The one where we turned a telecom’s security nightmare into a masterclass in resilience

But assumptions don’t stop attackers. And they certainly don’t stop us. When CovertSwarm initiated a no-holds-barred offensive against this telecommunications giant, we didn’t just find cracks in their armor. We built cathedrals through them.

The backdrop

This wasn’t the client’s first rodeo. A telecommunications heavyweight, they claimed to have a comprehensive security posture built around industry standards. With multiple layers of security tools, compliance mechanisms, and a team that understood the nuances of cyber risk, they believed they were difficult targets—a fortress of enterprise-grade solutions.

But in a digital landscape where the threat isn’t just complex but constant, their concerns weren’t entirely misplaced. They reached out to CovertSwarm, curious to test the limits of their defenses. Their goal was simple: confirm their assumptions or adapt to bone-chilling realities.

The gut punch

It didn’t take long for the cracks to show. Our OSINT team discovered peculiarities with exposed web applications—keys to a small but significant point of entry. Bearer tokens inside accessible API code appeared ripe for use, giving us the ability to send emails from within their domain, bypassing basic protections.

But we didn’t stop there. Why send a single malicious email when you can build an entire campaign? Using this API access, we pulled a list of authorized users, crafting a narrative to create a phishing campaign so convincing it slithered through their trust systems undetected.

We then exploited a ticketing system weakness to escalate matters further. What looked like a mundane portal for customer queries became a launchpad for sustained attacks. From here, we uploaded a cleverly disguised file—a “critical update” link hosted on their own servers. The accompanying payload wasn’t just malicious; it was surgical, leveraging their internal architecture to communicate trust and authenticity at every step.

No external flags. No alarms. Just two unsuspecting beacons from their team taking the encoded bait.

The solution

Our approach wasn’t just to compromise—it was to educate. Every step was designed to reinforce why reactive, sporadic pen testing is a relic of the past. Continuous, adaptive assault isn’t just a scary hypothesis—it’s the reality of cyber threats today.

Through detailed reporting and post-breach consultation, we tackled each vulnerability from the ground up:

• API Security: We guided their teams to lock down API bearer tokens, implement stricter authentication protocols, and monitor anomalies actively.

• Phishing Defense: By emulating convincing attacker techniques, we provided strategies to counteract the growing sophistication of phishing emails.

• Internal Link Trust: Demonstrating how we leveraged their own resources against them, we highlighted how to segment trust boundaries across internal systems.

• System Inspection: Installing a robust process for scanning uploaded files and better tracking system calls to prevent payload execution.

We didn’t just leave them with a PDF and a pat on the back. We walked them through remediation and empowered their teams with better incident response capabilities.

The revelation

The results were undeniable. A company once overly reliant on traditional security models now saw the unfiltered reality of modern cyber risks. Key outcomes included:

• Improved Vigilance: Their IT and security teams began proactively monitoring all attack surfaces, both internal and public-facing.

• Strengthened Processes: Robust internal guidelines for API, file handling, and response measures were deployed within weeks.

• Redefined Strategy: They shifted from sporadic pen testing to fully adopting CovertSwarm’s constant attack subscription, recognizing it as the only proactive method of securing their operations.

Or, as their head of security put it:

“This wasn’t just a wake-up call. It was a rallying cry. The insights and comprehensive support we got from CovertSwarm gave us not only the perspective we didn’t know we needed but the foundation to move forward confidently.”

The reckoning

What does this story tell us? Understanding your vulnerabilities isn’t enough. You need a relentless adversary at your side, constantly poking, prodding, and exposing gaps before the bad actors do.

The stakes couldn’t be higher for organizations navigating today’s threat landscape. Sporadic pen tests are like crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. CovertSwarm delivers certainty. Exhaustive, relentless, and intelligent attacks that ensure your business stays one step ahead of the real enemy.

Isn’t it time you saw what a real attack could uncover?

Unleash the Swarm and take control of your cyber risks today.