Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are among the most costly cybersecurity threats facing organizations today. These sophisticated scams trick employees into transferring funds, sharing sensitive data, or granting unauthorized access to company systems. Unlike obvious spam, BEC attacks are carefully crafted to appear legitimate, often impersonating executives, vendors, or trusted partners. I have seen first hand the damage BEC attacks can do on small business and how it impacts people so what I'm sharing with you isn't just theory to me.
How Attackers Gain Access
Understanding how criminals compromise email accounts is the first step in prevention. Common methods include credential harvesting phishing emails that mimic legitimate login pages, malware that steals passwords directly from infected computers, and brute force attacks that guess weak passwords. Once inside an account, attackers can monitor communications, identify payment processes, and execute fraudulent transactions that appear completely normal to victims.
Essential Protection Strategies
The following practical tips aren't an extensive list, but a good idea what good defenses involve.
1. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication Everywhere
The single most effective defense against account takeover is multi-factor authentication (MFA). Even if attackers steal your password, they cannot access your account without the second verification factor. Enable MFA on email accounts, financial systems, and any application containing sensitive business information.
2. Train Your Team to Spot Red Flags
Employees are your first line of defense. Conduct regular training on recognizing suspicious emails, particularly those requesting urgent wire transfers, password resets, or credential verification. Teach staff to scrutinize sender addresses carefully, as attackers often use domains that differ by just one character from legitimate ones.
3. Verify Financial Requests Through Secondary Channels
Implement a strict verification process for any payment request received via email. Require employees to confirm requests through a phone call to a known, verified number, never one provided in the suspicious email itself. This simple step prevents countless fraudulent transfers.
4. Monitor Account Activity Regularly
Have a qualified security analyst review email account login history for unusual activity such as logins from unexpected locations, unfamiliar devices, or strange access times. Check for unauthorized email forwarding rules that attackers love to create to monitor responses - without the account owner's knowledge.
5. Maintain Strong Password Hygiene
Use unique, complex passwords for every account, and store them in a reputable password manager. Never reuse passwords across multiple systems, as a breach at one service could compromise all your accounts. Change passwords immediately if you suspect any compromise.
What to Do If Compromised
If you discover a compromise, act quickly. Immediately reset passwords for affected accounts and revoke all active authentication sessions. Notify your IT or security team, and if your organization has cybersecurity insurance, contact them to report the incident. Search for unauthorized email rules, forwarding settings, or newly created user accounts that attackers may have established for persistent access.
Review recent emails and file access to determine what information may have been exposed. If sensitive data was accessible, consult legal counsel about notification requirements and next steps.
Build Organizational Resilience
Beyond technical controls, establish an incident response plan that defines roles, escalation paths, and communication protocols. Ensure your email system retains logs for at least 90 days to support investigations. Consider implementing email filtering solutions that flag external emails, particularly those requesting financial transactions.
Business Email Compromise attacks succeed because they exploit human trust and organizational processes. By combining technical safeguards with employee awareness and verification procedures, you can dramatically reduce your risk and protect your organization from these increasingly sophisticated threats.
Protecting Your Business from Email Compromise Attacks © 2025 by George Bakalov is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0