Case Study: Large State Police Department reduces remote attack surface with Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse

State Police Department Reduces Remote Attack Surface With Cortex Xpanse

A large state police department discovered that pandemic-driven remote work had left its attack surface dangerously exposed: more than 75 Microsoft RDP servers—mostly tied to cruiser laptops—were publicly accessible, creating high-risk entry points that could be exploited by attackers.

Partnering with Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse, the agency received rapid, actionable discovery data (IP addresses, ports, certificate signatures) that enabled focused remediation; within a day they located and removed all 75 exposed RDP servers, significantly shrinking their attack surface and lowering overall risk.