CV – Kjetil Furås.
Senior Consultant
[email protected]
Summary
Throughout his 15 years in the IT industry, Kjetil has built solid expertise in solution architecture, technical project management, operations, and implementation of IT infrastructure across Cloud, On-Premise, and Hybrid solutions.
Recently, Kjetil has primarily assisted clients with solution architecture in Azure, migrating from on-premises to the cloud, and advancing clients’ cloud environments using modern technologies like Infrastructure as Code, Github Actions, and Azure DevOps Pipelines.
Through his work with private and public clients, Kjetil has managed critical business systems and driven the development of internal infrastructure based on modern Microsoft technologies.
He has developed a comprehensive understanding of the overall IT solution and the necessity to deliver a stable platform with high quality and uptime, meeting customer expectations.
Kjetil is an organized and reliable consultant who instills confidence in clients and is committed to understanding the core of the challenges. He thrives when helping clients become more efficient through the use of cutting-edge technology.
Kjetil runs a technical blog at kjetilfuras.com (this blog) where he shares practical knowledge and experiences from the IT industry, focusing on useful tips and solutions covering everything from IT security and cloud technology to daily technical challenges.
Project Experience
Microsoft 365 Assistance
Senior Consultant
07.2024 – Present
Green Mountain
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Green Mountain designs, builds, and operates highly secure, innovative, and sustainable data centers in Norway and the UK. These data centers are powered by low-cost, 100 percent renewable energy and are world leading in energy efficiency.
The company has data centers at the following locations: SVG-Rennesøy near Stavanger, TEL-Rjukan in Telemark, and OSL-Enebakk, approximately 20 km outside of Oslo. In addition, they have recently established LON East in London through the acquisition of an existing company.
They are also building Norway’s largest data center campus in Hamar and collaborating with the German energy company KMW to establish a new data center in the Frankfurt region, FRA-Mainz.
The client had a specific request to implement Microsoft Information Protection as part of their strategy to protect sensitive information and enhance their data security. Kjetil was engaged as the consultant for the project, with responsibility for planning, leading, and implementing the solution according to the client’s requirements.
ROLE DESCRIPTION:
Senior Consultant
In his role at Green Mountain, Kjetil has been responsible for several key IT infrastructure projects:
Assisted with application packaging in PatchMyPC for software distribution to Windows clients via Microsoft Intune.
Performed troubleshooting and software management on clients, including systematic removal of unwanted software via Intune.
Designed and implemented improvements in Privilege Identity
Management in Entra ID, including development of technical
documentation in Azure DevOps Wiki.
Developed detailed Layer 1 network documentation (Topology), including visual mapping of network infrastructure using Visio.
ROLE DESCRIPTION:
Senior Consultant
As the person responsible for the implementation and ongoing
management of the Microsoft Information Protection project, Kjetil ensures that the solution is correctly set up and tailored to meet the client’s needs.
After a colleague conducted an analysis of the client’s security challenges and developed a detailed project plan, Kjetil took over operational responsibility. This includes ensuring that sensitivity labels, data classification, and data loss prevention rules are implemented according to the plan.
Kjetil closely monitors the project’s progress, addresses any challenges that arise, and ensures the system functions optimally. He also provides continuous support to the client to ensure they can protect sensitive information effectively and sustainably.
SKILLS USED:
Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Purview, Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Catalyst Switch, Microsoft Intune, Microsoft PowerShell
Project Experience
Defender for Cloud
Senior Consultant
03.2024 – 07.2024
Stortinget
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Stortinget is Norway’s legislative, budgetary, and supervisory assembly with 169 representatives elected by the people every four years. Its main tasks are to create laws, allocate state funds, and oversee the government.
Representatives participate in specialized committees for case preparation, while debates and votes take place openly in the Storting chamber. The President of the Storting and Vice Presidents lead the negotiations.
Meetings and transcripts are available via online streaming. Storting representatives also engage internationally through participation in international delegations.
Kjetil took over the responsibility for the Defender for Cloud project, which had previously been initiated by a colleague, and subsequently worked on completing it.
ROLE DESCRIPTION:
Senior Consultant
When Kjetil joined the project, the design for Azure Landing Zone, Azure Arc and Defender for Cloud was already in place and partially implemented on Stortinget’s Azure platform. He continued the implementation work and onboarded the customer’s on-premises VMs to Azure Arc via onboarding
scripts. In addition, he has held several workshops with the customer about Defender for Cloud and Azure Policy. Kjetil has also provided recommendations to help Stortinget meet NISTv2, NSM, and MS Cloud Security Benchmark, and troubleshoot DNS issues related to Azure Arc’s Private Endpoint. Kjetil has contributed to troubleshooting problems related to Azure Virtual Desktop, especially with Session Hosts not coming online after a restart.
SKILLS USED:
Azure Arc, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Azure DNS, Azure DNS Private Resolver, Azure Private Endpoint, Azure Policy, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), NIS2.0
Project Experience
Platform Team
Cloud Platform Engineer
03.2023 – 12.2023
Innovasjon Norge
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Innovation Norway contributes to innovation in business, sustainable growth, and exports for competitive Norwegian companies, as well as development in rural areas.
In 2022, Innovation Norway received 4.4 billion Norwegian kroner and distributed a total of 8.2 billion Norwegian kroner. This includes loans, grants, advisory services, profiling, and networking through various services. They have offices in all of the country’s counties and in over 20 countries. Innovation Norway required technical assistance for their Azure platform, which is built with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Bicep.
ROLE DESCRIPTION:
Cloud Platform Engineer
Kjetil works as a Cloud Platform Engineer and is part of the Cloud Platform team that manages the entire Azure platform for Innovation Norway. This includes establishing new solutions and making changes to the infrastructure using Bicep and Github Actions.
Azure DevOps / Github and Agile Methodology:
Kjetil uses Azure DevOps to manage the Wiki, Commitments, and Epics. He participates in establishing and further developing the DevOps wiki, creates architecture drawings, and writes documentation, including ADRs (Architectural Decision Records) for changes in Azure architecture.
Azure Policy and Governance:
Kjetil is involved in implementing Azure Custom Policies in code, contributing to ensuring compliance and enforcement of guidelines on various resources. The implementation of Defender for Cloud and Governance for the entire Azure platform enhances security and improves management across the organization’s resources. Kjetil implemented Microsoft Sentinel with UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics) via Bicep.
Resource Management with Bicep:
Kjetil uses Bicep to manage resources such as Virtual Machines, Virtual Networks, Backup Vaults, Backup Policies, etc. The infrastructure Kjetil configures in code is version-controlled through Git and deployed with Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD).
Operational Procedures:
Kjetil is involved in executing operational procedures for the Azure platform and improving operational routines. Operational routines in Azure refer to the established procedures and workflows that must be followed to manage, monitor, and maintain effective operation of the Azure platform.
Network Administration:
Kjetil manages Virtual Networks (VNets) and Subnets, implements Site-to Site and Point-to-Site VPNs, and make necessary network changes, including port openings in NSGs (Network Security Groups) and updating ASGs (Application Security Groups).
Zones and micro-segmentation:
As a step towards implementing security and routing at the network level, Kjetil has created NSGs (Network Security Groups) and Route tables. NSGs are often used to implement micro-segmentation by defining security groups
and assigning them to resources, allowing traffic to be controlled at a more detailed level. Route tables provide the ability to regulate how traffic is routed between subnets, and this can be used to establish zones in the network.
SKILLS USED:
Azure DevOps Wiki, Bicep, Infrastructure as Code (IAC), GitHub, GitHub Actions, Azure Boards, Cloudflare, Azure vNet Gateway, Azure VPN Gateway Packet Capture, Domeneshop, Microsoft PowerShell, Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI), Application Security Group, Network Security Group, Azure Policy, Log Analytics, Microsoft Azure Firewall, App Service Certificates, CI/CD.