Case Studies > Bitdefender blocks malware at 500-year-old university

Bitdefender blocks malware at 500-year-old university

Company Size

200-1,000

Region

Europe

Country

Italy

Product

Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security
ESET Nod Antivirus
Trend Micro

Tech Stack

Microsoft Active Directory
Microsoft Windows
Apple (Macs)
Linux

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Cost Savings
Customer Satisfaction
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Cloud Security
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Endpoint Security

Applicable Industries

Education

Applicable Functions

Business Operation

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
Cybersecurity Services

About The Customer

Founded in 1506, Italy’s Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo (University of Urbino) is today renowned for its humanities, sciences, and social degree programs. Serving 15,000 students – 5,000 of whom are enrolled in science courses – the University of Urbino has produced several patents in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields. The University occupies historical and architecturally significant buildings spread across the Renaissance city of Urbino and surrounding areas.

The Challenge

Even though the University of Urbino’s origins extend back hundreds of years, the academic institution has an advanced IT infrastructure with modern-day requirements similar to a large enterprise. When it came to computer security, university faculty and administration were increasingly frustrated by the performance of two former antivirus solutions, ESET Nod Antivirus and Trend Micro. Users complained about system slowdowns and, more seriously, attempts to eliminate viruses were not always successful. The IT department determined that a solution with a lighter footprint would serve their needs better. Cloud deployment would keep users secure while freeing staff from server maintenance.

The Solution

The University IT team evaluated security solutions from Kaspersky Labs, McAfee, Sophos and Bitdefender. Only Bitdefender offered services delivered exclusively through the cloud. IT also was impressed with the simplicity of management and technical support provided by the Bitdefender team. Bitdefender GravityZone now defends more than 2,000 desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones. The endpoint computing environment is primarily Windows, but also includes Linux and Macintosh. All users in the main faculty domain are protected, as are administrative and other staff who request the solution. The client software automatically installs for Active Directory users. All systems are managed through GravityZone’s Cloud Console.

Operational Impact

The GravityZone solution immediately started resolving the persistent malware infections. There was a sharp drop in demand for interventions due to security breaches, with security-related trouble calls to the IT department dropping by 35 percent within four weeks after installing Bitdefender.
When the Wannacry ransomware attacked Europe, the University was not affected. The staff also was able to fine-tune GravityZone settings to target and eliminate a few lingering Cryptolocker infections.
The combination of GravityZone’s thin client footprint and efficient cloud delivery has eliminated system slowdowns for users. The client software scans and updates without interrupting user activity. The IT team uses Cloud Console reports to ensure that all users are secure.
Based on the success of the initial deployment, the University now provides the GravityZone solution to all students. Last month, the University IT department offered a GravityZone seminar to all students. Today, students simply follow a link on the student Intranet to download and install the software at no cost. Based on the enthusiastic response, the University plans to create awareness of GravityZone even more broadly to better protect its entire community.

Quantitative Benefit