These attacks are carefully crafted to exploit urgency, authority, and confidentiality, pressuring employees to bypass normal approval processes. The best defense is not just technology—it is disciplined adherence to established governance and financial controls.
Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting organizations by impersonating senior executives on collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and email. Their objective is simple: convince finance and procurement staff to make urgent payments to unauthorized accounts.
These attacks are carefully crafted to exploit urgency, authority, and confidentiality, pressuring employees to bypass normal approval processes. The best defense is not just technology—it is disciplined adherence to established governance and financial controls.
“Impersonation attacks are carefully crafted to exploit urgency, authority, and confidentiality, pressuring employees to bypass normal approval processes.”
Before acting on any unexpected payment request
- Verify the request using a separate, trusted communication channel.
- Independently confirm any changes to supplier or bank account details.
- Never let urgency override established approval workflows.
- Report suspicious requests immediately to your IT or security team.
Strong financial governance exists for a reason
Controls such as segregation of duties, multi-level approvals, supplier verification, and procurement oversight ensure that no single individual can initiate, approve, and release funds without appropriate validation.
Every participant in the procurement and payment process—from procurement teams and budget holders to goods or service receivers, finance staff, and approving managers—serves as a critical checkpoint against fraud.
Use approved workflow systems
Organizations should also ensure that procurement, contracting, and payment activities are conducted through approved workflow systems rather than informal chat messages or ad hoc communications. Formal systems provide audit trails, enforce approval hierarchies, and improve accountability throughout the transaction lifecycle.
Trust the process, not the pressure
The takeaway is simple: Fraudsters succeed when people bypass controls. They fail when organizations follow their processes. Stay vigilant. Verify before you act. Trust the process—not the pressure.
Victor Assanga
Technical Lead
