January 26, 2026
At this very moment, a cybercriminal is crafting their New Year's resolutions.
Instead of focusing on "self-care" or "work-life balance," they're analyzing their successful tactics from 2025 and strategizing to exploit more in 2026.
Small businesses? They are the prime choice.
Not due to negligence,
but because you're occupied with daily demands,
and that busyness is exactly what cybercriminals bank on.
Here's their 2026 plan — and how you can thwart it.
Resolution #1: "Craft Phishing Emails That Pass as Genuine"
The days of obvious scam emails are in the past.
Artificial Intelligence now generates emails that:
- Sound completely legitimate
- Mirror your company's communication style
- Reference actual vendors you work with
- Exclude typical warning signs
Their success no longer relies on typos but on perfect timing.
January is ideal — everyone is busy catching up post-holidays.
Example phishing message:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice but it bounced back. Could you confirm this is still the correct email for accounting? Here's the new version — let me know if you have questions. Thanks, [name of your actual vendor]"
No outrageous claims, no urgent transfers — just a plausible request from a familiar source.
Your defense:
- Train your team to verify any financial or credential requests via a separate communication channel.
- Leverage automated email filters to detect impersonation, such as emails claiming to be from your accountant but originating overseas.
- Encourage a culture of cautious verification — "I checked before acting" is commendable, not suspicious.
Resolution #2: "Pose as Your Vendors or Executives"
This tactic is particularly dangerous due to its realism.
Imagine receiving:
"We've updated our banking details. Please use the new information for future payments."
Or a text from "the CEO" instructing:
"Urgent: wire funds now. I'm in a meeting and cannot talk."
Even more alarmingly, deepfake voice scams are increasing. Criminals clone voices from public content to trick your finance team into approving payments.
This isn't science fiction — it's happening now.
Your defense:
- Implement a mandatory callback policy using known numbers for bank account changes.
- Require voice confirmation for payment instructions through official channels.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all finance and admin accounts to block unauthorized access.
Resolution #3: "Sharpen Focus on Small Business Targets"
Cybercriminals once aimed at large institutions — banks, hospitals, Fortune 500 companies.
With improved enterprise security and stricter insurance demands, attacking big firms became costly and challenging.
Criminals shifted strategy:
Instead of one high-risk $5 million breach, they opt for multiple smaller, quieter $50,000 attacks with higher chances of success.
Small businesses hold valuable assets and are often underprotected.
Attackers count on you being:
- Understaffed
- Without a dedicated security team
- Overwhelmed by tasks
- Assuming you're too small to be targeted
This assumption is their greatest advantage.
Your defense:
- Strengthen basic security — MFA, regular system updates, and verified backups — to outpace neighboring businesses and deter attackers.
- Eliminate the mindset of being "too small to matter". You're simply less likely to make headlines as a victim.
- Partner with cybersecurity professionals to provide vigilant support tailored to your needs.
Resolution #4: "Exploit New Employees and Tax Season Chaos"
January welcomes new hires unfamiliar with your protocols.
Eager to impress, they rarely question authority, making them prime victims.
Examples include imposters posing as your CEO asking:
"Can you handle this quickly? I'm traveling and cannot respond."
Tax season ramps up scams — W-2 requests, payroll phishing, fake IRS notices.
Criminals impersonate executives requesting "urgent" employee W-2s, compromising sensitive data for fraudulent tax filings.
Your defense:
- Incorporate thorough security training during onboarding before granting email access.
- Establish clear policies: "W-2s are never emailed" and "Payment requests must be verified by phone." Enforce and regularly review these.
- Encourage and reward verification behaviors to foster a vigilant workforce.
Preventive Measures Always Outshine Recovery.
When it comes to cybersecurity, choose:
Option A: React after a breach — pay ransoms, hire emergency teams, notify customers, restore systems, and repair reputation. This costs tens or hundreds of thousands and takes weeks or months — a traumatic ordeal.
Option B: Proactively prevent attacks — implement robust security, train your staff, monitor threats, and seal vulnerabilities. This is cost-effective, runs quietly in the background, and ensures peace of mind.
Just like owning a fire extinguisher doesn't mean your building is on fire, implementing strong cybersecurity means threats are stopped before they start.
How to Make 2026 Tough for Hackers
A reliable IT partner will help you avoid becoming an easy mark by:
- Providing 24/7 system monitoring to detect threats early
- Securing access controls so a single compromised password isn't catastrophic
- Educating your team on the latest sophisticated scams—not just the obvious ones
- Implementing strict verification protocols to prevent wire fraud
- Maintaining and testing backups so ransomware attacks are minor setbacks
- Applying patches promptly to close security gaps before attacks occur
Focus on preventing fires, not just fighting them.
While criminals are optimistic about their 2026 targets, they expect businesses like yours to be unprepared, overstretched, and vulnerable.
Let's prove them wrong.
Remove Your Business from Cybercriminals' Hit List
Schedule a New Year's Security Reality Check.
We'll reveal your vulnerabilities, prioritize what matters, and equip you to avoid being an easy target in 2026.
No fear-mongering. No tech jargon. Just clear insights and actionable steps.
Click here or give us a call at 435-313-8132 to schedule your 10-Minute Conversation.
Your smartest New Year's resolution? Ensuring you're never someone else's next victim.
