Business Email Compromise: How to Protect Your Business

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a type of cyber attack that involves the use of fraudulent emails to impersonate a trusted entity, such as a company executive or a vendor, to trick the recipient into performing a fraudulent wire transfer, disclosing sensitive information, or performing other unauthorized actions.

BEC attacks typically involve social engineering tactics that exploit human vulnerabilities, such as trust, fear, and urgency, to convince the victim to act quickly without verifying the authenticity of the request.

The attacks can take many forms, such as:

• CEO Fraud: Impersonating a company executive to request an urgent wire transfer to a fraudulent account.
• Vendor Impersonation: Impersonating a vendor or supplier to request payment for goods or services.
• Account Compromise: Hacking into a company email account to send fraudulent emails to customers or vendors.
• Lawyer Impersonation: Impersonating a lawyer to request payment for legal fees or settlement.

They can be highly sophisticated and difficult to detect, as they often involve extensive reconnaissance and social engineering tactics to gain the trust of the victim.

The Impact of BEC on Businesses

BEC attacks have become increasingly common and costly for businesses. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), BEC attacks have resulted in over $26 billion in losses since 2016. The impact of BEC on businesses can be devastating, including:

• Financial Losses: BEC attacks can result in significant financial losses, as fraudulent wire transfers can be difficult to recover once they have been processed.
• Reputational Damage: BEC attacks can damage the reputation of the affected business, as customers and partners may lose trust in the organization’s ability to protect their sensitive information.
• Legal Consequences: BEC attacks can result in legal consequences, such as lawsuits and regulatory fines, if sensitive information is disclosed or financial regulations are violated.
• Operational Disruption: BEC attacks can disrupt business operations, as employees may need to spend time investigating and responding to the attack.

How to Protect Your Business from BEC Attacks

Protecting your business from BEC attacks requires a multi-layered approach that involves people, processes, and technology. Here are some best practices to help you reduce the risk of BEC attacks:

Employee Training

Educating your employees about the risks of BEC attacks and how to identify and report suspicious emails is critical to reducing the risk of such attacks. Your employees should be trained to:

• Verify the authenticity of email requests, especially those involving wire transfers or sensitive information.
• Look for signs of phishing, such as suspicious links, attachments, or requests for personal information.
• Report suspicious emails to the IT department or security team.

Email Security

Implementing email security measures can help prevent BEC attacks from reaching your employees’ inboxes. Some best practices include:

• Using email authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify the authenticity of email senders.
• Implementing email filtering and anti-spam technologies to block suspicious emails and attachments.
• Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for email accounts to add an extra layer of security.

Financial Controls

Implementing financial controls can help prevent fraudulent wire transfers and other unauthorized transactions. Some best practices include:

• Implementing a dual-approval process for wire transfers and other financial transactions.
• Verifying the authenticity of wire transfer requests through a separate communication channel, such as a phone call or in-person conversation.
• Conducting regular audits of financial transactions to detect and prevent fraudulent activity.

Incident Response

Having an incident response plan in place can help you respond quickly and effectively to BEC attacks. Your incident response plan should include:

• Clear roles and responsibilities for responding to BEC attacks.
• Procedures for investigating and containing the attack.
• Protocols for communicating with stakeholders, such as customers and partners.
• Procedures for reporting the incident to law enforcement and regulatory agencies.

Conclusion

BEC attacks are a growing threat to businesses of all sizes, and the consequences of such attacks can be severe. Protecting your business from BEC attacks requires a proactive approach that involves employee training, email security, financial controls, and incident response planning. By adopting these best practices, you can reduce the risk of BEC attacks and protect your business from financial losses, reputational damage, legal consequences, and operational disruption.