If you suspect an active attack on your business, call our emergency hotline at: 612-399-9680
If you suspect an active attack on your business, call our emergency hotline at: 612-399-9680
INDUSTRY: MANUFACTURING
$700K Lost to APT: Removing a Deeply Embedded Threat
Service: Phishing & APT Recovery
$700k
In Stolen Payments
Months
Of Undetected Dwell Time
2,000+
Employees
THE STORY
A large manufacturing company discovered that $700,000 was missing due to intercepted client payments, a sign of a sophisticated phishing and Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attack.
The attacker had been quietly operating within the company’s network for months, rerouting funds and avoiding detection. Blue Team Alpha stepped in to identify, contain, and ultimately evict the attacker, despite outdated systems and insufficient logging. Our intervention helped the company regain control of its environment and avoid future compromise.
Challenges
The company faced a stealthy and prolonged cyberattack that went undetected for months, culminating in the theft of $700,000 through intercepted email payments. The attacker was deeply embedded in the network, and due to poor logging practices and outdated infrastructure, determining the original point of entry was impossible.
Legacy applications and unpatched systems gave the attacker long-term access and made full containment a challenge. The organization’s lack of modern defenses and visibility hindered response efforts and increased exposure to ongoing risk.
SOLUTIONS
Blue Team Alpha’s elite responders went head-to-head with the attacker and successfully removed them from the environment. While full containment was unfeasible due to legacy system vulnerabilities, we achieved “reasonable containment” to begin eradication.
Our team worked swiftly to evict the attacker and stabilize the network. We also engaged the FBI to attempt recovery of the stolen funds. Although the extended dwell time limited the FBI’s ability to recover the money, Blue Team Alpha provided strategic remediation guidance. Over a year later, the company remains secure, with no further incidents reported.
- Threat Actor Eviction
- Post-Incident Stabilization
- Remediation Guidance
Benefits & outcomes
1.
ATTACKER FULLY REMOVED FROM ENVIRONMENT
- Despite poor system hygiene and limited logs, our team evicted the threat actor completely
- Eliminated active risk from within the network infrastructure
2.
STRATEGIC INCIDENT REMEDIATION PLAN
- Delivered practical, high-impact steps to modernize systems and close critical gaps
- Helped leadership prioritize updates and implement stronger controls
3.
LONG-TERM SECURITY STABILITY
- More than 12 months with no further incidents post-response
- Company regained operational confidence with measurable improvements
About Blue Team Alpha
Blue Team Alpha is a veteran-owned, comprehensive cybersecurity force on a mission to secure and defend America’s critical infrastructure.
We offer advisory, offensive and technical services with deep roots and a specialty in incident management.
- Over 50 security certifications
- Talent hand-selected from NSA, CIA, DoD, & more
- Decades of industry experience
- Recover systems 80% faster than average
- Experience in all 16 critical infrastructure sectors
Get the Help You Need. Fast.
Our clients can typically resume normal business operations in an average of just 4 days
