Medical Devices Company Strengthens Email Security After BEC Attack
Client: Confidential Healthcare Equipment Manufacturer (1,000+ Employees)
Industry: Healthcare and Medical Device Manufacturing
The Challenge: The client, a global manufacturer of medical and diagnostic equipment, faced a Business Email Compromise (BEC) incident that targeted its HR and payroll departments. Attackers successfully made modifications to payroll data using social engineering tactics solely using email communication.
The incident caused serious concern due to:
- Unauthorized access to sensitive internal communications
- Attempted fraudulent wire transfers exceeding $100,000
- Delayed detection caused by subtle social engineering tactics
- Lack of automated alerts for abnormal email forwarding rules and login locations
- Procedural error on payroll data update
The company’s Incident Response Program (IRP) needed an immediate and structured IR process to contain the threat, secure compromised accounts, and strengthen overall email security posture.
The Solution: NSecurity Consulting Inc (NCI) was engaged to conduct a full BEC incident response and implement stronger email security and detection controls across Microsoft 365.
Step 1: Incident Identification and Triage
NCI began by analyzing alert data and Microsoft 365 audit logs. Key findings included:
- Email appeared to be originating from a authoritative sender
- Specific request along with urgency to meet the annual bonus payout timeline.
- Procedural error by payroll staff
The event was classified as a high-severity BEC incident and escalated to the company’s Crisis Response Team.
Step 2: Containment and Eradication
Immediate containment steps were implemented:
- Forced password resets and MFA re-registration for affected accounts
- Engaged the banking team to halt pending wire transfers
- Contacted the highest law enforcement authority to halt the transaction
These actions successfully prevented financial loss
Step 3: Investigation and Impact Analysis
A comprehensive investigation was conducted using SIEM, Proofpoint and O365 data. NCI analyzed the attacker’s activity timeline to determine the extent of damage.
Forensic artifacts were preserved, and a detailed incident report was prepared for compliance and legal review.
Step 4: Recovery and Security Hardening
After containment, NCI worked with the internal IT team to strengthen controls and reduce recurrence risk:
- Enabled conditional access policies based on geography and device compliance
- Enforced organization-wide MFA and security defaults
- Implemented Defender for Office 365 Safe Links and Safe Attachments
- Conducted company-wide phishing awareness training for staff
- Reviewed and made recommendations to correct procedural errors in updating employee data.
Step 5: Post-Incident Review and Playbook Implementation
Following recovery, NCI facilitated a post-incident review to establish a formal BEC response procedure. A dedicated BEC Incident Response Playbook was created to include:
- Automated alerting for suspicious inbox rules and logins
- Defined response workflows with escalation paths to finance and legal teams
- Incident communication templates and evidence collection guidelines
- Regular simulation exercises for continuous improvement
Client Testimonial
“NSecurity Consulting’s quick response and structured approach helped us stop a costly email compromise in its tracks. Their guidance not only contained the incident but transformed our email security posture for the long term.” – CISO, Healthcare Equipment Manufacturer