Axel Christiernsson strengthened his cyber security globally

AXEL Christiernsson (AXEL) is a leading player in the lubricant industry, with a strong focus on innovation and creating new opportunities for its prominent customers worldwide.

Challenge

Security level that did not meet today's threat scenario

AXEL Christiernsson previously secured its IT environment with technical solutions such as antivirus software, firewalls, and two-factor authentication. However, with the increasing cyber threat landscape and the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, AXEL realized that these measures were no longer sufficient. To improve their information security and develop policies for a stronger internal security culture, they turned to Goodfellows – now Upheads.

“It was a natural choice for us to select Upheads to strengthen our security efforts. They have our best interests at heart, are flexible, and don’t try to sell us a one-size-fits-all solution. We set joint goals tailored to our unique needs so that we could achieve an appropriate level of security,” says Fredrik Jonasson, Group IT Manager at AXEL.

Solution

Mapping of information & available policies

A comprehensive mapping exercise was carried out to identify AXEL's information flows, information assets, and security requirements. This work was crucial to protecting existing data, enabling incident tracking, and maintaining user-friendliness without excessive authentication.

“We realized how important it is to protect our information. In the past, we took a more operational approach to various IT security measures, but now information security is a strategic management issue. The support we’ve received has been crucial in enabling us to address this issue both strategically and operationally,” says Fredrik.

To strengthen the internal security culture, various security policies in several languages, onboarding and offboarding processes, and staff training programs have been developed.

“We’ve gone from inadequate and inaccessible policies to a robust security strategy where all employees, regardless of location, have the same level of protection and understanding of security procedures. Now we can feel confident that our policies are actually being implemented and aren’t just gathering dust,” says Fredrik.

For AXEL Christiernsson, information security is an ongoing process, involving continuous checks and updates in collaboration with us.

“Security work is never-ending because new ways of attempting to breach systems are always emerging. We see this as a long-term partnership with Upheads. The collaboration is down-to-earth and straightforward, which I appreciate,” Fredrik concludes.