Protect Your Business from Email Scams: What You Need to Know

Your business likely depends on email every single day—so it’s no surprise that cybercriminals are targeting this essential communication tool. Here’s what you need to understand to keep your business safe.

A Surge in Email-Based Scams

Email is indispensable for modern businesses, but it also comes with significant risks. One of the most concerning threats today is Business Email Compromise (BEC)—a sophisticated scam where attackers impersonate high-ranking individuals, such as CEOs or IT staff, to trick employees into sharing sensitive information or transferring funds.

BEC attacks are on the rise, and the impact can be devastating. Recent research shows that nearly 90% of these attacks involve scammers pretending to be senior figures in the company. Their approach relies on trust and urgency, making it easy for employees to fall victim without pausing to think critically.

The Alarming Numbers Behind BEC Scams

The past year has seen an explosion in BEC attacks. Researchers analyzing 1.8 billion emails globally discovered 208 million malicious emails, with over half (58%) being BEC attempts. This makes BEC scams the number-one email threat to businesses today.

Interestingly, many BEC scams focus on employees lower down in the organization—individuals who may not feel comfortable questioning instructions from higher-ups or who are less familiar with cybersecurity risks.

While BEC scams dominate the landscape, they aren’t the only email threats. Cybercriminals also deploy:

• Phishing attacks: Emails designed to steal login credentials or personal information.
• Spam emails: Often harmless-looking, but some aim to spread malware or steal data.

Together, these methods are surpassing more traditional threats like ransomware and malware, showing just how critical email security has become.

Protecting Your Business Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

The good news? Safeguarding your business from these threats is straightforward and cost-effective. Start by educating your team:

• Encourage employees to think critically about every email they receive.
• Train them to verify requests for sensitive information or financial transactions, especially if the email seems urgent.
• Emphasize the importance of confirming unusual or unexpected requests through a phone call or in-person conversation before taking action.

By building a culture of awareness and vigilance, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these scams.