- [Instructor] Because business email compromise, or BEC,
has characteristics similar to phishing attacks,
some of the ways to protect against it will overlap.
In this video, I'll cover these
as well as some unique methods
to protect against BEC attacks.
First, like with phishing, you can protect against BEC
by implementing email filtering controls
on your email server.
This will help prevent email attacks designed to trick users
into giving away their credentials.
And because BEC attackers will sometimes try
to spoof legitimate domains in their emails,
consider configuring email protocols like SPF, DKIM,
and DMARC to reduce this type of spoofing.
For instance, DKIM can be used to reject emails
where the displayed domain doesn't match the domain
of the originating email server.
Mike Chapple gives a good overview of these protocols
in his CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+ course
on LinkedIn Learning.
Next, enable multifactor authentication, or MFA,
especially on email accounts.
This will significantly reduce the chances
of an attacker taking control of an email account
with just a username and password.
Once enabled, never disable MFA.
User security awareness training
is another important protection against BEC attacks.
Train users about these attacks
and that they should be suspicious of urgent-sounding
or unusual emails that request transferring funds.
Show them how to spot look-alike domains used in emails.
Teach them to confirm these financial transaction requests
out of band, meaning through some method other than email,
such as calling the person or meeting with them directly.
And any change in payment instruction should be verified,
no matter how it is sent or who it comes from.
Another way to protect against BEC
is to add a warning banner to emails
coming from outside your organization.
Marking external emails helps warn users
that an email spoofed to look like it's from someone
within the organization really isn't.
Then train users to understand
what these warning banners mean and why they're important.
If you or someone in your organization
is a victim of a BEC scam,
you should contact your financial institution immediately
and tell them what happened.
In some cases, money transfers can be frozen or canceled.
Next, if you're in the US,
report the crime to your local FBI field office.
If you're outside the US,
contact your equivalent law enforcement agency.
Also, if you're in the US, file a complaint
with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Business email compromise is a growing problem
on the cybersecurity threat landscape.
Take the steps described in this video to reduce the chances
that you or your organization will become a victim
of a BEC attack.