How to Prevent Business Email Compromise: A Practical Guide

A familiar supplier emails to say its bank details have changed, and the message looks entirely routine. Would your team pause before paying? That moment of uncertainty is exactly what business email compromise exploits: trust, urgency and everyday processes. Learning how to prevent business email compromise means looking beyond suspicious links, because a convincing message may contain neither a link nor an attachment.

Extra checks can feel like a drag on work, but a practical process can help your team act quickly without relying on an email alone. Combine safeguards for email accounts with independent checks for payment or payroll changes, and make sure staff know when to pause and verify. This guide covers common BEC tactics, protections to prioritise and first steps to take if you spot a suspicious message or unauthorised change.

What business email compromise looks like, and why email filters are not enough

Business email compromise (BEC) is a scam in which criminals impersonate someone a business trusts, or gain access to a genuine email account and use it to deceive others. They might pose as a senior manager asking for a confidential document or urgent payment, or as a supplier requesting payment into a different bank account. The message may fit naturally into an existing conversation, making it harder to question.

What is Business Email Compromise? offers further background on the term and common tactics. For day-to-day decisions, remember that a familiar name or plausible wording doesn’t prove who sent a message. Even an email from a genuine account may have been sent by someone who has taken it over.

How can you spot a business email compromise attempt?

Look for a request that breaks from normal working practice: an unexpected rush, an unusual demand for information or new payment instructions. For example, a supplier’s message might appear in a genuine email thread but suddenly ask you to use different bank details. Treat that change as a reason to pause and verify, not as proof that the request is genuine or fraudulent.

Email filters can catch some unwanted or harmful messages, but BEC emails may contain no suspicious link or attachment. A message sent from a compromised account can also appear to come from a legitimate address. Filters alone can’t establish whether a request is genuine, so staff need a clear way to check unusual instructions independently. Make verification part of the process, even when a message looks convincing.

How to prevent business email compromise with layered safeguards

There’s no single setting that stops every scam, and being a small business doesn’t make your organisation automatically safer. Cybersecurity specialists like OAD Technologies stress the value of layered protection, combining account security, email checks, staff awareness and reliable payment processes. Start by enabling multi-factor authentication, using strong, unique passwords and removing access when it’s no longer needed. Set out who staff should tell if a request seems suspicious, and how to check it without replying to the message.

Email protections such as SPF, DKIM and DMARC help receiving systems check whether messages claiming to come from your domain are authorised and genuine. They can reduce some forms of impersonation, but they don’t prevent every attack, particularly if a real account is taken over. Microsoft’s overview of layered safeguards against BEC also highlights why technical protections and staff awareness work best together.

What payment checks help prevent fraudulent transfers?

Make changed bank details a pause point. Verify them using a separate, trusted contact method, such as a phone number already held on file, not contact details supplied in the email. Keep the existing supplier record separate from the email so staff can compare the request with details already held. For unusual or high-impact payments, set clear approval steps, such as requiring a second authorised person to review the request. Build these checks into normal workflows so they’re applied consistently.

Share only the personal information needed to complete a task, and handle it responsibly. The Information Commissioner’s Office provides UK GDPR guidance for organisations on handling personal data. Managed IT and cybersecurity support can help your business coordinate safeguards and review them as your systems and working practices change.

Suspected email compromise: next steps and support

Act promptly, but keep a clear head. If a message, account or payment request seems suspicious, alert the person responsible for IT or security and follow your organisation’s incident process. Secure affected access with their guidance, and preserve the email, messages and relevant records. Don’t delete evidence or continue the suspicious conversation while the request is being checked.

Review any payment instructions that may have been affected. If money has been sent, contact your bank promptly using a trusted number or channel from its official website or your existing records. Share the relevant details and ask what steps may be possible. Don’t rely on contact information in the suspicious message, and keep a note of the actions your business takes.

How can managed IT support strengthen your BEC defences?

A managed IT or cybersecurity partner can review the safeguards around your email accounts, access and payment processes, then identify areas to improve based on your business’s working practices. They can also help you plan who should be alerted and what information staff should preserve if an incident is suspected. Dedicated providers such as BENDIX imaging demonstrate how managed IT solutions help organisations protect critical infrastructure, while SolaaS provides managed IT services, IT support and cybersecurity support to help businesses put these practical steps into place.

Explore managed IT and cybersecurity services to learn how tailored support can help your business review its safeguards and response readiness. For questions about how this article applies to your business, you can also reach SolaaS Limited through its contact page.

Build stronger safeguards into everyday work

Preventing business email compromise takes more than spotting suspicious messages. Secure accounts, help staff recognise unusual requests and verify payment changes through a separate, trusted channel. Clear response steps also help your team act calmly if an account or payment instruction is compromised.

Knowing how to prevent business email compromise gives your business a practical starting point, but safeguards should reflect how your people and systems work. SolaaS provides managed IT services and IT support, alongside cybersecurity, managed cybersecurity and IT consultancy for businesses in Coventry, Leicester, Warwick and Leamington.

Use the steps in this guide to review how your team handles email, access and payment changes. If you have questions about how these safeguards affect your business, contact SolaaS Limited to discuss your business’s needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is business email compromise?

Business email compromise (BEC) is a scam in which criminals impersonate someone a business trusts or gain access to a genuine business email account. They may use it to request a payment, seek sensitive information or change supplier bank details. The message may use familiar names and plausible wording, so don’t assume it’s genuine just because it fits normal work.

Can email filters prevent business email compromise?

Email filters can help block or flag some suspicious messages, but they can’t prevent every BEC attempt. A criminal may impersonate a trusted person or send a message from an account they’ve taken over. Combine email protections with secure accounts, staff awareness and independent checks for payment requests or changed bank details. Treat filters as one safeguard, not the whole plan.

How can a small business prevent business email compromise?

To understand how to prevent business email compromise, combine account security with clear payment checks and staff guidance. Help employees pause when a request feels urgent or unusual, and verify new bank details using a separate, trusted contact method. Review these steps as your business changes. This approach can help small businesses in Coventry, Leicester, Warwick and Leamington build practical safeguards.

What should you do if you suspect a business email compromise?

Tell the appropriate person in your business promptly, secure any affected account and keep relevant emails or records. If a payment or bank-detail change may be involved, contact your financial institution using trusted contact details, not those in the suspicious message. Once the immediate issue is addressed, review what happened and strengthen any safeguards or response steps that were missing.

If you have any questions about this article and how it affects your business, please contact us.