January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are crafting their New Year's resolutions too—but theirs aren't about self-care or balance.
Instead, they're strategizing how to exploit vulnerabilities and increase their theft in 2026.
Small businesses are their prime targets—not due to carelessness, but because busy schedules leave little room for vigilance.
And cybercriminals thrive on your distractions.
Discover their 2026 tactics and empower yourself to stop them in their tracks.
Resolution #1: "Craft Phishing Emails That Appear Completely Legitimate"
Outdated, obvious scam emails with glaring mistakes are now a thing of the past.
Thanks to AI, phishing messages now:
- Sound authentic and conversational
- Mimic your company's unique tone and phrasing
- Include references to your actual vendors and business partners
- Avoid red flags that would typically raise suspicion
Rather than relying on typos, these attacks depend on impeccable timing—January's busy post-holiday period is a perfect storm for deception.
Imagine receiving an email that says:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice, but it bounced back. Could you confirm if this is still the correct email for accounting? Here is the updated version — let me know if you have questions. Thanks, [name of your actual vendor]."
No outlandish claims. No pressure for urgent wire transfers. Just a believable request from a trusted contact.
How to defend against it:
- Train your team to verify all requests involving payments or credentials through a different communication channel.
- Implement advanced email filters that identify impersonation attempts, such as emails claiming to be your accountant that originate from suspicious locations.
- Promote an organizational culture that encourages double-checking and values caution over blind trust.
Resolution #2: "Impersonate Vendors or Executives with Convincing Precision"
These scams are especially dangerous because they seem so real.
Picture an email from "a vendor" announcing:
"We've updated our bank details. Please send future payments to this new account."
Or a text from "the CEO" instructing your bookkeeper:
"Urgent: wire funds immediately. I'm in a meeting and can't talk."
Increasingly, attackers use deepfake technology to clone voices from public videos or voicemail recordings. The "CEO" might call your finance team directly, sounding exactly like them, requesting sensitive actions.
This is not science fiction—it's happening now.
How to protect your business:
- Establish strict callback procedures for bank account changes, verifying details through known contacts rather than email links.
- Require voice confirmation via trusted channels before executing any payment instructions.
- Activate multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all finance and administrative accounts to block unauthorized access, even if passwords are compromised.
Resolution #3: "Focus Much More Aggressively on Small Business Targets"
While cybercriminals once aimed for large institutions—the banks, hospitals, Fortune 500s—robust security and insurance requirements have made those attacks more difficult.
So, attackers shifted strategy: Instead of attempting a single high-risk $5 million breach, they aim for numerous smaller attacks worth tens of thousands each—on businesses like yours.
Small businesses hold valuable assets but often lack dedicated security teams, making them vulnerable.
Attackers capitalize on beliefs like:
- You're understaffed
- Security expertise is unavailable
- Employees juggle many roles and priorities
- You assume your business is too small to be targeted
These assumptions become your greatest weaknesses.
How to reduce your risk:
- Implement basic cybersecurity measures like MFA, timely software updates, and regular backup testing to make your systems tougher than neighboring businesses.
- Eliminate the mindset that "we're too small to be targeted." In reality, you are a target—it's just less headline-worthy when breaches occur.
- Engage with cybersecurity professionals who act as your vigilant partners, protecting your business without requiring a full in-house team.
Resolution #4: "Exploit New Employee Onboarding and Tax Season Confusion"
The influx of new hires in January creates fresh vulnerabilities. New employees eager to please may hesitate to question unusual requests.
Attackers know this and send messages like:
"I'm the CEO traveling—please get this done now."
Veteran staff might pause, but new hires often move quickly to comply.
Tax season scams intensify with fake W-2 requests, payroll phishing, and bogus IRS notices.
Criminals impersonate CEOs or HR to obtain W-2 forms packed with sensitive employee data, filing fraudulent tax returns before legitimate ones are submitted.
Defensive steps:
- Provide security awareness training during onboarding—new hires should recognize scam tactics before accessing company email.
- Implement and enforce clear policies—for example, W-2s are never sent via email, and any payment request requires phone verification.
- Encourage and reward employees who confirm suspicious or urgent requests, fostering a security-conscious environment.
Prevention Is Always Easier Than Recovery
Cybersecurity gives you two paths:
Option A: React post-attack—pay ransoms, hire emergency responders, notify clients, repair damages. Costs can reach hundreds of thousands, with recovery stretching weeks or months, leaving lasting scars.
Option B: Proactively defend—implement robust security measures, train staff, monitor threats continuously, and eliminate weaknesses. This approach incurs lower ongoing costs and aims to keep incidents from happening at all.
You don't wait to buy a fire extinguisher after the fire; you prepare to prevent disaster.
How to Outsmart Cybercriminals in 2026
A reliable IT partner will help you stay off the hackers' radar by:
- Monitoring your network around-the-clock to detect threats early
- Securing access credentials so that no single compromised password causes a breach
- Educating your team on the latest sophisticated scams, not just the obvious ones
- Establishing verification standards that prevent wire fraud
- Regularly testing backups to turn ransomware into an inconvenience rather than a catastrophe
- Applying timely security patches to block exploits before criminals can use them
Focus on fire prevention, not firefighting.
Cybercriminals are already setting ambitious targets for 2026, counting on businesses like yours to be vulnerable.
Let's prove them wrong.
Remove Your Business from Their Target List Today
Schedule a New Year Security Reality Check with us.
We'll pinpoint your vulnerabilities, prioritize what matters most, and guide you on fortifying your defenses to avoid becoming an easy victim in 2026.
No fearmongering. No technical jargon. Just clear insights and actionable steps.
Click here or give us a call at 1-310-798-0405 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Because the smartest New Year's resolution is ensuring your business isn't the next target on a cybercriminal's list.
