v2.4.1.9
Stockholders' Equity , Restricted Stock Units Activity (Details) (USD $)
Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value [Roll Forward]    
Tax withholding upon vesting of restricted stock awards $ 6,600,000us-gaap_PaymentsRelatedToTaxWithholdingForShareBasedCompensation $ 3,633,000us-gaap_PaymentsRelatedToTaxWithholdingForShareBasedCompensation
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]    
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]    
Balance, beginning 6,291us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Granted 2,492us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Forfeited (198)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsForfeitedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Vested (670)us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Balance, ending 7,915us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
RSUs expected to vest—March 31, 2015 7,450ftnt_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsExpectedToVest
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value [Roll Forward]    
Balance, weighted-average grant-date fair value per share (in dollars per share)—beginning $ 22.93us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Granted, weighted-average grant-date fair value per share (in dollars per share) $ 32.96us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Forfeited, weighted-average grant-date fair value per share (in dollars per share) $ 26.36us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsForfeituresWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Vested, weighted-average grant-date fair value per share (in dollars per share) $ 22.01us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Balance, weighted-average grant-date fair value per share (in dollars per share)—ending $ 26.18us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
RSUs expected to vest, weighted-average grant-date fair value per share (in dollars per share)—December 31, 2012 $ 26.02ftnt_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsExpectedToVestWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Compensation cost not yet recognized 197,800,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
 
Compensation cost not yet recognized period of recognition 3 years 1 month 13 days  
Shares withheld for taxes 221us-gaap_SharesPaidForTaxWithholdingForShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
171us-gaap_SharesPaidForTaxWithholdingForShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
Tax withholding upon vesting of restricted stock awards $ 6,600,000us-gaap_PaymentsRelatedToTaxWithholdingForShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
$ 3,633,000us-gaap_PaymentsRelatedToTaxWithholdingForShareBasedCompensation
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember