Case Study: From Suspicious IP to Data Recovery

In early 2024, a mid-sized architectural firm in New Jersey faced every business owner's nightmare—a sudden ransomware attack that brought operations to a standstill. Years of client files, AutoCAD designs, financial records, and project notes were inaccessible within minutes. The first clue to the breach came not from a cybersecurity alert—but from a suspicious foreign IP address buried in the company’s firewall logs.

Phase 1: The Unnoticed Entry Point

A review of server access logs revealed a series of brute-force login attempts to their Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) port, originating from a non-whitelisted IP: 185.220.x.x. Using IP geolocation tools, the address was traced to a Tor exit node operating out of Eastern Europe—a known proxy path for cybercriminals trying to hide their real location.

This IP had attempted hundreds of failed logins over a period of several days, but finally gained access during off-hours—at 3:11 AM on a Saturday. No automated threat detection system was configured to flag the event, and no staff was monitoring remote connections overnight.

Shortly after the unauthorized login, the ransomware was deployed.

Phase 2: The Encryption Event

The attacker used a variant of LockBit, one of the fastest-growing ransomware families, to encrypt file shares across the network. Within minutes, employees were greeted with a ransom note demanding 2.5 BTC (Bitcoin)—roughly $70,000—to decrypt their files.

• All network drives and backups were encrypted
• Windows Shadow Copies were deleted
• Local anti-virus software was disabled silently

What made the situation more dangerous was the apparent exfiltration of data before the encryption. Network traffic showed outbound packets routed through the same IP, suggesting that the attacker had stolen sensitive blueprints and contracts—adding a data breach component to the attack.

Phase 3: Forensic Analysis & Recovery Begins

The firm contacted data recovery company, and the team immediately initiated a forensic triage. The first goal was to image the affected drives and isolate them in a clean environment to prevent further contamination or accidental overwriting.

Using our internal forensic tools and sector-level access imaging, they identified:

• Residual unencrypted metadata
• Partial file fragments in Windows temp directories
• Older, intact file structures in backup partitions not entirely encrypted

With the help of their advanced data carving techniques, over 78% of mission-critical files were successfully recovered. These included signed contracts, PDF presentations, and hundreds of .DWG design files.

In parallel, they prepared a digital forensics report that traced the original intrusion, linked it to the suspicious IP, and logged all suspicious activity. This report helped the business in filing a cyber insurance claim and providing documentation to law enforcement.

Why This Case Matters

This case is more than a technical story—it’s a cautionary tale of what can happen when small security gaps go unnoticed. It shows the direct connection between IP-based threats and real-world data loss that can financially devastate a company.

The Role of IP Geolocation in Cybersecurity

While tools like antivirus and firewalls are standard, IP tracking and geolocation-based monitoring are often underutilized. In this case, a simple alert rule for foreign IPs attempting RDP access could have prevented the entire breach. Tools like IPLocation.net can help businesses:

• Identify unusual connection patterns
• Create geofencing rules to block high-risk regions
• Analyze historical access logs for forensic insight

Combined with strong authentication policies (2FA, IP allowlisting), IP geolocation becomes a powerful layer of cyber defense.

The Business Cost of Ransomware & Data Loss

Data loss doesn’t just mean missing files—it can lead to:

• Lost client trust
• Regulatory penalties if sensitive data is leaked
• Weeks of downtime
• Permanently loss of intellectual property

For this architectural firm, recovery costs (without paying ransom) totaled around $25,000, but they avoided further losses through prompt recovery and documentation.