Cyberattack Contained
Since the early 1990s, cyberattacks have been increasing every year. This trend does not seem to be slowing down.
In cybersecurity for manufacturing, the main issue is not if an attack will happen, but when it will happen. This was made clear to a well-known manufacturer in the UK when their systems were hit by a serious ransomware attack that greatly affected their operations.
Modern production relies a lot on digital systems and strict rules to stay strong. A cyberattack could have caused serious harm. Luckily, this company had a strong plan to deal with such risks.
Thanks to CiContinuity, they used secure backups stored away from their main site. Because of this, the business recovered well from the attack and did not have to pay any ransom.
The Incident: A Targeted Ransomware Attack
A recent cyber attack hit file servers that keep encrypted data and systems that manage key production. Because of this, business operations have stopped completely, which hurts productivity.
Also, the internal backups used for recovery were affected in the attack. The people or groups causing the problem, called threat actors, are asking for money. They want payment for the keys needed to unlock the files.
The Recovery: Immutable, Offsite, Untouchable
CiContinuity had set up a complete solution called Backup as a Service (BaaS) for the organisation. This solution included several important features to protect the organisation’s data.
1. Immutable Backup Architecture: Backups are stored in a secure off-site location that cannot be changed or deleted. This feature protects the data from threats like ransomware attacks and potential insider threats from people within the organisation who might try to harm the data.
2. Granular Restore Capability: Our skilled team worked with the customer’s IT department to find specific points to restore that were issue-free. This careful process allowed us to recover important systems quickly and effectively in a safe environment.
3. Staged Recovery to Minimise Downtime: We planned the recovery to focus on the most critical tasks first. This way, we could quickly resume production and logistics operations, minimising disruptions for customers and the supply chain. The business was able to continue running more smoothly during recovery.
What Could Have Happened
Without Immutable Backup?
In the absence of an off-site air-gapped backup environment that is not connected to the internet, the choices available to the organisation would have been severely limited. They would have faced the difficult decision of either paying the ransom demanded by the attackers or starting the entire process over from the beginning.
Both of these options would have incurred considerable costs, prolonged delays in resuming normal operations, and potential harm to the organisation’s reputation.
Fortunately, with the implementation of CiContinuity’s comprehensive backup strategy, the organisation was able to recover from the situation efficiently, maintaining control throughout the process and restoring their operations with both speed and a sense of confidence.
Protection Starts with Preparedness
This narrative serves as an important reminder that having a backup system in place is not merely a task to check off in order to meet compliance requirements. Instead, it represents your final line of defence against potential data loss.
7 Lessons from a Manufacturer’s Cyberattack Recovery
1) Early Detection Can Save Your Operations
The manufacturer’s swift identification of unusual network activity prevented even greater damage. Continuous monitoring proved crucial.
2) Incident Response Plans Are Not Optional
Having a documented and tested incident response plan enabled the team to act quickly and minimise downtime.
3) Employee Awareness Is a Frontline Defence
The attack exploited a phishing email. Post-incident analysis revealed that regular cyber awareness training would have reduced the risk.
4) Backups Must Be Isolated and Tested Regularly
While the company had backups, they initially discovered that some were corrupted. Restoring from secure, offline backups proved essential.
5) External Support Can Accelerate Recovery
Bringing in a cybersecurity partner helped the company contain the breach faster and guided them through recovery and reporting.
6) Transparency Builds Trust with Stakeholders
The manufacturer chose to inform partners and customers proactively, maintaining trust despite the disruption.
7) Post-Attack Audits Are Vital for Long-Term Resilience
A full post-incident review uncovered security gaps, prompting infrastructure upgrades, MFA rollout, and stricter access controls.
Continuity starts here.
Contact CiContinuity to review your backup and cyber resilience strategy.