The University of Portsmouth enhanced its cybersecurity teaching through Apporto, offering a scalable and efficient virtual computer lab.

Like many universities, Portsmouth faced significant challenges in providing accessible, efficient, and scalable IT to support growing enrolments in the School of Computing. Cybersecurity courses in particular require a robust and secure environment, with root and admin access for students to engage in hands-on learning activities.

Challenge:

The School’s existing provision required students to return to the same campus PC, or to VPN/SSH to physical Windows and Linux hosts. Course tutors dealt with frequent support issues as students struggled to connect, and requested regular reimaging to restore broken machines. With burgeoning student numbers and academic requirements, scalability became a pressing issue.