Email Forensic Analysis: Exposing a Multi-National Corporate Espionage Ring

The Suspicion: Leaked Product Blueprints

A multinational corporation was shocked to find their upcoming product designs in the hands of a competitor. With no obvious signs of a network hack, they suspected Corporate Espionage. Kian Technologies was called in to perform a deep-dive Email Forensic Analysis on their Microsoft Exchange servers.

Forensic Methodology: Following the Header

Investigators didn’t just look at the content of the emails; they looked at the metadata. The investigation involved:

• Header Analysis: By examining the "X-Originating-IP" and "Received" headers, the team identified that sensitive emails were being accessed from unauthorized locations.
• Hidden Forwarding Rules: The breakthrough came when investigators discovered an "Inbox Rule" on an employee’s account that automatically forwarded any email containing the keyword "Project_X" to an external encrypted ProtonMail account.
• Exchange Log Correlation: We matched the time of these forwardings with the employee’s login sessions, proving the act was intentional and not an automated virus.

The Outcome: Strengthening Email Governance

The "Mole" was identified as a senior engineer who had been bribed by a competitor. Following the investigation, the company implemented DLP (Data Loss Prevention) rules that block the creation of external forwarding rules without admin approval. This case highlights why email security is the frontline of corporate defense.

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