Background:

In the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, the Senator for Children and Education oversees approximately 80,000 students, 6,000 teachers, and 1,500 administrative staff across 142 schools. The digital education infrastructure includes approximately 7,000 PC workstations, 250 servers, 1,200 switches, and 1,500 access points with around 21,000 ports for approximately 15,000 end devices. In addition, over 10,000 private Wi-Fi devices access the education network daily. Ensuring the secure and stable operation of this network presented the 9-person central IT department with growing challenges.

Challenge:

• Securing the network while maintaining user comfort and availability
• Automatic VLAN assignment when changing workstations without manual ticket processing
• Automated isolation of unknown devices with restricted access
• Centralized management and oversight for decentralized device connections in schools
• Minimizing IT effort while maintaining high network security

Solution:

With the support of system integrator GORDION Data Systems Technology GmbH, ISL GmbH’s ARP-GUARD NAC solution was implemented:

• Automated VLAN assignment based on known MAC addresses
• Real-time synchronization with LDAP to detect known devices
• Isolation of sensitive network areas through a segmented VLAN structure
• Easy operation and centralized management via an intuitive user interface
• Compatibility with existing infrastructure – vendor-independent
• Rapid implementation: Basic integration in just two days

Result:

• Significant reduction in administrative workload and relief for the IT department
• Automation of many routine tasks such as port assignment and device monitoring
• Enhanced network security through the isolation of unknown devices
• Clear port allocation – improved resource utilization and more targeted hardware investments
• High satisfaction with support from GORDION and ISL

Conclusion:

With ARP-GUARD, Bremen is securing its education network against unauthorized access in a sustainable manner—while providing convenience and automation for the IT department. The solution thus forms a stable foundation for the digital education of the future.