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Internacious • Urgent Response
M365 Containment • Sydney

Business Email Compromise Response for Microsoft 365

If a mailbox, login, or user account looks compromised, we help Sydney businesses contain it promptly. Revoke sessions. Reset access. Remove the persistence mechanisms attackers leave behind. We'll document our response so you know what happened and what to do next.

This is focused containment for Microsoft-first businesses on Microsoft 365, not a generic cyber security discussion.

Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive coverage
Focused on quickly containing the incident
Built for small and mid-sized Microsoft-first businesses
What Attackers Do After Getting In
Stay signed in
Resetting the password doesn't kill active sessions. Refresh tokens keep the attacker authenticated for hours or days.
Hide their activity
Inbox rules named “.” forward mail externally or delete security alerts on arrival. These survive a password reset.
Plant persistence
OAuth app consents, registered devices, MFA method changes. Secondary access paths to get back in after you reset the password.
Move laterally
Teams messages, SharePoint files, OneDrive, shared mailboxes. If they had admin privileges, the exposure widens significantly.
A password reset alone is not enough. You need to revoke sessions, check for persistence, and review the full scope of what was accessed.

Why a Compromised Mailbox Is Not Just an Email Problem

Most businesses think they've taken care of a compromised account once they reset the password. That is not the case.

If an attacker got in through a phishing link or a stolen credential, they've probably done more than read a few emails. Here's what we commonly find when we investigate:

The attacker is still signed in

Resetting a password doesn't kill active sessions. If the attacker authenticated before the reset and grabbed a refresh token, they can stay signed in for hours or days afterwards. You need to revoke sessions explicitly. That is a separate step.

Inbox rules are hiding activity

Attackers create forwarding rules (with rule names like “.” so they're hard to pick on first glance) that copy inbound email to an external address. Or they set up rules that move specific messages—like password resets or security alerts—straight into a folder the user never checks, or delete them on arrival. These rules survive a password reset.

Repercussions extend beyond the mailbox

A compromised M365 account beyond email also gets: Teams messages, SharePoint files, and OneDrive documents, shared mailboxes. If they had admin privileges, even limited ones, the exposure widens significantly and requires further escalation.

Devices may be affected

If the compromise came through a phishing link clicked on a company laptop, the device itself might be affected. Cached credentials, browser sessions, saved passwords. A compromised device that stays on the network is an open door even after you've locked the account.

The attacker may have planted persistence

OAuth app consents, registered devices, MFA method changes. Attackers who know what they're doing will create secondary access paths so they can get back in even after you reset the password and revoke sessions.

What We Contain First

We get on a phone call (15 minutes, usually less), confirm what you're seeing, and start working.

Immediate

Account Restriction and Session Kill

Disable or restrict the affected account. Revoke all active sessions and refresh tokens so the attacker loses access immediately. This takes care of existing logins.

Identity

Password and MFA Review

Reset the password. Review registered MFA methods to make sure the attacker hasn't added their own authenticator or phone number. This is one of the most overlooked persistence mechanisms.

Mailbox

Mailbox Inspection

Check for inbox rules (remember the rule names are often hard to initially notice, e.g. “.”) forwarding mail externally or hiding messages. Check for mailbox delegates the user didn't set up. Review sent items and deleted items for signs of outbound phishing or BEC activity. If the attacker has been replying to financial conversations, the sooner you know, the better.

Investigation

Entra Sign-In Review

Review sign-in logs and risk signals from Entra ID. One of the very first M365 Admin tools to start with. Location is a great column to review first—where did the attacker sign in from? Also, what did they access? How did they authenticate? This tells us the timeline and scope. Sometimes it's a single phishing hit from one location. Sometimes it's a credential being used across multiple sessions from different countries.

Tenant

Broader Tenant Check

Review OAuth app consents, connected applications, admin role assignments, and any changes to security settings.

Devices

Device Assessment

If the compromised user has managed devices through Intune, we need to check compliance state and trigger actions (wipe, retire, lock) from the console. If they're on unmanaged devices, flagging what follow-up is needed becomes an action item and we can give you options.

Documentation

Written Summary

You get a written summary of what happened, what we did, what we found, and what you should do next. A short document that covers the facts, the actions taken, and the gaps that still need attention.

When This Service Fits

This is for the moment when something looks wrong and you need someone who knows M365 to step in, check it out urgently, and contain it.

A user clicked a phishing link and entered their credentials

Someone fills in their password on a page that looked like a Microsoft login. We have to work out whether the attacker actually got in, and if they did, what they touched.

A mailbox is sending email the user didn't write

Clients or colleagues are telling you they received a strange message from someone on your team. The user's Sent Items might be clean (attackers sometimes delete the evidence), but the damage is already in motion.

Microsoft sent you a security alert

An “impossible travel” alert. A risky sign-in. A user flagged as compromised in Entra Identity Protection. You can see the alert but you're not sure what to actually do about it.

You think the attacker might still have access

The password was reset but something still feels off. Maybe the user is still getting password reset emails they didn't request, or their Teams shows activity they don't recognise. Something isn't right and you don't have the tools or knowledge to investigate it.

Leadership needs this documented

The incident needs writing up. What happened. What was done. What the risk is moving forward.

What You Receive

An urgent response and scoping call (same-day, often within hours)
Containment actions executed in your M365 tenant: account restriction, session revocation, persistence removal
A confirmed checklist of every action completed during the initial response
A short findings summary covering what happened, what the attacker accessed, and any obvious persistence mechanisms found
Follow-up recommendations if broader remediation is needed (device investigation, tenant-wide policy changes, SaaS review)

M365 Breach Containment First. Then Broader Remediation Second.

What's included in the initial response

Account restriction and session revocation
Mailbox and identity review
Persistence checks in M365 (inbox rules, OAuth apps, MFA methods, admin roles)
Managed-device actions where Intune is already in place
Written findings and actions summary

What may need following up

Full digital forensics (if the compromise is complex or litigation is involved)
Endpoint investigation beyond what's visible in Intune and Defender
Third-party SaaS compromise review (if the attacker used stolen credentials on platforms outside M365)
Tenant-wide security hardening: conditional access, MFA rollout, Essential Eight uplift
Staff awareness training

If the incident looks bigger than a containment job we can either help with the next phase, or refer you to a specialist forensics firm.

Pricing

Fixed-fee for standard Microsoft 365 environments. Scope confirmed on the call.

For most incidents (a single compromised account, M365 Business Standard or Premium, straightforward containment), pricing is fixed and agreed on first before we start work. No scope creep.

Need to Contain a Compromised M365 Account Today?

If you think an attacker may still have access, start with a call. We'll confirm scope quickly and get to work.

Book a Call

Why Internacious

Expertise

Microsoft 365 is what we work in every day

Not one of ten platforms we dabble in. M365, Entra ID, Intune, Exchange Online. We know where attackers persist in these environments because we manage them for a living. Inbox rules, OAuth app consents, registered MFA methods, conditional access gaps. We know where to look because we see this stuff routinely.

Accountability

Founder-led response

When you call Internacious, you're talking to Dale Harper. Not a sales rep who'll “get the technical team involved.”

Focus

Containment first

If you want a broader Microsoft 365 security conversation after sorting out the M365 breach, let us know.

Frequently Asked Questions

Think a M365 Account Is Compromised? Call Us.

Book a 15-Minute Response Call

Sydney businesses trust us with their most urgent security incidents.

Microsoft PartnerEssential Eight AlignedFounder-Led ResponseAustralian Owned & OperatedFixed-Price Containment

Internacious – Microsoft 365 Account Compromise Lockdown

Sydney Service Areas

Sydney CBD & Inner City
Inner West
North Shore (Lower/Upper)
Northern Beaches
Eastern Suburbs
Parramatta & Greater West
Hills District
Macquarie Park/Ryde
South Sydney & St George
Sutherland Shire

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