Fasana’s Collapse: How One Ransomware Attack Crippled a German Manufacturer

Ransomware just bankrupted a 100-year-old manufacturer—and the world should take notice.In this episode, we dissect the cyberattack that brought down Fasana, a German paper napkin producer, and pushed it into insolvency. On May 19, 2025, employees arrived to find printers ejecting extortion notes. By the end of the week, systems were paralyzed, €250,000 in daily orders went unprocessed, and the company hemorrhaged €2 million in under 14 days. Fasana couldn’t pay salaries, couldn’t ship products, and now has just eight weeks to find a buyer or shut down for good.We explore how this happened—and why it could happen to almost any manufacturing company operating today.This isn’t just a story of one company—it’s a cautionary tale about the growing frequency and impact of ransomware, especially in industries where IT and OT environments are merging. From indirect attacks on connected IT systems to direct strikes against operational machinery, manufacturers are being hit hard. In 2023 alone, over 500 physical sites were disrupted by cyberattacks—more than half in manufacturing.We examine how ransomware exploits vulnerable systems like ERP platforms, SCADA controls, and HMIs—and why systems without clear IT/OT segmentation are now high-risk. Then, we look at what Fasana lacked: a functioning Business Continuity Plan. No backup delivery system. No fast recovery options. No clear incident response framework.You'll learn:Why even small manufacturers are now prime ransomware targets.What a robust Business Continuity Plan actually includes—from impact assessments to cloud and off-site backups, endpoint defense, and RPO/RTO strategies.Why regular testing, employee training, and disaster simulation drills are just as critical as having the right technology.The operational, legal, and reputational risks of sensitive data loss in manufacturing.How financial pressure compounds risk—and why companies already under strain are often one cyberattack away from collapse.We also break down key defense strategies: network segmentation, encryption, EDR, multi-factor authentication, vendor access controls, and the emerging role of cyber insurance in helping companies weather these storms.This episode is more than a post-mortem of a cyberattack. It’s a call to action for manufacturers: ransomware is escalating, and so must your resilience. Fasana didn’t have time to prepare—but you do.