A 'New Age' of Sophisticated Business Email Compromise is Coming

A newly discovered, sophisticated threat group that targets organizations without DMARC implemented and relies on business email compromise is heralding what researchers call "a new age" of business email compromise. The group, called Cosmic Lynx, is the first reported Russian BEC cybercriminal ring, and it's bringing the once run-of-the-mill email scam attack vector to the next level. The group has been associated with more than 200 BEC campaigns targeting senior-level executives in 46 countries since last July. It uses clear, articulate emails -- with vocabulary like "accretive" and "synergistic" -- that purport to be related to an a "merger and acquisition," keeping with a sensitive theme that targeted employees likely won't discuss.