Client story Leeds Beckett University deploys Cohesity backup solution
Client
Leeds Beckett University is a public university located in England. It was founded in 1824.
Industry: Higher Education
Challenge
This notable University needed a modern data protection cloud solution to combat cyberthreats.
Outcomes
After Cohesity was implemented, the University’s data is now securely backed up in the cloud without breaking the bank.
Solutions: Device lifecycle, Modern infrastructure, Data protection
An increased threat from ransomware led Leeds Beckett University to replace its legacy backup solution with an alternative that utilised the cloud.
Insight deployed a modern, immutable backup solution that was simple to manage and scalable, enabling the University to quickly recover following a cyber incident.
The primary challenge faced by the University was the escalating threat of ransomware.
Recognising that its tape backup solution was complex to manage and inadequate for swift recovery from a ransomware incident, they needed a modern, simple-to-use, immutable backup solution.
Backup requirements at universities are complex due to the volume and variety of data that needs protecting. Thousands of new students also enroll each year, while historical student data needs to be retained for several years for regulatory and compliance reasons.
The university also needed a cost-effective way to back up its growing volumes of Microsoft 365™ data.
Having relied on a tape-based solution for many years, we knew a modern immutable backup solution was required to future proof our operations and protect against evolving threats. The Cohesity and Azure solution, recommended by Insight, is secure, efficient and has been simple to deploy.”
Anthony Sams
Head of IT, Leeds Beckett University
Leeds Beckett University deployed a modern Cohesity backup and data management solution that provides immutable air-gapped backups to protect its data from ransomware.
The secure solution, recommended by Insight, provides data encryption and role-based access control to ensure unauthorised users or applications cannot modify or delete backups.
It includes both on-premises and cloud elements, with data now replicated between two on-premises Cohesity clusters, and to Azure. This enables fast local recovery, as well as providing a secure offsite backup.
The modern architecture of the Cohesity solution enables the university to recover large amounts of data in minutes instead of hours — as would be required following a major ransomware incident. The solution also enables testing and restore from a sandbox environment, preventing reinfection during recovery.
The modern data reduction capabilities of the solution enable the university to efficiently utilise Azure® cloud resources. Its cloud backups are cost effective, more secure, and simpler to manage than legacy tape-based backups.
Cohesity’s modern, node-based architecture means the new solution can be scaled cost-effectively, eliminating the need for any expensive fork-lift upgrades.
With the new solution in place, Insight can provide the university with on-going support that further enhances its advanced threat detection capabilities, ensuring its data management is future proofed.
The Insight team offered useful recommendations throughout the process. Their recommendations ensured that the data management solution met our specific business and technical requirements.”
Martin Farrar
Project Manager, Leeds Beckett University
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By Insight Editor / 29 Jan 2025 / Topics: Data protection Modern infrastructure
