BEC Attack

What Is a BEC Attack?

BEC (Business Email Compromise) attacks are highly sophisticated scams where cybercriminals impersonate trusted individuals or organizations via email to trick employees into sending money or sensitive data.

These attacks rely on social engineering and are often customized and well-researched to appear legitimate, targeting employees in senior positions or finance departments to authorize fraudulent transactions. 

BEC attacks are a significant global threat, resulting in billions of dollars in losses annually and often targeting small businesses and those in remote work environments. 

How Does a BEC Attack Work?

A BEC attack usually begins with email spoofing. The attacker forges the “From” address to make the message look legitimate. They might claim to be the CEO asking for an urgent wire transfer, or a vendor changing their bank details.

Attackers often gather information from social media or public company data to make their emails more convincing. Some go further by compromising a real mailbox through phishing or password theft, which makes their emails even harder to detect.

Because the emails contain no malware or obvious spam content, they often bypass traditional filters and land directly in the recipient’s inbox.

How to Protect Against BEC Attacks

Preventing BEC attacks requires both technical defenses and employee awareness. Organizations should implement authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, which verify that messages come from authorized senders and help stop spoofed emails before they reach users.

Equally important is training employees to recognize red flags, such as unusual payment requests, urgent tone, or subtle domain name variations.

BEC attacks and DMARC

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) plays a crucial role in defending against BEC attacks. When properly configured, DMARC prevents attackers from sending messages that appear to come from your domain. It also provides visibility through reports, helping security teams monitor unauthorized email activity and enforce stricter policies over time.

How Can DMARCeye Help Prevent BEC Attacks?

DMARCeye helps organizations analyze DMARC reports, identify unauthorized senders, and monitor authentication results in real time.

By showing who is sending email on behalf of your domain, DMARCeye makes it easier to spot potential BEC attempts early and enforce stronger protection policies without disrupting legitimate mail flow.

Sign up for a free trial of DMARCeye today and secure your email domain.

To learn more about DMARC and DMARC-related terms, explore the DMARCeye Glossary.