Help Employees Recognize Business Email Compromise Before They Respond

Business email compromise can turn a convincing email and a moment of urgency into a costly security incident. BEC Alert: Identify and Neutralize Email Threats is a 1-page digital or printable reference guide that helps employees understand business email compromise (BEC), recognize the warning signs, and know exactly what to do when a suspicious request arrives.

Rather than making BEC feel like a complicated technical threat, this resource uses a realistic example email to show employees what an attack can actually look like. Key warning signs are highlighted, along with common BEC scenarios—including scams targeting payroll and HR processes—so users can connect the threat to situations they may encounter in their everyday work.

At the heart of the guide is a simple three-step response employees can remember: Pause. Verify. Report. It also provides practical guidance for employees who realize they may have already responded to a fraudulent message, helping reinforce the importance of acting quickly rather than ignoring or hiding a mistake.

Designed for beginner to intermediate users, this resource is particularly valuable for organizations looking to strengthen email safety, phishing awareness, data protection, and workplace cybersafety without overwhelming employees with technical terminology.

The guide can also be tailored to your organization’s specific reporting and response procedures. Send us your logo and we can custom-brand this resource for your organization, including customized text to help employees follow your internal security protocols.

Ideas for How to Use This Resource

• Include in phishing and email security awareness campaigns
• Share with Finance, HR, payroll, and other frequently targeted teams
• Add to employee onboarding and annual cybersecurity training
• Post to your LMS, intranet, or internal security resource center
• Use alongside phishing simulations to reinforce Pause, Verify, Report
• Distribute before high-risk periods such as executive travel, tax season, or year-end financial activity