Data Breach & Internal Threats Detection at a Financial Company

Summary

• An employee in the customer service team tried to copy over 15 GB of sensitive customer data to a USB drive after work hours.
• The company hired TechForing to quietly investigate and detect the employee without interrupting daily work.
• TechForing used tools like Exabeam, Splunk UBA, and CrowdStrike to find, block, and stop the suspicious activity.
• Forensic analysis confirmed the data wasn't leaked externally, and strong evidence was collected for internal action.
• The TechForing team improved company security by adding encryption, multi-factor authentication, and training staff to spot insider risks.

In the financial services world, keeping customer data safe is very important. Even one person inside the company can cause big problems by trying to steal sensitive data or information.

This case study shows how we helped a financial company find and stop an employee who was trying to take private customer data.

Our client was a growing financial company handling thousands of customers’ private data every day, such as personal details, bank accounts, and transaction records. Keeping this information safe was very important for both the law and their customers’ trust.

One afternoon, their security team saw something unusual in the network activity logs. An employee from the customer service team, who usually only looked at a small number of customer files, was suddenly copying large amounts of sensitive data late at night when almost no one else was working. Over a 48-hour period, this person transferred more than 15 gigabytes of confidential files to an outside USB device.

Since about 34% of all data breaches in finance come from inside the company, this behavior was a serious warning sign. The employee had permission to access some information, but what he did was much more than his job required - it looked like he was trying to steal or sell customer data.

The company got worried - if this data was taken outside, it could lead to identity theft for customers, heavy fines, and damage to the company’s reputation. They needed to act quickly before the data was leaked.

Knowing how serious this was, the company contacted TechForing. We started investigating immediately.

Challenges

• Investigating quietly without alerting the employee, because early warning could cause data to be deleted or hidden.
• The current security tools were not made to catch insider threats or small, unusual actions.
• Following strict rules like GDPR and other financial laws throughout the whole investigation.
• Keeping the business running normally while doing a detailed check of the systems.
• Handling a large amount of sensitive financial data carefully to avoid accidental leaks or loss.

Objectives

• Find, confirm, and quietly stop the employee’s unauthorized access and data copying.
• Keep and protect clear digital proof to help with company actions or legal steps.
• Set up better user behavior tracking and security tools made for financial companies.
• Make internal controls stronger to stop insider threats and reduce mistakes.
• Provide focused training to staff to help them spot and report suspicious actions inside the company.

We used the following cybersecurity tools such as:

• Exabeam
• Splunk User Behavior Analytics
• CrowdStrike Falcon
• SentinelOne
• Symantec Data Loss Prevention
• Digital Guardian
• FTK Imager
• Autopsy
• Wireshark
• Zeek
• IBM QRadar
• Splunk Enterprise
• Microsoft Azure Information Protection
• Multi-Factor Authentication tools
• KnowBe4

We used an eight-step process to stop the data breach:

1. Finding Suspicious Behavior with User Analytics

We began by using Exabeam and Splunk User Behavior Analytics to understand what normal employee activity looked like. These tools quickly alerted us when the employee started accessing large amounts of sensitive data late at night, which was very different from their usual work patterns.

2. Isolating Devices and Real-Time Threat Response

With CrowdStrike Falcon and SentinelOne, we immediately separate the employee’s devices from the company network. These Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools gave us a real-time view of what the employee’s computer was doing, stopped harmful actions, and made sure the employee could not take any more data.

3. Stopping Data Leaks with DLP Tools

We set up Symantec Data Loss Prevention and Digital Guardian to monitor data transfers out of the company. These tools blocked the employee from copying files to USB drives and raised alarms whenever sensitive customer information was being moved in ways that were not allowed. This blocked the employee’s attempts to steal data.

4. Forensic Imaging and Analysis

With FTK Imager, we made exact copies of the employee’s computers and external devices for investigation. Then, with Autopsy, we analyzed these copies and found deleted files, detailed records of when data was accessed, and proof of using removable drives. The evidence showed the employee’s actions and intentions.

5. Network Traffic Capture and Analysis

We used Wireshark and Zeek to record and check all network data traffic to see if the employee sent stolen data outside the company. These tools showed no signs that the data was sent out over the internet, which meant the employee had not yet successfully shared the stolen data beyond copying it to USB drives.

6. Collecting and Linking Logs

We gathered logs from computers, network devices, and security systems into IBM QRadar and Splunk Enterprise. This allowed us to see the full story of the employee’s actions- from first suspicious access to attempts to move data- helping the company with their internal investigation and compliance requirements.

7. Improving Security with Encryption

To protect against future threats from inside the company, we used Microsoft Azure Information Protection to encrypt sensitive data both when stored and when sent. We also set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all important user accounts, making it much difficult for unauthorized people to get access.

8. Improving Staff Awareness

Knowing many insider threats come from mistakes or a lack of knowledge, we used KnowBe4 to run phishing tests and training sessions focused on insider risks. This helped employees learn how to spot suspicious actions, understand the impact of data theft, and know how to report concerns quickly.

• The employee was caught before he could steal or share any customer data.
• No data was leaked, and the company avoided a serious data breach.
• Business continued as normal - there was no downtime or disruption during the process.
• The company avoided reputational damage and preserved the trust of its clients.
• Employees received training to better spot and report suspicious behavior.
• The company improved its internal security and is now better prepared for future threats.

The case shows that not all cybersecurity threats come from outside. Sometimes, the real danger is already inside the company. With a deep investigation and taking the right steps, we helped the financial company avoid a serious data breach.

Most importantly, this incident was a wake-up call: even trusted employees need to be monitored closely.

If your company wants to prevent insider threats before they become a problem, our team is ready to help you 24/7.

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