Elevating L’Oréal’s Digital Frontiers: A Cybersecurity Transformation

Through tailored cybersecurity initiatives, the leader of the global cosmetics industry fortified its digital defenses and deepened its commitment to data integrity.

Elevating LOreals Digital Frontiers A Cybersecurity Transformation

Our client

Established in 1909 in France, L’Oréal stands today as the world’s largest cosmetics company, embodying a mission to offer tailor-made beauty and meet consumers’ aspirations worldwide. Spanning 150 countries, its influence on beauty is unparalleled. L’Oréal’s diverse product portfolio, encompassing everything from hair color and skincare to makeup, perfume and hair care, bears testament to over a century of innovation and expertise. With a dynamic stable of 36 distinct brands, L’Oréal continually unveils groundbreaking patents that set new benchmarks in beauty. Supported by a robust team of 88,000 dedicated professionals and boasting a turnover surpassing 38 billion euros, L’Oréal’s presence in the global market underscores its leadership in the beauty sector.

Challenges faced

With 28% of its sales coming from online, L’Oréal recognizes the importance of having robust information and cybersecurity protocols. As a global player in the cosmetic industry, the company faced the complexities of rapidly shifting IT technologies and the multifaceted challenges of a shifting regulatory environment.  This sector’s ever-evolving landscape underscored the requirement for a thorough information security risk assessment to identify, assess and implement key security measures throughout their systems.

L’Oréal, having a vast global footprint, faced the pressing challenge of seamlessly integrating its expansive IT and security systems. Coordinating efforts across multiple divisions, hubs, and countries required not just technical precision, but human collaboration and understanding. At the heart of these challenges was the need to navigate and implement their detailed Global Security and Privacy Policies. It wasn’t just about the technology; it was about the people working together, understanding each other’s roles, and striving for a common security goal.

Paving the way to success

Our strategy to support L’Oréal was twofold, designed to address both internal and external security concerns. We started with a comprehensive internal evaluation, coordinating and managing penetration tests and vulnerability scans across their web applications. This exhaustive internal assessment required a close collaboration between our experts and L’Oréal’s teams with continuous feedback loops to ensure everyone was aligned in strengthening the company’s digital defenses.

Externally, the diversity and scale of L’Oréal’s vendor and partner network presented a unique challenge. We had to guarantee that each link in the network complied with the brand’s high security and privacy standards.  To tackle this, we embarked on a comprehensive third-party risk assessment with L’Oréal. At its core, the process involved evaluating the security protocols of their external suppliers to identify potential risks they might introduce to the company’s digital environment. It was about understanding vulnerabilities, from outdated software to non-compliance with data privacy laws and Global Security Policies.

Moreover, understanding that the greatest vulnerabilities often lie in human error, we collaborated with L’Oréal Brazil to create a tailored Security Awareness program. Another program is currently underway for the broader LATAM region. Recognizing the need for continuous education, we initiated a monthly cybersecurity onboarding webinar, specially designed for all new L’Oréal employees.

Beyond just occasional training, our goal was to foster a pervasive culture of security vigilance throughout the organization. Emphasizing the importance of skills development, these training sessions highlighted the crucial role each individual plays within the security ecosystem. Through our joint efforts, we ensured that the cybersecurity awareness measures adopted were comprehensive, effective, and compliant with all necessary standards.

Benefits unlocked

Our collaboration with L’Oréal was as much about people as it was about technology. Beyond establishing advanced security measures, we nurtured a culture of continuous learning. These hands-on workshops empowered the team to counteract social engineering threats, increasing their skills in identifying deceitful attempts.

In this journey, we seamlessly combined technical rigor with managerial insight. Introducing data-driven metrics and KPIs allowed L’Oréal to have a unified lens into their data privacy and security landscape. This holistic view helps them address their security challenges across the whole organization.

Through the risk assessment process, L’Oréal acquired a renewed understanding of its information and security protocols. This clarity enriches their decision-making capabilities, especially when it comes to partnering with third-party vendors or integrating new systems. Essentially, L’Oréal emerged better equipped to navigate complex IT decisions with precision and confidence.

L’Oréal’s commitment, coupled with our team’s expertise, echoes their pursuit of digital security excellence. This collaborative spirit brought tangible results – with the Brazilian arm of L’Oréal reaching unparalleled acceptance levels across the Americas. A proof of not just technical prowess but of the trust and synergy between our teams.

In 2022, Amaris Consulting Brazil had the honor of being recognized as Top 3 IT Provider for L’Oréal Brazil. This acknowledgment symbolizes our strong commitment and collaborative synergy that we have nurtured since our partnership’s inception in 2018.

Our collaboration with L’Oréal underscores the depth of expertise and dedication we bring to every project. At Amaris Consulting we are committed to helping organizations with their IT platforms. Recognizing the importance of security and scalability, we invite you to discover our Platform & Security solutions here!

Do you feel inspired by our mission and have a passion for cybersecurity? We are always on the lookout for talented individuals who can help our clients tackle their challenges head-on. Explore our cybersecurity job offers here.