Cybersecurity
Network Security and Next-Generation Firewalls in Saudi Arabia
Waves Telecom designs, installs and manages next-generation firewalls for Saudi businesses: secure remote access with MFA, segmented networks, intrusion prevention, web filtering and SD-WAN for branches. For companies that need a network that is hard to break into and easy to prove to auditors.
- Firewall design and installation
- VPN with MFA and segmentation
- Health checks and managed firewall
10 yearsin cybersecurity
150+companies passed cybersecurity audits
Gold PartnerSophos & Fortinet
Why the firewall is still your first line of defence
Many attacks on Saudi companies do not start with clever malware. They start with an exposed remote desktop port, an old VPN account with a weak password, or a flat network where one infected laptop can reach every server. A firewall that was installed years ago and never reviewed often allows exactly this.
Over time, rules pile up. Temporary access for a vendor becomes permanent. Licences expire and intrusion prevention quietly stops updating. Branches connect over plain internet links with no inspection at all. None of this is visible until something goes wrong.
A properly designed next-generation firewall does more than block ports. It knows which applications and users are on the network, inspects traffic for known attacks, filters dangerous websites and keeps a clear log of what happened. It also gives you the evidence auditors ask for.
- Open remote access without multi-factor authentication
- Flat networks where guests, cameras and servers share one segment
- Hundreds of old rules nobody can explain
- Expired security licences and outdated firmware
- Branches and sites with no central visibility
What we do: from design to day-to-day management
We start with your business, not a box. How many users and sites do you have? Who works remotely? Which systems hold customer or financial data? What do your customers or regulators require? From there we size the firewall, design the zones and write the policy.
Our engineers then supply, install and configure the firewall, migrate rules from your old device where it makes sense, and test every service before cutover. Work that touches production is planned out of hours to avoid downtime.
After go-live you can run the firewall yourself with our handover documents, call us when you need changes, or let us manage it under a contract that covers updates, rule changes, licence renewals and regular reviews.
- Next-generation firewall supply, design and installation
- Site-to-site and remote access VPN with MFA
- Switching and VLAN design for clean segmentation
- Firewall migration from older or end-of-life devices
What’s included
Firewall design and installation
Right-sized next-generation firewalls in high-availability pairs where needed, with zones, policies and logging set up properly from day one.
Secure VPN and remote access
Remote access for staff and vendors with MFA, limited to the systems each person needs. Site-to-site tunnels for branches and data centres.
Network segmentation
Separate VLANs and firewall zones for users, servers, guests, IoT devices, CCTV and OT systems, so one problem cannot spread everywhere.
Intrusion prevention and web filtering
IPS to block known exploits, application control, and web filtering by category to stop malicious and unwanted sites.
SD-WAN for branches
Combine multiple internet links per branch, steer business traffic over the best path and manage every site from one console.
Health check, renewals and managed firewall
Firewall rule review and configuration health check, licence renewal tracking, and an optional managed service for ongoing changes and updates.
How it works
Free assessment
We review your current firewall, network layout, remote access and licences, and talk to you about risks and requirements.
Design and quote
You receive a proposed design with zones, VPN approach and sizing, plus a clear itemised quote.
Build and migrate
We configure the new firewall, migrate and clean up rules, and plan cutover outside working hours.
Test and hand over
We test every critical service, then hand over diagrams, rule documentation and admin access.
Review and manage
We run periodic rule reviews and health checks, or manage the firewall fully under contract.
How network security supports Saudi compliance
Firewalls and segmentation are not a regulation on their own, but they provide many of the controls and the evidence that Saudi frameworks expect:
- NCA Essential Cybersecurity Controls (ECC): network protection, identity and access control and vulnerability management are core areas for government bodies, critical sectors and their suppliers. See our NCA controls guide.
- Saudi PDPL: segmenting systems that hold personal data and restricting who can reach them helps protect that data and limit the damage of a breach. Read more on PDPL compliance.
- Aramco SACS-210: MFA on remote access, logs kept for at least one year and monthly vulnerability scans. Firewall VPN, logging and reporting cover a large part of this. See our SACS-210 page.
We have helped many companies prepare for these reviews; 150+ companies passed supplier cybersecurity audits with our help.
Products we use
We are a Gold Partner of both Sophos and Fortinet, so we can recommend the platform that fits your network rather than pushing one brand. Sophos Firewall suits companies that also use Sophos endpoint protection and MDR; Fortinet FortiGate is strong in multi-site and SD-WAN designs. For brand details see our Sophos partner page and Fortinet FortiGate partner page. For switching and VLANs we use Cisco.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a normal firewall and a next-generation firewall?
A traditional firewall allows or blocks traffic by address and port. A next-generation firewall also identifies applications and users, inspects traffic for known attacks with intrusion prevention, and filters web access by category. That gives you much finer control and better visibility.
Can you review our existing firewall instead of replacing it?
Yes. Our firewall health check covers rules, firmware, licences, VPN settings, logging and admin access. You get a short report with findings ranked by risk and the fixes we recommend. Many networks only need a clean-up, not new hardware.
Do we need MFA on our VPN?
We strongly recommend it. Stolen VPN passwords are a common way into company networks. Aramco SACS-210 also requires MFA on remote access for suppliers in scope. We can add MFA to most existing VPN setups.
What should be segmented on our network?
At a minimum, keep guests, CCTV and other IoT devices, and any OT or production systems away from your user and server networks. Servers holding sensitive data should also sit in their own zone with tight rules. We design this around how your business actually works.
Is SD-WAN worth it for a small number of branches?
It can be, even for two or three sites. SD-WAN lets each branch use more than one internet link, keeps business applications running if one link fails, and gives you one place to manage security for all sites.
What happens when our firewall licence expires?
The firewall usually keeps passing traffic, but security services such as intrusion prevention, web filtering and updates stop working. We track renewal dates for our customers and send quotes ahead of time so protection does not lapse.
Get a free network security assessment
Tell us about your sites, users and current firewall. We will review your setup and send recommendations and a quote.
- 📞 +966 58 236 5619
- 💬 +966 58 236 5619
- ✉️ info@wavestelecom.net
- 📍 3266 Adh Dhahran – Al Aqrabiyah Dist, Al Khobar 34446
