At first glance, the water seems perfectly still.
That's exactly what makes Shark Week such a powerful reminder every year: the real threat is rarely obvious from above. It's already moving below the surface.
Cybercriminals work the same way. Today's threats are built to look like ordinary business activity until the moment a payment is approved, data is stolen, or systems stop working.
And in the summer, when teams are traveling, routines are disrupted, and oversight is lighter, attackers know businesses are easier to catch off guard.
Here are three threats circling right now.
1. Fake invoices and vendor impersonation
Attackers often don't need to break into anything. In many cases, one convincing email is enough.
This tactic is known as business email compromise (BEC). It works by impersonating a vendor, supplier, or executive your team already recognizes and trusts.
The message looks routine, someone sends the payment, and by the time the mistake is uncovered, the funds are already gone.
These scams surge during vacation season for a simple reason: when the usual approver is away, requests are redirected to someone who may not know what's normal. Temporary replacements are less likely to challenge urgency, and attackers count on that hesitation.
The best safeguard is easy to put in place: create a verification step for any financial request received by email. A quick call to a known phone number, not the one included in the message, can prevent most fraudulent payments before they happen.
2. Phishing attacks that target distracted employees
Phishing succeeds because it's built around how people behave when they're busy and under pressure.
Cybercriminals deliberately exploit those moments. A distracted employee gets a password reset alert and clicks. Someone receives a text that appears to come from IT. An urgent email arrives just before a meeting asking for wire approval. When time feels tight, verification is the first thing people skip.
The strongest defense isn't just technology; it's a security-minded workplace culture.
Employees should feel comfortable pausing when something seems unusual:
· An unexpected login request
· A payment instruction that came out of nowhere
· A link in an email they weren't expecting
Attackers use speed to pressure you. Slowing down takes that advantage away.
3. Third-party risks that travel fast
When a vendor with access to your environment is compromised, the threat doesn't stop with them. It moves straight into your business through whatever connection they have.
That's supply chain exposure, and most organizations have more of it than they realize. Network-connected software, service providers with stored credentials, and contractors whose access was never removed all create openings many business owners have never fully mapped.
Outsourcing a service does not outsource accountability.
To understand your supply chain exposure, you need clear answers to three questions:
1. Which vendors can access your data or systems?
2. What are they connected to?
3. Who inside your organization owns those relationships?
If those answers aren't clear, your risk is likely higher than you think.
By the time you notice it, it's already moving
Sharks don't announce themselves, and neither do the cybercriminals targeting your business right now.
The companies that get hit aren't always the ones ignoring obvious red flags. More often, they're the ones assuming everything is fine because nothing looks wrong.
Summer is when routines loosen, attention slips, and the water looks calmest. It's also when attackers are most active.
We help businesses identify where they're exposed across vendors, employee behavior, and everyday operations before a costly incident occurs.
If you're not sure where your business stands, schedule a 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Click here or give us a call at 1-310-798-0405 to schedule your free 15-Minute Discovery Call.
