Landing The Secure Remote Access for Factory Environments

Providing a secure remote connection to industrial environments is a real challenge we have faced in the last year, but by December 2025, this crucial feature has become operational in 10 out of 17 plants, with the goal for 2026 to complete implementation in the remaining seven plants.

This is a particularly challenging project because it has required the contribution of many Boltonians in all our plants and respective business units.

Stefano Crespi, the Group’s ICT Security Manager, has sat with us to explain what this is all about.

Stefano, in simple terms, why is this project so important?

This is a typical case where an apparent contradiction must be resolved: how can we make remote access to our factories simple while at the same time safeguarding the security of our systems and data? We know that remote access tools, however convenient, are among the channels most exploited by hackers to penetrate private networks.

Basically, it’s all about giving people secure and controlled access to our industrial devices. Suppliers, contractors, and internal staff can connect remotely when they need to, without using unsafe systems or uncontrolled access methods.

This really improves security and traceability, and it makes daily operations smoother. It also means we can provide remote support on machinery without always sending technicians on our sites. That gives us two big benefits: problems can be fixed faster, and we save time and money because technicians don’t always have to travel to the plant.

Where did the idea come from?

It came straight from the plants. They told us what they needed, very clearly. Our job was to take those needs and turn them into something concrete by finding the right technology and the right partners.

The goal was simple: increase safety, but also create something that genuinely helps the business and makes life easier for people on the ground.

For those who aren’t experts, how innovative is this solution?

It’s very innovative. We’ve applied security at every level. Each employee and supplier has their own account, we use multi-factor authentication, we log sessions and we manage supplier access hour by hour, with approvals from managers.

On top of that, everything is centrally controlled, so we always know who is accessing our industrial infrastructure and when.

What was the toughest part of the project?

Getting suppliers aligned was probably the biggest challenge. Every supplier had their own way of connecting remotely, and we wanted everyone to move to a single solution—ours.

Once we managed that, we could switch off the other access methods, which made a huge difference to our overall security.

Any surprises along the way?

Yes, definitely. Like with any project, there were surprises, but some were very positive. We were actually surprised by how enthusiastic some suppliers were. They liked the innovation we were bringing in and were genuinely curious about it.

Some even wanted to come on our sites just to see the solution in action and understand how we built it.

Training was a big part of this, right?

Yes, because this wasn’t just a new tool—it was a real change in the way people worked. We delivered around 100 hours of training for suppliers, internal teams, and subcontractors across all plants.

We were introducing new processes and safer, faster ways of accessing systems, so it was important that everyone understood not just how it worked, but why we were doing it. Clear communication at every level made all the difference.

This project shows how much can be achieved when technology, security, and people work together. With the Secure Remote Access for Factory Environments solution, we have made factory support safer, faster, and more efficient—while also building stronger collaboration with suppliers and teams across the business.