United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Firewall Audit & Configuration Review
A firewall audit reviews your firewall rule base, configuration and management access to find rules that are too broad, unused or risky. It is for organisations whose firewalls have been changed many times over the years by different people.
- Risky and unused rules found
- Firmware and services checked
- Rule base cleaned up safely
A firewall audit is a detailed review of firewall rule bases, configuration, firmware and management access to find rules that are overly permissive, unused, duplicated or undocumented. Shyphan AI ITSM audits Fortinet, Cisco, Sophos, Palo Alto Networks and other firewalls and helps clean up rules safely for organisations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Firewall Audit & Configuration ReviewFirewall Audit & Configuration Review: what it involves
Firewall rule bases tend to grow and rarely shrink. Temporary rules for a project become permanent, any-to-any rules are added to fix an urgent problem, objects refer to servers that no longer exist and nobody remembers who asked for what. Meanwhile firmware falls behind and admin interfaces may be reachable from the internet. Auditors and customers often ask for evidence of periodic firewall reviews.
We export the configuration from your Fortinet, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Sophos or other firewall and review it rule by rule, supported by analysis tools. We flag shadowed, redundant and overly permissive rules, unused objects, weak VPN settings, disabled security profiles, outdated firmware and exposed management. Rules are checked against hit counts and your network design. You receive a report with a safe clean-up sequence, and we can carry out the changes in an agreed window.
What we review
- 1Rules with any source, any destination or any service
- 2Rules with no hits over a long period
- 3Firmware version and vendor support status
- 4Management access from the internet or untrusted networks
- 5Change records and rule owners
Our Firewall Audit & Configuration Review scope
Firewall rules, firmware and admin access reviewed, with a clear clean-up plan.
Every rule checked for scope, purpose and usage.
Shadowed, duplicate and unused rules identified for removal.
Any-to-any rules and wide port ranges flagged with safer options.
Management interfaces, accounts and MFA checked.
Encryption, authentication and remote access policies reviewed.
Changes made in a planned window with rollback ready.
What you receive, and what shapes the cost
What you receive
- Rule-by-rule analysis with risk ratings and a recommended action
- List of unused, shadowed and duplicate rules that are safe to remove
- Firmware, licence and security subscription status report
- Management access review covering admin accounts, interfaces and logging
- Clean-up plan with rollback steps for each change window
What affects the cost
- Number of firewalls and size of each rule base
- Number of vendors and management platforms involved
- Whether VPN and NAT configuration are included
- Whether we carry out the clean-up changes as well
Firewall Audit & Configuration Review: project phases
- 01Collect configuration
Configuration exports, hit counts and logs are gathered from each firewall.
- 02Analyse rules
Rules are checked for breadth, use, overlap and a documented business purpose.
- 03Review with owners
Findings are confirmed with application and network owners before any change.
- 04Clean up safely
Rules are disabled first, monitored and then removed in planned windows.
Common Firewall Audit & Configuration Review mistakes
Removing a rule outright can break a rarely used process, so disable and monitor first.
Rules without owners or reasons cannot be reviewed, so record the purpose and owner of each.
Broad allow rules undo the firewall's value, so narrow them to the sources, destinations and services required.
Without enough hit history, unused rules cannot be identified, so keep logs long enough to cover normal business cycles.
Firewall Audit & Configuration Review terms explained
- Rule base
- The ordered list of rules a firewall uses to allow or block traffic.
- Shadowed rule
- A rule that never matches because an earlier rule already handles the same traffic.
- Hit count
- The number of times traffic has matched a specific firewall rule.
- NAT
- Network address translation: changing IP addresses as traffic passes through a firewall.
The difference you will notice
- 01A leaner rule base
Fewer rules, each with a clear purpose.
- 02Reduced exposure
Overly broad access and exposed admin closed.
- 03Audit-ready records
Evidence of a documented firewall review.
Five steps from assessment to always-on support
- STEP 01Assess
We review your infrastructure, security posture, assets and support model, and agree priorities.
- STEP 02Design
A clear architecture and plan, with scope, timeline and a fixed quote before work starts.
- STEP 03Deploy
We supply, install, configure and migrate, then document everything we build.
- STEP 04Manage
Ongoing support, monitoring and maintenance under agreed SLAs.
- STEP 05Improve
Regular reviews, reports and recommendations as your business grows.
Firewall Audit & Configuration Review in the UAE and Saudi Arabia
Local offices in Ras Al Khaimah and Riyadh, remote support around the clock and on-site visits where your project needs them.
Firewall Audit & Configuration Review in the UAE
Shyphan AI Technology LLC, RAK Free Trade Zone, Ras Al KhaimahUAE organisations that have grown through acquisitions or added free zone and multi-emirate sites often run firewalls configured by different integrators over the years, which is where audits find the most risk. Audit findings also support the security measures expected under the UAE PDPL and requests from banks, government customers and DIFC or ADGM counterparties. We support the Emirates from our Ras Al Khaimah office, remotely around the clock and on site where needed.
- Data handled in line with the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021), and the separate DIFC and ADGM regimes where they apply.
Firewall Audit & Configuration Review in Saudi Arabia
Shyphan AI Technologies LLC, Malaz, King Abdulaziz Road, RiyadhFirewall rule review supports the network security management requirements of the NCA Essential Cybersecurity Controls for Saudi organisations in scope. We audit firewalls at sites in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province, including industrial sites where firewalls separate operational technology from corporate networks. Our Riyadh office leads this work in the Kingdom.
- Work aligned with the Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (SDAIA) and, for government and critical infrastructure, the NCA Essential Cybersecurity Controls.
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Which firewalls can you audit?
We audit common platforms including Fortinet FortiGate, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Sophos, Check Point and cloud firewalls in Azure and AWS.
Do you need live access to the firewall?
A configuration export is usually enough to start. Read-only access helps us check hit counts and current status.
Will removing rules break anything?
We use hit counts and a staged approach, disabling rules before deleting them, with a rollback plan for each change window.
How often should firewalls be reviewed?
Many organisations review firewall rules at least once a year, and after major network changes or a firewall migration.
Can you audit firewalls at several sites in the UAE or Saudi Arabia in one project?
Yes. We collect configurations from every site, analyse them together for consistency and deliver one report with site-specific actions.
What do you need from us to start a firewall audit?
Usually a configuration export, read-only or log access for hit counts, and a contact who knows the main business applications.
Do you provide Firewall Audit & Configuration Review in Dubai and Riyadh?
Yes. We deliver Firewall Audit & Configuration Review across the UAE from our Ras Al Khaimah office and across Saudi Arabia from our Riyadh office, with remote support 24/7 and on-site visits in cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam where your project needs them.
Talk to us about Firewall Audit & Configuration Review
Book a consultation or request a quote. A consultant replies with scope, timeline and a fixed price.
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