Challenge.

With the growing threat of cyberattacks, power outages and ransomware, a complete IT blackout isn’t as unlikely as you might think. A municipal authority’s critical processes—like those in the town of Ditzingen—need to stay up and running, and the only way to ensure that is to prepare well and choose a solution that is back up and running quickly in the worst case scenario. It’s also essential to have a well-thought-through emergency and recovery plan. But what does a reliable emergency infrastructure look like? Where should it be located? And how should you keep it up to date?

It’s fantastic to work with a strong partner like Bechtle on finding the perfect approach to tackling a common problem that might not be conventional, but which may well be more secure precisely because it is different.

Andreas Heck, Head of IT, Stadt Ditzingen

Solution.

The town of Ditzingen and Bechtle worked closely together to develop a rather unusual yet simple concept—a black start. In other words, an IT infrastructure that has been fully readied to take over in the event of a problem based on a recovery plan that strictly complies with the requirements of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Bechtle was on hand at every step of the process—from the initial analysis to the test installation—to set up a dedicated mobile rack with all the IT the population of 25,000 needs, including firewalls, switches, servers, notebooks, phone, printers and UPS systems. The town was able to reuse much of its existing hardware with some targeted additions and Bechtle regularly checks everything to ensure it’ll be ready to go whenever the time comes. Best of all, the rack is located in a protected location, ready for transportation. In just three days, the administration and its critical systems will be able to get back up and running, no matter where they are not least thanks to a 5G router that will ensure internet access even if the first-choice connection is lost. The system is thoroughly tested and gradually released to guarantee maximum security when restarting. Bechtle handled all technical and organisational aspects and worked closely with all IT departments to develop a reliable plan for the worst case scenario. What’s more, the solution serves as both a backup and can be used for drills so that everything is ready to go whenever it is needed.

Business benefits.

  • Fast recovery – After just three days, the town’s administration can be back up and running.
  • BSI-compliant thanks to a well-prepared recovery plan
  • A mobile emergency rack is fully equipped, tested and ready to go – From anywhere.
  • High reliability thanks to location-agnostic recovery of IT systems.
  • Secure internet access without the primary connection thanks to a 5G router.
  • Critical processes protected against attacks as the registry office, citizen services, etc. can get back up and running quickly.
  • Regular tests, systematic updates and emergency drills boost security.
  • A partnership of equals with Bechtle – From analysis to implementation.
  • Air-gap backup with tapes – Secure and completely separate from the network.