A senior financial officer receives an email demanding an urgent payment to a supplier. The message contains unusual language urging secrecy and immediacy, citing a confidential initiative spearheaded by the company’s top executive. Before proceeding with the financial transaction, which step should the officer take first to confirm the legitimacy of this unusual request?
Verify the request by initiating direct contact with the company's top executive using a previously known and trusted communication method.
Respond to the message requesting additional verification codewords that only the company's executives would know.
Postpone any payment until there's an opportunity to casually confirm the request during a routine meeting with the executive.
Approve a minimal transaction to the demanded account to test for potential fraud alerts before sending the full amount.