For years, one of the most lucrative ways for hackers to generate profits was through ransomware attacks. These instances involve the use of strong encryption to lock victims out of their files and data – attackers then sell the decryption key in exchange for an untraceable Bitcoin ransom payment. Now, however, another highly profitable attack style is emerging, particularly within the enterprise sector. Business Email Compromise, or BEC, is creating considerable opportunities for cybercriminals to make money off of their malicious activity, and the sophistication and urgency of these infiltrations make them particularly difficult to guard against. The rise of BEC Although organizations are now becoming increasingly aware of the BEC attack approach, this strategy has actually been generating income for hackers for years now. Trend Micro researchers reported that, in 2016, attackers generated an average of $140,000 in losses by launching BEC attacks on businesses across the globe
