Industries We Serve

Every organisation holds data worth stealing and runs systems worth disrupting. Whether you operate a chain of GP surgeries or a global SaaS platform, threat actors will exploit the same misconfigurations, the same credential-stuffing campaigns, and the same zero-day vulnerabilities. What changes is the regulatory landscape, the operational impact of downtime, and the data types at risk. Below, we outline how our incident response and digital forensics capabilities map to the sectors we most frequently support.

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Healthcare & NHS Trusts

Healthcare organisations are high-value targets because they hold sensitive patient data and run systems where downtime can endanger life. NHS trusts, private hospitals, pharmaceutical firms, and care providers all face a threat landscape shaped by ageing infrastructure, interconnected clinical systems, and a workforce under constant pressure. Binary Response has supported NHS trusts and private healthcare providers through incidents ranging from ransomware that encrypted PACS imaging servers to business email compromise targeting procurement teams.

Typical incidents: Ransomware targeting clinical systems and electronic patient records, compromise of NHS Mail or Microsoft 365 tenancies, data exfiltration of patient identifiable data (PID), supply-chain attacks via third-party clinical software, and insider threats involving unauthorised access to patient records.

Regulatory considerations: Healthcare incidents frequently trigger obligations under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, with mandatory 72-hour breach notification to the ICO where personal data is compromised. NHS trusts must also report significant incidents to NHS England through the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). Our breach notification support service helps organisations meet these deadlines with accurate, defensible reporting.

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Financial Services (FCA-Regulated)

Banks, building societies, insurance firms, fintechs, and wealth managers operate under some of the most stringent regulatory regimes in the world. A cyber incident in financial services is never just a technology problem — it is a regulatory event, a reputational crisis, and a systemic concern. Binary Response works with FCA-regulated entities to contain incidents rapidly, preserve evidence to forensic standards, and produce reporting that satisfies both internal boards and external regulators.

Typical incidents: Business email compromise and authorised push payment (APP) fraud, ransomware targeting core banking or trading platforms, credential harvesting and account takeover at scale, insider trading facilitated by compromised communications, and advanced persistent threats (APTs) targeting intellectual property or transaction data.

Regulatory considerations: FCA-regulated firms must notify the FCA of material cyber incidents without undue delay. PRA-regulated firms face additional operational resilience requirements under SS1/21. The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR) means individual accountability is real — a poorly handled incident can have personal consequences for senior management. We provide forensic reporting calibrated for FCA, PRA, and ICO submissions, and can support firms through Section 166 skilled person reviews where cyber incidents trigger regulatory scrutiny. Our IR retainer is particularly popular with financial services clients who need guaranteed response times.

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Legal & Professional Services

Law firms, accountancy practices, and consultancies are attractive targets precisely because they hold their clients' most sensitive information. A breach at a law firm doesn't just compromise one organisation — it can expose privileged communications, M&A intelligence, litigation strategy, and personal data across dozens of client matters. The reputational damage alone can be existential. Binary Response has supported Magic Circle firms, regional practices, and barristers' chambers through incidents where speed and discretion were paramount.

Typical incidents: Business email compromise impersonating partners or fee earners, ransomware encrypting document management systems and case files, targeted phishing exploiting conveyancing or completion workflows, data exfiltration of privileged legal material, and compromise of client account bank details.

Regulatory considerations: Solicitors must report serious cyber incidents to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and may face obligations under the SRA Standards and Regulations around safeguarding client confidentiality. Barristers' chambers must consider Bar Standards Board (BSB) requirements. Accountancy firms regulated by the ICAEW, ACCA, or FRC face their own reporting obligations. Legal professional privilege adds a further layer of complexity to forensic investigation — our practitioners understand how to conduct examinations without inadvertently waiving privilege. Our digital forensics and expert witness capabilities are built with evidential integrity in mind.

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Manufacturing & OT

Manufacturing, logistics, and industrial organisations face a dual threat: attacks on traditional IT infrastructure and attacks on operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS). A ransomware infection that spreads from the corporate network into production-line PLCs or SCADA systems can halt output entirely, with financial losses measured in hundreds of thousands of pounds per day. Binary Response has responded to incidents where threat actors specifically targeted OT environments, as well as cases where IT-side ransomware caused collateral disruption to manufacturing operations through flat network architectures.

Typical incidents: Ransomware propagating from IT networks into OT/ICS environments, compromise of remote access solutions used by maintenance engineers, supply-chain attacks via compromised firmware or vendor connections, intellectual property theft targeting product designs and trade secrets, and attacks exploiting legacy systems running unsupported operating systems on the factory floor.

Regulatory considerations: Manufacturers designated as operators of essential services (OES) under the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations 2018 must report incidents to the relevant competent authority. The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Act 2022 introduces additional obligations for connected product manufacturers. Organisations subject to the EU Machinery Regulation or operating across borders may face further requirements. We work alongside OT engineering teams to investigate incidents without causing further disruption to production, and our incident response methodology accounts for the safety-critical nature of industrial environments.

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Education & Universities

Universities and further education colleges are frequent targets: open network architectures, large transient user populations, valuable research data, and stretched cybersecurity budgets. A single ransomware attack during clearing or exam season can have a catastrophic impact on student outcomes. Binary Response has supported Russell Group universities and FE colleges through incidents that threatened to disrupt term-time operations, exfiltrate student records, or compromise research programmes.

Typical incidents: Ransomware timed to coincide with enrolment, exams, or grant deadlines, compromise of student and staff identity systems, data exfiltration of research data including export-controlled or dual-use material, business email compromise targeting finance and bursary departments, and abuse of high-performance computing (HPC) resources for cryptomining or as attack infrastructure.

Regulatory considerations: Universities must report personal data breaches to the ICO under UK GDPR. HESA data, student loan information, and UCAS records all constitute sensitive personal data. Research institutions handling ITAR-controlled, Official-Sensitive, or classified material face additional obligations and may need to notify funding bodies such as UKRI. Jisc provides sector-specific guidance and threat intelligence, and we coordinate with Jisc's CSIRT where appropriate. Our breach notification service helps institutions navigate the overlapping obligations to the ICO, OfS, and funding councils.

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Retail & eCommerce

Retailers process enormous volumes of payment card data and personal information, making them perennial targets for financially motivated threat actors. Whether you operate physical stores, an eCommerce platform, or both, the attack surface spans point-of-sale systems, web applications, supply-chain integrations, and customer databases. A breach during peak trading — Black Friday, Christmas, or a major product launch — amplifies both the financial and reputational impact. Binary Response has supported retailers from high-street chains to pure-play eCommerce businesses through payment card breaches, Magecart-style web skimming attacks, and large-scale credential stuffing campaigns.

Typical incidents: Web skimming and Magecart attacks injecting malicious JavaScript into checkout flows, compromise of payment card data (PCI DSS scope), large-scale credential stuffing and account takeover targeting customer accounts, ransomware disrupting warehouse management and fulfilment systems, and supply-chain compromise through third-party logistics or marketing integrations.

Regulatory considerations: Retailers handling payment card data must comply with PCI DSS, and a confirmed breach typically triggers a PCI Forensic Investigation (PFI) by a QSA. UK GDPR breach notification applies where customer personal data is compromised. The Consumer Rights Act and consumer protection regulations create additional obligations around transparency. We produce forensic evidence packages that satisfy both PCI forensic investigators and ICO reporting requirements, and our incident response team understands how to scope card data exposure rapidly to inform acquirer notifications. For organisations looking to prepare in advance, our tabletop exercises simulate realistic retail breach scenarios.

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Government & Public Sector

Central government departments, local authorities, emergency services, and arms-length bodies face threats from nation-state actors, hacktivists, and opportunistic criminals alike. The public sector holds some of the most sensitive data in the country — from citizen records and benefits data to law enforcement intelligence and national security material. Binary Response supports public sector organisations through incidents where the combination of political sensitivity, data classification, and public accountability demands the highest standards of forensic rigour and discretion.

Typical incidents: Nation-state-sponsored intrusions targeting policy, intelligence, or diplomatic communications, ransomware attacks on local authorities disrupting public services, compromise of citizen-facing digital services and data repositories, supply-chain attacks through shared services platforms and managed service providers, and insider threats involving unauthorised access to sensitive government data.

Regulatory considerations: Government organisations must comply with the Government Cyber Security Strategy, the Minimum Cyber Security Standard, and the requirements of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Incidents involving classified material require reporting through established government channels. Local authorities must comply with UK GDPR and may be subject to audit by the ICO. The NIS Regulations apply to public sector bodies operating essential services. Our practitioners hold appropriate security clearances and have experience producing forensic reports for government stakeholders. We work alongside the NCSC and law enforcement where required, and our ransomware negotiation capability supports decision-making in high-pressure scenarios where public funds and public services are at stake.

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Technology & SaaS

Technology companies and SaaS providers face a unique challenge: a breach of their platform is a breach of every customer who relies on it. Threat actors know this, which is why software supply-chain attacks, cloud infrastructure compromises, and source code theft have become defining incidents of the current threat landscape. Binary Response supports technology firms from startups to established vendors through incidents where the blast radius extends far beyond the organisation itself, and where transparent customer communication is as critical as technical containment.

Typical incidents: Compromise of CI/CD pipelines and source code repositories, cloud infrastructure attacks exploiting misconfigured IAM, Kubernetes, or serverless functions, supply-chain attacks where malicious code is injected into customer-facing products, theft of proprietary algorithms, training data, or intellectual property, and API abuse and data scraping at scale targeting customer data.

Regulatory considerations: SaaS providers acting as data processors under UK GDPR must notify affected data controllers without undue delay, triggering a cascade of downstream notifications. The NIS Regulations 2018 designate certain digital service providers as relevant digital service providers (RDSPs) with incident reporting obligations to the ICO. Companies listed on public markets face additional disclosure requirements. Venture-backed firms may need to notify investors under the terms of their funding agreements. Our incident response team understands cloud-native architectures and can investigate across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments. For SaaS providers seeking proactive preparation, our IR retainer and security assessments help reduce the likelihood and impact of a platform-level compromise.

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Cross-Sector Capabilities

Regardless of your industry, every engagement with Binary Response benefits from the same core capabilities: 24/7 incident response led by senior practitioners, forensic-grade evidence handling that stands up in court, breach notification support that meets regulatory deadlines, ransomware negotiation informed by real threat intelligence, and threat intelligence drawn from hundreds of prior engagements. We also offer dark web monitoring to identify exposed data, malware analysis to understand attacker tooling, and cyber insurance support to help you navigate the claims process.