Fortinet ZTNA solution is a zero-trust network access approach that provides secure and granular access to applications hosted anywhere, for users working from anywhere. The three core products that are mandatory in the Fortinet ZTNA solution are:

FortiClient EMS: This is the central management console that orchestrates the ZTNA policies and provides visibility and control over the endpoints and devices. It also integrates with FortiAuthenticator for identity verification and FortiAnalyzer for reporting and analytics.

FortiClient: This is the endpoint agent that supports ZTNA, VPN, endpoint protection, and vulnerability scanning. It establishes encrypted tunnels with the ZTNA proxy on the FortiGate and provides device posture and single sign-on (SSO) capabilities.

FortiGate: This is the next-generation firewall that acts as the ZTNA proxy and enforces the ZTNA policies based on user identity, device posture, and application context. It also provides security inspection and threat prevention for the ZTNA traffic.

FortiNAC uses SNMP or CLI to communicate with network devices such as routers and switches. To add a Layer 3 router to its inventory, FortiNAC needs to have SNMP or CLI access to the router to perform remote tasks such as polling, VLAN assignment, and port shutdown. Without SNMP or CLI access, FortiNAC cannot manage the router or its ports.Therefore, SNMP or CLI access is a prerequisite for adding a Layer 3 router to FortiNAC's inventory.Reference:= https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortinac/9.4.0/administration-guide/105927/inventory

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortinac/9.4.0/administration-guide/344098/l3-polling

User/host profiles are used to map sets of hosts and users to different types of policies or rules on FortiNAC. Among the options given, network access and endpoint compliance are the two types of configuration that can be associated with a user/host profile. Network access configuration determines the VLAN, CLI configuration or VPN group that is assigned to a host or user based on their profile. Endpoint compliance configuration defines the policies that check the host or user for compliance status, such as antivirus, firewall, patch level, etc. Service connectors and inventory are not types of configuration, but features of FortiNAC that allow integration with other services and devices, and collection of host and user data, respectively.Reference:=User/host profiles | FortiNAC 9.4.0 - Fortinet DocumentationandUser/host profiles | FortiNAC 9.4.0 - Fortinet Documentation

In a ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) deployment, FortiClient EMS:

A) Uses endpoint information to grant or deny access to the network: FortiClient EMS plays a critical role in ZTNA by using information about the endpoint, such as its security posture and compliance status, to determine whether to grant or deny network access.

The other options do not accurately represent the role of FortiClient EMS in ZTNA:

B) Provides network and user identity authentication services: While it contributes to the overall ZTNA strategy, FortiClient EMS itself does not directly provide authentication services.

C) Generates and installs client certificates on managed endpoints: Certificate management is typically handled by other components in the ZTNA framework.

D) Acts as ZTNA access proxy for managed endpoints: FortiClient EMS does not function as an access proxy; its role is more aligned with endpoint management and policy enforcement.

FortiClient EMS in Zero Trust Network Access Deployment.

Role of FortiClient EMS in ZTNA.

Certificate-based authentication is a method of verifying the identity of a device or user by using a digital certificate issued by a trusted authority. For ZTNA deployment, certificate-based authentication is used to ensure that only authorized devices and users can access the protected applications or resources.

B) The default action for empty certificates is block. This is true because ZTNA requires both device and user verification before granting access. If a device does not have a valid certificate issued by the ZTNA CA, it will be blocked by the ZTNA gateway. This prevents unauthorized or compromised devices from accessing the network.

D) Client certificate configuration is a mandatory component for ZTNA. This is true because ZTNA relies on client certificates to identify and authenticate devices. Client certificates are generated by the ZTNA CA and contain the device ID, ZTNA tags, and other information. Client certificates are distributed to devices by the ZTNA management server (such as EMS) and are used to establish a secure connection with the ZTNA gateway.

A) FortiGate signs the client certificate submitted by FortiClient. This is false because FortiGate does not sign the client certificates. The client certificates are signed by the ZTNA CA, which is a separate entity from FortiGate. FortiGate only verifies the client certificates and performs certificate actions based on the ZTNA tags.

C) Certificate actions can be configured only on the FortiGate CLI. This is false because certificate actions can be configured on both the FortiGate GUI and CLI. Certificate actions are the actions that FortiGate takes based on the ZTNA tags in the client certificates. For example, FortiGate can allow, block, or redirect traffic based on the ZTNA tags.

1: Technical Tip: ZTNA for Corporate hosts with SAML authentication and FortiAuthenticator as IDP

2: Zero Trust Network Access - Fortinet