When Fortinet released v7.4, they officially listed the 60E as a supported platform. This was a victory for owners, as many feared the older CPUs wouldn't handle the new feature set. However, if you’ve recently upgraded to v7.4.5, you might have noticed a distinct change in the "personality" of your device.

The 60E was released in an era where Unified Threat Management (UTM) was lighter. Today, with the heavy inspection of SSL/TLS encryption traffic, the 60E is being asked to do heavy lifting it wasn't physically built for.

The SSL VPN Dilemma: The most significant shift in recent firmware is how FortiOS handles SSL VPNs. In v7.4, Fortinet has aggressively pushed users toward the "VPN-Only" mode or urged migration to FortiClient. If you are still running a full web-mode SSL VPN on a 60E running v7.4.5, you are likely seeing performance bottlenecks. The browser-based VPN interface has become resource-intensive, and on the 60E’s older CPUs, every active user taxes the system.

The 60E is a frequent target for automated exploits. Recent firmware updates (v7.4.5 → v7.4.6) fixed:

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For network administrators and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) relying on the workhorse of the entry-level segment, the FortiGate 60E, firmware management has entered a critical phase. As the hardware matures, Fortinet has shifted its development focus, leaving many organizations asking: What is the latest firmware, and should I upgrade?

As of early 2024, the FortiGate 60E (FG-60E) has reached a significant milestone regarding its software lifecycle. Here is everything you need to know about the current firmware status, upgrade paths, and security implications.