Vulnerability Remediation from Cybersecurity Assessment

Silverfort MFA Deployment, Windows Server Upgrades, and Application Security Remediation for Maryland-based College

The Challenge: Unsupported Systems and Escalating Cybersecurity Risk

This Maryland-based college faced growing cybersecurity concerns caused by unsupported operating systems, outdated applications, and insufficient authentication protections across its environment. A prior security assessment conducted by Data Networks identified widespread vulnerabilities that contributed to a high Consolidated Risk Score and increased the college’s exposure to cyber threats and audit non-compliance.

The assessment uncovered more than 12,800 inactive user accounts, 237 systems with outdated antivirus definitions, and numerous unsupported servers and workstations. Additional findings included exploitable vulnerabilities within applications such as Oracle Java SE, Mozilla Firefox, SolarWinds Orion, Adobe Flash, Apache Log4j, Wireshark, Notepad++, 7-Zip, and Curl.

Although earlier remediation phases addressed immediate account cleanup and policy updates, the college still required extensive vulnerability remediation to eliminate unsupported systems, patch remaining application vulnerabilities, and strengthen authentication security for administrative users.

Compounding the urgency, the Commission for Cybersecurity required rapid remediation progress to maintain audit compliance and preserve eligibility for future funding. Failure to remediate these issues could result in increased exposure to cyberattacks, operational disruption, and potential loss of funding opportunities.

To address these risks, the college partnered with Data Networks to execute a comprehensive vulnerability remediation initiative focused on system modernization, application security, and multi-factor authentication deployment.

The Solution: Vulnerability Remediation with Server Upgrades, Patching, and MFA Deployment

Data Networks delivered a phased vulnerability remediation solution designed to modernize unsupported infrastructure, eliminate exploitable application vulnerabilities, and improve identity security across the college’s environment.

The project included the upgrade of approximately 34 legacy Windows servers from unsupported Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2012 R2 operating systems to Windows Server 2019. Data Networks performed phased upgrades beginning with pilot systems to validate compatibility with applications and services before expanding deployment across production workloads.

In addition, the team upgraded 60 confirmed Windows 10 workstations to Windows 11 Enterprise to eliminate unsupported operating systems and improve endpoint security compliance. Compatibility validation included hardware and TPM 2.0 assessments, phased deployment testing, and remediation workflows for systems requiring reimaging or additional configuration adjustments.

A major component of the engagement focused on application-level vulnerability remediation. Data Networks patched or upgraded numerous high-risk applications and components, including:

• Oracle Java SE
• Mozilla Firefox
• SolarWinds Orion
• Adobe Flash
• Apache Log4j
• Wireshark
• Notepad++
• 7-Zip
• Curl

Following remediation, Data Networks conducted follow-up vulnerability scans and validation testing to confirm successful mitigation of high- and medium-severity findings.

To strengthen identity protection and administrative security, Data Networks also facilitated deployment of Silverfort Universal MFA for 200 administrative accounts. Working alongside Silverfort engineers, the team deployed supporting virtual machines, installed the Active Directory Adapter, and configured MFA policies integrated with the college’s Active Directory environment.

The MFA implementation focused on protecting privileged systems and administrative workflows while minimizing disruption to daily operations. Testing and validation ensured seamless authentication functionality across domain controllers, application servers, and other critical infrastructure components.

Throughout the engagement, Data Networks documented all remediation activities and provided rapid-response support to address any configuration or authentication issues encountered during deployment.

Ongoing Value: Stronger Security Posture and Improved Compliance Readiness

Through this vulnerability remediation initiative, the college significantly reduced its cybersecurity exposure while improving compliance readiness and long-term operational stability.

Upgrading unsupported operating systems eliminated major security risks associated with outdated infrastructure, while comprehensive application remediation reduced the likelihood of exploitation through known software vulnerabilities. The deployment of Silverfort Universal MFA added a critical layer of identity protection for privileged accounts and strengthened authentication security across the environment.

The college now benefits from a more secure and supportable infrastructure with improved patch compliance, stronger access controls, and documented remediation results that support ongoing audit and cybersecurity requirements. As a result, the college is now better positioned to maintain regulatory compliance, reduce operational risk, and support future cybersecurity initiatives with a modernized and resilient IT environment.

Tags: Hi-Ed, cybersecurity