Business Email Compromise (BEC) is now the second most costly cyber-attack targeting organizations worldwide. As of March 2025, there has been a 30% increase in BEC attacks. Companies of all sizes are targeted for these attacks, and they often lead to financial losses, data breaches and damaged reputations. Understanding what BEC is and why it has become so prevalent is essential to keeping your business secure.
Understanding Business Email Compromise
Business Email Compromise occurs when cybercriminals impersonate trusted leaders within an organization to trick employees into sending information or money. These scams have cost businesses millions of dollars, leaving many small companies unable to recover from their losses. Some of the most common BEC scams include:
- CEO Fraud - A scammer impersonates the company’s CEO, sending urgent requests for large wire transfers. They mimic writing styles and company lingo to trick employees. The average BEC requested wire transfer amount in 2025 is $39,315.
- Account Compromise - Attackers break into real email accounts through stolen passwords. They monitor email traffic for days or even weeks and then strike when major payments are due. Oftentimes, attackers will forward these emails to themselves to conceal their activity.
- Attorney Impersonations - Attackers pretend to be lawyers working on important cases such as an acquisition or a legal settlement. These “time sensitive” matters push employees to make hasty decisions and payments under pressure. In many instances, these messages will be accompanied by fake legal documents to convince potential victims.
Why BEC Attacks Are on the Rise
One of the main reasons that Business Email Compromise is on the rise is because of the industrialization of the cybercrime community. This means that the barrier to entry for criminals has been lowered, making it more accessible. CaaS platforms that specialize in BEC are offering end-to-end services for launching large scale attacks, making it available to anyone who is willing to pay.
How You Can Protect Your Business
Here are a few ways that businesses can protect themselves from Business Email Compromise:
- Partner with Managed IT Services - Working with a managed IT service provider is one of the most effective ways to safeguard your business. These experts monitor your systems using security best practices. They can ensure that you are using the right firewalls, email filters and anti-malware tools.
- Invest in Remote Security Management - As more employees have access to work systems while they are away from the office, remote security management is critical. This may include enforcing strong password protocols or enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Train Your Team - Employees should familiarize themselves to recognize red flags such as unusual email requests, urgent tones or unfamiliar links. Empower your team to be skeptical about suspicious emails, even if they come from leadership.
Business Email Compromise is a real and growing threat, but it is one that can be managed with the right set of tools, training and partners. By investing in managed IT services and remote security management, your business can stay one step ahead of cybercriminals so that you can focus on your business.
