Add as a preferred source on Google


Temple U Deploys Crossbeam Security for Campus Communications

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 10/24/08
Temple University in Philadelphia has deployed Crossbeam Systems' X-Series security platform to secure campus-wide communications. The X-Series, Crossbeam's highest-performing security switch, consists of a "chassis" from which other vendors' applications can be run. The Crossbeam hardware facilitates the consolidation, virtualization, and simplification of security services delivery.

"We need a security infrastructure that can scale as needed and facilitate the increasing use of popular multimedia-based services for teaching, research, and everyday communications," said Adam Ferrero, executive director of network services. "Crossbeam provides the only platform on the market that allows us to deploy the security applications of our choice, at the 10 gigabit speeds we require, to protect users without sacrificing performance."

Temple selected Crossbeam after a recent evaluation determined that the university's current infrastructure wouldn't support its security requirements over the next five to 10 years. According to Ferrero, the installed network switches and security applications operated fine under normal traffic loads, but when stressed during spikes or peak hours of use, performance suffered and jeopardized the user experience. Temple wanted to solve the problem before the fall 2008 semester began.

"The main criterion was our ability to deploy the industry's best firewall and intrusion prevention systems on a single architecture that could grow with our needs, without having to overhaul our network for each incremental change," he said.

Ferrero's requirements included support for both Check Point Software Technologies' VPN-1 VSX virtualized firewall and IBM's Proventia Server intrusion prevention system and the capacity to support data throughput speeds of 10 Gbps.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Analyst or Scientist uses a computer and dashboard for analysis of information on complex data sets on computer.

    Anthropic Study Tracks AI Adoption Across Countries, Industries

    Adoption of AI tools is growing quickly but remains uneven across countries and industries, with higher-income economies using them far more per person and companies favoring automated deployments over collaborative ones, according to a recent study released by Anthropic.

  • Hand holding a stylus over a tablet with futuristic risk management icons

    Why Universities Are Ransomware's Easy Target: Lessons from the 23% Surge

    Academic environments face heightened risk because their collaboration-driven environments are inherently open, making them more susceptible to attack, while the high-value research data they hold makes them an especially attractive target. The question is not if this data will be targeted, but whether universities can defend it swiftly enough against increasingly AI-powered threats.

  • magnifying glass revealing the letters AI

    New Tool Tracks Unauthorized AI Usage Across Organizations

    DevOps platform provider JFrog is taking aim at a growing challenge for enterprises: users deploying AI tools without IT approval.

  • Graduation cap resting on electronic circuit board

    Preparing Workplace-Ready Graduates in the Age of AI

    Artificial intelligence is transforming workplaces and emerging as an essential tool for employees across industries. The dilemma: Universities must ensure graduates are prepared to use AI in their daily lives without diluting the interpersonal, problem-solving, and decision-making skills that businesses rely on.