Holiday Security Refresher: Business Email Compromise (BEC)
EV-Consultech • December 17, 2020
Holiday Security Refresher: Business Email Compromise (BEC)
2020 Holiday Security Awareness Campaign
(Week 3)
BEC attacks are a subset of phishing, and they occur when a cybercriminal impersonates executives or trusted contacts to deceive business owners or employees into transferring funds into a seemingly authentic - but nonetheless fraudulent account.
While the purpose of most BEC attacks is personal financial gain, these attacks can also be made with the goal of obtaining sensitive business and financial information, as is the case in phishing attacks.
Attackers utilize BEC attacks year-round, but it is not uncommon around the holidays for these sorts of fraudulent attacks to increase in frequency. As always, during this holiday season be sure to be on guard and practice healthy skepticism with the emails you receive.
This week we are featuring the resources listed below:
1. BEC Infographic
This poster explains BEC attacks, including their design and targets. It also lists the best practices to prevent them from occurring.
2. 3 Facts About BEC Attacks
This article describes a few true facts about BEC attacks, providing helpful summaries and recommendations along the way.
This article describes a few true facts about BEC attacks, providing helpful summaries and recommendations along the way.
3.
Take 5: Defending Against BEC Attacks
This document lists out several good habits to establish in your organization to provide the best shield of defense against BEC attacks.
This document lists out several good habits to establish in your organization to provide the best shield of defense against BEC attacks.
All of these resources are free to access, and you can view or download them below! Simply click on each tab to access its respective content.
We hope you have found these resources informative and useful!
Happy Holidays,
The EV-Consultech Team

Introduction: The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has sparked widespread conversation about its role in society, while balancing excitement for innovation with concerns over its long-term implications. As AI continues to reshape industries ranging from creative arts to data analytics, it proves to have substantial advantages and significant ethical risks. The Benefits: The integration of AI technologies offers creative and economic potential across different sectors, driving efficiency and creative evolution. AI is viewed as a primary driver for societal development and innovation. Its ability to process datasets enables breakthroughs in fields like healthcare, environmental science, and social justice. Structured query language (SQL) AI tools, such as Claude and ChatGPT, are becoming increasingly popular for complex and routine professional tasks. These systems can transform disorganized data into accessible business intelligence at a faster, more efficient pace than before. In terms of creative evolution and inspiration, there is much debate regarding the ethical standards of AI image generation. Some claim that AI image generators don’t visually plagiarise creative works but instead function similarly to human artists who are inspired by other works and artists they have seen. This technology can change how people create media and new creative processes, essentially pushing the boundaries of traditional art. Significant investment in AI has fueled a market boom with major tech leaders betting heavily on its continued development and expansion. According to Syracuse University, artificial intelligence technologies profited about 244 billion U.S. dollars in 2025. The Challenges: Despite its benefits, the adoption of AI introduces critical challenges that threaten economic stability, ethical standards, and the environment. The increasing use of AI has created anxiety regarding its impact on the labor market. As a result, there is concern that AI will make many careers centered on media creation and repetitive tasks obsolete. AI's impact on future job prospects could eliminate the need to hire human employees, potentially causing a decline in employment rates and economic growth. The ethical implications of AI are multifaceted, involving issues of intellectual property and environmental sustainability. Data centers have thousands of processing units and servers that run 24/7, creating excess heat that can damage these systems without proper cooling. The common practice to cool down these servers is to use water in small to large amounts. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, a 100-word AI prompt consumes about 1 bottle of water. On a national scale, data centers consume around 228 billion gallons of water, according to CBS News. To meet the increasing demand for AI services, substantial amounts of water are necessary, which can potentially cause environmental issues and overconsumption of natural resources over time. AI also presents substantial challenges regarding integrity, individuality and authenticity. In terms of art, artists argue that AI exploits their work without necessary consent or compensation due to evident similarities between original and AI-generated works. Similarly, this idea applies to the professional job market when hiring applicants. The use of AI to generate resumes and portfolios has made it increasingly difficult for job applicants to differentiate themselves, as many use identical AI chat prompts, leading to a loss of originality to set candidates apart. Conclusion: The ongoing debate over AI highlights a divide between its potential for progress and its capacity for disruption. While AI may provide substantial economic benefits, it simultaneously threatens established artistic frameworks, job market practices, and economic sustainability. Addressing these challenges requires a system that considers human and AI capabilities, while demanding ethical practices and ensuring a stable environmental footprint. At EV-Consultech, we help clients stay informed about the latest technologies and innovations to help their business thrive. Contact us today and learn more about the importance of AI knowledge.

In today's day in age, the use of AI-generated platforms has become increasingly popular across the internet. These platforms allow for a fast and facilitated way to complete tasks such as professional work, education, or expanding one's personal knowledge. Anyone has the ability to discover new or pre-existing information regarding a multitude of topics by simply imputing their inquiries on platforms such as Chat GPT. Chat GPT has had a striking impact on society because of how easy it is for people to gather information on any topic. The platform provides information on anything asked through its online chat and it does so with a fast response. However, Chat GPT and AI-generated platforms can have potential risks such as... Data Breaches Data breaches can happen when using any type of online platform, especially those generated by AI. Chat GPT must be accessed through a web browser since it cannot be downloaded. Because of that, data breaches can occur if an unauthorized party gets a hold of your online chat logs, personal information, or any other sensitive data. A few consequences are: Privacy compromises : If an unknown person or group gains access to your personal information through the platform, your privacy has been compromised and you identity could be exposed. Identity theft : Cybercriminals could use your personal information to act under your name rather than their own. They would steal your identity by using it against you in order to perform fraudulent actions. Misuse of data : User data could be subject to misuse when a data breach occurs on an AI platform. With that, your information could be used without your consent for suspicious activity online. Open AI appears to be taking accurate cyber security measures in order to make it less likely for data breaches to take place. However, not all systems are free from errors or breaches in security, and Chat GPT is a good example of this. Access to Confidential Information Chat GPT has the ability to use personal information entered into the online chat by its users. In order to ensure the user's safety and continual privacy while using the platform, it's best to not exploit one's own information when using the AI chat. Gaining access to user information isn't easy for an AI-generated platform to achieve, but if the user provides the data themselves, it can have some consequences. Biased or Inconsistent Information An additional risk in using Chat GPT is that it could potentially provide biased or inconsistent information to its users Because of the wide range of information the platform contains, it could possibly generate false data that could be confused for something else. This can definitely affect industries or companies that use AI-generated content for their line of work These businesses could provide faulty service to their customers all due to the misleading data given by an AI platform. This has the potential to hinder the company’s advances and overall performance as a result. In the end, it's up to the user and the user alone how they interpret the information given by the AI chat bots; it could be completely right or completely false. Question: Is it safe to use? In certain aspects, Chat GPT contains multiple potential threats to one’s online experience. A platform such as this one can provide misinformation and exploit your personal information. However, it can still be used without problems if certain measures are taken accordingly. Safety Measures You Can Take: Browse on and interacting with AI platforms through anonymous accounts Keep personal or sensitive information private Review the platform’s privacy policy and be well-informed about its activity To conclude, yes, Chat GPT is safe to use as long as it is used responsibly and accordingly to reap the benefits. These types of platforms will continue to be prevalent in the world for years to come and it’s important to know how to ensure we have the best experience with AI. Where can I learn more about the effects of AI for my business? At EV-Consultech, we can answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding the influence of AI. Learn more by contacting us below.












