the symbol with other text.
• Do not recreate the logo in a vertical format.
• Do not create your own type lockup by adding text in close proximity with the logo.
• Do not place the logo over visually busy backgrounds.
• Do not use the symbol next to the full logo.
• Do not combine part of the logo with other words.
• Do not use old versions of the logo.

Layout And Composition

• Optimistic, progress-oriented photography that pops through the saturation of the protection coloring, creating a sharp connection to the success of the subject.
• Color from the rays saturating through the image around the subject produces an alignment to the comprehensive protection that is tied to performance.
• Bursting rays are centered on a primary artifact within the photography to instill emotive energy.
• Brand colors have been carefully selected to represent Fortinet and differentiate us from competitors. Feature these colors in your design. Avoid combining multiple brand colors in the same composition. To maximize impact, reserve Fortinet Red for emphasizing key elements in your design. Darker shades add variety and should be used alongside their corresponding brand color.
• Neutral Colors complement the brand palette and can be used alongside them or on their own when a topic is not featured. Secondary Colors should never be featured in your designs. Use them sparingly in charts, graphs, or diagrams to denote status or warnings.
• Color schemes align with Fortinet’s four key markets areas.
• The dark scheme features a dark background color paired with the corresponding brand color inside the rays. Fortinet red can be used with any dark scheme to emphasize key elements of the design.
• The bright scheme features a bright background color paired with the corresponding dark shade inside the rays. This scheme does not offer enough contrast for Fortinet red and should be used with the white logo.
• The light scheme features a white background paired with a brand color inside the rays. Fortinet red can be used with any light scheme to emphasize key elements to the design.
• Typographic style should help convey the intended message and reinforce our brand.
• Set Headlines in title case to maximize legibility.
• Use the designated brand color to emphasize part of a headline.
• Headlines should be left-aligned or centered to best represent the intended message.
• Avoid ALL CAPS for long lines of text.
• Avoid multiple call-outs, weights, or colors in the same headline.
• Do not right-align text.
• Use subjects that reflect the target audience and industry.
• Use scenes and environments that are realistic.
• Use images with natural lighting and colors.
• Avoid using images that are complex or metaphoric that are difficult to understand. Never use imagery that is political, pornographic, religious, or offensive in any manner.
• Avoid images that appear overly produced or staged.
• Avoid filters or special effects that distort the image.

Graphic Treatment Style

• Use subjects that reflect the audience-end-user persona and industry-and employ scenes and environments that are realistic and use natural lighting and colors.
• Isolate the subject in the foreground. Apply selected Fortinet color to background of the image using setting below.
• Choose a single focal point and apply the rays treatment. The rays should have straight edges, a variety of angles that overlap, and transparent gradients using Fortinet colors.
• Opacity: 20% Opacity: 60%

Content Types

• Most of the content we create is structured and follows standardized templates. The least structured content such as articles and blog posts still follow a basic structure, though they offer content creators a greater degree of flexibility.
• Posts to the Fortinet blog vary in length (normally 600 to 1,500 words). They can include callouts, images/graphs/charts, and links to relevant Fortinet and Fortinet partner webpages. See “Leveraging Segmentation to Secure loT” as an example.
• Customer case studies follow a set structure and include a sidebar and pull quotes. Quantified business and security metrics are included whenever possible. Length of case studies will vary, though they should not exceed four pages (1,800 words). See “East Noble School District Decreases Security Costs While Reducing Costs” as an example.
• Data sheets employ a standard two-page template with predetermined structure. Data sheets are used to showcase product, services, partner capabilities. See “FortiGate 7000E Series” as an example.
• An eBook is between eight and 16 pages (1,000 to 2,000 words respectively) and adheres to a standard structure. While not as research intensive as a white paper, eBooks include research and provide readers with new information and guidance. Their visual design makes them easy to read. eBooks are most often used for the solution research stage of the buyer journey, though they can be used for both the problem education and solution selection stages. See “Bridging the NOC-SOC Divide: Understanding the Key Architectural Requirements for Integration” as an example.
• Demand-gen emails follow a standard template and point to a content asset such as a report, white paper, report, webinar, or video. See the email promotional copy template for details.
• Infographics uses a standard though flexible structure. Highlights data points and uses phrases and short sentences. See “Security Must Change in the Face of Digital Transformation: A Survey of 300 CISOs” as an example.
• Similar in structure to a white paper but uses more images/ charts/graphs and assumes greater creative license than white papers. Reports can be as short as four pages or as long as 16 pages. See “The CISO Ascends from Technologist to Strategic Business Enabler” as an example.
• Two-page template structure with options for charts/graphs/ images. Typically used for solution research stage of the buyer journey. See “FortiNAC Simplifies Comprehensive loT Security” as an example.
• These are long-form articles (typically 1,500 to 2,500 words) that include research and are written with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. They can include charts and graphs and callouts and links to third-party research, blog posts, and articles. See “Is There a CISO Security Skills Gap? New Research Unearths Fissures” as an example.
• White papers are research intensive and provide readers with new perspectives. While white papers are structured content, the template provides content creators with the flexibility to include images/charts/graphs as needed and to adjust the number and type of callout elements. They range in length from four (1,400 words) to eight pages (2,400 words). See “Why Compliance is a Critical Part of a Cybersecurity Strategy: Using Regulations and Standards to Develop a Proactive risk Posture” as an example.
• Playbooks are used by sales or partners and focused on solution areas with specific buyer personas in mind. The intent is to provide sales or partners with an in-depth overview of the targeted personas, problems the solution addresses, details of the technology, available content assets, and questions to use when talking to personas.

Grammar And Mechanics

• It is important that we adhere to a clearly defined set of grammatical and mechanical rules in our writing. This ensures that we speak with in a consistent style that is tied to our brand personality. This section lays out specific guidelines on spelling, numbers, punctuation, and much more. A. Basics Before we get into the details, however, it is important to note some basic guiding principles: 1. Remain on message. Know your value proposition and what you are trying to accomplish (elicit a change, empower for success, or assure them). Tell a sequential story with a visible structure and transition between each section. 2. Focus on audience and persona. Determine your audience, persona, journey stage, and message. Don’t try to boil the ocean by targeting multiple personas and audiences. 3. Be specific. Avoid vague, obscure language when possible. Get rid of the fluff. 4. Be consistent. Make sure you follow our brand style guide and use consistent voice, grammar, and mechanics. Inconsistency creates brand confusion. 5. Be positive. Negative language is a turnoff and is in contradistinction to Fortinet’s brand. 6. Use active voice. Avoid passive voice-use active voice. Words like “was” and “by” may be an indication you’ve slipped into passive voice. 7. Avoid slang and jargon. Write in plain English.
• Unless indicated otherwise, we follow the Associated Press Stylebook (AP Style). For anything not covered in our Brand Style for Writing section, please refer to it. When rules between the two sources differ, the ones in our Brand Style for Writing takes precedence.
• Spell out the first occurrence of an abbreviation or acronym and use the short version for all subsequent references.
• Complete legal name of Fortinet is “Fortinet, Inc.” use Fortinet, Inc. when writing legal documents or contracts but use Fortinet otherwise.
• Refer to Fortinet as “we” and not “it.”
• Fortinet products always start with “Forti” and end with an uppercase letter of the product (e.g., FortiNAC, FortiGate, etc.).
• Honor their company names and do not abbreviate. Refer to a company or products as “it” and not with “they.”
• Don’t use ampersands unless they are part of a company or brand name.
• Apostrophes are used for contractions (do not use them) and to make a word possessive. In the case of the latter, if the word ends in an “s” and is singular, simply add the apostrophe (not an additional “s”). If the word ends in an “s” and is plural, the apostrophe is simply added.
• Employ bullets when delineating a list that would be difficult to follow if kept within sentence structure. Do not use more than five or six bullets for a list. If it is longer than five or six bullets, then you need to break up the list into two or more taxonomies.
• Title case capitalizes the first word of every letter except articles, prepositions, and conjunctions. Sentence capitalization capitalizes the first letter of the first word. Words that should not be capitalized in a sentence include: • website • email • internet • position titles (e.g., “Sue is the director of IT at Ford Motor Company.”) • college majors (e.g., “Sue majored in computer science while in college.”) • seasons (e.g., “Sue began working at Ford in the fall of 2012.”)
• Use colons to delineate a list (not an em dash, ellipsis, or comma).
• Use serial commas when writing a list of words or putting together a list of clauses (Oxford comma).
• Employ a comma when breaking up complete clauses (viz., have a subject and predicate) that are joined together in one sentence.
• Our writing leans more on the side of formal than informal. Steer away from the use of contractions (e.g., “can’t,” “don’t,” “won’t,” “hasn’t,” etc.). The fact that content is translated for international audiences is another reason why we do not use contractions.
• Spell out the day of the week and month (e.g., Sunday, December 23) and only abbreviate when there are space constraints (e.g., Sun., Dec. 23).
• Spell out fractions.
• Use decimal points when a number cannot be expressed easily as a fraction but only to the tenths or hundredths level unless there is a valid business case.
• Ellipses […] are used to indicate that a thought is trailing off. These should be used sparingly and should not be used for emphasis or drama nor in titles or headings.
• Ellipses in brackets […] are used to show the omission of words in a quote.
• Cybersecurity is a serious business. We don’t use them.
• Use a hyphen without spaces on either side to line words into a single phrase and for compound modifiers. (Note: Compound modifiers are not separated by a hyphen when the first word ends with -ly [e.g., fully integrated solution].)
• Use an em dash (-) without spaces on either side to offset asides (and do not use hyphens or en dashes[-]).
• Use them sparingly and never more than one at a time. The point of the sentence or phrase must be particularly salient to warrant an exclamation mark.
• Like periods and question marks, exclamation marks go inside quotation mark. They go outside parentheses when the parenthetical is part of a larger sentence. They go inside parentheses when the parenthetical stands alone.
• File extension types should use all uppercase without a period. If plural, simply add an “s.”
• When referring to a specific file, the file name should be all lowercase unless specified otherwise (sometimes malicious files have specific uppercase and lowercase letters; see FortiGuard. com to look up specific malicious files):
• Use endnotes unless there is a valid reason to use footnotes. The footnote/endnote number goes on the outside of the punctuation mark and not on the inside.
• Footnotes and endnotes are only used in long-form, pillar content such as white papers, eBooks, solution briefs, etc. Hyperlinks are used in blog posts and online articles (e.g., TheCISOCollective .com).
• For titles of books, movies, and other long works, use italics. Don’t use underline formatting or any combination of bold, italic, caps, and underline.
• When writing about U.S. currency, use the dollar sign. For other currencies, the same format should be followed.
• Use the first and last name of a person in the first instance where they are referenced. Use their last name in all subsequent occurrences.
• Department names are capitalized but not team when it follows.
• Position titles are not capitalized unless they are used a titular manner:
• Numbers are spelled out when it begins a sentence. Use numerals in asset titles (research shows they generate more reader engagement). In sentences, numbers between one and nine are spelled out, while numbers 10 and above are used as numerals. Numbers with four digits or more get commas. When numbers below nine and above 10 are used in the same context, then numerals are used.
• Do not abbreviate larger numbers in numerical form (e.g., 2K, 150K).
• Periods go inside quotation mark. They go outside parentheses when the parenthetical is part of a larger sentence. They go inside parentheses when the parenthetical stands alone.
• Use% symbol instead of spelling out “percent.”
• If your subject’s gender is unknown or irrelevant, then use third­person plural pronouns (they, their, them) as singular pronouns. Use third-person singular pronouns as appropriate (he, his, she, her). Don’t use “one” as a pronoun.
• Question marks go inside quotation mark. They go outside parentheses when the parenthetical is part of a larger sentence. They go inside parentheses when the parenthetical stands alone.
• Use quotes to refer to words and letters, titles of short works such as articles and poems, and direct quotations. Punctuation (periods, exclamation marks, question marks, semicolons, colons, commas) go inside of quotation marks. Use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes.
• Use an en dash [-] to represent a range or span of numbers, dates, or time (not a hyphen). There should be no space between the en dash and the adjacent content.
• Refer to a school by its full name in its first occurrence. Afterwards, you can use its more common abbreviation.
• Semicolons normally are used in long, complicated sentences. But be careful about overusing semicolons. Sometimes, an em dash (-) is a better option. In other instances, it may be best to break the sentence into two sentences.
• Use one space between sentences and not two.
• Spell out all city and state names. Don’t abbreviate them. AP Style stipulates that cities must be accompanied by their state with the exception of the following: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington
• Use numerals and a.m. or p.m. with a space in between. Use an en dash for ranges without a space between it and the adjacent words on either side. Abbreviate time zones in the U.S. For international time zones, spell them out.
• Short words with less than four letters are lowercase in titles unless they are the first or last words. However, if any of those words are verbs (is, are, was be), they are to be capitalized.
• Capitalize the names of websites and web publications. Don’t italicize. Spell out URLs but leave off http://www and https://WWW.

Security Terms And Phrases

• &-Avoid except for formal company names, when space is limited, and in Q&A.
• 24x7, not 24/7
• active-passive
• ADC-Acronym for application delivery controller. Spell out on first reference.
• advanced persistent threat-Acronym is APT. Spell out on first reference. Also known as targeted threat.
• advanced threat protection-Acronym is ATP. Spell out on first reference.
• anti-malware-Hyphenate
• antibot, antiphishing, antispam, antispyware, antivirus-No hyphens.
• API-Acronym for application programming interface. Spell out on first reference.
• APT -Acronym for advanced persistent threat. Spell out on first reference.
• ATP-Acronym for advanced threat protection. Spell out on first reference.
• AWS-Acronym for Amazon Web Services. Spell out on first reference.
• Azure-Full name is Microsoft Azure. Use Microsoft Azure on first reference.
• back door (n.)-backdoor (adj.)
• back end (n.)-back-end (adj.)
• BYOD-Acronym for bring your own device. Spell out the first reference.
• CASB-Acronym for cloud access security broker. Spell out on first reference.
• cloud access security broker-Acronym is CASB. Spell out on first reference.
• coin mining (n.)-coin-mining (adj.)
• countermeasure
• cross section (n.)-cross-section (v.) cross-communicate, cross-connect, cross-correlate, cross­cultural, cross-functional, cross-reference, cross-training cryptocurrency, cryptojacking, cryptomining cyber awareness cyber crime (n.)-cyber-crime (adj.) cyber criminal (n.)-cyber-criminal (adj.) cyber fraud cyber hygiene cyber program cyber risk cyber threat (n.)-cyber-threat (adj.) cyber warfare (n.)-cyber-warfare (adj.) cyberattack
• data-Always treat as singular noun. “The data shows…”
• data center (n.)-data-center (adj.)
• data loss-Not “leakage” or “data leak prevention.”
• data loss prevention-Acronym is OLP. Spell out on first reference.
• DDoS-Acronym for distributed denial-of-service. Spell out on first reference.
• distributed denial-of-service-Acronym is DDoS. Spell out on first reference.
• e-discovery
• endpoint
• Fabric-Ready Partners
• false positive (n.)-false-positive (adj.)
• GbE-do not use. Use GE instead.
• GDPR-Acronym for General Data Protection Regulation. Spell out on first reference.
• GE-gigabit Ethernet. Do not use GbE.
• General Data Protection Regulation-Acronym is GDPR. Spell out on first reference.
• gray-not grey
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-Acronym is HIPAA. Spell out on first reference.
• high performance (n.)-high-performance (adj.)
• HIPAA-Acronym for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Spell out on first reference.
• HIPS-Acronym for host intrusion prevention system. Spell out on first reference.
• host intrusion prevention system-Acronym is HIPS. Spell out on first reference.
• indicators of compromise-Acronym is IOCs. Spell out on first reference.
• Infrastructure-as-a-Service-Acronym is laaS. Spell out on first reference.
• Internet-Do not capitalize unless part of Internet of Things, etc.
• Internet of Medical Things-Acronym is loMT. Spell out on first reference.
• Internet of Things-Acronym is loT. Spell out on first reference.
• intrusion prevention system-Acronym is IPS. Spell out on first reference.
• IOCs-Acronym for indicators of compromise. Spell out on first reference.
• loMT-Acronym for Internet of Medical Things. Spell out on first reference.
• loT-Acronym for Internet of Things. Spell out on first reference.
• IPS-Acronym for intrusion prevention system. Spell out on first reference.
• Maas-Acronym for Malware-as-a-Service. Spell out on first reference.
• Malware-as-a-Service-Acronym is Maas. Spell out on first reference.
• managed service provider-Acronym is MSP. Spell out on first reference.
• Microsoft Azure-Use on first reference, then can use Azure.
• MSP-Acronym for managed service provider. Spell out on first reference.
• multi-cloud
• multi-tenant, multi-tenancy
• Network Operations Center-Acronym is NOC. Spell out on first reference.
• next generation (n.)-next-generation (adj.)
• next-generation firewall-Acronym is NGFW. Spell out on first reference.
• Next-Generation Firewall-First letter caps only when used as Fortinet product name.
• NGFW-Acronym for next-generation firewall. Spell out on first reference.
• NOC-Acronym for Network Operations Center. Spell out on first reference.
• off-network
• on-premises-Not “on-premise”
• open source (n.)-open-source (adj.)
• PaaS-Acronym for Platform-as-a-Service. Spell out on first reference.
• phishing
• Platform-as-a-Service-Acronym is PaaS. Spell out on first reference.
• PoE-Acronym for Power over Ethernet. Spell out on first reference.
• Power over Ethernet-Acronym is PoE. Spell out on first reference.
• real time (n.)-real-time (adj.)
• Saas-Acronym for Software-as-a-Service. Spell out on first reference.
• SD-WAN-Acronym for software-defined wide-area network. Spell out on first reference.
• SECaaS-Acronym for Security-as-a-Service. Spell out on first reference.
• secure sockets layer-Acronym is SSL. Spell out on first reference.
• Security-as-a-Service-Acronym is SECaaS. Spell out on first reference.
• security information and event management-Acronym is SIEM. Spell out on first reference.
• Security Operations Center-Acronym is SOC. Spell out on first reference.
• service-level agreement-Acronym is SLA. Spell out on first reference.
• SIEM-Acronym for security information and event management. Spell out on first reference.
• SLA-Acronym for service-level agreement. Spell out on first reference.
• SOC-Acronym for Security Operations Center. Spell out on first reference.
• Software-as-a-Service-Acronym is Saas. Spell out on first reference.
• software-defined network-Acronym is SON. Spell out on first reference.
• software-defined wide-area network-Acronym is SD-WAN. Spell out on first reference.
• spam-Not SPAM or Spam.
• SSL-Acronym for secure sockets layer. Spell out on first reference.
• Threat-intelligence sharing (adj.)
• TLP-Acronym for transport layer protocol. Spell out on first reference.
• TLS-Acronym for transport layer security. Spell out on first reference.
• transport layer protocol-Acronym is TLP. Spell out on first reference.
• transport layer security-Acronym is TLS. Spell out on first reference.
• two-factor authentication-Not capitalized unless part of a proper name.
• Unified Threat Management-Acronym is UTM. Spell out on first reference.
• UTM-Acronym for unified threat management. Spell out on first reference.
• WAF-Acronym for web application firewall. Spell out on first reference.
• WAN-Acronym for wide-area network. Spell out on first reference.
• web application firewall-Acronym is WAF. Spell out on first reference.
• wide-area network-Acronym is WAN. Spell out on first reference.
• zero-day threats

Trademarks

• In order to protect the value of Fortinet’s logos and marks, it is very important that they be used appropriately and only by Fortinet and Partners with a current and valid partnership agreement.
• The following marks are owned exclusively by Fortinet and may be registered in the U.S. or other countries. Fortinet reserves the right in its sole discretion to add additional marks to or remove marks from this list at any time and the failure of a Fortinet trademark or logo to appear on this list shall not be construed as a waiver of any of Fortinet’s rights in such trademark or logo.
• Fortinet®
• FortiGate®
• FortiOS””
• FortiASIC””
• FortiBIOS""
• FortiLog"
• FortiolP"
• APSecure""
• FortiBridge"
• ABACAS""
• Forti Manager®
• FortiWiFi"
• FortiProtect*
• FortiGuard®
• FortiClient®
• FortiReporter"
• FortiPartner"
• Forti©are®
• FortiAnalyzer®
• FortiAp*
• FortiWeb"
• Forti©loud®
• FortiMail®
• FortiCore®
• FortiSandbox"
• FortiDDoS"
• FortiADC"
• FortiSwitch*
• Forti/Authenticator" Usage 1. Trademarks are adjectives
• Please follow every Fortinet trademark with an appropriate noun consisting of the Fortinet product or service that is branded with the mark. Fortinet trademarks are adjectives and may not be used as nouns, or alone as a shorthand way of identifying a product or service. The Fortinet trademark should be used as an adjective describing a product or service of Fortinet, Inc. The only exception to this Usage Requirement “1” is when the “Fortinet” name is used as our company name as opposed to an identifier of one of our products or services (see Usage Requirement “3” below).
• 2. No possessives, plurals, verbs, or puns
• Fortinet works hard to build customer goodwill, and it uses its marks to harness that goodwill. Please use the marks as they are designed and intended. Since a trademark is not a noun, it must never be used in possessive or plural forms, and should never be used as a verb or a pun.
• 3. Company name use
• The “Fortinet” name is not only a trademark used to identify our products and services, it also serves as our company name. When using the “Fortinet” name as a reference to the company, “Fortinet” may be used as a noun and no TM symbol is needed. For example, the sentence “Fortinet announced a new line of products” would be an appropriate use.
• 4. Proper trademark attribution: symbols and legends
• Trademark ownership is attributed in two ways, with the use of a trademark symbol (such as TM or ®) after the trademark, and with a trademark legend, usually found at the end of a document in legible text following the copyright notice. Whenever you use one of Fortinet’s trademarks, you must also include a proper trademark attribution statement somewhere on the same document or webpage, such as the following: “The Fortinet®, FortiWeb”, and FortiMail® trademarks are owned by Fortinet, Inc. and is used with permission." Remember, mere inclusion of a trademark symbol and legend does not entitle you to use a Fortinet trademark.
• 5. No alterations to the trademarks
• You may not alter or revise any of the Fortinet trademarks or logos and you may not combine any of the Fortinet trademarks or logos with any other words, terms, logos, designs, characters, or marks, without Fortinet’s express written permission.

Brand Resources

• Brand assets and templates are available in the content portal for anyone creating content on behalf of Fortinet.
• Go to Content Portal Fuse Intranet
• Select brand assets and templates are available on Fuse for all employees. Go to Fuse
• Use Workfront the request a brand approval. Re uest a Brand A roval Workfront
• Use Workfront to submit a work request to Fortinet’s Creative Services Team.
• Go to Workfront
• To contact the brand team directly, send an email to brand@fortinet.com

Additional Properties

Revenue History

Net Profit History

Employees History

Total Assets History