Welcome to the third blog in our series Brews & Cyber Threats!

This fall blog series from Info Advantage pairs five of today’s top cybersecurity threats with five standout brews from Rohrbach Brewing Company in Rochester.

This week, we’re diving into a threat that’s subtle, sneaky, and surprisingly expensive: Business Email Compromise (BEC). It doesn’t rely on malware—it relies on trust.

And to match its smooth approach, we’re pairing it with Rohrbach’s Blueberry Ale—a crisp blonde ale with a subtle fruit twist that’s easy to love… and easy to underestimate.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

What it is:
Business Email Compromise is a form of social engineering where attackers impersonate a trusted person, like your CEO, you, or a known vendor, via email. Their goal? Convince someone on your team to wire funds, change payroll information, or send sensitive data.

Common tactics used in BEC scams:

• Emails appear to come from real executives (using spoofed or hacked email addresses)

• Use urgency or confidentiality to push fast action

• Bypass spam filters because they lack links or attachments

Why it matters:
Small and mid-sized businesses are prime targets. Most don’t have advanced email security tools or approval workflows in place. A single employee acting on a fraudulent request can cost your company thousands.

💡 According to the FBI, BEC scams resulted in over $2.9 billion in reported losses in 2023—far surpassing ransomware and phishing in financial impact.

👉 Want to know what other threats could be flying under your radar? Visit our Cybersecurity Services page for a full rundown.

Info Advantage’s Advice: How Not to Fall for BEC

You don’t need advanced malware detection to prevent a BEC attack—you need awareness, controls, and verification.

Here’s how we help our clients defend against these silent scams:

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Prevents attackers from accessing executive email accounts

• Email Spoofing Protection: Tools like DMARC, DKIM, and SPF block forged emails

• Finance Process Controls: Require multi-person approval for wire transfers, payroll changes, and banking updates

• Internal Training: Teach staff to spot suspicious requests, even if they “appear” to come from the boss

• Email Filtering Tools: Add a layer of defense by scanning for anomalies and flagging high-risk messages

Rohrbach’s Blueberry Ale: Sweet, Crisp, and a Little Sneaky

This blonde ale is clean and refreshing, with just a hint of blueberry. It’s the kind of beer that goes down easy—just like a well-crafted scam.

But don’t let the fruit fool you. Like BEC, it’s subtle, smooth, and can catch you off guard if you’re not paying attention.

Why this pairing works:
Both the beer and the threat are inviting on the surface, but carry hidden risks.
The lesson? Train your team to question even the sweetest requests.

Trust, But Verify

BEC scams don’t need complex code or ransomware. They just need a little trust and a little urgency.

Don’t let your team fall for a fake email that looks just real enough.

✅ Get a free email risk assessment from Info Advantage to see how vulnerable your business is to impersonation attacks—and how we can help lock them down.

👉 Schedule Your Free Consultation

Next Week: Insider Threats & Helles Lager

Join us next Tuesday as we take a closer look at Insider Threats—how mistakes or bad actors inside your company can become your biggest vulnerability.

We’ll be pairing it with Rohrbach’s Helles Lager, a classic that goes down easy, but reminds us that smooth doesn’t always mean safe.

Spots are limited—reserve your seat here!