When a UK automotive insurance provider operating across the reseller market began to see a rise in suspicious activity, their concerns were immediate and justified.

What the client needed to understand

• Who is watching our organisation online?
• Why are particular threat actors targeting us so persistently?
• Do we need to reset employee passwords as a precaution?
• Why are we seeing a spike in phishing emails right now?

Like many organisations in the automotive and insurance sectors, their brand presence made them a high-value target for impersonation, credential harvesting, and social engineering campaigns.

The Challenge: Visibility and Control of the Digital Footprint

The client’s challenge wasn’t simply the volume of threats, it was the lack of certainty. Without reliable visibility, teams can end up reacting to individual incidents without understanding the wider pattern behind them.

They needed a solution that could:

• Identify and track relevant threat activity targeting the brand
• Provide evidence-led answers to security and leadership teams
• Support fast action against imitation sites and phishing infrastructure
• Report on trends over time, not just one-off alerts

Our Approach: Deploying Threat Intelligence with Monthly Reporting

Hanco deployed a dedicated threat intelligence capability aligned to the client’s digital footprint and risk profile.

This provided:

• Clear insight into threat actor behaviour, including what was being targeted and how
• Monthly reporting on trends, themes, and priority risks
• Actionable takedowns of imitation websites and brand abuse activity
• Improved decision-making around phishing response, comms, and user awareness

Rather than working from assumptions, the client gained an evidence-based view of what was happening and what to do next.

Results: Actionable Takedowns and a Stronger Brand Presence

One of the most valuable outcomes was the ability to move quickly on brand impersonation. By identifying and removing fraudulent sites faster, the organisation reduced customer risk and improved internal confidence in how threats were handled.

An unexpected benefit was an uptick in brand confidence and not from marketing, but from improved control and protection of the brand’s online presence.

Why Continuous Monitoring Still Matters

It’s important to note: threat pressure didn’t disappear. The client has not seen an overall reduction in malicious activity around their perimeter, which is common in sectors routinely targeted by phishing and impersonation campaigns.

That’s why continuous monitoring remains essential: the goal is not to hope threats stop, but to maintain visibility, reduce exposure, and respond quickly when attackers adapt.

Key Takeaways