Business Email Compromise Averted:
A multinational manufacturing company faced a significant Business Email Compromise (BEC) after their executive’s Outlook account was breached.
Rapid Response:
BlackCloak’s Concierge Support team swiftly intervened, uncovering the breach’s origin in a compromised virtual machine and implementing critical security measures.
Expert Insight:
Daniel Floyd, Chief Information Security Officer at BlackCloak, highlights the importance of robust security practices in safeguarding sensitive corporate information.
In what could have been a disastrous cyber-attack on a leading multinational manufacturing company, a vigilant B2B executive’s query about undeliverable emails led to the discovery of a major Business Email Compromise (BEC). Thanks to the prompt action of BlackCloak’s Concierge Support team, a potentially crippling cyber-attack was averted, safeguarding the company’s sensitive data and reputation.
The drama unfolded when the executive, puzzled by undeliverable email notifications that didn’t match his sent items, reached out for help. BlackCloak’s team, known for their expertise in cybersecurity, immediately set up a session with the client to review the situation.
The investigation revealed a worrying scenario: the executive’s Outlook account was compromised, with the attack originating from what appeared to be a previously compromised virtual machine hosted on Azure. The cybercriminal exploited this breach to send out a staggering 700-800 spam emails from the executive’s account.
Further digging into the incident uncovered a critical vulnerability: the client was using a password that, while slightly altered, was essentially a variation of a breached password found on the dark web. This oversight left the door open for the cybercriminals to access the executive’s account.
Daniel Floyd, Chief Information Security Officer at BlackCloak, commented on the incident: “This breach serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. Simple steps like using unique passwords and enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) can make a significant difference in protecting against such attacks.”
Thankfully, by the time BlackCloak was involved, the executive’s IT team had already terminated the unauthorized access. However, BlackCloak’s intervention was crucial in securing the account. They implemented MFA, facilitated password resets, and meticulously documented the damage while removing the threat from the account.
This incident highlights the ever-increasing sophistication of cyber-attacks and the critical need for companies to stay vigilant. It also underscores the value of expert cybersecurity teams like BlackCloak, whose timely intervention and comprehensive approach to security can turn the tide in the face of such digital threats.
