Case Studies
Primary Technologies (S.E.) LTD
IT Support & Solutions for Education in Kent, UK
https://www.primarytechnologies.co.uk
Challenge
In early 2024, Primary Technologies approached us with a critical issue affecting their education clients:
- RADIUS authentication issues from Entra Joined Devices to WatchGuard firewall appliances.
- Unreliable user identification affecting firewall policy enforcement, web filtering, and audit logging.
- Concerns around KCSIE (Keeping Children Safe in Education) compliance, particularly in ensuring that user activity could be accurately tracked and attributed.
The lack of seamless authentication created friction for end users and compromised the integrity of network security and compliance.
Solution
We initilally developed and deployed a custom solution leveraging saved credentials to bridge the gap between Entra ID and WatchGuard’s RADIUS implementation. This was rolled out across multiple education sites.
Building on this success, we created CloudAuth, a purpose-built authentication platform designed to:
- Enable seamless SAML SSO for Entra Joined Devices.
- Ensure accurate user identification across firewall policies, filtering categories, and audit logs.
- Provide a frictionless login experience for end users, boosting confidence and usability.
Key Features of CloudAuth
- Seamless SAML SSO Integration with WatchGuard appliances.
- Credential and token caching for persistent authentication encrypted locally against the device.
- Real-time user mapping for accurate policy enforcement.
- Scalable deployment across multiple sites with centralised management.
Impact
- Improved user experience: Staff and students now enjoy seamless access without repeated logins.
- Enhanced security: Accurate user identification ensures that firewall rules and filtering are correctly applied.
- Operational efficiency: IT teams spend less time troubleshooting authentication issues.
- Scalability: CloudAuth is now positioned to support additional clients and environments beyond education.
Client Feedback
"CloudAuth has transformed how our schools manage authentication. It’s seamless, reliable, and gives us full confidence in our network policies."
Lewis Purver - Director