Darktrace Email Security Trial Detected Supplier BEC and Microsoft 365 Account Takeover
Summary
In a customer trial, Darktrace says its email security tool detected four malicious supplier emails and anomalous activity linked to a Microsoft 365 account takeover, while operating in passive mode.
Key points
- A European infrastructure operator evaluated Darktrace alongside two other email security vendors.
- A compromised supplier account sent four targeted emails using an existing trusted conversation; a user reported them before anyone clicked the link.
- Darktrace identified the emails as anomalous and assessed their link as likely phishing, although the link used a legitimate, widely used domain.
- After the supplier recovered its account, Darktrace distinguished its legitimate warning emails from the earlier malicious messages.
- On the trial’s second day, a Microsoft 365 account was compromised through an email. Darktrace flagged unusual logins, credential activity, and use of a rare endpoint.
- Darktrace was in passive mode, so it did not block the attacks; the company says it would have blocked the emails and taken action on the compromised account in autonomous mode.
Article Details
- Topic
- Darktrace / EMAIL's detection of two business email compromise incidents during a customer trial, including a supplier-account supply chain attack and a Microsoft 365 account takeover.
Vendors
Products
Darktrace / EMAILwith the aim of soliciting users to click on a link – directly tapping into existing conversations. Darktrace / EMAIL was configured in passive mode during this trial; it would otherwise have held the emails beforeDarktrace / IDENTITYis always part of Darktrace / EMAIL, which can be extended to fully cover Microsoft 365 SaaS with Darktrace / IDENTITY. By bringing SaaS activity into scope, security teams also benefit from an extended set of useMicrosoft 365 Apps for Enterpriseright-hand side – in this instance Darktrace did not take action and let the emails through.Attack 2: Microsoft 365 account takeover