// case comparison

BEC vs ATO

both show mailbox rules and login telemetry — but BEC is social-engineering fraud; ATO is credential compromise that may escalate into fraud.

primary tools · side by side

ordered entry points from the case-type taxonomy. highlighted rows appear in both case types' editorial tool lists.

case a

business email compromise (BEC)

vendor impersonation · payroll redirect · wire fraud · spoofed reply chains. evidence is almost always email headers, mailbox rules, and login telemetry.

  1. 01email header analyzerpaste raw email headers · trace hop-by-hop routing · SPF · DKIM · DMARC · detect spoofing · visualize delivery path · runs locally
  2. 02email thread reconstructordrop multiple .eml files · Message-ID References In-Reply-To tree · missing parent flags · flat timeline · CSV export · runs locally
  3. 03.eml / .msg email header chain analyzerdrop eml or msg email file or paste raw headers · parse all headers · reconstruct the full routing chain · extract all forensically significant fields · surface inconsistencies in the header chain · runs locally
  4. 04email spoofing and SPF/DKIM/DMARC header validatorpaste raw email headers or drop eml file · validate authentication headers · detect spoofing indicators · surface spf dkim and dmarc results · identify header inconsistencies indicating spoofed or forged email · runs locally
  5. 05received header hop analyzerpaste raw email headers or drop eml · parse all received headers · reconstruct smtp routing path hop by hop · compute per-hop timing · surface anomalous delays private ips and inconsistent hostnames · runs locally
  6. 06mailer and email client fingerprint identifierdrop eml files or paste headers · identify the email client or service that sent the message · detect inconsistencies between claimed and actual mailer · surface forged x-mailer headers and mailer fingerprint mismatches · runs locally
  7. 07email impersonation pattern detectordrop multiple eml files or paste headers · detect display name spoofing domain lookalikes and reply-to hijacking · identify impersonation patterns targeting specific individuals or organizations · surface BEC and CEO fraud indicators · runs locally
  8. 08mail rule parserdrop Outlook rules.dat or Thunderbird msgFilterRules.dat · rule names conditions actions · flag suspicious forward redirect · CSV export · runs locally
case b

account takeover (ATO)

credential stuffing → SIM swap → password reset chain → exfil. evidence lives in identity-provider logs, mailbox rules, and session artifacts.

  1. 01okta log analyzerokta system log json · timeline · suspicious · mfa fatigue · tor/proxy · users · ips · policy · csv export · runs locally
  2. 02o365 audit log parserunified audit log json · timeline · suspicious · users · ips · mailbox · inbox rules · csv export · runs locally
  3. 03office365 audit log analyzerdrop m365 unified audit log json or csv · flag inbox forward rules · mailbox forwarding · bulk downloads · global admin role adds · high-scope consent · audit log disabled · runs locally
  4. 04microsoft 365 unified audit log analyzerdrop m365 unified audit log csv or json export · parse all audit events across exchange sharepoint teams onedrive and azure ad · surface suspicious operations privilege changes and data access events · reconstruct user activity timeline · runs locally
  5. 05mail rule parserdrop Outlook rules.dat or Thunderbird msgFilterRules.dat · rule names conditions actions · flag suspicious forward redirect · CSV export · runs locally
  6. 06password spray & brute force detectordrop security evtx csv · analyze authentication failure patterns · detect low-and-slow password spray · high-speed brute force · credential stuffing patterns · flag attacker ips · runs locally
  7. 07credential artifact scannerdrop a memory dump · scan for plaintext credentials · NTLM hashes · OAuth tokens · API keys · session cookies · Base64 secrets · export CSV · runs locally
  8. 08sim swap artifact forensic detectordetect evidence of SIM swapping across devices, carriers, or subscriber records · runs locally

editorial overlap

6 tools mapped to both case types in the editorial taxonomy — useful when the investigation spans both surfaces.

lean toward…

disambiguation signals derived from case-type descriptions and common practitioner confusion points.

lean toward BEC if you see…

  • spoofed reply chains or vendor-domain impersonation without prior credential compromise
  • wire fraud or payroll redirect embedded in an email thread
  • email header anomalies pointing at external sender spoofing, not session hijack

lean toward ATO if you see…

  • password spray or credential stuffing in identity-provider logs
  • SIM swap or MFA bypass in the session timeline
  • mailbox rule planting immediately after suspicious login from a new geo or device
ready