Transactional and lifecycle mail share a brand, so one bad campaign can degrade password-reset delivery.
What business email compromise (BEC) is#
BEC is a targeted attack where an attacker impersonates an executive or vendor to redirect payments or extract data, often from a legitimate compromised mailbox rather than a spoofed one.
Why it matters#
BEC causes more financial loss than any other cybercrime category, and it frequently passes authentication because the mailbox is real.
Implementation plan for SaaS companies#
- Require MFA on all mailboxes and disable legacy authentication protocols.
- Alert on new inbox rules that forward or delete mail, a common attacker persistence step.
- Verify payment changes by phone using a known number, never the one in the email.
- Flag external mail with display names matching internal staff.
Priorities specific to SaaS companies#
Transactional and lifecycle mail share a brand, so one bad campaign can degrade password-reset delivery. Weight your effort toward the steps above that address this constraint first, and measure with metrics that match how SaaS companies generate value from email.
Common mistakes#
- Assuming DMARC protects against BEC from a compromised real account.
- No out-of-band verification policy for finance.
Frequently asked questions#
How is BEC different from phishing?
Phishing casts wide for credentials; BEC is targeted social engineering for money, often using a real hijacked account.