January 26, 2026
While you're setting your goals for the New Year, cybercriminals are plotting theirs too.
But instead of focusing on wellness or work-life balance, they're analyzing what cyberattacks succeeded in 2025 and strategizing on how to exploit even more in 2026.
Unfortunately, small businesses are their prime targets.
Not because of carelessness, but because your busy schedules create perfect opportunities.
Cybercriminals thrive on distractions.
Let's uncover their 2026 tactics—and how you can effectively thwart them.
Goal #1: "Craft Phishing Emails That Bypass Suspicion"
The days of obvious, poorly written scam emails are behind us.
Thanks to AI, fraudulent messages now:
- Sound authentic and natural
- Mirror your company's tone and terminology
- Reference actual vendors you partner with
- Eliminate typical giveaways that raise alarms
These emails don't rely on mistakes—they rely on perfect timing.
January is especially risky; everyone's rushing and recovering from the holiday rush.
Here's an example of a convincing phishing email:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice, but it bounced back. Can you confirm this is still the best contact for accounting? Attached is the revised file. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks, [your vendor's name]"
No urgent requests from overseas princes—just familiar voices cleverly disguised.
Your defense:
- Educate your team to verify every request involving money or credentials through separate communication channels.
- Implement advanced email filters that detect impersonation attempts, flagging, for example, emails claiming to be from your accountant but originating abroad.
- Foster a company culture where verifying suspicious requests is encouraged and recognized.
Goal #2: "Impersonate Your Vendors or Executives to Divert Funds"
This tactic is dangerously convincing.
You might receive an email saying:
"We've updated our bank information; please use the new account for payments going forward."
Or a text message from your "CEO":
"Urgent wire transfer needed. I'm in meetings and can't discuss."
Scammers now use deepfake audio, cloning voices from online sources to make fake calls that sound exactly like your executives.
This isn't science fiction—it's happening today.
How to counteract this:
- Enforce callback protocols for any changes to payment details, using only verified phone numbers.
- Require voice confirmation for all payment transactions through established communication channels.
- Enable multi-factor authentication on every financial and administrative account to block unauthorized access even if credentials are compromised.
Goal #3: "Ramp Up Attacks Against Small Businesses"
Traditionally, cybercriminals targeted large corporations—banks, hospitals, and major enterprises.
As these entities beefed up security and insurance regulations tightened, they became difficult and risky targets.
So attackers pivoted strategies.
Rather than risking a massive $5 million heist, they prefer multiple, smaller $50,000 attacks that have high success rates.
Small businesses like yours are perfect targets: you hold valuable data and financial resources, often without dedicated security teams.
Attackers count on:
- Your limited staff
- Lack of a cybersecurity unit
- Overwhelmed, multitasking employees
- The false notion that "we're too small to be targeted"
This misconception is their biggest advantage.
Your protection plan:
- Implement fundamental security practices like MFA, timely updates, and backup testing to deter most attackers.
- Eliminate the mindset that being small keeps you safe—you're just under the radar.
- Partner with cybersecurity specialists to monitor and defend your business effectively.
Goal #4: "Exploit New Employees and Tax Season Vulnerabilities"
January means onboarding new staff who might not yet understand security protocols and are eager to do their job well.
From an attacker's perspective, these eager newcomers are easy to manipulate.
For example:
"Hi, I'm the CEO, can you process this quickly? I'm traveling and can't communicate."
Veteran employees might question odd requests, but new hires trying to impress might not think twice.
Tax fraud scams also spike during this period, with fake W-2 requests, payroll phishing, and counterfeit IRS notices common.
A common scam: someone impersonates your CEO or HR to request all employee W-2 forms urgently to file fraudulent tax returns before your employees do.
Countermeasures:
- Incorporate security training into onboarding so new hires recognize scams before gaining email access.
- Establish and communicate strict policies like "W-2s are never emailed" and "All payment requests must be verified by phone."
- Encourage and reward employees who verify suspicious requests.
Prevention Is Always Better Than Recovery.
When it comes to cybersecurity, you have two paths:
React: Suffer an attack, pay ransom, scramble for support, notify affected parties, rebuild your infrastructure, and repair damage. Costs can skyrocket, recovery takes months, and the scars linger.
Prevent: Proactively secure your business with strong controls, ongoing training, threat monitoring, and patching vulnerabilities—cost-effective and seamless.
You don't buy a fire extinguisher after a fire—you buy it to avoid one.
How to Keep Cybercriminals Away in 2026
Trusting an expert IT partner means:
- 24/7 system monitoring to detect and counter threats early
- Securing access and enforcing credential policies so one breach doesn't compromise everything
- Educating employees on sophisticated scams that are actively used
- Implementing stringent verification steps to stop wire fraud
- Maintaining reliable, tested backups so ransomware causes minimal disruption
- Applying security patches promptly to close known vulnerabilities
Be proactive, not reactive.
While criminals set ambitious goals to exploit small businesses in 2026, you can make sure your company isn't on their hit list.
Let's outsmart the attackers together.
Remove Your Business from Cybercriminals' Radar
Schedule a comprehensive New Year Security Reality Check.
Discover your vulnerabilities, prioritize protective actions, and learn how to avoid becoming easy prey in 2026.
No fear-mongering. No technical jargon. Just straightforward insights and actionable recommendations.
Click here or give us a call at 858-202-0304 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Make a New Year's resolution that truly counts: ensure your business stays off the cybercriminals' to-do list.
