Case Study: University of Oxford achieves 24/7 secure global observatory network for black-hole monitoring with Sophos UTM and RED

Sophos helps Oxford University securely access the universe

The University of Oxford Astrophysics Department needed a low-cost, secure way to link four school-based observatories (in India, Chile, Australia and South Africa) to its Oxford lab for continuous 24‑hour monitoring of a variable black hole. With limited local IT expertise at the schools and strict university security requirements, the department turned to Sophos and its Sophos UTM and Sophos Remote Ethernet Device (RED) appliances to meet the connectivity and security challenge.

Sophos installed a Sophos UTM in Oxford and four Sophos RED boxes at the remote sites to create an automatically established, centrally managed VPN; the RED devices simply plug into local internet connections and the UTM enforces security policies. The solution enabled true 24‑hour observations, secure, low‑bandwidth data transfer without reconfiguring school networks, remote troubleshooting and centralized updates, and brought students from developing countries into genuine research — all while meeting Oxford’s security standards and protecting the schools from malware.

University of Oxford

Katherine Blundell

Professor