Case Study: Maastricht University improves cyber resilience after ransomware attack with SURF

Maastricht University - Customer Case Study

Maastricht University, a major research institution, faced a significant challenge when it fell victim to a devastating ransomware attack that encrypted hundreds of servers. The attack, initiated via a phishing email, exposed vulnerabilities in their network security and user awareness. To remediate the incident and bolster its defenses, the university worked with SURF.

Following the attack, SURF helped the university implement a multi-faceted security solution. This included launching targeted user awareness campaigns, significantly improving network segmentation with individual server firewalls, and establishing a 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) for better monitoring. The measurable impact was immediate, with user reports of phishing emails increasing fivefold, indicating a major boost in security awareness. The institution also took critical steps to enhance its resilience by detailing its network infrastructure and improving configuration management.

Maastricht University

Bart van den Heuvel

Chief Information Security Officer