January 26, 2026
Right now, a cybercriminal is crafting their New Year's resolutions—but unlike you, they're plotting how to exploit vulnerabilities in 2026.
Instead of focusing on wellness or work-life balance, they're reviewing 2025's successful scams and strategizing how to steal more in the coming year.
Small businesses? They're the prime targets.
Why? Not due to negligence.
But because busy entrepreneurs like you are juggling endless tasks—and cybercriminals thrive on that distraction.
Discover their 2026 tactics—and learn how to outsmart them.
Cybercriminal Resolution #1: Craft Phishing Emails That Are Impossible to Spot
Gone are the days of obvious scam emails riddled with typos.
Today's AI-generated phishing attempts are sophisticated:
- They sound authentic and natural.
- Mirror your company's unique style and vocabulary.
- Include legitimate vendors you work with.
- Eliminate typical warning signs.
Attackers rely on perfect timing rather than glaring mistakes.
January, with its post-holiday hustle, is prime for catching your attention off guard.
Example phishing message:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice, but it bounced back. Can you confirm if this is the correct accounting email? Here's the revised file—let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, [name of your real vendor]."
No wild claims. No urgent wire transfers. Just a believable message from a trusted contact.
How to Fight Back:
- Educate your team to verify any financial or credential requests via separate communication channels.
- Utilize advanced email filters that detect impersonation and flag suspicious server locations.
- Promote a culture where double-checking is encouraged and rewarded, not dismissed as paranoia.
Cybercriminal Resolution #2: Mimic Your Vendors and Executives Flawlessly
This tactic is alarmingly convincing.
Imagine receiving an email:
"We've changed our bank details. Please update your payment info accordingly."
Or a text from "your CEO" urging:
"Urgent: Send this wire immediately. I'm tied up in meetings and can't talk."
Voice deepfakes have escalated the threat—criminals clone voices from public media, making calls that appear truly authentic.
This isn't science fiction; it's today's reality.
How to Defend Yourself:
- Implement a strict callback protocol to confirm any changes to bank information using known phone numbers.
- Ensure no financial transactions proceed without voice confirmation through established channels.
- Activate multi-factor authentication on all finance and administrative accounts to prevent unauthorized access even if passwords are compromised.
Cybercriminal Resolution #3: Intensify Attacks on Small Businesses
Large organizations like banks and hospitals have fortified their defenses and tightened insurance requirements, making them tougher targets.
So hackers have shifted focus.
Rather than attempting risky multi-million-dollar breaches, they prefer numerous smaller attacks that are more likely to succeed.
Small businesses have valuable assets, sensitive data, and often limited cybersecurity. Cybercriminals know you're likely juggling multiple responsibilities without a dedicated security team.
- They recognize you're understaffed.
- They know security teams are rare in smaller companies.
- They capitalize on your busy schedules.
- They exploit the false belief that small businesses aren't viable targets.
This misconception is their greatest weakness.
Strategies to Protect Your Business:
- Adopt foundational security measures like MFA, regular software updates, and tested data backups, making your business tougher to breach than competitors.
- Reject the myth of being "too small to attack"—you're just invisible enough that attacks go unnoticed commercially.
- Partner with cybersecurity professionals who provide ongoing protection without the cost of an in-house team.
Cybercriminal Resolution #4: Exploit New Employees and Tax Season Chaos
January brings fresh hires who are unfamiliar with company protocols.
Eager to make a good impression, new employees might obey urgent requests from authority figures without questioning them.
Attackers exploit this:
"I'm the CEO, can you handle this immediately? I'm traveling and unavailable."
Further, tax season scams surge with fake IRS notices and payroll phishing schemes.
Attackers impersonate CEOs or HR heads requesting W-2 forms, accessing sensitive employee data used for fraudulent tax filings.
What You Can Do:
- Integrate security awareness into onboarding before granting email access—ensure new hires recognize scam tactics.
- Establish clear policies such as "W-2 forms are never sent by email" and require phone verification for all payment demands.
- Encourage and reward employees who proactively verify suspicious requests.
Prevention Is Always Cheaper and More Effective Than Recovery
You face a choice:
Option A: Respond after an attack: pay ransoms, hire emergency responders, alert clients, and rebuild IT. This can cost tens or hundreds of thousands and take weeks or months to recover.
Option B: Proactively secure your business with proper training, constant monitoring, and closing vulnerabilities early—costing a fraction of Option A and maintaining business continuity.
Owning a fire extinguisher isn't about putting out a blaze—it's about preventing disaster before it starts.
Protect Your Business From the Start
An expert IT partner can:
- Provide 24/7 monitoring to detect threats early.
- Enforce strict access controls to safeguard credentials.
- Educate your team about sophisticated scams.
- Implement verification policies to halt wire fraud.
- Maintain and test backups to neutralize ransomware risks.
- Consistently patch systems to close vulnerabilities swiftly.
Focus on prevention, not recovery.
Cybercriminals are setting bold goals for 2026—relying on businesses like yours to be unprepared. Let's make sure your business isn't easy prey.
Keep Your Business Off Cybercriminals' Radar
Schedule your New Year Security Reality Check today.
We'll pinpoint your vulnerabilities, prioritize your defenses, and help you stop being an inviting target in 2026.
No fearmongering or tech jargon. Just straightforward insights and actionable steps.
Click here or give us a call at (918) 770-9150 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Your smartest New Year's resolution? Ensuring you're never on a hacker's priority list.
