Case Study: Cranfield University achieves resilient DNS security and threat protection with Akamai Technologies' Enterprise Threat Protector

Cranfield University Adds a Simple Yet Effective DNS Security Layer to Its Network with Akamai Enterprise Threat Protector

Cranfield University, a UK postgraduate research university serving roughly 4,700 students and 1,600 staff across two campuses, faced rising, targeted cyber threats—about 2,600 security events per week—against an intentionally open, globally accessible network. Its previous DNS‑based RPZ solution blocked some malicious domains but was unstable (crashing DNS), easy for users to bypass by changing resolvers, and provided little contextual information for investigations, leaving the team exposed to phishing risks and potential GDPR consequences.

Cranfield deployed Akamai Enterprise Threat Protector, gaining a resilient, cloud‑based DNS security layer with rich threat intelligence, an easy‑to‑use dashboard, and an open API that integrates events into the university’s reporting systems. The result: more reliable DNS, improved blocking, consolidated visibility for faster investigations, and the ability to extend protection to managed laptops off‑network—allowing Cranfield to keep its open network model without compromising sensitive data.

Cranfield University

Luke Whitworth

Network Specialist