January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are crafting their own New Year's resolutions — but theirs are all about causing harm, not growth.
Unlike your personal goals centered on wellness or balance, these hackers are analyzing what paid off in 2025 and strategizing on how to increase their thefts in 2026.
Small businesses aren't targeted because of negligence — it's because your attention is stretched thin, and criminals prey on that busyness.
Let's dive into their 2026 agenda and learn how you can effectively thwart their plans.
Attack Strategy #1: Crafting Phishing Emails That Seem Legitimate
The days of obviously fake scam emails are over.
Thanks to AI, phishing messages now:
- Sound natural and authentic
- Use the exact language your company employs
- Refer to legitimate vendors you work with
- Avoid clear giveaway mistakes
It's not about typos anymore — it's about sending at the perfect moment.
January is risky since everyone is busy catching up from holidays.
Example of a crafty phishing email you might receive:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice, but it bounced back. Can you confirm your current accounting email? Here's the revised file — let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, [your actual vendor's name]"
No outlandish claims. Just a believable request from someone familiar.
How to Fight Back:
- Educate your team to verify requests involving money or credentials through separate communication channels.
- Implement email filters that detect impersonation — for instance, flagging when an email pretending to be from your accountant originates from suspicious regions.
- Cultivate a workplace culture where asking questions and double-checking requests is encouraged and rewarded.
Attack Strategy #2: Impersonating Vendors or Executives
This tactic is especially dangerous because it feels genuine.
You might get an email saying, "We updated bank details; please use this account going forward." Or a text from "the CEO" urging, "Urgent wire transfer — I'm in a meeting, can't talk."
Deepfake voice scams are now on the rise — cloning executives' voices from online content to make credible phone requests.
This isn't science fiction. It's reality.
Your Defense Plan:
- Initiate a strict callback policy to verify any bank detail changes using trusted phone numbers.
- Require voice confirmation for all financial transactions through known channels.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication on all finance and administration accounts to prevent unauthorized access, even if passwords are compromised.
Attack Strategy #3: Intensifying Focus on Small Businesses
Large enterprises have fortified their defenses, making cyber attacks harder and riskier.
Smart criminals shifted their sights to smaller businesses — easier to breach and less protected.
Rather than one massive $5 million attack, they prefer multiple $50,000 hits that almost always succeed.
They know you're busy, possibly understaffed, and might wrongly believe you're not a worthy target.
Your Protective Measures:
- Implement basic but strong security protocols — MFA, constant software updates, reliable backups — to be a tough target.
- Dismiss the idea "we're too small to be targeted." You might not make the headlines, but criminals definitely have you in their sights.
- Partner with security professionals who can keep watch over your business without the need for a full enterprise team.
Attack Strategy #4: Exploiting New Employee Training and Tax Season Confusion
New hires eager to prove themselves often don't yet know your security policies and are less likely to question unusual requests.
Cybercriminals exploit this with emails or calls that seem to come from leadership asking for urgent actions.
Tax season escalates the risk with phishing around payroll, W-2 forms, and fake IRS notices.
These scams aim to steal sensitive employee data, leading to fraudulent tax filings that surface only when employees' real returns are rejected.
Preventive Actions:
- Incorporate security awareness training into onboarding so new hires recognize scams before accessing email.
- Establish clear policies: never email W-2s, always confirm payment requests by phone.
- Celebrate employees who responsibly verify suspicious requests, reinforcing a culture of vigilance.
The Bottom Line: Prevention Saves More Than Recovery Ever Will
You have two options with cyber defenses:
Option A: Respond after an attack — paying ransoms, repairing damage, and enduring a prolonged recovery with significant cost and stress.
Option B: Proactively strengthen security, educate your team, and monitor threats continuously — investing a fraction of recovery costs for peace of mind.
Like owning a fire extinguisher to prevent disaster, cybersecurity is about foresight, not hindsight.
How to Keep Your Business Off Cybercriminals' Radar
An expert IT partner can shield you by:
- 24/7 monitoring to intercept threats before they cause harm
- Enforcing strict access controls so one compromised password doesn't mean total breach
- Training your staff on sophisticated scam tactics — not just the obvious ones
- Instituting verification procedures that block wire fraud attempts
- Maintaining reliable backups so ransomware becomes a minor inconvenience
- Applying security patches promptly to close vulnerabilities swiftly
Prioritize prevention over firefighting.
Cybercriminals are already hopeful for 2026 — banking on businesses like yours being unprepared.
It's time to prove them wrong.
Secure Your Business Now
Schedule your New Year Security Reality Check.
We'll pinpoint your vulnerabilities, highlight critical protections, and guide you in becoming an unattractive target in 2026.
Our approach: straightforward insights without scare tactics or confusing jargon.
Click here or call us at 314-993-5528 to set up your 10-Minute Discovery Call.
Because the smartest New Year's resolution is ensuring your business isn't next on a cybercriminal's hit list.
