Case Study

Manufacturing Company Deploys Xona to Strengthen Security and Operational Resilience

Executive Summary

A manufacturing customer sought to secure its industrial control systems (ICS) across their Americas sites, meet ISA/IEC 62443 requirements, and address operational challenges, including limited visibility and costly downtime. By adopting Xona’s Platform, the customer improved security and streamlined secure remote access for both internal teams and vendors. Xona’s comprehensive coverage for ISA/IEC 62443, audit and recording features, and user-friendly interface enabled better incident response, reduced downtime, and significant cost savings. The solution replaced legacy access systems, improved efficiency, and ensured SLA fulfillment. Impressed by the results, the customer plans to expand their initial Xona deployment to further strengthen security and operational resilience.

The Challenge

The customer, responsible for supporting multiple high-output supply chain sites across the Americas, needed a solution to secure their industrial control systems in compliance with the ISA/IEC 62443 Series of Standards and fulfill their service level agreements (SLAs). They struggled with operational blind spots – a lack of control over changes and maintenance of their manufacturing systems and growing concerns about their expanding attack surface. Incident response capabilities were hindered by difficulties retrieving historical data for investigations, exacerbated by cumbersome access methods that often required multiple engineers to travel to distant facilities, resulting in costly downtime and lost productivity.

Industry: Manufacturing

High-tech electronics manufacturing company

XONA Platform Deployment

Ten initial sites across the US, Canada, and Mexico

XONA Key Benefits

  • Meets industry security requirements and fortifies remote and local access
  • Reduces operational downtime and increases cost savings
  • Strengthens incident response and forensics operations

XONA SOLUTION

After evaluating various solutions, the customer chose Xona’s platform to strengthen its security posture and improve operational efficiency. Xona’s comprehensive coverage of the ISA/IEC 62443 security requirements was also a key factor in their decision, helping them streamline the implementation of robust security measures across their industrial systems and enhancing their overall operational security. The Xona team’s exceptional support and customer experience also stood out during the evaluation.

The customer quickly deployed Xona across their Americas sites and saw immediate improvement in their ability to access sites securely, improving efficiency and responsiveness. Both third-party vendors and internal engineers benefitted from a smooth and seamless user experience, while the customer gained enhanced visibility, control, and maintenance across their systems.

From an incident response standpoint, the Xona Platform can retrieve historical data across the customer’s sites for investigations through its extensive audit and recording capabilities. It also allows the customer to capture user activity and documentation to prevent any lost development efforts in the event of employee turnover.

With Xona’s purpose-built technology, the customer was able to replace their legacy solutions that limited their ability to effectively support and secure their sites. Xona helped the customer meet their production line SLAs and save significant costs by enabling both their third-party vendors and their internal team to support and resolve issues remotely and securely without losing valuable time and money spent on travel.

The customer plans to expand its Xona deployment in the near future to further enhance their operational resilience and security posture.

THE XONA DIFFERENCE

Meets Industry Security Requirements and Fortifies Remote and Local Access

The Xona Platform provides comprehensive security capabilities to meet ISA/IEC 62443 requirements associated with access control, identification and authentication control, use control, data confidentiality, and least privilege. It provides a holistic approach to secure access, enabling it within their manufacturing sites both remotely and locally to improve efficiency and responsiveness without disruption.

Reduces Downtime and Increases Cost Savings

Xona reduces the downtime of critical systems and the workforce required to resolve costly production line outages at distant sites. The customer can quickly address issues without on-site intervention, minimizing operational disruptions. This streamlined approach ensures business continuity and significantly lowers costs associated with travel, delayed resolutions, and potential production losses.

Strengthens Incident Response and Forensics Operations

Xona’s audit and recording capabilities improve incident response operations by reconstructing past events and capturing user activity and documentation to identify root causes effectively. The Xona Platform enhances accountability, supports forensic investigations, and helps the customer develop more targeted and proactive incident response strategies.

Customer Testimonials

“I have seen leaps and bounds of refinement in the last year. The way Xona responds to customer input is incredible. Everything I've needed to move forward enterprise-wide has been addressed.”
- Head of Operational Technology
“In addition to cybersecurity, we realized we could gain so much more from Xona operationally from a local change control standpoint. The Xona platform has enabled us to be extremely efficient and deliver services internally without disruption."
- Americas Operational Technology Lead
“We are gaining so much more than just secure remote access from Xona. The platform has helped us optimize our human capital and respond to incidents faster, saving us thousands of dollars daily in potential production losses.”
- Americas Operational Technology Lead
“With Xona, we’ve drastically reduced downtime and saved on travel costs. The ability to resolve issues remotely has ensured that our production lines meet SLAs without disruption. The platform’s intuitive interface has also greatly benefited both our internal team and third-party vendors."
- Senior IT Architect
“The cost of deploying Xona at each site is a fraction of what we used to spend during a few days of downtime. This is one of the smartest decisions we’ve made to enhance reliability and protect our bottom line.”
- Head of Operational Technology

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