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> Chapter 11 - Hardening > Hardening your FortiGate > Maintain the firmware

Maintain the firmware

On installation of a new firewall, it is necessary to update the firmware to the latest version provided by the manufacturer.

Fortinet periodically updates the FortiGate firmware to include new features and resolve important issues. After you have registered your FortiGate unit, you can download firmware updates from the support web site, https://support.fortinet.com.

Before you install any new firmware, be sure to follow the steps below:

  • Review the Release Notes for a new firmware release.
  • Review the Supported Upgrade Paths document to make sure the upgrade from your current image to the desired new image is supported.
  • Backup the current configuration, including local certificates.
  • Test the new firmware until you are satisfied that it applies to your configuration.

Installing new firmware without reviewing release notes or testing the firmware may result in changes to settings or unexpected issues.

Only FortiGate admin users and administrators whose access profiles contain system read and write privileges can change the FortiGate firmware.