The organization faced a critical risk by simultaneously hosting production data and backups on the same Windows server, which could lead to total data loss in the event of an incident or cyberattack. Although it subsequently implemented a separate hardened repository, concerns remained regarding potential malicious actions stemming from elevated administrative privileges.
To address this, PLI, in partnership with Gruppo 3C, undertook a complete overhaul of its backup infrastructure, opting for Object First technology (Ootbi) for its ability to provide native data immutability—a key factor in preventing the modification or deletion of backups, even in the event of an intrusion.
With Ootbi, Petronas experienced a remarkably fast setup process, reduced resource consumption, minimized downtime associated with traditional deployments, and freed up the IT team to focus on business initiatives. Furthermore, the new architecture enables faster and more efficient recoveries, thanks to high-performance optimized storage.
“With Ootbi, we have a reliable multisite repository, located in two different centers, which guarantees the immutability of backups even in the event of an attack,” says Pierluigi Sossi, Infrastructure Lead Europe at PETRONAS Lubricants International.
The adoption of immutable storage has provided the multinational with greater confidence in its ability to recover from cyber threats, especially ransomware, one of the main risks for industrial and energy sector organizations.
With a presence in more than 28 countries and over 30 regional offices, PETRONAS Lubricants International ranks among the world's top ten lubricant manufacturers, an environment where data availability and operational continuity are critical.
This initiative reflects the growing priority companies place on implementing cyber resilience strategies based on immutable backups, separate from production environments and designed under Zero Trust principles, to ensure business continuity in the event of security incidents.
