Understanding Business Email Compromise

Business Email Compromise is a sophisticated scam targeting businesses that regularly perform wire transfers or handle sensitive financial data. Unlike traditional phishing that casts wide nets, BEC attacks are highly targeted, well-researched, and expertly executed. Attackers impersonate executives, vendors, or business partners to trick employees into transferring funds or revealing confidential information.

Why BEC Is So Effective:

Exploits Trust: BEC leverages existing business relationships and organizational hierarchies. Employees naturally trust communications appearing to come from executives or established partners.

Minimal Technical Sophistication: Many BEC attacks involve no malware, making them harder to detect with traditional security tools. Success depends on psychological manipulation rather than technical exploits.

Targets Human Processes: These attacks exploit routine business processes like invoice payments, wire transfers, and data updates. They hide within normal business operations.

High Return on Investment: Average BEC losses far exceed other cybercrime types. The FBI reported $2.4 billion in BEC losses in 2021 alone, with individual incidents often exceeding millions.