---
title: Why Are IT Outsourcing Companies Vulnerable to Business Email Compromise?
description: Discover how IT outsourcing companies can guard against Business Email Compromise, ensuring the security of their operations and client relationships.
---

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# [Why Are IT Outsourcing Companies Vulnerable to Business Email Compromise?](https://netnam.com/en/resources/vì-sao-doanh-nghiệp-ito-dễ-trở-thành-mục-tiêu-của-các-cuộc-tấn-công-giả-mạo-email)

 Written by [Marketing NetNam](https://netnam.com/en/resources/author/marketing-netnam) | Oct 22, 2026, 3:59:18 AM

IT outsourcing (ITO) providers often act as a connecting point between multiple parties involved in service delivery, from internal operations teams and customers to vendors and technology partners. In this position, an ITO provider becomes an important part of the IT service chain, trusted by customers to operate systems, provide support, and resolve technical issues. That level of trust can also be exploited. If an ITO provider’s identity or communication channel is impersonated, an unusual request may appear more legitimate than it otherwise would. The impact can extend beyond the provider itself to financial transactions, operational coordination and relationships with customers and partners.

In September 2026, Microsoft reported a business email fraud campaign in which more than one million emails were sent within just three days. Attackers impersonated company executives, used fraudulent invoices carrying the ServiceNow brand, and created email threads designed to persuade payment teams to transfer nearly USD 50,000. IT services and business consulting companies were among the sectors targeted. Importantly, Microsoft found no evidence that ServiceNow’s systems had been compromised. Instead, the attackers exploited the company’s name, brand and lookalike domains to make emails; invoices and communication threads appear to be part of a legitimate business transaction.

## Email Fraud Risks Can Emerge from Routine Business Communications

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is a form of email fraud in which attackers impersonate a trusted individual or organization to persuade the recipient to take an action such as transferring money, changing payment details or disclosing sensitive information.

A BEC attack does not necessarily begin with the compromise of a legitimate email account. Attackers may use lookalike email addresses or domains, or spoof the display name of an executive, customer or supplier to create a sense of familiarity. In other cases, a legitimate email account may be compromised and then used within an existing conversation thread. When this happens, fraudulent requests can be considerably more difficult to recognize.

Microsoft reported that, in the second quarter of 2026, 87–92% of initial contact emails in BEC incidents consisted only of simple opening exchanges, with no immediate reference to financial transactions or specific documents. This suggests that attackers often avoid making sensitive requests at the beginning. Instead, they gradually establish a sense of normality and trust before guiding the recipient toward the action they ultimately want them to take.

## When Trust in the IT Service Chain Is Exploited

For ITO providers, BEC risk needs to be considered within the context of the trusted relationships among the different parties involved in service delivery. When a fraudulent request is introduced into what appears to be a familiar business conversation, the impact of BEC can extend beyond a financial transaction to affect operations, internal resources and relationships with customers and partners.

 

To reduce BEC risk, ITO providers need to maintain two complementary layers of control. The first is an operational control layer, which helps reduce risks arising from business processes and operational decisions. The second is a cybersecurity layer, which helps the organization maintain visibility and the ability to verify and respond to abnormal activity.

 

## Maintaining Cybersecurity Capabilities That Fit ITO Operations

For ITO providers, the challenge is not simply detecting a suspicious email. It is also about maintaining cybersecurity capabilities that are appropriate for the scale of operations and the resources available. Internal teams still need to prioritize day-to-day customer support and service delivery. In that context, building every specialized cybersecurity capability in-house from the outset may not always be necessary.

NetGuardX is developed under a Managed Security Services (MSSP) model, with a service ecosystem designed around the actual needs and development journey of each organization. Rather than applying a fixed model, NetGuardX helps ITO providers strengthen cybersecurity capabilities according to their level of risk, operational scale, and customer requirements. It also helps organizations make better use of existing security investments, add specialist resources where they are needed, and maintain the ability to respond when incidents occur.

 

This allows ITO providers to strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities without placing excessive additional pressure on internal teams, while maintaining the level of trust required to deliver services to customers.

[**Learn more about NetGuardX services!**](https://netnam.com/netguardx/contact-us?hsLang=vi)

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Email: [marketing@netnam.vn](mailto:marketing@netnam.vn)

Website: [https://netnam.com/netguardx](https://netnam.com/netguardx?hsLang=vi)

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