// Q&A Case Study
Palo alto networks firewall infrastructure upgrade
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), home to some 25,000 students, navigates the complexities of a hybrid IT environment. Managing a substantial onpremises footprint, including 4,800 student desktops, 300 loan laptops, and 2,600 staff laptops – not to mention a myriad of research and lab equipment, IoT and BYOD devices – presents a significant security challenge. For LJMU, robust security is not just a priority, it’s paramount.
Balancing the diverse needs of its academic community with the ever-present threat of cyberattacks is a constant challenge. Like many universities, LJMU faces the increasing pressure to secure a sprawling network encompassing on-premises data centres, cloud-based services, and a substantial user base reliant on both managed desktops and personal devices. When their existing firewall infrastructure reached its end of life, LJMU seized the opportunity not just to upgrade, but to fundamentally enhance their security posture.
Through an interview with key personnel at LJMU, Network Manager John Cannon and Principal Data Centre Network Engineer Keith Clarke, this case study explores LJMU’s strategic decision to transition to a Palo Alto Networks firewall infrastructure, implemented in partnership with KHIPU Networks.
KHIPU: What were the key challenges or pain points you were experiencing with your previous firewall infrastructure that ultimately drove the decision to switch to Palo Alto Networks?
JC: Our previous infrastructure had reached its end of life. While it had served us well, we wanted to explore all options and arranged conducted a proof of concept with Palo Alto Networks. As a result of the POC, we found that the Palo Alto Networks solution offered advantages like application-aware firewalling and user-based policies with a seemingly easier administration process. The proof of concept was instrumental in our decision.
KC: The Palo Alto GlobalProtect VPN solution was a key factor in our decision. Our incumbent VPN required substantial licensing fees for comparable functionality, whereas GlobalProtect was included in the initial license agreement. This, along with the Palo Alto AI-Ops cloud-based configuration sanity check tool, were significant selling points. Post-implementation, we’re continually refining policies and are looking to leverage the AI-Ops tool for ongoing development.
In addition, our previous firewall infrastructure was split across two hardware platforms. Regardless of the vendor we chose, we decided to consolidate onto a single platform. This hardware refresh provided an opportunity to consider other options, which obviously included Palo Alto.
KHIPU: What specific outcomes were you hoping to achieve with the new PANW firewalls? Were there specific strategic goals for the university that you felt the upgrade would support?
KC: We wanted better traffic visibility, beyond source and destination, down to the application level. Panorama’s logging functionality has provided incredible insight. It’s like the lid has been lifted on our network traffic. We’re also migrating from traditional layer three and four rules to application-based policies, and we’re working towards fully utilising Palo Alto’s GlobalProtect. Our previous VPN solution lacked the granularity that Palo Alto offers. Decryption is another area we plan to explore for even greater visibility.
“KHIPU were responsive and helpful throughout. Their support was critical to the successful deployment.”
KHIPU: How did the implementation process go? Were there any unexpected challenges or successes you experienced during the transition?
JC: Consolidating from a two-tier to a single-tier architecture presented challenges, particularly with routing and merging policies. KHIPU’s engineers were excellent. They worked closely with us, taking a structured and iterative approach to achieve our goals. As you might expect, the ‘go-live’ day had stressful moments. We were behind schedule and encountered some problems. The expertise of KHIPU’s engineers was essential in working through any issues that arose. There was a point when I considered rolling back, but thanks to KHIPU’s engineering support, we overcame the challenges.
KC: KHIPU’s engineers and project management team were essential to the seamless transition. Replacing two firewalls with one in a live environment is like open-heart surgery on the network. We achieved minimal downtime and service interruption.
“Replacing two firewalls with one in a live environment is like openheart surgery on the network. We achieved minimal downtime and service interruption.”
KHIPU: Now that the NEW firewall infrastructure is in place, what are the most significant improvements you’ve seen?
JC: The new platform has encouraged a more structured and objective approach to security. We can now develop more bespoke policies, moving away from broad-brushstroke security. While this can be frustrating for some users, it significantly enhances our security posture.
KC: The increased visibility is key. We can now see traffic flows and implement much tighter policies. I’m encouraging closer collaboration between the data centre, network, and security teams, as the Palo Alto appliance offers powerful security capabilities that the entire university can leverage.
KHIPU: Finally, what is your assessment of the current cybersecurity landscape for the education sector, and what key challenges do colleges and universities face now and anticipate facing in the future?
JC: The education sector is a growing target for attackers. Our diverse IT services, spanning Linux, Oracle, Microsoft, and Adobe environments, make security complex. We must balance the diverse needs of our academics with the critical need to protect university assets. Security is as vital in universities as in commercial environments, but we face unique challenges with our user base.
“The new Palo alto networks platform has encouraged a more structured and objective approach to security. We can now develop more bespoke policies, moving away from broadbrushstroke security. While this can be frustrating for some users, it significantly enhances our security posture.”
John Cannon
Network Manager
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