Case Study: SICK AG achieves cloud-first, secure digital transformation with Zscaler

Zscaler™ and SICK AG: Cloud Implementation With Vision

SICK AG, a global leader in sensors and industrial automation with about 10,000 employees and 50+ subsidiaries, needed to modernize IT security to support its Industry 4.0 cloud initiatives. Legacy security hardware and a limited number of internet gateways were constraining a cloud-first architecture, while rising encrypted threats and strict data-protection requirements (involving works council and DPO review) made secure, scalable internet access essential.

SICK implemented the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange—including Zscaler Internet Access and Cloud Firewall—using a cloud proxy and SSL inspection to enable secure local breakouts, granular protocol controls, and centralized management. The move eliminated complex hardware administration, reduced MPLS costs and maintenance, and improved security and rollout speed; today SICK secures ~8,000 users, processes 210 TB of traffic per quarter across 40+ gateways, and benefits from strong vendor support and a largely renewable-powered inspection footprint.

Sick AG

Sven Hinze

Inhouse Cyber Security Consultant