FortiGate and Sophos firewall setup and IPSec VPN in Dubai
I set up and review Fortinet FortiGate and Sophos firewalls for UAE businesses: clean policies, secure remote access and site-to-site IPSec VPN between offices and the cloud. I hold the Sophos Firewall v19.5 Engineer certification and have configured Fortinet policies, FortiClient EMS and VPNs.
Who this is for
- Offices with a firewall nobody has looked at since it was installed
- Businesses with two or more offices that need a reliable site-to-site link
- Companies connecting an office network to Microsoft Azure
- Teams cleaning up after a security incident or an audit
Problems it solves
- Over-permissive "allow any" rules left over from setup day
- Firmware that is several versions behind
- Site-to-site VPN tunnels that drop and need manual restarts
- No logs to check when something goes wrong
What you get
- A policy review report with every risky rule explained
- Rule cleanup with a change plan and rollback
- Site-to-site IPSec VPN between offices and to Azure
- Remote-access VPN, with FortiClient EMS on Fortinet
- Logging switched on and documented
- Firewall documentation your next engineer can follow
How an engagement runs
- 1
Assess
Review what is running today: configs, links, sites and the problems you see.
- 2
Design
An HLD and LLD you sign off before anything changes.
- 3
Implement
Changes in planned windows, each with a rollback plan.
- 4
Hand over
Documentation, diagrams and a walkthrough for your team.
Relevant experience
- Configured Fortinet firewall rules and policies, FortiClient EMS, site-to-site and remote-access VPNs, ACLs and QoS
- Built IPSec tunnels between Azure, HQ and branch sites as part of SD-WAN deployments
- Sophos Firewall v19.5 Engineer (ET80) certified
Certifications
- ET80 – Sophos Firewall v19.5 Engineer · Earned Jun 2023
Frequently asked questions
Can you review our firewall without changing anything?
Yes. A review only needs read-only access or a config backup. You get a report of risky rules, outdated firmware and missing logging, and you decide what to change and when.
FortiGate or Sophos: which should we choose?
Both are solid for small and mid-sized offices, and I work hands-on with both. If you already run one, staying on it is usually cheaper. For a new install, the choice comes down to licensing, the features you need and who will manage it day to day.
Do you work on Palo Alto firewalls?
No. My hands-on firewall work is on Fortinet and Sophos, so I do not take on Palo Alto administration.
Can you connect our office to Azure over VPN?
Yes. I have built IPSec tunnels between Microsoft Azure, headquarters and branch sites as part of SD-WAN deployments, and the same approach works for a single office.
Do you work outside Dubai?
Yes. I work on-site anywhere in the UAE and remotely across the GCC, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. My largest SD-WAN rollouts spanned all of those countries plus Jordan.
Ways to work together
- One-off assessment. An audit, survey or review with a written report and a prioritised plan.
- Project. Design and implementation with a fixed scope, dates and handover.
- Remote support retainer. Ongoing help for changes, troubleshooting and questions.
- On-site in the UAE. Surveys, cutovers and installs at your sites across the Emirates.
- Remote across the GCC. Design, configuration and support for sites in KSA, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Page updated November 2026.
Tell me about your project
Book a free 30-minute call on WhatsApp, or send the details and I will reply with next steps.
WhatsApp +971 54 782 9816 · Based in Dubai, working across the UAE and GCC