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ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.wsj.com/articles/deluge-of-attacks-prompts-telecom-firm-to-overhaul-cyber-investigations-team-1525384241\nPro Cyber Commentary & Analysis\nDeluge of Attacks Prompts Telecom Firm to Overhaul Cyber Investigations Team\nBiographyKate Fazzini\n@katefazzini\nkate.fazzini@wsj.com\nUpdated May 10, 2018 2:58 pm ET\nIncreasing malware attacks mean heightened demands on corporate cybersecurity investigators who must find the causes and quantify the aftermath, sometimes very quickly.\nIn response, some companies are changing how they run forensics teams by bringing more functions in-house, hiring more resources outside or teaming up different types of investigators.\nWireless telecommunications company IDT Corp., which typically conducts two to three investigations a day, found that third-party investigations took too long, said Chief Information Officer Golan Ben-Oni. Three years ago, he started to cancel retainers with these providers and hired specialists within the company. These changes came as IDT faced a growing need to investigate malware attacks on mobile apps, a rare specialty among cyber investigators.\nHe also merged teams, so investigators focused on human resources and legal matters joined the cybercrime experts. This way, specialized investigators could work on different parts of the same crime, such as an insider theft of intellectual property by a recently terminated employee, he said.\nIncreasing costs and increasing incidents. The cost of forensics work is rising, said William Daugherty, a partner with the privacy and data protection group at law firm Baker & Hostetler LLP. Investigative costs rose 35% between 2016 and 2017, according to data collected from its clients about 560 incidents last year. Investigation costs for the 20 biggest attacks among these clients last year reached $436,938 on average, he said.\nThe number of mobile malware attacks topped 20 million in the third quarter of 2017, according to the most recent McAfee Mobile Threat Report, compared with around 13 million in the same quarter in 2016.\nTo create a well-rounded in-house team, IDT’s Mr. Ben-Oni hired three malware investigators, a senior investigator, an associate and an intern. He also added automation software to handle some tasks. Even with these expenses, IDT saved money by being able to conduct investigations rapidly, he said.\nAt about 1,300 employees, IDT is not a large firm. But its need for quick and comprehensive turnaround on investigations made it a good candidate to bring staff in-house, Mr. Ben-Oni said. Typically, companies with fewer than 4,000 employees are good candidates for hiring outside firms, he said. Larger companies or those in financial services may find it useful to have in-house teams.\n“It’s not about saving money for saving money’s sake. It’s about spending money wisely and getting more out of our security program at the same time,” he said.\nCollaboration, balance are key tools. Working collaboratively is essential, said Mr. Daugherty at Baker & Hostetler, because forensics investigators must make quick determinations as to whether a security incident must be reported to a regulator.\nDepending on the regulator, companies have a specific numbers of days to report a cyber incident. Companies can face fines for delays and might put a higher premium on the speed of an investigation rather than its cost, he said.\nSome companies add so-called hunt team specialists to their investigative staff. These experts scour the web and study cybersecurity incidents that have hurt other companies to help their own guard against them, said Ted Wagner, chief information security officer of SAP SE’s National Security Services business.\nWrite to Kate Fazzini at kate.fazzini@wsj.com.\nShow Conversation Hide Conversation"