Digital Threat Types and Cyber Issues

A plain-English guide to common digital threats and the evidence that can help explain what happened.

Threats we help people understand

Digital incidents often overlap. A phishing email can become account takeover, account takeover can become invoice fraud, and invoice fraud can become a privacy breach. Naming the threat correctly helps direct the response and avoids expensive guesswork.

Threat diagnosis matters

A specialist consultation helps determine which evidence sources can confirm or rule out each possibility. The same symptoms can point to different causes: a strange login may be a stolen password, a shared device, a malicious app, a remote support tool, or simply a user travelling. The job is to test the story against evidence.

What to preserve before asking for help

  • Original emails, SMS messages, call records, links and attachments.
  • Screenshots showing dates, times, sender details and error messages.
  • Account login history, mailbox rules and recovery settings.
  • Device names, serial numbers, cloud accounts and affected users.
  • A plain timeline of what happened and what has already been changed.

If you are unsure whether something is evidence, keep a copy and ask before deleting it. Small details often explain the timeline.

Related help

Evidence checklist

A practical list of what to preserve before logs, screenshots or account records disappear.

Need clear next steps?

Speak with a digital forensic specialist before evidence is lost.

Tell us what happened, what devices or accounts are involved, and how urgent it is. We will help you frame the right response.

Request a consultation