January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are crafting their own unfortunate New Year's resolutions.
Instead of focusing on wellness or balance, they're strategizing how to exploit weaknesses and steal more in 2026.
And guess who's at the top of their list? Small businesses.
Not because you're careless — but because your busy schedule creates perfect opportunities for them.
Here's a breakdown of their 2026 tactics and how you can effectively counter them.
Resolution #1: "Craft Phishing Emails That Are Nearly Impossible to Detect"
Gone are the days of obvious scam emails filled with typos.
Thanks to AI, phishing messages now:
- Sound authentic and familiar
- Match your company's tone and terminology
- Reference real vendors you regularly interact with
- Avoid typical warning signs
Success hinges on perfect timing rather than mistakes.
January is ideal—everyone is catching up post-holidays and distractions run high.
Example of a modern phishing email:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice but it bounced back. Could you confirm if 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 scams about Nigerian princes or urgent transfers—just a message that sounds like it's from someone you trust.
Your defense strategy:
- Train your team to validate requests, especially those involving money or sensitive info, through separate channels.
- Use advanced email filters that detect impersonation, flagging messages claiming to be from trusted sources but originating from suspicious locations.
- Encourage a workplace culture that values double-checking—"I verified before acting" should be applauded, never criticized.
Resolution #2: "Impersonate Vendors or Executives with Convincing Precision"
This tactic is especially dangerous because it feels so unmistakably real.
Imagine an email from a vendor saying:
"We've updated our bank details. Please use this new account for upcoming payments."
Or a text message from "the CEO" instructing your bookkeeper:
"Urgent: Wire funds immediately—I'm in a meeting and can't talk."
Deepfake voice scams take this further, replicating executives' voices from public recordings to request urgent actions.
This isn't science fiction—it's happening right now.
Your defense strategy:
- Implement mandatory callback policies to confirm any bank changes via trusted phone numbers—not ones from emails.
- Require voice confirmation for all payment requests through official channels.
- Enforce multi-factor authentication on all finance and admin accounts to block unauthorized access.
Resolution #3: "Focus Attacks More Aggressively on Small Businesses"
Cybercriminals have shifted away from heavily fortified big targets like banks and hospitals.
Large enterprises have strengthened defenses and tightened insurance requirements, making attacks less lucrative and more challenging.
Instead, attackers prefer numerous smaller hits: multiple $50,000 breaches rather than one risky $5 million heist.
Small businesses are prime prey: you hold valuable money and data but often lack dedicated security teams.
Attackers count on your challenges:
- Limited staff
- No specialized security personnel
- Overextended teams juggling many responsibilities
- Belief that "we're too small to be targeted"
That mindset is the greatest vulnerability.
Your defense strategy:
- Adopt basic security essentials—multi-factor authentication, frequent updates, and reliable backups—to become harder to breach than your competitors.
- Dismiss the myth of being too small; smaller businesses often fall under the radar but remain top targets.
- Partner with cybersecurity experts to monitor and protect your operations without needing an in-house team.
Resolution #4: "Exploit New Employee Onboarding and Tax Season Confusion"
January brings fresh hires who aren't yet familiar with company procedures.
Eager to make a good impression, new employees may not question unusual requests.
For cybercriminals, these new hires are ideal targets.
Example: "Hi, I'm the CEO. Can you quickly handle this while I'm traveling?"
Veteran staff might hesitate, but new hires might rush to comply.
Tax season intensifies these risks with fraudulent W-2 requests, payroll phishing, and fake IRS notices.
The consequence: stolen employee personal info, fraudulent tax filings, and rejected legitimate returns flagged as duplicates.
Your defense strategy:
- Incorporate focused security training into onboarding before granting email access.
- Establish clear policies such as "W-2s are never sent via email" and mandate phone verification for all payment requests. Document and test these rules.
- Celebrate employees who verify suspicious requests, encouraging a vigilant team culture.
Prevention Always Beats Recovery.
You face two cybersecurity paths:
1. Reactive: Respond after an attack—pay ransoms, hire emergency help, notify clients, rebuild systems, and repair reputation. This can cost tens or hundreds of thousands and drag on for months, leaving lasting scars.
2. Proactive: Prevent attacks through proper security frameworks, employee training, ongoing threat monitoring, and closing vulnerabilities ahead of exploits. Costs are a fraction of reactive measures and operate unobtrusively.
Like fire prevention, cybersecurity is about being prepared before disaster strikes.
How to Keep Your Business Off Their Radar
An expert IT partner will help you:
- Monitor your systems 24/7 to detect threats early and stop breaches in their tracks
- Tighten access controls so a single compromised password can't cause widespread damage
- Train your team on sophisticated scams, not just the obvious ones
- Implement verification policies requiring multiple checks for wire transfers
- Maintain and regularly test backups, making ransomware a manageable inconvenience
- Patch vulnerabilities promptly to close exploitable gaps before attackers can use them
Think of it as prevention instead of firefighting.
Cybercriminals are already setting their 2026 goals, banking on businesses like yours being unprepared.
Let's prove them wrong.
Protect Your Business From Becoming Their Next Target
Schedule a comprehensive New Year Security Assessment.
We'll identify your vulnerabilities, prioritize what matters most, and guide you in making your business too tough to attack in 2026.
No gimmicks. No overload of technical jargon. Just a straightforward roadmap to safety.
Click here or call us at 404-719-5222 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Your best New Year's resolution? Ensuring you're never on a hacker's target list.
