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One of the world’s largest paper and packaging companies is headquartered in the United States and operates in more than 40 countries. The company operates 30 paper mills and 300 box plants to produce essential packaging that serves global supply chains. With its scale and complexity, the company’s operations are highly dependent on resilient and secure industrial networks to maintain uninterrupted production.
- Suffered ransomware attack that exposed critical vulnerabilities
- Experienced production shortfall of 85,000 tons of material due to disruption
- Lacked internal expertise and manpower to implement enterprise-wide security measures
- Faced complexity of securing 30 unique paper mills where one-size-fits-all approach was not feasible
- Conducted detailed assessment of assets and network configurations across all paper mills
- Designed custom segmentation strategies tailored to each facility’s needs
- Coordinated globally and delivered training to provide long-term management of the segmented networks
- Used SecureOT™ Platform and resources to accelerate implementation and reduce reliance on internal staff
- Assisted with local and international sourcing to overcome supply chain constraints
- Dramatically reduced vulnerability to ransomware and cyberattacks
- Implemented changes with minimal production disruption across 30 paper mills
- Lowered ongoing maintenance needs from 10 resources to 1-2, which resulted in reduced operational costs
- Equipped client teams with training and documentation to sustain security independently
- Established scalable security framework adaptable to future growth and evolving threats
Challenge
Ransomware Exposed Global Vulnerabilities
A global paper and packaging company that operated 30 mills and 300 box plants across more than 40 countries was at a crossroads. They experienced a ransomware attack that exposed weaknesses in their OT environment. Without effective network segmentation in place, the attack disrupted production at multiple sites and resulted in an estimated 85,000-ton shortfall.
Navigated Complex Environment with Limited Resources
The company also lacked the internal expertise and manpower needed to implement security at an enterprise scale. Each mill had its own network configuration, which made a single, uniform solution impossible. To move forward, the paper and packaging company needed a tailored strategy that could secure each site without adding complexity or causing prolonged downtime.
Solution
Developed Tailored OT Network Segmentation Strategy
SecureOT™ Platform was implemented to create a comprehensive OT network segmentation program that was customized to each facility’s needs. Rockwell Automation started with a thorough assessment, and mapped assets and configurations across the 30 mills to identify risks and vulnerabilities.
Instead of applying a one-size-fits-all approach, Rockwell Automation developed a bespoke segmentation plan for each mill. These plans accounted for unique operational realities while creating a standardized foundation for future scalability.
Enabled Global Workforces Through Comprehensive Training
To help local teams stay resilient, Rockwell Automation provided extensive training and documentation across continents. This empowered the company’s internal staff to manage and maintain their segmented networks independently.
The addition of Rockwell Automation experts helped the company overcome its limited internal resources. By sourcing critical equipment domestically and internationally, Rockwell Automation reduced supply chain disruption and kept the project on track.
Result
Achieved Stronger Security with Minimal Disruption
The paper and packaging company dramatically reduced its vulnerability to ransomware and other cyber threats across the 30 paper mills. These changes were implemented with minimal disruption, which allowed production to continue without significant downtime.
Post-implementation, the company discovered that maintaining the network required only 1-2 staff members compared to the 10 people needed during rollout. This reduction lowered costs and freed their limited resources for other priorities. At the same time, the workforce was equipped with the training and documentation needed to confidently sustain their security environment.
Secured Mills and Plants with Opportunity to Scale and Grow
With a robust, segmented network in place, the company now has a security framework that can adapt to future growth and evolving cyber threats. What started as a response to a ransomware attack transformed into a model of operational resilience. This is an excellent example of how tailored OT cybersecurity solutions can simplify and strengthen global operations.
Published May 8, 2026