At a glance
- Manufacturing
- 300 employees
- Rhysida Ransomware Attack
- Entire production environment impacted
- Key Outcome: Production restored 2–3 weeks faster than expected
Before Alvaka
- Manufacturing operations were largely shut down
- Compromised critical systems
- Client anticipated 3–4 weeks of downtime
- Ransom demanded; no clear recovery path
- Only backup was 30 days old and offsite
After Alvaka
- Full operational recovery achieved in 1 week
- No ransom paid to threat actors
- Restoration completed using air-gapped backup
- Threat eliminated and production systems restored
- Client avoided prolonged downtime and financial loss
- Post-recovery guidance provided to improve backup strategy and security posture
From Our Client:
“I was preparing myself for production lines to be down for 3 to 4 weeks, so the fact that we had them back in one week was relieving.”
Share this Post
Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter X
Emergency Services Designed for the Rapid Recovery of Your Business!
Overview
An East Coast-based manufacturing company with approximately 300 employees faced a crippling Rhysida ransomware attack in mid-March 2025. Their internal systems were compromised, production came to a halt, and a threat actor demanded ransom in exchange for data recovery. Fortunately, the company had an air-gapped backup stored offsite, allowing Alvaka to lead a swift and secure recovery, without paying the ransom.
Challenges
The primary challenge in this case was the condition and age of the backup data. While the client had a viable air-gapped backup, it was a month old, which meant that restoring from it would result in the loss of recent production data and require significant effort to reconcile. Despite this, the client recognized that restoring from backup was still preferable to engaging with the threat actor. Another key issue was the shutdown of manufacturing operations. Production had come to a near-complete standstill, placing the company at risk of lost revenue, missed deadlines, and reputational damage. Additionally, the client’s internal IT team was not equipped to handle a ransomware event of this scale, creating a need for expert third-party intervention. The possibility of being offline for several weeks was a serious concern for leadership, and without immediate action, the situation was likely to deteriorate further.
Solutions
Upon receiving the initial alert at 12:00 p.m., Alvaka immediately activated its rapid response protocol, conducting a scoping call within two hours, securing SOW approval by 3:45 p.m., and initiating kickoff shortly after. By 6:30 p.m., system access had been granted, allowing Alvaka’s team to begin containment and recovery efforts. The chosen recovery path was to restore from an air-gapped backup that had been stored at the IT manager’s home.
Although the backup was 30 days old, it provided a clean, uncompromised foundation from which to rebuild, enabling the team to bring critical applications back online without paying the ransom and significantly reducing the overall recovery timeline. Alvaka also advised on strengthening future backup strategies, emphasizing the importance of frequent, air-gapped backups and clearly defined data retention policies, demonstrating their commitment to urgency, operational readiness, and long-term resilience.
Although the backup was 30 days old, it provided a clean, uncompromised foundation from which to rebuild, enabling the team to bring critical applications back online without paying the ransom and significantly reducing the overall recovery timeline. Alvaka also advised on strengthening future backup strategies, emphasizing the importance of frequent, air-gapped backups and clearly defined data retention policies, demonstrating their commitment to urgency, operational readiness, and long-term resilience.
Benefits
The most immediate and measurable benefit was the speed of recovery. While company leadership had anticipated that the manufacturing lines might be offline for three to four weeks, Alvaka was able to return the firm to operational status in just one week. This exceeded expectations and helped the client avoid substantial economic losses. In addition, the decision to restore from the air-gapped backup enabled the client to completely sidestep the threat actor’s ransom demand. Although restoring from a 30-day-old backup resulted in some data loss and required time to rehydrate lost information, the client expressed that the tradeoff was worthwhile compared to the risks of engaging with the attacker or attempting decryption. Alvaka’s team not only restored critical applications but also advised the client on ways to prevent similar incidents in the future, ultimately leaving the client in a more secure and resilient state.
Results
Alvaka’s response was marked by speed, precision, and transparency. The timeline from first contact to full recovery demonstrated the efficiency of the team’s emergency protocol. The firm was able to resume manufacturing in just one week, far sooner than anticipated. The client credited this success to the speed and expertise of Alvaka’s team and the availability of an air-gapped backup. This case underscores the vital importance of strategic backup planning and fast-acting ransomware response services in ensuring business continuity during a crisis.
If you have any questions please reach out at (949) 428-5000 or sales@alvaka.net. We operate 24×7×365 with all US based personnel.
