Proof · Case studies

Measured in dollars saved and risks eliminated.

From 50-person startups to Fortune 1000 enterprises. These aren’t just case studies. They’re transformations delivered by experienced advisors, measured in dollars saved, risks eliminated, and decisions finally made with confidence.

Talk to an AdvisorRead the case study
Case study results: attack surface exposure down 42% in nine months, $612K net cost optimization, ransomware recovery under 48 hoursCASE STUDY · 9 MONTHSATTACK SURFACE EXPOSURE−42%Month 0Month 9NET COSTOPTIMIZATION$612KRANSOMWARERECOVERY<48hwas 11 daysBoard-level resilience metricsNo budget increase

Millions in identified savings

Exposed IT overspend and security vulnerabilities

75+ years combined advisory experience

No fee to you

Case study · Manufacturing

How a Multi-Site Manufacturer Cut Attack-Surface Exposure 42% — Without Increasing Budget

$612K net cost optimizationStrengthened OT resilienceAligned executive strategy

The situation

A 1,200-employee manufacturing company with three production facilities faced:

  • Rising ransomware exposure
  • Increasing cyber insurance pressure
  • Legacy OT systems that couldn’t be patched
  • Overlapping security tools with unclear ROI
  • An acquisition requiring integration into corporate standards

The internal team wasn’t lacking expertise — they were buried in vendor noise and complexity. They needed clarity, not more products.

Three production facilities on a shared IT/OT network, surrounded by five pressures: ransomware exposure, cyber insurance pressure, unpatchable legacy OT, overlapping tools and an acquisition to integrateRansomware exposureCyber insurance pressureLegacy OT, can’t patchOverlapping toolsAcquisition integrationShared IT/OT networkPLANT 1PLANT 2PLANT 31,200 employees · 3 production facilities
The MALA advisory approach

MALA deployed a senior security architecture advisor to:

  1. 01

    Benchmark

    Security posture against peer manufacturers.

  2. 02

    Validate

    Uptime vs. security tradeoffs.

  3. 03

    Audit

    Architecture, recovery readiness, and vendor overlap.

  4. 04

    Align

    IT/OT strategy with executive risk tolerance.

What we found

The gaps behind the spend.

$750K

In redundant or misaligned security spend

17

Unmanaged third-party access pathways into plant systems

Backup systems unable to meet stated recovery objectives

Cyber insurance compliance gaps

Security spend was 28% above the industry average, while resilience lagged peersIndustry averageThis client+28%Below peersSecurity spendResilience

Security spend was 28% above industry average — but resilience lagged peers.Resilience bar is illustrative.

The issue wasn’t investment. It was alignment.

The results · 9 months

Less risk. Lower cost. Faster recovery.

42%Reduction in attack-surface exposure
$612KNet cost optimization
<48hRansomware recovery, down from 11 days
Clear board-level resilience metrics

Ransomware recovery time

Ransomware recovery time fell from 11 days to under 48 hoursBEFORE11 daysAFTER<48 hoursDay 0Day 2Day 11
More case studies

Network & connectivity

Case studyHow a National-Security R&D Center Cut $1M in WAN Costs While Adding ResiliencyRead the case study →
Related reading

From the MALA blog

ArticleCase Study: How a Manufacturer Cut Attack-Surface Exposure 42% Without Increasing BudgetRead the article →ArticleWhat a Technology Reality Assessment Actually Involves, Step by StepRead the article →ArticleWhat "Zero Upfront Cost" Actually Means in Technology AdvisoryRead the article →
See if our approach fits

A 30-minute conversation. No pitch. No pressure. No cost.

It will reveal whether MALA’s advisory approach matches your organization’s needs, whatever your size.

Talk to an AdvisorSee Our Advisory Services

No fee to you: MALA is paid by the provider only if you move forward with a provider we recommend. No obligation to do so.

RelatedCybersecurity→Manufacturing & OT→Cost Management→How We Get Paid→