Cornell University needed a better way to track user activity in PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. With native logging falling short and custom coding failing to deliver, the IT team turned to Pathlock for a smarter, audit-ready solution.
Native Logging Fell Short
Cornell University’s IT department faced a growing challenge: their existing PeopleSoft logs lacked the detail and structure required for modern auditing and incident response. Native logging tools failed to capture crucial user-centric data, like who accessed what, from where, and what actions they performed. Even worse, the available logs were bulky, unstructured, and missing vital context.
To fill the gap, the PeopleSoft Development team initially tried to build a custom solution in-house. But the results were disappointing. Custom coding was slow, costly, and introduced performance issues, while still falling short of the University’s needs.
The system does not provide this functionality off the shelf, and our efforts to custom-code a solution were expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately insufficient.
A Smarter Way to Log User Activity
Cornell’s IT department implemented Pathlock Native for PeopleSoft to enhance visibility into user actions and system access. With Pathlock, the University gained the ability to record detailed activity data, including IP address, user ID, location of access, and even field- and transaction-level interaction.
Instead of relying on incomplete logs, internal audit teams could now generate on-demand or periodic reports enriched with user-level context. The logs also supported GDPR and FERPA compliance requirements, enabling proactive monitoring for insider threats, privilege misuse, and potential credential compromise.
Stronger Audit Trails and Faster Response
With Pathlock in place, Cornell now produces comprehensive, structured logs that are ready for reporting and visualization. The added context gives the IT team the tools to quickly investigate incidents, respond to compliance requests, and support internal governance with a reliable audit trail.
Pathlock stepped up with an effective solution, a friendly and efficient implementation team, and ongoing support that has exceeded our expectations.
What once felt like a blind spot in logging has become a strength. Cornell no longer needs to rely on incomplete native logs or strained custom coding efforts. With Pathlock, the University has the clarity and control it needs to meet both security and compliance demands.
