January 26, 2026
Right now, as the new year unfolds, cybercriminals are crafting their own resolutions — but these aren't about self-care or balance.
Instead, they're analyzing their 2025 successes and strategizing to escalate their cyber thefts in 2026.
Small businesses remain their prime victims.
Not because you're careless, but because the pace of your operations leaves little room for vigilance — and criminals exploit that busyness.
Let's explore their 2026 tactics and how you can effectively counter them.
Resolution #1: Craft Phishing Emails That Appear Legitimate
Gone are the days of poorly constructed scam emails.
Today's AI-generated phishing messages:
- Sound authentic and conversational
- Adopt your company's specific language style
- Reference actual vendors you collaborate with
- Avoid glaring giveaway signs like typos or suspicious links
Timing is their secret weapon — and January, when distractions abound post-holiday, is an ideal window.
A typical modern phishing email might say:
"Hi [your actual name], I attempted to send the revised invoice but it bounced back. Can you confirm this is still the correct address for accounting? Here's the updated file — please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, [name of your actual vendor]"
There's no mention of a Nigerian prince or urgent wire transfers — just a believable message from a familiar source.
How to Defend:
- Train staff to verify any transactions or credential requests through a separate channel before responding.
- Implement advanced email filters that detect impersonation, such as domain anomalies.
- Encourage a workplace culture where verifying unusual requests is recognized as smart, not suspicious.
Resolution #2: Impersonate Your Vendors or Leadership
These attacks are particularly convincing.
Examples include:
- Vendor notifications of updated bank details requesting payment to a new account.
- Urgent texts from a CEO instructing immediate wire transfers.
Even more alarming: deepfake voice scams that mimic executives' voices precisely, convincing finance teams to authorize payments.
Protect Yourself By:
- Implementing mandatory callbacks on verified phone numbers for any changes in banking details.
- Requiring voice confirmation through established channels before processing payments.
- Enabling multi-factor authentication on all financial and administrative accounts to block unauthorized access.
Resolution #3: Amplify Attacks Against Small Businesses
Where once attackers targeted large corporations, fortified by stronger defenses, they now focus on small businesses.
Instead of high-risk, high-reward hacks, they prefer multiple smaller, lower-risk intrusions.
Small businesses hold valuable data and funds but often lack dedicated cybersecurity, making them prime victims.
Attackers know you're often overstretched and may assume you're too small to be targeted — a dangerous misconception.
Arm Yourself By:
- Implementing essential security measures such as MFA, regular system updates, and tested data backups to become a tougher target.
- Eliminating the myth of being "too small to attract hackers"; in reality, small businesses are frequent targets.
- Partnering with cybersecurity professionals to provide tailored protection without the need for an in-house security team.
Resolution #4: Exploit New Employee Period and Tax Season Chaos
New hires, eager but inexperienced, and the hectic tax season create perfect openings for attackers.
Examples include fraudulent emails or calls purporting to be from the CEO requesting urgent actions or W-2 tax forms for all employees, which can lead to identity theft and fraudulent tax filings.
Your Defense Plan:
- Deliver robust security awareness training during onboarding before granting email access.
- Establish and communicate strict policies that sensitive documents like W-2s are never emailed and all payment requests must be verified by phone.
- Encourage and reward employees for verifying suspicious or urgent requests to foster a vigilant workforce.
Prevention Outweighs Recovery Every Time
When it comes to cybersecurity, you can either:
React after an attack: Pay ransoms, hire emergency responders, inform customers, rebuild systems, and repair reputations — a costly and prolonged process with uncertain outcomes.
Or prevent attacks: Proactively secure your systems, train your staff, monitor threats, and patch vulnerabilities to avoid incidents altogether at a fraction of the cost.
Think of cybersecurity like a fire extinguisher — you invest in it to prevent disaster, not after a fire has started.
How to Keep Your Business Off Cybercriminals' Radar
A trusted IT partner can help by:
- Monitoring your network around the clock to detect and stop threats early.
- Enforcing stringent access controls to prevent a single compromised password from causing major damage.
- Educating your team on sophisticated scam tactics beyond the obvious.
- Setting clear verification procedures to block wire fraud attempts.
- Maintaining reliable backups to minimize ransomware impact.
- Keeping software patched to close vulnerabilities before they're exploited.
Focus on fire prevention, not firefighting.
Cybercriminals are already planning their 2026 attacks, hopeful that businesses like yours remain unprotected and overwhelmed.
Let's prove them wrong.
Secure Your Business Today
Schedule a comprehensive New Year Security Reality Check.
We'll identify your vulnerabilities, prioritize risks, and provide practical strategies to shield your business from becoming a tempting target in 2026.
No fearmongering. No technical jargon. Just straightforward insights and actionable steps.
Click here or give us a call at 702-896-7207 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Because the smartest resolution you can make is to keep your business off cybercriminals' target list for good.
