How to Protect Organizations Against Business Email Compromise Phishing

This technical report provides guidance for security and risk management leaders on protecting organizations from Business Email Compromise (BEC) phishing attacks. BEC attacks utilize targeted social engineering, posing significant financial and data breach risks. The report outlines that traditional endpoint protection solutions are inadequate against BEC due to the nature of these attacks, which often do not involve malware. It emphasizes the importance of implementing advanced security measures, such as AI-based secure email gateways and additional controls to mitigate risks. The report also discusses the necessity of user education and awareness training to prevent BEC incidents, as human errors contribute to a large percentage of security breaches. Furthermore, it recommends the adoption of email authentication standards like DMARC to prevent domain spoofing and suggests utilizing identity and access management tools to monitor unusual access behaviors. Overall, the report presents a comprehensive approach to enhancing email security against BEC threats.