27 Mar How Stormshield Secures Industrial Environments at Scale
The cybersecurity landscape in industrial environments has changed dramatically over the past decade.
A major turning point came in 2017, when the WannaCry ransomware outbreak infected more than 200,000 computers across more than 100 countries. By exploiting unpatched Windows systems, the attack exposed a major vulnerability in many industrial environments: outdated infrastructure and limited visibility or control over operational networks.
For organisations running critical infrastructure, the incident was a clear wake-up call. Industrial environments often rely on long equipment lifecycles and legacy systems, making them particularly challenging to secure. As a result, many companies began rethinking how to better protect their Operational Technology (OT) environments.
One major French agricultural industry player responded with an ambitious global security program. The objective: secure more than 40 production sites worldwide while modernising the underlying network infrastructure and introducing stronger security controls across industrial environments.
Launched in 2017, this long-term initiative spans nearly a decade and focuses on two key priorities. The first is a large-scale transformation of the industrial network architecture, including the replacement or upgrade of obsolete equipment and the introduction of modern network management and segmentation capabilities. The second is the deployment of advanced security functions across production environments to ensure consistent protection across all production lines.
To support this transformation, a dedicated industrial cybersecurity team was formed, combining deep knowledge of industrial processes with strong networking and security expertise. Working closely with local teams at each production site, they ensure the project progresses smoothly while maintaining operational continuity.
In projects like these, robust and reliable network security plays a crucial role. Industrial-grade solutions such as those from Stormshield help organisations secure critical infrastructures while ensuring the performance and stability required in OT environments
Efficient administration of industrial systems, in line with best practice
To strengthen security, the customer chose to separate OT and IT technologies by using solutions from Stormshield, known for its strong focus on industrial cybersecurity and compliance with ANSSI and IEC62443 standards.
Each production site was equipped with a dual firewall cluster, ensuring secure communication both externally and within the industrial network. Extensive network segmentation was implemented through hundreds of VLANs per site, alongside a standardized architecture model rolled out consistently across more than 30 locations.
Both IT and OT environments, including PLCs, were segmented according to best practices. To protect critical processes, industrial protocols such as Modbus were monitored using SNi20 firewalls with deep packet inspection, preventing unauthorized commands and sending logs to the SIEM for analysis.
Designed for harsh environments, these firewalls offer high availability and bypass functionality, ensuring continuous operations and maximum business continuity.
Streamlined deployment and maintenance processes
To streamline deployment and reduce complexity, the teams used centralized management tools. This allowed them to automate policy implementation, minimize configuration errors, and maintain consistency across all sites.
The platform also enables flexible rule management, combining global policies with site-specific configurations. Today, it continues to support daily operations while freeing up time for higher-value security tasks.
According to Vincent Nicaise, the result is a high-performance, secure architecture that significantly reduces risk and ensures business continuity across all production environments.
About Kappa Data
At Kappa Data, we help our partners design and deliver secure, future-proof network and cybersecurity solutions. With a strong focus on OT security and leading vendors like Stormshield, we support organisations in protecting critical infrastructures while ensuring performance and continuity.
Looking to strengthen your OT security strategy? Our experts are here to help.
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