A Technical Case Study on a Social Engineering Attack

Presentation:

This presentation walks through a real-world social engineering case in which an executive at a large international company was targeted by email bombing, fake IT support calls, and misuse of remote access tools as part of a likely Black Basta ransomware operation. Jeremy Czarny, Principal Security Consultant at Cyderes, will detail how the DFIR team independently validated the intrusion, reconstructed the attack timeline, assessed data exfiltration risk, and correlated the activity with broader threat intelligence. Attendees will gain practical insights into how similar attacks unfold in the wild, the forensic evidence that matters most, and concrete technical and non-technical steps organizations can take to harden defenses, train executives and executive assistants, and reduce the impact of future incidents.

Bio:

Jeremy Czarny is a Principal Security Consultant in the Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) practice at Cyderes, with over 15 years of experience in digital forensics, incident response, and cyber investigations across government and private-sector environments. Prior to joining Cyderes, he supported the FBI’s Cyber Technical Analysis Unit and other investigative programs as a digital forensics engineer and IT specialist, leading complex intrusion, malware, and network investigations. Jeremy holds an M.S. in Computer Forensics from George Mason University and certifications including GIAC GSEC, GCIH, GCFA, and FBI CART/DExT. He now leads large-scale DFIR engagements, mentors emerging incident responders, and works closely with clients to strengthen their detection, response, and threat-hunting capabilities.