The Fortinet Ultimate Fabric Challenge 2025 is a global cybersecurity competition that tests participants' skills in implementing, configuring, and troubleshooting Fortinet's Security Fabric solution across various security scenarios and environments. This year’s winner is from ITpoint Systems AG – owned by Sharp IT Services.
In the competitive world of cybersecurity, staying ahead of bad actors requires not just technical knowledge, but also the ability to perform under pressure. One man who understands this more than any other is Sabin Tsonev, who is not only Technical Lead Expert Network & Security Team at ITpoint Systems AG, but also happens to be the Gold Medal Winner of the Fortinet Ultimate Fabric Global Challenge at Accelerate25 in Berlin.
Recently, we had the privilege of speaking with Sabin about winning the prestigious Fortinet Ultimate Fabric Challenge 2025 and learning how his dedication, experience, and having the right mindset, ultimately lead to his exceptional achievement.
A Networking and Security Expert at ITpoint
Sabin is originally from Bulgaria but moved with his wife and young family to Switzerland a decade ago when he signed a contract with ITpoint. He currently serves as technical lead for the company’s network & security team. "I have been working in the networking and security field for over 20 years," Sabin explains.
"I began my career as a network and systems engineer in a small internet provider in my hometown in Bulgaria. During that time, I expanded my skills in managing everything from Linux servers to firewalls, becoming an all-rounder network systems engineer."
For the past 10 years at ITpoint, he has worked extensively with Fortinet products to deliver managed services to customers. This experience has given him the opportunity to be involved in significant and challenging projects that have contributed to his professional growth.
A major milestone in Sabin's career came last year when he earned Fortinet's highest certification: Certified Expert in Cyber Security. "This is a great honour because it places me among a select group of only about 370 certified experts worldwide," he shares.
Experience with the Fortinet Ultimate Fabric Challenge
The Fortinet Ultimate Fabric Challenge is an e-sports style competition where cybersecurity professionals tackle security challenges under time pressure using Fortinet products. Participants need to be Fortinet-certified to qualify for regional events, where the qualification rounds take place.
As Sabin describes it: "Players are dropped into a virtual world with different rooms where they have to find clues and discover objectives. These objectives then need to be configured in a self-contained virtual environment outside the game. You switch between the game and virtual environment to configure the customer network – an entire network environment with multiple appliances across different sites."
The three-hour competition includes 50 small tasks, all of which are real-world scenarios that any true cybersecurity expert would face on a regular basis, with points awarded for each completed task and bonus points for being the first to solve specific challenges.
Sabin’s win was not an overnight success. He first entered the competition at a regional level two years ago with the EMEA Regional Experts Summit in Madrid. Although he did not qualify for the global finals that year, he returned in 2024 and won the silver medal, earning him a spot in the global finals. This year, he competed against over 40 of the top cybersecurity experts in the world – and emerged victorious.
Understanding Fortinet products is crucial
When asked about the range of cybersecurity skills tested during the challenge, Sabin explains: “Time management and the ability to stay focused under pressure are essential. Experience with various Fortinet products is also crucial because you must be quick and don't have time to look everything up online.”
The competition had multiple key events for Sabin. "There were several moments when I thought I wouldn't make it. I faced some technical issues with the environment, and a few tasks took longer than expected." At one point he was ranked below 20th place before climbing to second. Then, due to more technical problems, he dropped to seventh before finishing everything and reaching first place with just 30 minutes remaining.
"The last 30 minutes were very stressful because my colleague from Switzerland had more bonus points than I had, and he could have taken first place if he managed to solve everything,” he explains. “Until the last moment, we didn't know who would be first, second, or third because the difference was sometimes just 30 points."
Winning the Fortinet Ultimate Fabric Challenge
Sabin believes it was a combination of experience, strategy, and maintaining composure under pressure that ultimately set him apart from other finalists. "You need Fabric Challenge experience to compete,” he says. "With all the certifications and experience I've gained, I've learned you have to stay cool when solving problems. Panicking doesn't help. I guess this made the difference between the best and almost the best."
Winning the global competition has brought Sabin well-deserved recognition. "It's a great feeling and is amazing. I was congratulated by everyone at the summit," he states. "It's very rewarding, especially when you come from a smaller company. Moments like this make all the effort worthwhile."
Beyond the recognition, he received material prizes of a gold medal and a $10,000 cheque and his company rewarded him with a one-week vacation. The win has also opened new professional doors. "This is a big opportunity for networking, recognition, and contacts – and for my company,” he states. “I guess this will be a great opportunity to win new customers and grow."
Sabin encourages other cybersecurity professionals to participate in the challenge despite any initial hesitation. "Give it a try. Don't be afraid," he advises. "It's fun, it's gaming, and it's combined with business skills. All the competitors are engineers like us, not professional e-sports players. Give it a try.”
He has found that his achievement demonstrates that excellence can come from anywhere, regardless of company size. Summing up the experience, Sabin concludes: "I guess the main message is that even in a small company, we can have skilled teams at a world-class level."
