With cybersecurity threats targeting higher education growing in sophistication and frequency, Australia’s Curtin University recognized the need to strengthen its visibility into potential attacks, maximize the effectiveness of its internal resources, and build new layers of resilience across its digital environment.
To achieve these goals, Curtin partnered with Trustwave Managed Detection and Response (MDR).
Curtin University, located in Perth, Western Australia, is one of the largest and most prestigious institutions in the region, with more than 57,000 students and nearly 4,000 full-time staff members. Ranked among the top 1% of universities worldwide, Curtin has long been committed to innovation in research and in safeguarding the systems that make education possible.
The Challenge: Increasing Visibility and Resilience
Universities and education facilities face a unique set of cybersecurity challenges. The very nature of a university is to be open, collaborative networks and environments that house sensitive student and employee data, cutting-edge research, and large-scale financial systems, makes the school a prime target for cybercriminals, hacktivists, and even nation-state actors.
Curtin’s cybersecurity team understood the threats it faced and identified several key additions it needed to remain secure:
- Greater visibility into suspicious events across its IT environment.
- A stronger ability to detect and respond quickly to emerging threats.
- Access to enriched threat intelligence to augment internal expertise.
- A trusted MDR provider that could enhance cyber capabilities and help achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
“Visibility is the key thing that we needed to bolster. This partnership with Trustwave will give us greater ability to see a threat from end to end, where it originated from, where it went, what systems it affected, to identify the advanced vectors more quickly and contain the threat", said Jason Cowie, CIO of Curtin University
The Solution: Trustwave MDR in Action
After a thorough evaluation of many MDR providers, Curtin selected Trustwave as its MDR cybersecurity partner to consolidate and advance its cybersecurity program. The partnership delivers:
This hybrid model of local and global support was key to Curtin’s decision.
“The global capability and local expertise of Trustwave, co-located with us, was a winning combination”, Cowie said.
In addition, Trustwave’s collaboration extended beyond security operations. The company also contributed to Curtin’s academic programs by helping develop an on-campus teaching Security Operations Centre (SOC) and supporting cyber research initiatives.
The Results: Stronger Protection, Smarter Decisions
By partnering with Trustwave MDR, Curtin has been able to:
- Expand endpoint protection as part of a defense-in-depth strategy.
- Accelerate its ability to investigate and respond to security incidents.
- Gain real-time visibility into threat response activity via the Trustwave Fusion platform, which integrates seamlessly with Curtin’s existing SIEM and ticketing systems.
- Maximize value from existing technology investments while building new cybersecurity capabilities.
The Bigger Picture: Cyber Risks in Higher Education
Curtin’s proactive approach highlights the very real cybersecurity challenges facing universities today. Institutions of higher learning must contend with:
- Phishing: Scam emails targeting students and staff, often used to deploy ransomware or steal intellectual property.
- Data Breaches: Exposure of personally identifiable information (PII) for thousands of students and alumni, along with financial data.
- Hacktivists and Insider Threats: From website defacement to manipulation of academic records.
- Nation-State Actors: Seeking to exfiltrate sensitive research data or influence academic agendas.
As these threats evolve, partnerships like Curtin’s with Trustwave demonstrate how universities can enhance their resilience, protect critical data, and ensure trust in their academic mission.
Curtin University’s collaboration with Trustwave represents more than just a technology investment—it’s a strategic partnership designed to future-proof cybersecurity capabilities in the higher education sector. With Trustwave as an MDR security service provider, round-the-clock monitoring, embedded expertise, and forensic readiness, Curtin is well-positioned to continue leading in both education and cybersecurity excellence.
