C ardiff University has modernised its cybersecurity infrastructure by deploying an integrated security platform from Palo Alto Networks to help protect more than 15,000 students, academics, researchers and professional services staff.
According to the university, the project was undertaken in response to an increasing volume of cyberthreats, with the institution experiencing an attempted cyberattack approximately every 10 seconds. The university said phishing, social engineering and the management of bring your own device( BYOD) environments were among its main security challenges.
To strengthen its security posture, Cardiff University replaced four separate endpoint security products with a single platform based on Palo Alto Networks’ Cortex and Network Security technologies. The deployment is supported by managed detection and response( MDR) services from Unit 42.
The university said the new platform resolved more than 99.99 % of approximately 468,000 security cases over a two-month period while reducing the operational workload on its security team.
Universities are strengthening their cybersecurity strategies to combat increasingly sophisticated threats while supporting Digital Transformation, research and modern learning environments. Lee Evans, Assistant Director of IT Infrastructure, Cardiff University, tells us how the university consolidated multiple security tools into a unified Palo Alto Networks platform, enabling faster threat detection and response, reducing operational workloads and giving IT teams more time to focus on strategic cyber-resilience initiatives.
According to Cardiff University, the implementation enabled three members of the security team to move from day-to-day alert management to strategic cybersecurity projects. The university also deployed Cortex XDR to 10,000 endpoints within 20 days and plans to extend protection to a further 5,000 devices.
Executive reporting from the platform is also being used to provide the university’ s board with greater visibility of cybersecurity risks and security operations.
“ The number of cyberthreats facing universities is on the rise and attackers are often using AI to cause breaches. These institutions are targeted because they have access to large pools of sensitive data, ranging from credit card details to valuable research,” said Helmut Reisinger, Chief Executive Officer, EMEA, Palo Alto Networks.“ Cardiff University came to us with a common
Lee Evans, Assistant Director of IT Infrastructure, Cardiff University
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