Case Study: London Gatwick Airport achieves real-time network security and reduced unplanned downtime with Qualys Cloud Platform

London Gatwick Airport Keeps Critical Systems Running Smoothly and Securely as Passenger Numbers Soar

London Gatwick Airport, the UK’s second-largest airport serving around 200 destinations and over 41 million passengers a year, needed to keep highly diverse, time‑sensitive IT systems available as passenger numbers grew. Faced with more than 3,500 IP‑connected assets and ineffective scheduled scans, Gatwick needed accurate, real‑time visibility to prevent unplanned downtime and avoid delays to operations.

Gatwick implemented the Qualys Cloud Platform (including Cloud Agent, AssetView, Vulnerability Management, Web App Scanning, ThreatPROTECT and Continuous Monitoring) to gain continuous, 360° visibility. Deploying agents to 1,800 devices (with full rollout planned) improved asset discovery accuracy to over 95%, revealed that a small fraction of desktops accounted for ~50% of critical vulnerabilities, and helped raise patch compliance to more than 90%. The program reduced attack surface and risky software, streamlined patching with partners, and lowered the risk of IT‑caused operational disruption.

Gatwick Airport

Eddie Dynes

Information Security and Compliance Manager