BEC
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Bose-Einstein condensate |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Technology & Computing |
BEC has two meanings. It stands for Bose-Einstein condensate (physics) or Business email compromise (cybersecurity).
Meanings of BEC at a glance
| # | BEC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bose-Einstein condensate | Science & Engineering › Physics |
| 2 | Business email compromise | Technology & Computing › Cybersecurity |
1. Bose-Einstein condensate
Science & Engineering · Physics Abbreviations
State of matter in which a dilute gas of bosons cooled to within a millionth of a degree of absolute zero collapses into a single quantum state, behaving as one giant "super atom." BECs let physicists see quantum effects on a scale large enough to photograph.
Example: The BEC formed when the rubidium cloud was cooled to about 170 billionths of a kelvin.
Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein predicted the state in 1924-1925. Eric Cornell and Carl Wieman made the first BEC from rubidium-87 atoms in Boulder in 1995, followed by Wolfgang Ketterle with sodium; the three shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics. NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory has produced BECs aboard the International Space Station.
2. Business email compromise
Technology & Computing · Cybersecurity Abbreviations
Fraud in which criminals impersonate executives, suppliers or partners by email, often from a hacked or look-alike account, to trick employees into wiring money or changing payment details. It usually involves no malware at all.
Example: Accounts payable caught a BEC attempt when the "supplier" asked to change bank details by email only.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center consistently ranks BEC among the costliest cybercrimes, with reported losses in the billions of dollars each year. Confirming payment changes by phone, using a number already on file, is the most effective control. Generative AI and deepfake audio have made impersonation more convincing.
Related abbreviations
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More cybersecurity abbreviations
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- ASLR – Address space layout randomization
- ATT&CK – Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge
- AV – Antivirus
- BYOD – Bring your own device
- C2 – Command and control
- CA – Certificate authority
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