January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are setting their own New Year's resolutions—and they're not about health or balance.
Instead, they're analyzing their 2025 tactics and strategizing even more effective attacks for 2026.
Small businesses? They're the prime focus. Not due to carelessness, but because your busy schedule makes you an ideal target.
Busy businesses are easy prey.
Here's a breakdown of their 2026 strategies and how you can outsmart them.
Resolution #1: Craft Phishing Emails That Appear Genuine
The days of obvious scam emails filled with typos are gone.
Thanks to AI, phishing messages now:
- Sound natural and professional
- Match your company's tone
- Reference real vendors you engage with
- Eliminate classic red flags
They rely on perfect timing rather than glaring mistakes—January is prime, as everyone's busy catching up post-holidays.
A typical phishing email might say:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice but it bounced back. Can you confirm this is still the right address for accounting? Here's the new version—let me know if you have questions. Thanks, [your vendor's name]."
No grand promises or suspicious wire transfers—just a believable, routine request.
How to Protect Your Business:
- Train employees to verify requests involving money or sensitive information via separate communication channels.
- Deploy advanced email filters that detect impersonation attempts, such as mismatched sender IP regions.
- Foster a workplace culture where verifying requests is encouraged and valued.
Resolution #2: Impersonate Vendors or Company Executives
This tactic feels incredibly authentic and can be devastating.
You might receive an email like:
"We've updated our bank info; please use this new account for payments going forward."
Or a text from "the CEO":
"Urgent wire transfer needed, I'm in a meeting and can't talk right now."
Worse yet, deepfake technology allows scammers to mimic executive voices precisely, making voice-based scams frighteningly believable.
Your Defense Plan:
- Implement a callback policy using verified phone numbers for bank detail changes.
- Require voice confirmation over trusted channels before authorizing payments.
- Enable multi-factor authentication on all finance and admin accounts.
Resolution #3: Target Small Businesses More Aggressively
Large corporations have beefed up security, making them difficult targets with high risks.
Cybercriminals have shifted to smaller businesses because they're easier to breach and often under-resourced.
They count on small businesses being understaffed, lacking dedicated security, and assuming they're not targets.
How You Can Fight Back:
- Implement fundamental security: MFA, regular system updates, and reliable backups to deter attackers.
- Discard the myth that you're too small to be targeted—small breaches go underreported but are rampant.
- Engage with trusted cybersecurity partners to support your defense without needing a full in-house team.
Resolution #4: Exploit New Hires and Tax Season Chaos
January introduces new employees eager to make an impression but unaware of security protocols—prime targets for scammers posing as executives.
Tax season scams also spike, with fraudulent requests for W-2 forms and phony IRS notices.
Once criminals secure sensitive employee data, they can file fake tax returns, leading to headaches when genuine returns are flagged as duplicate.
Preventative Measures:
- Integrate security training during onboarding before email access is granted.
- Establish clear policies prohibiting W-2 transmission via email and require phone verification for payment-related requests.
- Encourage and reward employees for verifying suspicious requests.
Choose Prevention Over Recovery
With cybersecurity, you can either react after an attack—bearing high expenses, downtime, and reputational damage—or proactively safeguard your business with robust defenses and training.
Think of cybersecurity like a fire extinguisher: you invest in it to avoid disaster, not after one.
How to Keep Your Business Off Cybercriminals' Radar
A reliable IT partner will:
- Monitor your systems constantly to detect threats early
- Enforce strict access controls to limit damage from stolen credentials
- Educate your team on sophisticated cyber threats, not just obvious scams
- Implement strict verification steps to prevent wire fraud beyond email
- Maintain and test backups regularly to mitigate ransomware damage
- Ensure timely system patching to close security gaps before exploits occur
Proactivity wins over firefighting every time.
Criminals are already planning their 2026 attacks, expecting businesses like yours to be unprepared.
Let's prove them wrong.
Remove Your Business From Their Target List
Schedule a comprehensive New Year Security Reality Check.
We'll assess your vulnerabilities, prioritize what matters, and guide you in becoming an unappealing target.
No hype, no jargon—just straightforward insights and actionable steps.
Click here or give us a call at 954-327-1001 to schedule your Consult.
Your best New Year's resolution? Ensuring your business stays off the cybercriminal's hit list.
