Traditional IT service continuity plans – which are built around the assumption of physical threats such as natural disasters – often fail to adequately address the unique nature of modern cyberattacks, especially ransomware. Ransomware attacks do not just disrupt infrastructure in the same way as physical events; instead, they target primary and failover systems alike.

Recognizing the growing threat of ransomware and the need for strong cyber resiliency, Henkel, a leading global company in adhesive technologies and consumer goods, took a proactive approach. To ensure rapid recovery and minimize downtime, the company undertook a comprehensive review of its IT architecture and continuity strategies, identifying several key initiatives:

• Green network for rapid recovery: An isolated “green network” across global sites and cloud infrastructure enabling the immediate recovery of operations independent of ongoing forensic investigations, ensuring the swift restoration of critical services.
• Prioritized recovery with immutable back-ups: Clear recovery priorities for business-critical workloads, alongside a robust back-up strategy that uses immutable back-ups to protect against data tampering.
• Enhanced end-user device recovery: Site-specific procedures for the rapid reimaging of end-user devices at scale (restoring or reinstalling an operating system and software to a known, secure state), reducing recovery times and minimizing disruptions.

By addressing the specific challenges posed by ransomware, Henkel is significantly strengthening its cyber resilience. The new approach has enabled faster recovery, empowering the company to better withstand cyberthreats.