It’s not enough to have a simple email security solution in place. Business owners should do more to protect their companies from these malicious attacks. To help you, here’s everything you should know about BEC scams, email attachments, and what you can do to enhance email security in your organization.
How Does Business Email Compromise Work?
BEC can come in the form of spear phishing. A threat actor will pretend to be someone from the victim’s close network. That can be a boss, colleague, or vendor. They will get the victim to feel at ease during an email chain, and then ask them for an urgent request. It is usually personal or financial information they are after. They will say in a phishing email that failure to perform the task immediately will have massive consequences for the company.
BEC can also be in the form of a malicious email or malware attack. Threat actors will use malware to spy on their victims’ email threads and access sensitive data. Another BEC method is spoofing, which is highly effective against untrained employees. Scammers will use an email account nearly identical to a trusted address and extract information from their target.
How Can Business Owners Secure Their Email Against Business Email Compromise?
Without robust email security services, no business is safe from the BEC threat, especially those with substandard email service protection. But there are ways to lessen the risks, including the following:
Raise Email Security Awareness Among Your Employees
BEC scammers are only successful if they win over an employee’s trust. Teach your team to see the warning signs of a BEC attack. They should be wary of urgent requests for sensitive data, especially through email. They should be extra cautious if there’s financial information involved.
You can invest in security training to teach employees about secure email practices and phishing simulations. That way, your employees know the best practices to employ in risky situations. You can also make it a practice to check if your employees follow safety protocols, especially while handling email attachments.
Beef up Email Security With Multi-Factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication is an extra layer of security for your employees’ email accounts. Aside from the username and password, the secure email system will ask for other information like an authentication code or thumbprint. That way, scammers can’t easily access private information from the email system.
Use Automation Tools for Faster Email Incident Response Time
Even with heightened security, BEC scams can still find their way inside your employees’ inboxes. Data security can be enhanced with automation tools, such as automated filters in your cloud email system. They can alert you immediately if they find any threats like phishing attempts in delivered emails. That way, you can respond instantly to data breach incidents, and prevent further damage.
The Bottom Line on Business Email Security
As BEC scams advance, so must your email security measures. Failing to implement the correct practices can lead to disastrous consequences for your business. It can cost you millions and dramatically impact your bottom line. If the attack involves vendors and customers, you might not be able to regain their trust.