Fortinet Enhances AI Agent Security with Acquisition of VirtuAI

Fortinet has expanded its autonomous AI agent defense capabilities by acquiring AI security startup VirtuAI. In a press release on the 17th, Fortinet introduced VirtuAI as a company specializing in AI runtime protection, automated AI validation, and autonomous AI system security, confirming the acquisition. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it was explained that the impact of the acquisition on the business is minimal. This acquisition is a continuation of Fortinet's 'Security for AI' strategy, adding VirtuAI's technology to its existing AI security portfolio to protect AI models, applications, and agent systems. VirtuAI's technology includes agent red team testing, agent protection, governance, visibility, continuous AI validation, and real-time guardrails. Fortinet stated that VirtuAI tests the vulnerabilities of autonomous agents in over 50 sandbox environments and 14 high-risk areas. Citing a Gartner report, Fortinet projected that the AI ecosystem and AI agent security market will grow from $2.8 billion in 2026 to $16.4 billion by 2030. MarketWatch reported that Fortinet's stock closed down 2.60% at $155.85 on the 17th, but rebounded with a 1.39% increase to $158.01 on the 18th.