Real examples of recovery — and the lessons that keep companies alive.
Cyber incidents happen in every industry. What separates businesses that survive from those that collapse isn’t luck — it’s how they respond. Here are five real-world style recovery cases (anonymized but based on typical scenarios we see) — and what you can take from them.
Case 1 — Ransomware Hits a Small E-Commerce Business
The incident
A phishing email led to ransomware encrypting the company’s order management system. All orders, inventory lists, and shipping data became inaccessible.
How they recovered
- Backups saved the day — daily offsite backups allowed them to restore 90% of data within 24 hours.
- Used an alternate payment and order system while recovery was ongoing.
- Communicated with customers immediately about the disruption.
Business takeaway
Backups must be tested, not just scheduled.
Recovery plans should include temporary workflows to keep operations moving.
Case 2 — Ex-Contractor Still Had Access
The incident
A marketing contractor left the company but still had admin rights to the CRM. Months later, unusual bulk exports were noticed.
How they recovered
- Immediately revoked all outdated accounts.
- Ran a full audit of every SaaS tool to identify leftover access.
- Added a mandatory offboarding checklist for HR + IT.
Business takeaway
- Offboarding is as crucial as onboarding.
- Access reviews every quarter, catch mistakes before they become incidents.
Case 3 — Public File Exposure
The incident
A shared Google Drive folder marked “anyone with the link” was indexed by search engines. It contained client contracts.
How they recovered
- Removed public links and replaced with secure sharing via an internal portal.
- Notified affected clients and explained mitigation steps.
- Introduced file-sharing guidelines and trained all staff.
Business takeaway
- Public sharing should be rare and time-limited.
- Monitoring tools that detect exposed files reduce discovery time.
Case 4 — Malware Stealer Infection
The incident
A staff laptop was infected via a fake software installer. Browser-saved passwords and session cookies were stolen, giving attackers access to multiple business tools.
How they recovered
- Reimaged the device instead of trying to clean it.
- Reset all passwords and revoked all active sessions.
- Deployed a company-wide “no passwords in browsers” policy with a password manager.
Business takeaway
- Stealer malware bypasses 2FA with stolen sessions — prevention and fast reaction are critical.
- Device re-imaging is the only safe option after an infection.
Case 5 — Forgotten Subdomain Hijacked
The incident
A subdomain from a 2019 marketing campaign still pointed to an unused hosting service. Attackers noticed the dangling DNS record, claimed the hosting space, and used it to host a phishing site — under the company’s brand.
How they recovered
- Immediately took down the malicious content by removing the DNS entry and notifying the hosting provider.
- Conducted a complete domain/subdomain inventory to identify other unused records.
- Added regular asset discovery scans to their routine.
Business takeaway
- Forgotten infrastructure is a silent threat.
- Asset inventories should be continuous, not one-time tasks.
Final Thought
Incidents don’t just test your IT — they test your preparedness, processes, and communication. Businesses that recover fastest:
- Already know what assets they have
- Have rehearsed recovery steps
- Communicate clearly during disruption
The best time to plan recovery is before you need it.
