Case Study: Keio University achieves stronger VPN security and reduced operational burden with F5 Networks' BIG‑IP APM and LTM

Keio University Uses F5 Solution to Achieve Higher Security with Less Operational Burden

Keio University’s Information Technology Center was struggling with heavy operational inefficiencies, inadequate VPN security, and overloaded servers and processes across its campus networks. The university’s existing VPN appliance (L2TP/IPSec using SHA‑1) allowed overly broad access and complicated certificate and appliance management, so Keio turned to F5 Networks and its BIG‑IP platform (BIG‑IP LTM and BIG‑IP APM) to address these challenges.

F5 Networks replaced and consolidated Keio’s BIG‑IP instances, deploying BIG‑IP LTM for load balancing and SSL offload and BIG‑IP APM to supplant the third‑party VPN appliance and enable SSL VPN with SHA‑2, central certificate management, and Secure NAT routing. The deployment improved VPN security, streamlined appliance operations by eliminating the extra VPN box and allowing equipment to sit in a UPS‑protected room, reduced server and process burdens, and lowered maintenance costs; Keio is also evaluating F5’s WAF/ASM for further cyber‑attack protection.

Keio University

Mizuki Otsuka

Keio University