Case Study: University Of Sunderland achieves zero breaches and 24/7 managed detection and response with CrowdStrike

UK University Turns to CrowdStrike for Managed Detection and Response After Legacy Endpoint Solution Fails to Stop Ransomware Attack

The University of Sunderland suffered a ransomware attack in October 2021 after an attacker used compromised credentials to access a specialist learning environment and move laterally; the university’s existing native OS endpoint solution failed to stop the breach. With just 50 IT staff supporting 28,000 students across three campuses, the institution needed faster incident response, stronger protection and around‑the‑clock security expertise.

The university selected CrowdStrike Falcon Complete, a 24/7 managed detection and response service, and later added identity and cloud protections plus Falcon Intelligence Recon for dark‑web monitoring. Since adoption, CrowdStrike has secured 5,000 endpoints, delivered zero breaches, stopped 99% of threats automatically, and saved the university the equivalent of 10–12 IT hires while simplifying operations through a unified platform.

University Of Sunderland

David Conway

Deputy Technical Director