Case Studies > All Saints Grammar Turns the Tables on Persistent Malware with Malwarebytes

All Saints Grammar Turns the Tables on Persistent Malware with Malwarebytes

Customer Company Size

Mid-size Company

Region

Pacific

Country

Australia

Product

Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection
Sophos
Windows Defender

Tech Stack

Endpoint Protection
Cloud Console

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Customer Satisfaction
Digital Expertise

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Endpoint Security
Cybersecurity & Privacy - Network Security

Applicable Industries

Education

Applicable Functions

Facility Management

Use Cases

Intrusion Detection Systems
Remote Control

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

All Saints Grammar is a coeducational school located in Sydney, Australia, catering to students from pre-kindergarten to Year 12. The school offers a rich curriculum and a variety of tailored programs to ensure students have the opportunity to grow with confidence and maximize their individual talents. The school has embraced a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) environment, allowing students to use their own devices for learning. This approach, while beneficial for educational purposes, has introduced additional challenges in managing and securing a diverse range of devices. The IT team at All Saints Grammar is tasked with overseeing the school's infrastructure, security, and technology applications, ensuring that both staff and students have a safe and efficient digital environment.

The Challenge

All Saints Grammar faced a significant challenge in protecting its computer endpoints from rapidly evolving malware threats. The school had moved towards a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) environment, which increased the complexity of managing security across various devices. The IT team was responsible for maintaining infrastructure, security, and applications, and they noticed an increasing number of systems behaving erratically. The existing Sophos antivirus solution was failing to update properly, leading to severe infections, including a critical incident where the payroll administrator's system was compromised, resulting in bank logon details being harvested. Despite efforts to resolve the issue with Sophos and the banks, the only solution was to re-image the system, highlighting the need for a more robust security solution.

The Solution

To address the persistent malware threats, All Saints Grammar decided to replace its existing Sophos antivirus solution with Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection. The decision was made after extensive research and recommendations from IT forums. Malwarebytes was chosen for its ease of installation, especially on Mac systems, and its seamless integration into the school's centralized cloud console. The IT team conducted a trial and found Malwarebytes to be effective in detecting a wide range of malware, including Trojans and cryptomining software, that had previously gone unnoticed. Malwarebytes also identified vulnerabilities in Active Directory Group Policy settings and blocked access to compromised websites, enhancing the overall security posture of the school. The solution restored the IT team's confidence in their endpoint protection, as Malwarebytes proactively detected and blocked attempts to exploit application vulnerabilities and execute remote code. Its machine learning capabilities and automatic updates ensured that the school remained protected against emerging threats without the need for manual intervention.

Operational Impact

Malwarebytes detected and removed a wide range of malware that had previously gone unnoticed by the existing antivirus solution.
The solution identified and blocked access to compromised websites, preventing potential security breaches.
Malwarebytes improved browser performance for users by blocking malicious sites and extensions.
The IT team regained trust in their endpoint protection, knowing that Malwarebytes could proactively detect and block threats.
The seamless integration of Malwarebytes into the school's IT infrastructure allowed for efficient management and monitoring of security across all devices.