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Lineas

In November 2020, Lineas, Europe’s largest private rail freight operator, faced a cyberattack. To swiftly stop it and prevent future incidents, Lineas turned to Okta and Upright Security for expertise.

About the Case

Client
Lineas
Category
Access management
Date
April 19, 2024

About Lineas

As technology advances, cyberattacks are becoming frequent and sophisticated. Posing a significant threat to businesses worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated this trend, with new technologies and flexible working practices increasing the vulnerability of governments and businesses.

In November 2020, Lineas – Europe’s largest private rail freight operator – was targeted in a cyberattack. Highlighting the dangers of cyber threats to transportation companies. To promptly halt the attack and prevent future occurrences, Lineas sought the expertise of Okta and their Elite Partner Upright Security.

“I was on duty the night Lineas was targeted by cyberattackers. When it happened, it was our highest priority to stop the attack, secure our systems and restore our services within just 12 hours.

Unbelievable, but we did it! Thanks to the ease of onboarding Okta and the very quick service of Upright Security, we were fully protected and up and running again within the predetermined time frame. It was amazing and I still cannot believe it, to be honest.”

Christophe Rome
Chief Information Officer at Lineas

The Vital Role of Okta in Profound Identity and Access Management

Today, Lineas has successfully safeguarded all 53 of their applications, including AWS and Salesforce, with Okta Single Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). As new apps are introduced, they are added to the Okta structure, allowing staff to access their regularly used apps via the Okta portal. MFA authentication is mainly carried out using the Okta Verify app, with office staff averaging around one authentication per day, while some train drivers and ground staff prefer SMS due to the nature of their work.

“Despite the additional steps the staff needs to follow, feedback from colleagues has been overwhelmingly positive“, according to Christophe.

He adds, “prior to Okta, password management and authentication was a disaster. We’ve only recently implemented the Okta password change process, and it’s been a big success. I’m a big advocate for the Verify app, as it’s transparent and quicker to use.“

A Bright Future with Robust Security

Following the cyberattack, Lineas has greatly improved their protection against cyberattacks, resulting in significant financial benefits (as the average cost of a data breach in Europe is around €3 million). “The implementation of Okta was without a doubt the best choice we could have made.” Christophe says. “I truly can’t imagine what life would be like if we ripped it out and started doing it all like we did before. When I mention Okta with the board, they still think about November and how quickly we were able to respond.

Lineas plans to expand their use of Okta services, including enhancing the Lifecycle Management of their 0365 accounts to better manage licensing costs in the long term. They also plan to implement Advanced Server Access for Zero Trust SSH and RDP access to servers in the future.

“I’m confident that further integration and automation with Okta is the way forward for Lineas” Christophe concludes. “Using Lifecycle Management to create better on- and off-boarding processes and experiences is just one of the ways we plan to optimize our efforts with Okta in the future. Advanced Server Access will also be a priority for us.”

Bart agrees “thanks to the massive benefits of Okta, we’re able to deliver high-quality services and respond very fast when urgent attacks occur. We offer a really lightweight service where we hop on a call and onboard an application within the hour,” he says. “And that’s the real benefit of Okta and its SaaS nature, which allows us to provide rapid support at a really low cost.”

“Upright Security’s service is outstanding. Their proficiency and efficiency are very impressive, just as their knowledge. Thanks to their support, I have complete confidence in the smooth operation of our Okta implementation. Our team is highly communicative, and if there were any issues, I would know about them. Since they targeted us, I have heard littIe about our Okta implementation, which reflects Upright Security’s quality service.

Christophe Rome
Chief Information Officer at Lineas

A Bright Future with Robust Security

Following the cyberattack, Lineas has greatly improved their protection against cyberattacks, resulting in significant financial benefits (as the average cost of a data breach in Europe is around €3 million). “The implementation of Okta was without a doubt the best choice we could have made.” Christophe says. “I truly can’t imagine what life would be like if we ripped it out and started doing it all like we did before. When I mention Okta with the board, they still think about November and how quickly we were able to respond.

Lineas plans to expand their use of Okta services, including enhancing the Lifecycle Management of their 0365 accounts to better manage licensing costs in the long term. They also plan to implement Advanced Server Access for Zero Trust SSH and RDP access to servers in the future.

“I’m confident that further integration and automation with Okta is the way forward for Lineas” Christophe concludes. “Using Lifecycle Management to create better on- and off-boarding processes and experiences is just one of the ways we plan to optimize our efforts with Okta in the future. Advanced Server Access will also be a priority for us.”

Bart agrees “thanks to the massive benefits of Okta, we’re able to deliver high-quality services and respond very fast when urgent attacks occur. We offer a really lightweight service where we hop on a call and onboard an application within the hour,” he says. “And that’s the real benefit of Okta and its SaaS nature, which allows us to provide rapid support at a really low cost.”

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