Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks have rapidly become one of the most severe threats to organizations of all sizes. Unlike traditional phishing, BEC attacks use social engineering and email spoofing or hijacking to deceive employees into making unauthorized financial transactions or revealing sensitive information.
As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves, it is drastically increasing the scale and success of BEC attacks. The numbers speak for themselves:
- 105% increase in malicious emails bypassing email gateways.
- 1,265% increase in phishing emails since the launch of ChatGPT.
- 68% of all phishing emails are text-based BEC attacks.
In this guide we will explore how these attacks work, why they’re so dangerous, and how businesses can protect themselves in the age of AI. Also read
What is Business Email Compromise (BEC)?
BEC is a form of cyberattack where attackers gain unauthorized access to a business email account, typically to commit financial fraud.
These attacks are distinguished from other email-based threats by their reliance on social engineering and their precise, targeted nature. Key terms related to BEC include:
- Phishing: Generic email attacks aimed at obtaining credentials or financial information.
- Spear phishing: A more focused phishing attack that targets specific individuals.
- CEO fraud: When attackers impersonate company executives to deceive employees into transferring funds.
What sets BEC apart is its sophistication, and the targeted approach attackers use, often leveraging internal company knowledge.
Understanding Business Email Compromise Attacks
BEC attacks typically unfold in stages:
- Target Research: Attackers gather detailed information on the company, including email addresses, employee roles, and internal processes.
- Spoofing or Hijacking Accounts: Attackers either create spoofed email addresses or take over legitimate accounts.
- Sending Fraudulent Emails: These emails appear to come from trusted sources, like executives or vendors, and request sensitive information or unauthorized financial transfers.
The rise of AI is making this process more effective. AI can generate highly convincing emails by analyzing internal communications, allowing attackers to mimic tone, style, and language.
This, coupled with the 105% increase in malicious emails bypassing email gateways, shows how AI is outpacing traditional defenses.
Visual Representation of the Attack Process
Who Do BEC Attackers Target?
Many believe that only large corporations are targeted by BEC attacks. Still, small and medium businesses (SMBs) are just as vulnerable.
Attackers often exploit SMBs’ lack of advanced security measures. Common targets include:
- C-Level Executives: Often impersonated in fraud schemes due to their authority.
- Finance Departments: Targeted for wire transfers and financial information.
- HR Personnel: Compromised for sensitive employee data, including tax forms.
Do BEC attacks only target large businesses?
No, SMBs are frequently targeted because they often have fewer cybersecurity protections in place.
Why Are Business Email Compromise Attacks So Dangerous?
The financial losses resulting from BEC attacks can be crippling. According to the FBI, the average financial loss per incident exceeds $90,000, and some attacks can lead to multi-million-dollar losses.
Beyond the immediate financial impact, BEC attacks can lead to:
- Reputational Damage: Clients or partners may lose trust in a business that suffers a security breach.
- Operational Disruptions: When attackers take over email accounts, they can interrupt business continuity by halting financial processes.
A significant contributing factor to the increase in BEC success is the rise of AI-generated phishing emails, which have increased by 1,265% since the launch of ChatGPT.
These emails are becoming increasingly sophisticated, bypassing detection systems and making it harder for employees to spot fraudulent requests.
The Role of Social Engineering in BEC Attacks
Social engineering is central to BEC attacks. Cybercriminals rely on human psychology, exploiting traits like trust, authority, and urgency to manipulate employees into complying with their requests.
BEC scams often use the following tactics:
- Fake Invoice Scams: Attackers impersonate vendors, sending fraudulent invoices that demand payment.
- CEO Impersonation: Fraudsters pretend to be executives, requesting urgent wire transfers.
- Gift Card Fraud: Employees are tricked into purchasing and sending gift card details under the guise of helping an executive.
With AI, attackers are able to craft these socially engineered emails at scale, leading to a 68% increase in text-based BEC attacks, further heightening the risk.
Are BEC attacks always financially motivated?
Yes, the primary aim is to steal money, though attackers may also gather sensitive data for future use. There are some other factors involve in this too:
Intellectual Property Theft: Stealing proprietary information, such as trade secrets or product designs, can be a key motivator.
Espionage: Some attackers aim to steal sensitive corporate information for competitive or political advantage.
Reputation Damage: Cybercriminals may seek to tarnish a company’s reputation by leaking sensitive communications or data.
Common Types of Business Email Compromise Attacks
- CEO Fraud: Attackers pose as executives to trick employees into transferring money.
- Fake Invoice Scam: Spoofing a vendor’s email to request payment for fraudulent services.
- Account Takeover: Hijacking an employee’s email account to send malicious emails that appear legitimate.
What are the most common types of BEC attacks?
CEO fraud and fake invoice scams are the most common and can have significant financial consequences.
How to Prevent Business AI-Driven Email Compromise Attacks
Ditching Traditional Security Awareness for In-Workflow Analysis and Guidance. Traditional training often occurs in isolated sessions, leaving employees vulnerable to real-world attacks that require quick, contextual decision-making.
In-workflow analysis and guidance from vendors such as StrongestLayer revolutionize this approach by providing employees with real-time assistance as they interact with their emails.
When an email seems suspicious, AI-driven systems analyze it instantly, flagging potential threats and offering step-by-step guidance directly within the workflow.
For instance, if an employee receives a request for an urgent wire transfer, the system will immediately assess the legitimacy of the request.
Employees will be notified of any red flags (e.g., domain inconsistencies and language anomalies) and receive recommendations to verify the sender’s identity.
This hands-on approach ensures that employees are not only trained but also supported when they encounter sophisticated BEC attacks.
By integrating such real-time analysis tools, employees become more adept at recognizing and responding to phishing emails, reducing human error.
Key Benefits of In-Workflow Analysis and Guidance:
- Real-time threat detection: AI monitors every email interaction, identifying potentially malicious content before employees act on it.
- Contextual training: Guidance provided at the moment of interaction reinforces employee awareness and builds long-term vigilance.
- Improved decision-making: By offering actionable recommendations, employees can confidently handle questionable emails without relying solely on memory or instincts.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Implement MFA across all business accounts, especially those of executives and financial departments, to prevent unauthorized access.
Strengthening Email Security Systems
Given that 105% more malicious emails are bypassing email gateways, traditional defenses are no longer enough. Businesses should invest in AI-driven security systems like StrongestLayer, which can detect abnormal behavior and prevent BEC attempts before they succeed.
- Email encryption
- Digital signatures
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)
Verification Protocols
Require phone or in-person verification for all large financial transactions and changes to payment information.
How do MFA and AI-powered email security tools help protect against BEC attacks?
MFA adds a layer of verification. AI tools detect unusual email patterns, stopping suspicious emails before they reach employees.
What to Do if You Fall Victim to a BEC Attack
- Report the Incident: Immediately contact your bank to freeze any unauthorized transfers.
- Notify Law Enforcement: File a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or any other authority according to your country.
- Engage Cybersecurity Experts: A cybersecurity team can assess the breach and secure compromised accounts.
Recovering from a BEC Attack
- Incident Response: Conduct forensic analysis to identify the scope of the breach.
- Communicating with Stakeholders: Inform affected parties (vendors, clients, etc.) and outline steps to mitigate future risks.
What should you do if your business experiences a BEC attack?
Quickly act to minimize financial losses by contacting your bank and cybersecurity professionals.
The Future of Business Email Compromise
With the rise of AI, BEC attacks are becoming more difficult to detect and more convincing than ever. Emerging trends include:
- AI-driven Phishing Emails: Attackers use AI to generate highly personalized and realistic phishing emails at scale.
- Deepfake Technologies: Fraudsters are beginning to use deepfake audio and video to impersonate executives, further complicating detection.
Attackers can inject a prompt into a Large Language Model to craft the email. To be even more effective, attackers can create hundreds of unique attacks, bypassing traditional email security systems:
“Generate a professional and urgent email targeting the financial controller of a construction firm. The email should request immediate payment authorization for a pending invoice related to an important project. The tone should be polite but convey a sense of urgency to avoid project delays and potential penalties. Include realistic details about a project, vendor, and deadline to make the email more convincing. Ensure the message includes an attachment for an invoice that is labeled as important.”
The output of this prompt looks like this:
With the click of a button and some simple input language, an attacker can now effectively target many different employees with relevant, personalized and timely spear-phishing and BEC attacks.
Luckily, vendors such as StrongestLayer are developing their own AI models to combat this type of threat, extracting the intent of the email and providing a risk rating to end users.
What new BEC attack techniques should businesses be aware of?
AI-generated emails and deep fake impersonations are growing threats in the world of cybercrime.
Final Thoughts
BEC attacks are evolving, and businesses must evolve their defenses in response. By investing in employee training, implementing AI-driven email security systems, and enforcing strict verification processes, companies can significantly reduce their risk.
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Joshua Bass
