Research Shows BEC Attacks Increased by 84% Between First and Second Half of 2021

Abnormal Security released a blog post on its research into BEC trends, which details the significant rise they’ve observed in BEC attacks between the first and second halves of 2021. Between July and December 2021, 84% more Abnormal customers’ inboxes were targeted by BEC lures, though the tactic itself stayed relatively uncommon, hitting less than one out of one thousand inboxes. Nonetheless, according to the FBI 2021 Internet Crime Report, BEC continues to amass more financial losses than any other internet crime. Small businesses remained the most popular victim for criminals to target. Researchers noted that executive positions are falling in popularity as more BEC lures are beginning to impersonate rank and file employees instead, though executives remain the most popular target of those lures. Read more at Abnormal Security.