Under Attack?
Business Email Compromise Response Services
Suspect a Business Email Compromise? Act quickly.
Call us, and we'll work out what you're dealing with, what to secure first, and who needs to be told. Our Business Email Compromise (BEC) response team is available 24/7 to secure compromised accounts, establish what the attacker saw and sent, assess financial and data loss, and prevent further fraudulent activity.
What is business email compromise?
Business email compromise (BEC) is a targeted form of cyber fraud in which attackers compromise or impersonate trusted email accounts to deceive employees, customers or suppliers into transferring money, changing payment details or disclosing sensitive information.
Access usually comes through stolen credentials or phishing, or attackers impersonate your organization using spoofed or lookalike domains. Once inside a genuine mailbox, they often sit quietly and monitor conversations, waiting for an invoice, a payment request or a sensitive exchange worth manipulating.
Integrity360 delivers rapid business email compromise response
24/7 incident response from expert cyber teams
Integrity360’s Security Operations Centres (SOCs) operate around the clock, 365 days a year, ensuring that help is always available when you need it most. As soon as we’re engaged, our cyber incident response specialists act swiftly—mobilising remotely or onsite the same day where necessary to contain the threat and begin recovery.
Forensic investigation and root cause analysis
Our digital forensics experts work quickly to identify how the compromise occurred and what data, if any, has been accessed or exfiltrated. We examine email logs, user behaviour, and system artefacts to build a clear timeline of events. Where required, we support legal teams with comprehensive evidence handling and expert reporting.
Fast-track recovery and compliance guidance
Integrity360 works closely with your internal IT and security teams to restore affected systems, secure compromised accounts, and get your business back online with minimal disruption. We also advise on any regulatory obligations, helping you meet compliance requirements with confidence.
How BEC response works
A BEC incident is both a security incident and a financial one, and the financial clock runs faster. Recalling a fraudulent payment depends on how quickly the bank is contacted, and every hour an attacker keeps access is another hour of messages sent in your name. We work on both problems at once, alongside your team.
Step 1 – Emergency triage and account security
Response starts the same day, with a named lead and agreed reporting lines and call times set with you. The immediate work is securing the affected accounts, revoking active sessions and removing any attacker-registered authentication methods, handled in a way that preserves the evidence the investigation depends on.
Step 2 – BEC investigation and digital forensics
Sign-in and audit logs, inbox rules, mail forwarding, mailbox delegation and OAuth application consents tell our Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) specialists how the attacker got in, how long they were there, what they read and what they sent. That picture determines everything that follows, including what you're obliged to report.
Step 3 – Containment and mitigation
Containment revokes unauthorized access and isolates affected accounts, then closes the configuration gaps the attack used, whether your email runs in Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or a hybrid or on-premises environment. Conditional access, legacy authentication and forwarding rules are common places where a second route back in survives the first clean-up.
Step 4 – Credential and identity remediation
Once the environment is stable, credential resets and multi-factor authentication re-enrolment follow, along with removing attacker persistence in the identity layer. We work with your team to restore confidence in internal and external communications, including what to tell correspondents who may have received fraudulent messages from your domain.
Step 5 – Financial and data-loss assessment
Assessment covers the extent of any data loss, which communications were compromised, and the risk to personal or regulated information. Where PIPEDA or other reporting obligations apply, we support them with clear documentation and the evidence behind each finding, including what your bank and insurer will ask for.
Step 6 – Post-incident review and resilience improvement
After recovery, you receive an incident report covering what happened, what changed, and what would reduce the risk of recurrence across email security, identity configuration and user awareness. We walk your team through it, providing longer-term options, such as managed detection and response (MDR) or cyber awareness training.
What BEC response involves beyond securing the account
A password reset closes the door the attacker walked through and leaves the rest open. The questions that remain are how they got in, what they were able to see or change, whether other accounts are affected, and whether fraudulent activity is still running.
Answering those takes incident response, digital forensics, threat intelligence and cloud security working together, and that combination is what your investigation draws on.
24/7 incident response support
BEC attacks don't follow business hours. You reach experienced DFIR specialists whenever suspicious activity or an active compromise needs investigating, including nights and weekends.
Digital forensics and BEC investigation
Our DFIR specialists examine compromised accounts, authentication activity, malicious email rules, suspicious communications and supporting evidence to establish how the attack occurred and determine its full scope.
Identity and cloud security expertise
BEC increasingly targets identities and cloud email environments rather than endpoints. Here, incident response is backed by identity, Microsoft and cloud security expertise, so continued attacker access is closed off alongside the compromised account.
Securing past containment
Securing the compromised account is the beginning. We help you identify other affected users and systems, preserve forensic evidence, assess potential data exposure, and put remediation in place to reduce the risk of further compromise.
A broader view of the incident
A compromised mailbox can be one part of a wider attack. We draw on incident response, threat intelligence and security operations to establish whether the activity extends beyond email and identity into other parts of your environment.
Speak to an expert
If you think an account has been compromised, call now. If you're reviewing your readiness, a response retainer puts agreed-upon response times and a named team in place before anything happens. Talk to one of our experts to determine the right solution for your organization.
Call us
Dublin: +353 01 293 4027
London: +44 20 3397 3414
Sofia: +359 2 491 0110
Stockholm: +46 8 514 832 00
Madrid: +34 910 767 092
Email us
Types of business email compromise we investigate
Compromised email accounts
An attacker with access to a legitimate mailbox can monitor communications, impersonate the account owner and send fraudulent messages from a trusted address inside your organization.
Invoice and payment fraud
Attackers intercept or impersonate supplier communications and attempt to redirect legitimate payments to criminal-controlled bank accounts.
Executive impersonation
Criminals impersonate senior executives or other trusted individuals to pressure employees into making urgent payments or disclosing information.
Supplier and vendor impersonation
Posing as trusted suppliers, attackers request changes to banking details, invoices or payment processes.
Payroll and HR fraud
BEC attacks also target payroll and HR teams, with requests to change employee banking details or release personal information.
Data theft
Not every BEC attack is aimed at money. A compromised mailbox exposes sensitive correspondence, commercial information, personal data and credentials.
Incident Response FAQs
What is Business Email Compromise?
Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a targeted form of cyber fraud in which attackers compromise or impersonate a trusted email account to deceive employees, customers or suppliers. The objective is often to redirect payments, change banking details or obtain sensitive information. Attackers may use stolen credentials to access a genuine mailbox or impersonate a trusted individual or organization without directly compromising their account.
How can Integrity360 help prevent BEC?
Integrity360 provides a multi-layered defence against Business Email Compromise, including:
-
Email security assessments
-
24/7 managed threat detection and response
-
Domain protection (DMARC, SPF, DKIM)
-
Executive protection services
-
Staff awareness training
-
Incident response planning and support
We tailor our services to your organization’s size, risk profile, and industry.
What is the difference between business email compromise and phishing?
While both involve deception via email, phishing typically casts a wide net, sending mass emails with malicious links or attachments. Business Email Compromise (BEC) is highly targeted. Attackers often impersonate trusted individuals to trick employees into making payments or revealing sensitive information. BEC is usually more sophisticated and financially motivated.
How do cybercriminals gain access to business email accounts?
Attackers use several methods, including phishing emails, credential stuffing, or exploiting weak passwords and a lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA). Once inside a mailbox, they may observe communications for weeks before launching a carefully timed attack, such as intercepting an invoice or issuing fraudulent payment instructions.
Who is most at risk of a business email compromise attack?
How can I tell if our business has been targeted by a BEC attack?
Warning signs include:
- Unexpected requests for urgent wire transfers or changes to payment details
- Messages with slight spelling variations in email addresses or domains
- Unusual communication patterns, such as requests outside business hours
- Pressure to bypass standard payment or approval processes
If you notice any of these signs, contact Integrity360 immediately for investigation and response.
What should I do if we fall victim to a BEC scam?
- Stop the transaction if it hasn’t been completed.
- Notify your bank to initiate a recall of the funds.
- Report the incident to your IT and security teams immediately.
- Engage Integrity360’s Incident Response Team to contain and investigate the breach.
- Review and strengthen your email security and internal controls to prevent future attacks.
How quickly should you respond to a BEC attack?
You should respond to a suspected Business Email Compromise immediately. Attackers may still have access to compromised accounts, be monitoring communications or attempting additional fraudulent transactions. Rapid action can help secure affected identities, preserve forensic evidence, identify the extent of the compromise and prevent further financial or data loss. If money has been transferred fraudulently, your financial institution should also be contacted immediately.
Can a BEC attack happen without malware?
Yes. Business Email Compromise does not require malware. Attackers can use phishing, stolen credentials, session theft, impersonation or social engineering to gain access to email accounts or convince employees to take fraudulent actions. Some BEC attacks may not involve a compromised account at all, instead relying on spoofed or lookalike email addresses to impersonate a trusted individual, supplier or organization.
What should I do if money has already been transferred?
If a fraudulent payment has already been made, contact your bank or payment provider immediately and provide details of the transaction. Acting quickly may improve the possibility of stopping or recalling the payment. You should also secure affected accounts, preserve relevant emails and other evidence, notify your security team and begin an investigation to determine how the fraud occurred and whether the attacker retains access to your environment.
Can Business Email Compromise cause a data breach?
Yes. Although BEC is often associated with financial fraud, a compromised email account may also expose personal, commercial or otherwise sensitive information. If attackers access or disclose protected data, the incident may constitute a data breach and could create regulatory or notification obligations. The investigation should establish what information was accessible and what evidence exists that it was viewed, downloaded, forwarded or otherwise exposed.
How long does a BEC investigation take?
The length of a BEC investigation depends on the scope and complexity of the incident. A compromise involving one recently affected mailbox may be investigated relatively quickly, while an incident involving multiple identities, extended attacker access, financial fraud or wider cloud activity can require a more extensive investigation. Initial containment and triage should begin immediately, with the investigation continuing until the extent and impact of the compromise are understood.
