Business Email Compromise (BEC) as a threat to organizations: a case study

Purpose: This analysis investigates Business Email Compromise (BEC) as a significant threat to corporate financial stability.Utilizing a paradigmatic case study of a multinational industrial enterprise, the research identifies critical organizational shortcomings and proposes risk mitigation strategies.Furthermore, the study highlights existing gaps within legal frameworks that impede effective cross-border fraud prevention and asset recovery.Design: The research methodology employs a qualitative case study approach, integrating both legal and managerial perspectives to examine BEC intricacies.Data collection involved a detailed examination of publicly available judicial and banking records, situating the case within the broader phenomenon of cyber-enabled financial fraud.Findings: Findings identify weaknesses in corporate payment protocols facilitating BEC: predictable workflows and limited authentication.Additionally, significant legal and organizational factors, particularly jurisdictional fragmentation, hinder timely asset recovery, notably by delaying necessary cross-border cooperation.Research limitations/implications: Because the analysis focuses on a single case study, the generalizability of the results is inherently constrained.Future investigations should include comparative and quantitative approaches, spanning multiple jurisdictions, to evaluate the efficacy of preventive legal frameworks on a broader scale.Practical implications: Findings support the tightening of internal security protocols, particularly through dual-channel verification and the adoption of anomaly detection tools.Continuous staff training in secure email practices and social engineering awareness is likewise essential to thwart increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.Implementing these measures can substantially reduce financial exposure and enhance overall organizational resilience.Social implications: Although the primary focus is on corporate risk management, this research has broader societal relevance by raising awareness of digital threats and reinforcing public trust in electronic payment systems.Originality/value: This article contributes to scholarly discourse by providing a comprehensive analysis that integrates the legal dimensions of BEC with a detailed examination of organizational vulnerabilities.The paper is therefore particularly relevant to legal scholars, management researchers, cybersecurity experts, and practitioners involved in fraud prevention.