Understand the Phases of a Business Email Compromise (BEC) Attack

BEC attacks are widespread as they stole $26 billion dollars in three years by attackers simply asking victims for money.
BEC scams make victims think they’re talking to authority figures to steal their valuables with methods, like fraudulent wiring instructions.
BEC emails are hard to recognize and block. To avoid being a victim, let Guardian Digital educate you on how a BEC attack works.
Watch: Anatomy of a BEC Attack
Anatomy of a BEC Attack
Phase 1: Preparation
Attackers scour business contact databases, social media profiles and corporate websites to build a target list.
Malicious actors learn about key people and their relationships to leverage authority and trust to get victims to interact with fraudulent emails.
Phase 2: Execution
Cybercriminals launch stealthy BEC campaigns targeting the victims they’ve identified in their target list.
Threat actors use impersonation tactics, like spoofing to change their names to those mimicked, so that victims interact with fraudulent emails.
Phase 3: Deception
Attackers trick victims into taking immediate action with social engineering techniques by impersonating an individual of authority.
Threat actors could convince a finance worker to transfer money, or they could urgently request a victim to pay fees due to a vendor.
Phase 4: Action
The victim is convinced to proceed with the malicious email’s request, leading to a data breach of financial loss for the target organization.
How Can I Secure Business Email Against BEC Attacks?
Our email security solution finds and intercepts BEC threats, mitigates risk and provides your organization with peace of mind.
Guardian Digital EnGarde Cloud Email Security’s technology proactively learns and distributes defenses for specific threats targeting you.
Want to see EnGarde in action? Get a Live Demo>>
CyberSecurity Month
- Avoid Phishing Emails
- Be Cautious of Spam Email
- Be Wary of Malicious URLs
- Protect Against Spoofing & Sender Fraud
- Protect the Privacy of Your Email with TLS
- Don’t Rely on Native Microsoft 365 Email Protection Alone
- Implement TLS to Keep Your Email Secure
- Endpoint Security Is Not Enough
- Conduct Regular Email Security Audits
- Configure Email Account Settings with Security in Mind
- Learn How To Spot Threats to Business Email
- Backup Your Data and Isolate Your Backups Offline
- Protect Business Email from Phishing Attacks
- Avoid Sending Sensitive Information Over Email
- Learn About Malicious Links
- Prevent Zero-Day Attacks
- Business Email Is for Business Only
- Learn How To Identify Social Engineering Attacks
- Know Your Email Risk
- Safeguard Your Inbox from Malicious Mail
- Understand How Phishing Attacks Are Carried Out
- Know the Steps in a Spear Phishing Attack
- Familiarize Yourself with the Anatomy of a Whaling Attack
- Understand How Malware Attacks Work
- Learn the Steps in a Ransomware Attack
- Understand the Phases of a Business Email Compromise (BEC) Attack
- What is a Zero-Day Attack & How Can It Be Prevented?
- Familiarize Yourself with the Phases of an Account Takeover (ATO) & Lateral Phishing Attack
- Learn the Steps in a Social Engineering Attack
- Understand the Types of Email Viruses to Be on the Lookout For