No single product fully stops business email compromise in 2026 — the attacks that drain bank accounts through fake invoices and CEO wire requests skip malware entirely, so the software that actually prevents them has to train the person reading the email, not just scan the message.
TL;DR
- Cyber Aware wins for training staff to catch business email compromise scams like invoice fraud and CEO fraud in 2026.
- Proofpoint suits enterprises that need spoofed-domain filtering at the email gateway before a message lands.
- No single piece of software to prevent business email compromise works alone — it bypasses filters through social engineering, not malware.
- Fortinet FortiMail fits teams already standardised on Fortinet's broader security stack.
- Sentrient and Datacom serve compliance-driven SMBs and multi-site enterprise accounts respectively.
Why this matters
Business email compromise doesn't rely on a malicious link or an infected attachment — it relies on a convincing request landing in front of someone with the authority to pay it. A spoofed sender name, a familiar vendor domain and an urgent tone are usually enough to get an invoice paid or a payroll detail changed. Email gateways scan for known bad signatures; a clean-looking request from a "trusted" contact rarely trips one.
That's why the best software to prevent business email compromise in 2026 splits into two categories: technical filtering that blocks spoofed domains and malicious payloads at the gateway, and staff training that teaches finance and payroll teams to pause before acting on an urgent request. Platforms like Cyber Aware run simulated BEC lures against staff so the pattern is familiar before a real one shows up. Most businesses need both layers, but rarely need both from the same vendor.
BEC emails carry no malicious payload, so the filter has nothing to catch — the person reading it is the last line of defence.
Best overall: Cyber Aware for training Australian staff, especially finance and payroll teams, to recognise business email compromise before a transfer goes out. Best for enterprise email filtering: Proofpoint for blocking spoofed domains and malicious attachments at the gateway before a message reaches an inbox. Best budget option for compliance-driven SMBs: Sentrient for phishing simulation content mapped to a specific audit or standard.
What makes the best software to prevent business email compromise
- Training built around invoice fraud and CEO fraud, not generic phishing links
- Simulated BEC lures that mimic real vendor and executive impersonation emails
- Click rate reporting and report-rate tracking over time, broken down by team
- Integration with existing email platforms such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
- Local scam content — Australian ATO, ASIC and superannuation impersonation patterns
- Support built for finance and payroll teams, the highest-value BEC target inside a company
A platform that only covers one or two of these spokes is solving half the problem.
Software to prevent business email compromise: at a glance
| Software | Best for | Standout feature | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Aware | Staff training on BEC social engineering | Simulated invoice-fraud and CEO-fraud lures | Doesn't filter or block email at the gateway |
| Proofpoint | Enterprise email gateway filtering | Spoofed-domain and attachment detection at scale | Not built for small teams without IT support |
| Fortinet FortiMail | Teams already on the Fortinet stack | Filtering managed alongside FortiGate tools | Adds least value outside a Fortinet environment |
| Datacom | Enterprise and government multi-site rollouts | Managed IT plus awareness under one contract | Procurement suits large accounts, not single-site SMBs |
| Sentrient | Compliance-mapped phishing simulation | Content tied to specific audit requirements | Same social-engineering gap as any training-only tool |
1. Cyber Aware: best software to prevent business email compromise for staff training
Cyber Aware runs phishing and BEC simulations against staff, then reports click rates and report rates so a business can see whether training is actually changing behaviour rather than just ticking a compliance box. The platform is built around Australian scam patterns — ATO impersonation, invoice redirects, superannuation fraud — rather than generic international phishing templates. A page on how to train staff to reduce BEC risk walks through the specific lures finance teams see most often.
Cyber Aware pros:
- Simulation templates modelled on real Australian invoice fraud and CEO fraud attempts
- Reporting dashboard tracks click and report rates by team over time
- Built for finance and payroll staff specifically, not a generic all-staff phishing course
- Doesn't require an in-house IT security team to deploy
Cyber Aware cons:
- Doesn't filter or block email at the gateway — it's a training layer, not a technical one
- Value comes from running campaigns regularly, not from a single one-off session
Cyber Aware best for: Australian small and mid-sized businesses that need staff to catch what a spam filter never sees.
Verdict: Buy.
2. Proofpoint: best software to prevent business email compromise for enterprise email filtering
Proofpoint operates at the email gateway layer, scanning inbound mail for spoofed domains, look-alike sender addresses and malicious attachments before a message ever reaches an inbox. It's built for enterprise IT teams managing multiple domains and high email volume, and it pairs threat intelligence with automated blocking rather than relying on a human to spot the fake.
Proofpoint pros:
- Detects spoofed and look-alike domains at the gateway, before delivery
- Threat intelligence updated against known BEC infrastructure
- Scales across large, multi-domain enterprise environments
Proofpoint cons:
- Requires dedicated IT resourcing to configure and maintain
- Doesn't stop a well-crafted request that carries no malicious link or attachment at all
Proofpoint best for: enterprises that need filtering at the mail gateway before messages land.
Verdict: Buy — for enterprise IT teams with the resourcing to run it.
3. Fortinet FortiMail: best software to prevent business email compromise for teams on the Fortinet stack
FortiMail plugs into an existing FortiGate security environment, filtering for spoofing and phishing at the mail server level and managing that filtering alongside other Fortinet tools from one console. It makes the most sense for organisations that have already standardised their network security around Fortinet hardware.
FortiMail pros:
- Centralised management alongside existing FortiGate and Fortinet security tools
- Anti-spoofing and anti-phishing filtering at the mail server level
- Familiar interface for teams already running Fortinet infrastructure
FortiMail cons:
- Adds the most value only when the rest of the network already runs on Fortinet
- Like any gateway filter, it can't catch a social-engineering request that reads as legitimate
FortiMail best for: organisations already standardised on Fortinet's broader security stack.
Verdict: Hold — worth it only if Fortinet already runs the rest of your network.
4. Datacom: best software to prevent business email compromise for multi-site enterprise and government
Datacom bundles managed IT services with security awareness programs, aimed at large enterprise and government accounts running deployments across multiple sites or countries rather than a single office.
Datacom pros:
- Supports multi-site and multi-country rollouts under one contract
- Established presence across Australian and New Zealand enterprise and public sector accounts
- Combines broader managed IT with a security awareness component
Datacom cons:
- Procurement and onboarding suit large accounts more than a five-person office
- Program depth depends heavily on the specific service tier negotiated
Datacom best for: enterprise and government teams running multi-site or multi-country deployments.
Verdict: Hold — a fit for large accounts, overkill for a single-site SMB.
5. Sentrient: best software to prevent business email compromise for compliance-mapped simulation
Sentrient offers phishing simulation content positioned toward Australian SMB and mid-market businesses, with a focus on mapping training back to a specific compliance requirement or audit.
Sentrient pros:
- Simulation content mapped to compliance frameworks
- Positioned for SMB and mid-market Australian businesses
- Comparable simulation-based approach to weigh against other platforms
Sentrient cons:
- Most useful when a specific audit or standard is driving the purchase decision
- Same gap as any training-only tool — it doesn't filter mail at the gateway
Sentrient best for: businesses buying phishing simulation specifically to satisfy a compliance requirement.
Verdict: Buy — if compliance mapping is the deciding factor.
How this list was ranked
Each platform above is measured against the same six criteria: does it train staff on BEC-specific lures, does it filter at the gateway, does it report behaviour over time, does it integrate with the email platforms businesses already run, does it reflect Australian scam patterns, and does it target the finance and payroll roles BEC actually attacks. No single platform in the table clears every criterion — that's the honest state of software to prevent business email compromise in 2026.
Which software to prevent business email compromise should you choose?
If you're not sure where to start, start with the human layer. Most BEC losses trace back to a person acting on a convincing request, not a technical failure, so Cyber Aware is the default pick for training finance and payroll staff to pause and verify. Layer in Proofpoint or Fortinet FortiMail on top if you're running multiple domains or high email volume and need gateway-level filtering as well. Save Datacom for multi-site enterprise or government procurement, and reach for Sentrient specifically when a compliance audit is driving the purchase.
Train staff to spot BEC before it costs you
Run simulated invoice fraud and CEO fraud campaigns built for Australian teams.
FAQ
What is business email compromise (BEC)?
Business email compromise is a scam where an attacker impersonates a trusted contact, usually a vendor or executive, to trick staff into paying a fake invoice or redirecting a payment. It rarely involves malware, which is why standard antivirus tools miss it.
What software prevents business email compromise?
No single product fully prevents it in 2026 — email gateway filters like Proofpoint or Fortinet FortiMail catch spoofed domains and malicious attachments, while staff training platforms like Cyber Aware teach finance and payroll teams to catch the requests that carry no malicious payload at all.
Does email filtering alone stop BEC?
No. A well-written BEC email often contains no link and no attachment, so a filter built to catch known bad signatures has nothing to flag. Filtering catches the technical vector; training catches the social-engineering vector.
Is Proofpoint enough to prevent business email compromise?
Proofpoint blocks spoofed domains and malicious attachments at the gateway, but it doesn't train staff to question a legitimate-looking request from a compromised or impersonated account. Most businesses pair it with a staff training platform.
How often should staff run phishing simulations to reduce BEC risk?
Regular, ongoing campaigns work better than a single annual session, since scam tactics change and one-off training fades from memory. Platforms built for this run simulations on a recurring schedule rather than as a one-time event.
Can small businesses without IT staff run BEC prevention training?
Yes. Platforms like Cyber Aware are built to deploy without an in-house security team, which matters for small businesses that can't justify a dedicated IT security hire.
What's the difference between phishing and business email compromise?
Phishing usually tries to steal credentials through a fake link, while business email compromise skips the link entirely and asks directly for a payment, a bank detail change, or sensitive data by impersonating someone the target trusts.
How much does phishing simulation software cost per employee?
Pricing varies by vendor, employee count, and whether filtering is bundled in — check current quotes directly with each provider rather than relying on a fixed figure.
One last thing
The reason BEC keeps beating filters in 2026 is structural, not a bug someone will patch: these messages carry no malware and no malicious link, so there's nothing for a scanner to flag. That's the entire argument for pairing a technical filter with staff training rather than picking one and calling it solved.