Cyber Incidents. Digital Evidence. Clear Response.
Cyber incidents can disrupt operations, expose sensitive information and create immediate financial, legal and reputational concerns.
Conflict International provides cyber security and incident response services for businesses, organisations and legal teams dealing with ransomware, account compromise, cyber fraud, data exposure and other digital security threats.
Our work is focused on helping clients understand what has happened, contain immediate risks, identify affected systems and accounts, and make informed decisions about the next steps.
We also provide preventive cyber-security services designed to identify weaknesses before they are exploited.
Assignments can be undertaken in the UK and internationally, with the scope tailored to the organisation, systems involved and nature of the incident.
When a suspected cyber incident occurs, the first hours can affect how effectively the organisation can contain the problem and understand its scope.
Initial response work may involve:
The objective is not to make assumptions about the cause or attacker.
It is to establish what can be determined from the available evidence and identify the most appropriate response.
Ransomware incidents can involve more than encrypted systems.
Modern attacks may include data theft, threats to publish confidential information, disruption of business operations and attempts to pressure the victim into making payment.
Conflict International can assist organisations responding to ransomware and cyber extortion with matters including:
No investigator can guarantee that stolen data will be deleted, encrypted systems will always be recoverable or that a threat actor will honour any commitment made during an extortion attempt.
A response should therefore distinguish between what can be independently verified and what is being claimed by the attacker.
Business email compromise can lead to fraudulent payments, impersonation, data exposure and disruption of commercial relationships.
Compromise may begin through phishing, stolen credentials, malware, password reuse or unauthorised access to an existing authenticated session.
Warning signs may include:
Where an account compromise is suspected, the response may involve reviewing authentication activity, identifying suspicious access patterns, revoking credentials and helping establish the likely period of compromise.
This can be particularly important where fraudulent payments or confidential information may be involved.
Some cyber incidents involve both technical compromise and financial fraud.
Examples may include:
These cases may require technical findings to be considered alongside communications, financial information, corporate records and wider investigative material.
Conflict International's broader investigative capability allows cyber-security concerns to be considered within the wider factual context of the incident.
Where money has already been transferred, identifying how the fraud occurred does not mean the funds can necessarily be located, frozen or recovered.
Cyber security should not begin only after an incident.
A vulnerability assessment can help identify weaknesses across systems, applications and infrastructure before they are exploited.
Depending on the scope, an assessment may examine:
The objective is to identify practical weaknesses and prioritise remediation according to risk.
Penetration testing goes beyond automated scanning by testing whether identified weaknesses can be exploited within an agreed and authorised scope.
Testing may cover:
A penetration test should be carefully scoped before work begins.
The resulting report should explain the vulnerabilities identified, their practical significance and the steps that should be prioritised.
Passing a penetration test does not guarantee that an organisation cannot later be compromised, but it can help identify weaknesses that require attention.
Cyber threat intelligence can help organisations understand risks relevant to their business, industry or current situation.
Depending on the requirement, research may include:
Threat intelligence can support decision-making, but it cannot reliably predict every future cyber attack.
Its value lies in providing information that can be assessed alongside the organisation's technical environment and wider risk profile.
Organisations may also require a broader review of their cyber-security arrangements.
A review may consider areas such as:
The purpose is to identify practical gaps and prioritise improvements based on the risks most relevant to the organisation.
A missing laptop or mobile phone can create uncertainty about whether business information or systems remain accessible.
Where appropriate, a response may consider:
The fact that a device has been lost does not automatically mean data has been accessed.
The response should be based on the evidence available.
Some cyber incidents require specialist examination of computers, mobile devices, cloud environments or other digital evidence.
Where forensic acquisition, preservation or detailed examination is required, this work can be coordinated through Conflict International's Digital Forensics and Investigation Services.
Digital forensics may be appropriate where there is a need to:
Digital forensic examination is a distinct discipline from broader cyber-security assessment and incident response.
Keeping the services separate allows the appropriate technical approach to be used for the problem being investigated.
Cyber security and physical information security can also overlap.
Where the concern involves concealed listening devices, covert cameras or other technical surveillance threats, a specialist TSCM examination may be more appropriate than a cyber-security assessment.
Conflict International provides a separate Counter-Surveillance and Bug Sweeps (TSCM) service for these requirements.
Cyber incidents frequently involve more than an IT team.
Depending on the circumstances, an organisation may need to coordinate with:
Conflict International can support the investigative and cyber-security aspects of that response while working alongside the client's existing advisers.
Our role is not to replace legal, regulatory or insurance advice.
It is to help establish relevant facts and support an informed response.
Cyber incidents often cross borders.
A UK organisation may use overseas infrastructure, employ international teams or face activity involving individuals, accounts or companies in several jurisdictions.
Conflict International operates in the UK and internationally and can coordinate appropriate support where an incident involves multiple countries.
The methods available and legal considerations involved may differ depending on the jurisdictions concerned.
Conflict International combines cyber-security capability with wider investigative experience.
This can be particularly useful where an incident involves both technical and non-technical issues, including fraud, data theft, impersonation, employee activity or litigation.
Our approach includes:
We do not guarantee that every attacker can be identified, every stolen file recovered or every cyber incident prevented.
Our role is to help clients establish what can be determined, understand the available risks and make informed decisions about the response.
If your organisation is dealing with ransomware, account compromise, suspected cyber fraud, data exposure or another digital security concern, early action can help contain risk and clarify the scope of the incident.
Conflict International can also assist organisations seeking vulnerability assessments, penetration testing or broader cyber-security reviews before an incident occurs.
Complete the enquiry form below to discuss your Cyber Security requirements in confidence.
