Security News > 2023 > June > Widespread BEC attacks threaten European organizations

European organizations experienced a greater volume and frequency of BEC attacks over the last year, as compared to organizations in the United States, according to Abnormal Security.

This included an analysis of traditional BEC attacks like executive impersonation, vendor-focused invoice, and payment fraud, as well as credential phishing, malware, and extortion.

While total attacks in the United States grew by 5x between June 2022 and May 2023, Europe saw total attacks increase by 7x during the same period-to an average of 2,842 attacks per 1,000 mailboxes in May. When evaluating BEC attacks specifically, the disparity was even greater.

Between June 2022 and May 2023, BEC attacks in the United States increased by just over 2x. Meanwhile, in Europe, there was a 10x increase in BEC attacks, from an average of one attack to an average of 10 attacks per 1,000 mailboxes.

"Attackers can expect that many European employees will be away from their computers or distracted around this time-a perfect opportunity to target victims who are more likely to mistakenly fall for a social engineering attack."

Martin continued, "Despite various nuances in the BEC attack trends across the United States and Europe, the data shows that one thing is clear: BEC attacks are on the rise, and organizations are susceptible no matter where they are located."

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2023/06/27/bec-attacks-frequency/