Case Study: University of Amsterdam secures email and prevents tampering with SURFmailfilter

University of Amsterdam - Customer Case Study

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) faced the challenge of securing and bundling its massive outgoing email flow for approximately 114,000 users against threats like spoofing and malware. The institution, which also provides IT services to the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, needed a way to securely connect its various on-premise systems, which could not natively send mail through its primary Microsoft 365 cloud environment, without the immense administrative burden and security risks of managing individual senders.

The solution was implemented by SURF using their SURFmailfilter service. This allowed the UvA to route mail from critical systems, like its legacy scheduling platform, through a secure, centralized filter. This ensured reliable delivery and, crucially, enabled the application of DKIM seals to prove authenticity and prevent tampering for both institutions. As a result, important emails such as invoices were no longer incorrectly blocked, preventing financial consequences, and the IT team experienced significantly reduced pressure, allowing them to focus on other infrastructure priorities.

University of Amsterdam

Ed van Gasteren

IT Service Manager