January 26, 2026
Right now, a cybercriminal is setting their New Year's resolutions, but not for self-improvement.
Instead of focusing on "work-life balance" or "wellness," they're strategizing how to exploit your business even more in 2026.
Small businesses like yours are their top choice.
It's not due to negligence,
but because you're busy running your company,
and busy businesses are prime targets.
Let's review their 2026 tactics — and the steps you can take to stop them.
Resolution #1: "Phishing Emails That Look Legitimate and Foolproof"
The days of obvious scam emails filled with typos are over.
Today's AI technologies craft emails that:
- Sound entirely natural and authentic
- Incorporate your company's tone and language
- Reference actual vendors you work with
- Eliminate typical warning signs
They don't rely on mistakes to catch you—they exploit timing.
January is a prime time when attention is split and routines disrupted.
Imagine getting an email like this:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice, but the file bounced back. Could you please verify this is still the correct accounting email? Here's the new file—let me know if you have questions. Thanks, [name of your actual vendor]"
No scams about Nigerian princes or urgent wire transfers. Just a believable message from someone you know.
How to defend yourself:
- Train your team to verify requests involving money or credentials through independent communication channels.
- Implement advanced email filtering that detects impersonation attempts, especially when the email originates from suspicious servers.
- Foster a culture where double-checking is valued and encouraged, not seen as paranoia.
Resolution #2: "Mastering Vendor and Executive Impersonation"
This scheme feels incredibly genuine.
An email claims:
"Our bank details have changed—please update your records for future payments."
Or a text from "your CEO" to your bookkeeper:
"Urgent wire transfer needed. I'm in a meeting and can't talk."
Now, deepfake voice scams are on the rise, where cybercriminals clone voices from publicly available sources to make a call sound exactly like your CEO asking for immediate action.
It's happening now—not just sci-fi.
Your defense:
- Always verify any bank detail changes by calling a known number, never one provided in suspicious communications.
- Do not authorize payments without voice confirmation through trusted channels.
- Ensure multi-factor authentication (MFA) protects all finance and administration accounts.
Resolution #3: "Increasing Focus on Small Business Targets"
While large organizations have fortified their defenses,
small businesses are now the primary focus for cybercriminals.
The reasoning is simple: rather than risk one massive, challenging attack,
these threats rely on multiple smaller breaches that are easier and more reliable.
Attackers know your challenges:
- Limited staff and security resources
- No dedicated cybersecurity team
- Constant multitasking and pressure
- Assuming "we're too small to be targeted"
That last belief makes you vulnerable.
What you can do:
- Adopt essential cybersecurity measures like MFA, timely updates, and reliable backups to become a tougher target.
- Reject the misconception that small businesses are safe; you just may not hit the headlines if breached.
- Partner with cybersecurity professionals who understand small business needs and keep you protected.
Resolution #4: "Exploiting New Hires and Tax Season Confusion"
January means new employees, often unaware of your security protocols.
They want to contribute and may hesitate to question instructions.
Attackers seize this opportunity:
"Hello, this is the CEO. Can you handle this quickly? I'm traveling and can't do it myself."
Veteran staff might hesitate, but eager new hires could comply immediately.
Tax season scams also escalate, targeting payroll with fake IRS notices and W-2 theft scams.
A common scam: an impostor posing as HR or the CEO urgently requests employee W-2s.
If successful, criminals steal sensitive personal information and file fraudulent returns, causing serious problems for your employees.
How to protect yourself:
- Include security awareness training during onboarding, ensuring new hires recognize common scams before accessing company email.
- Implement strict policies such as "W-2s are never sent via email" and "All payment requests require phone verification."
- Encourage and reward employees who verify unusual requests without hesitation.
Preventing attacks is far better than recovering from them.
You face two paths in cybersecurity:
Option A: Respond after an attack: paying ransoms, hiring emergency support, informing customers, restoring systems, and repairing reputation—costing tens or hundreds of thousands and lasting weeks to months.
Option B: Proactively secure your business with smart practices, employee training, threat monitoring, and vulnerability management—all for a fraction of the cost and with minimal disruption.
Like buying a fire extinguisher before a fire, prevention is key.
Make 2026 the year you get ahead of cyber threats.
An expert IT partner can help by:
- Monitoring your systems 24/7 to catch threats early
- Strengthening access controls so one compromised password doesn't jeopardize everything
- Training your team on sophisticated scams that slip past traditional warnings
- Implementing strict verification for wire transfers and sensitive actions
- Maintaining tested backups so ransomware is a temporary hiccup, not a disaster
- Regularly patching systems to close exploitable vulnerabilities promptly
Focus on prevention rather than dealing with breaches.
Cybercriminals are optimistic about their 2026 plans, expecting businesses like yours to be easy targets.
Let's prove them wrong.
Remove Your Business from Their Target List Now
Schedule a New Year Security Reality Check.
We'll pinpoint your vulnerabilities, prioritize critical risks, and guide you on how to stop being an easy mark in 2026.
No scare tactics. No confusion. Just clear, actionable insights.
Click here or give us a call at 609-676-3597 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Because the smartest New Year's resolution is ensuring you aren't on any cybercriminal's hit list.
