What is Incident Response: 4 Real Threat Examples Every Business Should Know
No two cyber incidents are the same.
Every cyber attack is different. Some unfold in seconds, instantly bringing operations to a standstill, while others remain undetected for weeks or even months, quietly exfiltrating sensitive information. What unites them is the impact: business disruption, financial loss, reputational harm, and in some cases, regulatory penalties.
As we highlighted in our previous article, attackers are increasingly turning to social engineering to exploit human vulnerabilities. However, organisations cannot afford to prepare for just one threat vector…
From ransomware outbreaks to insider threats, every business - regardless of size, sector, or digital maturity, must assume that a range of incidents are inevitable.
The crucial differentiator is response.
What you do in the first few minutes and hours of an incident can determine whether it is a manageable disruption or a business-defining crisis. A well-prepared Incident Response (IR) plan, combined with 24/7 monitoring and expert support, is a crucial safeguard against the range of cyber risks that exist to your business.
In this article, we examine four common cyber incident scenarios that organisations face today. For each, we explain the risks, the methods attackers use, and how PureCyber’s incident response specialists would act to detect, contain, and remediate the threat.
Incident 1: Ransomware Outbreak
The Threat
Ransomware continues to dominate headlines because of its devastating impact. Hospitals, schools, councils, manufacturers, and retailers alike have all found themselves paralysed by systems encrypted and locked until a ransom is paid. For smaller businesses, a single outbreak can be existential.
Attack Method
Attackers typically begin with a phishing campaign, luring a user into opening a malicious attachment or enabling macros in an Office document. Once inside, the malware spreads laterally across the network, seeking high-value systems and backup repositories before encrypting files. Finally, a ransom note demands payment, often in cryptocurrency, with the threat of permanent data loss or double extortion via stolen data leaks.
Response Method
PureCyber’s SOC is trained to spot early signs of ransomware activity such as unusual file encryption patterns, anomalous PowerShell activity, or spikes in CPU usage. Once detected:
Containment: Analysts isolate infected endpoints and block lateral traffic to prevent further spread.
Investigation: The IR team identifies the entry point, often tracing back to phishing or unpatched vulnerabilities.
Remediation: Malicious files are removed, and persistence mechanisms dismantled.
Recovery: Systems are restored from secure offline backups, which PureCyber helps organisations configure and regularly test.
Decision Support: Leadership is guided through critical decisions - whether law enforcement should be engaged, how to notify affected stakeholders, and whether cyber insurance applies.
Incident Outcome
With rapid containment and tested recovery playbooks, downtime is minimised, business operations resume, and the organisation avoids paying ransom demands.
Incident 2: Business Email Compromise (BEC)
The Threat
Business Email Compromise is one of the most financially damaging cyber crimes worldwide. Unlike ransomware, it does not rely on sophisticated malware, but instead exploits trust and authority. Attackers impersonate senior executives or suppliers, tricking employees into transferring funds or disclosing sensitive information.
Attack Method
BEC attacks often follow a clear pattern:
Attackers spoof or compromise an email account.
Finance staff receive an urgent request for a wire transfer or invoice payment.
Social engineering tactics (confidentiality, urgency, authority) pressure the employee into acting quickly.
In many cases, attackers spend weeks studying a target organisation’s internal communications, learning writing styles, common supplier names, and payment workflows to make their request more convincing.
Response Method
Once suspicious activity is flagged, PureCyber’s SOC and Incident Response teams act quickly:
Verification: Malicious domains and spoofed accounts are identified and blocked.
Investigation: Mail flow logs and MFA enforcement are reviewed to confirm if credentials were stolen.
Containment: Access to compromised accounts is terminated, and passwords reset.
Financial Action: Finance teams are immediately engaged to halt transfers or recover funds through banking channels.
Awareness: Affected teams are briefed, and a broader communication is issued to prevent secondary attempts.
Incident Outcome
The financial impact is minimised, reputational damage avoided, and longer-term resilience is built through DMARC/SPF/DKIM implementation and continuous awareness training.
Incident 3: Insider Threat and Data Exfiltration
The Threat
Insider threats are among the hardest to detect, as they exploit legitimate access. They may arise from malicious insiders - disgruntled employees seeking to harm the company, or negligent insiders who inadvertently mishandle data.
Either way, the result can be catastrophic: loss of intellectual property, breach of customer trust, and GDPR fines.
Attack Method
An employee with access to sensitive data downloads large volumes of files.
Data is transferred to external cloud accounts, personal email, or removable drives.
Traditional defences fail because activity appears to come from an authorised user.
Response Method
PureCyber’s SOC leverages User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA) to flag unusual patterns such as access outside working hours, large file transfers, or attempts to bypass DLP controls. Once detected:
Containment: The user account is locked down, and suspicious sessions terminated.
Forensics: Analysts determine what data was accessed, copied, or exfiltrated.
Collaboration: HR and legal teams are engaged to assess intent and next steps.
Compliance: If personal data is involved, PureCyber guides the organisation through regulatory notification processes such as GDPR.
Hardening: Access rights are reviewed, and additional controls introduced, including stricter role-based access and enhanced monitoring.
Incident Outcome
The incident is contained, potential data exposure assessed, and insider risk controls tightened to prevent repeat events.
Incident 4: Supply Chain Compromise
The Threat
Modern organisations depend on complex supply chains, relying on software providers, IT contractors, and service partners.
This interconnectedness creates risk: if a supplier is compromised, the impact cascades down to every business that relies on them. High-profile breaches in recent years have shown how damaging such attacks can be.
Attack Method
Attackers tamper with a trusted supplier’s software update, inserting malicious code.
Customers deploy the update, unknowingly introducing backdoors into their networks.
Attackers gain persistence, allowing them to steal data, move laterally, or prepare for future attacks.
Response Method
PureCyber’s SOC looks for abnormal application behaviours, unusual outbound traffic, or privilege escalations following updates. Once a supply chain compromise is suspected:
Isolation: The affected application is disabled or rolled back.
Analysis: IR teams investigate which systems were impacted and whether backdoors remain.
Remediation: Malicious artefacts are removed, and secure patches deployed.
Framework Building: PureCyber works with leadership to introduce vendor risk assessments, zero trust segmentation, and continuous monitoring across the supply chain.
Incident Outcome
The organisation regains control of its systems and establishes stronger safeguards against third-party risk in the future.
The Role of PureCyber’s Service Stack
Across all four scenarios, one factor stands out: speed and expertise.
Cyber attacks can escalate within minutes. Without constant monitoring and prepared response playbooks, the damage can quickly spiral.
PureCyber provides a comprehensive service stack designed to protect organisations across the full lifecycle of an incident:
24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC): Real-time monitoring and alert triage.
Incident Response Specialists: Expert containment, remediation, and recovery guidance.
Threat Intelligence & Forensics: Deep analysis of attacker tactics to strengthen defences.
Governance & Awareness: Training programmes and board-level simulations to embed resilience.
Resilience Planning: Ensuring that backup and recovery strategies are tested and effective.
Recommendations for Organisations
To minimise the risk and impact of future incidents, every organisation should:
Conduct regular cyber awareness training, including phishing and social engineering simulations.
Maintain and rehearse incident response playbooks so decision-making is clear during crises.
Harden endpoints by removing unnecessary applications, enforcing least privilege access, and reducing attack surface.
Deploy layered security tools such as SIEM, MXDR, and advanced firewall monitoring.
Assess and monitor supply chain partners to reduce third-party risks.
Partner with a trusted cyber security provider like PureCyber to ensure 24/7 vigilance and rapid response.
Preparedness is the Ultimate Defence
No organisation is immune to cyber threats.
Ransomware, BEC, insider risks, and supply chain compromises may vary in method, but they all share a capacity for disruption and financial harm. The difference lies in whether your organisation is prepared.
PureCyber’s incident response framework empowers businesses to detect attacks earlier, contain threats faster, and recover more effectively. By combining cutting-edge monitoring, forensic expertise, and practical governance support, PureCyber ensures that organisations are not only able to survive incidents but to learn and emerge stronger.
In an increasingly persistent and targeted threat landscape, attackers only need one weakness. With PureCyber as your partner, you gain a constant line of defence - one that keeps watch over your systems day and night, ready to respond the moment a threat emerges. A prepared organisation is a safe one – and PureCyber is here to help you stay prepared.
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