– INCIDENT RESPONSE
Forensics & Malware Consultancy
Build In-House Forensic and Malware Analysis Capability That Uncovers, Understands, and Outpaces Advanced Threats.
Helping organizations build or enhance the specialist capabilities needed to investigate incidents, dissect adversary tooling, and generate tailored intelligence that off-the-shelf solutions cannot provide. Eristotle partners with security, SOC, and legal teams to design forensic and malware analysis programs, covering methodology, tooling, laboratory setup, governance, and skills, that deliver deep visibility into attacks, defensible investigations, and a proactive, intelligence-driven defense posture.
Look Deeper. Understand Faster. See What Off-the-Shelf Tools Miss.
As adversaries refine their tactics, leveraging fileless malware, living-off-the-land techniques, custom tooling, and targeted intrusions, relying solely on off-the-shelf security solutions inevitably leaves gaps in detection, investigation, and response capabilities. To fully understand how attacks occur, attribute them accurately, and deploy precise countermeasures, organizations need in-house forensic and malware analysis expertise.
Eristotle’s Forensic & Malware Consultancy empowers organizations to proactively tackle the rising complexity of cyber threats by designing, implementing, or refining dedicated forensic and malware analysis programs. Our consultants work alongside clients to deliver capabilities tailored to their technical environment, operational model, regulatory obligations, and threat landscape, whether the goal is investigating root cause, responding to suspicious activity, supporting legal and HR investigations, or bolstering existing defenses with bespoke intelligence.
The service is structured around two integrated pillars:
Forensic Analysis Consultancy
Digital forensics gives organizations the power to identify, preserve, and interpret digital evidence, whether it relates to malware intrusions, business email compromise, insider threats, or internal investigations requiring potential legal follow-up. Setting up a forensic function involves addressing complex legal, evidentiary, and technical considerations. Eristotle provides expert guidance on:
- Reviewing and interpreting local legislation and jurisdictional requirements
- Defining forensic methodologies aligned to recognized standards
- Managing evidence acquisition and chain-of-custody processes
- Structuring workflows, processes, and procedures
- Establishing reporting mechanisms and documentation standards
- Coordinating with external parties (law enforcement, legal counsel, HR)
- Designing and building a fully equipped forensic laboratory
- Selecting and deploying forensic tools and software
- Upskilling, augmenting, or hiring specialized personnel
Malware Analysis Consultancy
Malware analysis is essential for understanding threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures, and for developing tailored indicators of compromise (IOCs) that go beyond generic vendor signatures. A mature malware analysis capability transforms raw samples into actionable intelligence that strengthens detection, response, and proactive defense.
Eristotle assists organizations in building or enhancing malware analysis capabilities by:
- Designing malware analysis environments with toolsets for static and dynamic assessment
- Advising on secure, untraceable internet connectivity setups
- Defining robust processes, procedures, and operating standards
- Implementing secure information-sharing protocols (e.g., Traffic Light Protocol, TLP)
- Distributing IOCs within the organization and to trusted partners
- Training, augmenting, or hiring specialists to run and maintain the program
- Creating a comprehensive reporting and intelligence dissemination framework
Target Market / Clients
- Mid-sized to large organizations across diverse sectors, including public sector bodies and those protecting valuable intellectual property
- Businesses aiming to develop dedicated malware or forensic analysis programs
- Teams seeking deeper visibility into advanced threats, beyond standard security tool coverage
- ISOs, SOC Directors, and senior security stakeholders looking to strengthen incident response and analysis posture
Aligned to ISOBOK™ – A Consensus Driven Standard
ISOBOK™ is developed through a rigorous consensus-driven standards development process and incorporates the collective wisdom and experience of experts in the field from around the world. It defines the skills and knowledge required by ISO professionals.
- Contains a description of generally accepted practices for the establishment of Information Security Offices.
- Community driven and consensus based, continuously updated through iterations.
- Techniques are transferable with option to modify concepts and best practices for wide range of organizational contexts.
- Includes the highly valued Reporting Framework.
1. Security Leadership
- Defines the ISO’s role, competencies, and mindset, including the different types of ISOs.
- Establishes the security organisation’s structure, charter, and board-level mandate.
- Aligns with industry standards and frameworks to develop a comprehensive security strategy.
- Covers setting up budgets, initiating security programs, and embedding the function into enterprise governance.
2. Security Culture
- Emphasizes that humans are the final line of defense and central to effective security.
- Promotes a human-centric approach through awareness, training, and behavior-shaping initiatives.
- Uses phishing simulations, access hygiene practices, and continuous reinforcement to improve behaviors.
- Encourages a feedback-driven culture of continuous improvement and user engagement.
3. Security Governance
- Establishes governance through policies, frameworks, ISMS, and the 3 Lines of Defense model.
- Defines risk management approaches, including qualitative/quantitative methods, tolerance, and appetite.
- Integrates compliance, audit, and control mechanisms to align security and business risk.
- Addresses fraud prevention, governance councils, and harmonization between compliance and security.
4. Security Advisory
- Advises on security trends, frameworks, and standards, supporting strategic and operational decisions.
- Applies a layered defense model and reviews risks across technology domains.
- Offers guidance on integrating emerging technologies and securing IT/OT environments.
5. Security Operations
- Aligns security operations with business goals through a service-based SOC model.
- Plans and executes incident and crisis management using structured detection and response frameworks.
- Defines SOC team roles and leverages platforms like SIEM, SOAR, and threat intelligence tools.
6. Security Reporting
- Delivers tiered reporting for operational, management, and board-level audiences.
- Ensures regulatory, legal, and external stakeholder reporting meets compliance obligations.
- Uses KPIs, KRIs, dashboards, and threat intelligence to communicate performance and risk posture.
- Follows best practices for effective, actionable, and transparent security reporting.
Additionally, this servcie draws on AIBOK, CWBOK, and Eristotle competency frameworks for breadth and depth to ensure consistency, credibility, and transferability across engagements.
Key Objectives
- Establish a Defensible, Standards-Aligned Forensic Capability
- Design forensic processes that meet legal, regulatory, and evidentiary standards
- Enable root cause investigation across endpoint, network, cloud, and mobile environments
- Support criminal, civil, HR, and regulatory investigations with defensible evidence
- Build or Mature an In-House Malware Analysis Program
- Establish static, dynamic, and behavioral analysis capabilities
- Develop tailored IOCs, signatures, and detection content
- Enable adversary profiling, attribution, and intelligence enrichment
- Create Secure, Purpose-Built Analysis Environments
- Design forensic and malware analysis laboratories aligned to best practice
- Establish secure, isolated, and untraceable connectivity for safe analysis
- Implement robust segregation between investigation and production environments
- Develop Processes, Governance, and Reporting Frameworks
- Codify standard operating procedures across the investigation lifecycle
- Define roles, responsibilities, and escalation across forensic and malware workstreams
- Establish intelligence sharing, reporting, and stakeholder engagement protocols
- Build Internal Skills and Sustainable Capability
- Upskill existing staff with structured training and mentoring
- Augment teams with specialist hires where required
- Create a pipeline for continuous learning, certification, and retention
Business Outcomes & Benefits
- Establish a Malware Analysis Program
- Gain advanced insight into malicious code and adversary tooling
- Craft unique, context-aware IOCs to counter emergent threats effectively
- Strengthen detection coverage beyond generic vendor signatures
- Develop an In-House Forensics Capability
- Determine root cause of security incidents and enable swift resolution
- Prevent recurrence through deep, evidence-based understanding
- Support HR, legal, and regulatory investigations with defensible evidence
- Maintain a Proactive Security Posture
- Detailed root cause analysis illuminates vulnerabilities and weaknesses
- Enable continuous improvement of defenses against evolving adversaries
- Shift from reactive response to threat-informed, proactive defense
- Enhanced Visibility Into the Cyber Landscape
- Deep understanding of threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures
- Increased confidence in network monitoring, detection, and hunting activities
- Stronger situational awareness across the evolving threat landscape
- Leverage Experienced Expertise
- Reduce the time and cost associated with ramping up a program
- Benefit from seasoned consultants who have built similar capabilities before
- Avoid common pitfalls and accelerate return on investment
- Stronger Legal and Regulatory Defensibility
- Forensic processes aligned to legal, evidentiary, and regulatory requirements
- Chain-of-custody integrity across digital evidence handling
- Credibility in court, regulatory inquiries, and enforcement proceedings
- Improved Intelligence Sharing and Collaboration
- Structured dissemination of IOCs and findings internally and externally
- Alignment with TLP, ISACs, CERTs, and trusted partner networks
- Stronger contribution to, and benefit from, the wider intelligence community
- Sustainable, Growing Capability
- Build lasting internal expertise rather than dependency on point solutions
- Foundations for continuous evolution aligned with emerging threats
- Clear pathway for skills development and team maturity
- Support for Insider Threat and Misconduct Investigations
- Defensible forensic support for HR-led investigations
- Evidence-backed handling of intellectual property theft and misuse
- Stronger governance around sensitive internal events
Key Features
- Focused, Time-Bound Consultancy
- Structured engagements aligned with client objectives for advanced analysis
- Rapid, measurable outcomes within agreed timelines
- Modular scoping to fit budget, priorities, and operational realities
- Proven, Real-World Expertise
- Skilled consultants with firsthand experience building malware and forensic programs
- Insights drawn from investigations across advanced persistent threats, ransomware, and nation-state activity
- Helping clients avoid common pitfalls and maximize return on investment
- Customizable, Context-Aware Approach
- Frameworks adapted to operational, technological, and regulatory environments
- Seamless integration with SOC, IR, CTI, and risk functions
- Support across on-prem, cloud, hybrid, mobile, and OT environments
- Legal, Regulatory, and Evidentiary Rigor
- Forensic methodology aligned with recognized standards (ISO 27037, ACPO, NIST)
- Chain-of-custody and evidence handling fit for legal and regulatory use
- Alignment with jurisdictional laws and cross-border considerations
- Comprehensive Laboratory and Tooling Design
- Design of dedicated forensic and malware analysis laboratories
- Selection, configuration, and integration of forensic and analysis tools
- Secure, isolated, and untraceable connectivity configurations
- Process, Governance, and Reporting Frameworks
- Standard operating procedures for forensic and malware workflows
- Governance structures, roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths
- Intelligence dissemination, stakeholder engagement, and reporting templates
- Skills Development and Talent Support
- Upskilling programs for existing staff
- Guidance on hiring, augmenting, and retaining specialists
- Mentoring and knowledge transfer throughout the engagement
- Alignment With Industry Standards and Eristotle Frameworks
- Grounded in ISOBOK™, CWBOK, and Eristotle competency frameworks
- Alignment with ISO 27037, ISO 27041, ISO 27042, NIST, and ACPO guidelines
- Consistent, credible, and transferable approach across engagements
Deliverables
Depending on the scope of the engagement, clients may receive one or more of the following:
Forensic Capability Deliverables
- Forensic Analysis Framework
- End-to-end methodology across acquisition, analysis, and reporting
- Standard Operating Procedures
- Documented workflows for common forensic investigation types
- Forensic Laboratory Design and Build Plan
- Physical and logical design, tooling, connectivity, and security controls
- Tooling Selection & Deployment Guide
- Commercial and open-source tooling recommendations and configuration
- Chain-of-Custody and Evidence Handling Policies
- Structured documentation, templates, and audit-ready processes
- Legal, Regulatory, and HR Coordination Playbooks
- Engagement frameworks for internal and external stakeholders
Malware Capability Deliverables
- Malware Analysis Framework
- Static, dynamic, and behavioral analysis methodology
- Untraceable Internet Access Design
- Secure, isolated connectivity for safe malware analysis
- Malware Laboratory Setup
- Virtualized and physical environments for analysis and containment
- IOC and Intelligence Dissemination Framework
- TLP-aligned processes for internal and external sharing
- Reporting Templates and Intelligence Products
- Standardized outputs for SOC, CTI, executive, and partner audiences
Governance & Enablement Deliverables
- Roles, Responsibilities & Skills Matrix
- Structure, ownership, and competency expectations across the program
- Training and Upskilling Plan
- Development pathways for internal staff and specialists
- Hiring & Augmentation Strategy
- Recruitment guidance and augmentation options
- Tailored Deliverables
- Customized outputs aligned to unique malware and forensic requirements
Executive & Program Deliverables
- Executive Summary & Briefing Pack
- Concise, visual summary for leadership engagement
- Program Roadmap and Maturity Plan
- Phased approach to building and growing the capability
- Handover & Enablement Pack
- Documentation, training, and transition support to internal teams
How We Deliver
Our delivery approach is collaborative, workshop-driven, and tailored to the technical, operational, and regulatory environment of each client. We combine structured methodology with deep domain expertise to ensure the final program is practical, defensible, and built to endure.
- Discovery & Scoping
- Engagement with security leadership, SOC, IR, legal, HR, and risk stakeholders
- Review of existing capabilities, tooling, and operating model
- Confirmation of scope, objectives, jurisdictional considerations, and success criteria
- Current-State Assessment
- Evaluation of existing forensic and malware analysis capabilities
- Review of processes, tooling, environments, and skills
- Benchmarking against recognized standards and peer organizations
- Legal, Regulatory & Operational Analysis
- Review of relevant legislation and evidentiary requirements
- Assessment of cross-border, sector-specific, and internal considerations
- Alignment with existing governance, risk, and compliance frameworks
- Program Design & Development
- Definition of forensic and malware analysis methodologies
- Design of laboratories, tooling, and secure connectivity environments
- Development of SOPs, governance, and reporting frameworks
- Build & Deployment Support
- Guidance on laboratory construction, tooling deployment, and environment configuration
- Integration with SOC, IR, CTI, SIEM, and broader security platforms
- Validation of secure, isolated analysis environments
- Skills, Training & Augmentation
- Upskilling programs for existing analysts and investigators
- Support with recruitment, augmentation, or managed augmentation
- Mentoring and knowledge transfer throughout the engagement
- Validation & Iterative Refinement
- Pilot investigations or analysis exercises to validate the program
- Refinement based on real-world use and stakeholder feedback
- Final documentation, sign-off, and quality assurance
- Executive & Stakeholder Engagement
- Presentation of the program design and outputs to leadership
- Alignment with security, legal, HR, and executive priorities
- Support for securing sponsorship, funding, and long-term commitment
- Handover & Continuous Improvement
- Transfer of all artifacts to internal owners in editable formats
- Walkthroughs, training, and knowledge transfer sessions
- Optional ongoing advisory through related Eristotle services for sustained maturity
By partnering with Eristotle’s Forensic & Malware Consultancy, organizations gain a structured, defensible, and expert-led path to building advanced in-house investigative capability, transforming raw incidents and adversary activity into clear intelligence, confident decisions, and lasting resilience.
Ready to Build In-House Capability That Sees What Off-the-Shelf Tools Miss?
Partner with Eristotle to design or mature a world-class forensic and malware analysis program, covering methodology, tooling, laboratory setup, governance, and skills. Turn complex incidents and advanced adversaries into clear intelligence, defensible evidence, and continuous improvement across your security operations. Book a free 30-minute discovery call with an Eristotle advisor. No commitment required.