January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are crafting their own New Year's resolutions — but they're not about wellness or balance.
Instead, they're strategizing on how to outsmart defenses and ramp up theft in 2026.
Small businesses are in their crosshairs.
Not because you're negligent, but because your busy schedule creates the perfect opening.
And cybercriminals prey on distracted, overwhelmed teams.
Let's break down their 2026 tactics and, more importantly, how you can stop them in their tracks.
Threat #1: Phishing Emails That Blend In Seamlessly
Gone are the days of clumsy scam emails filled with glaring mistakes.
Today, AI crafts messages that:
- Sound genuine and conversational
- Incorporate your company's unique language
- Reference legitimate vendors you work with
- Omit typical red flags to avoid detection
The key isn't errors — it's precise timing. January's chaos offers cybercriminals a perfect storm of distraction.
Imagine receiving this email:
"Hi [your name], I wasn't able to send the updated invoice—it bounced back. Could you confirm this is the correct accounting email? Here's the latest version. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, [vendor name]."
No elaborate scams, no pressure tactics—just a believable request from someone familiar.
Your defense strategy:
- Train your team to verify every financial or credential request via separate, trusted channels.
- Utilize advanced email filters that detect impersonation attempts, especially those originating from suspicious servers.
- Encourage a culture where double-checking requests is praised—not dismissed as paranoia.
Threat #2: Impersonation of Vendors and Leadership
This threat is particularly dangerous because it feels authentic.
Examples include emails saying:
"Our bank details have changed. Please update your records for future payments."
Or believable texts from "the CEO":
"Urgent: Wire the funds now. I'm in a meeting and cannot talk."
Worse yet, deepfake voice scams are becoming common—using cloned voices to pressure employees into illicit actions.
How to fight back:
- Implement mandatory callbacks on known phone numbers for any bank detail updates.
- Require voice confirmation for all payment requests.
- Enforce multi-factor authentication for all finance and administrative accounts—passwords alone won't cut it.
Threat #3: Escalated Attacks on Small Businesses
Big companies have fortified their defenses, making them less attractive targets.
Cybercriminals have shifted focus to small businesses, which hold valuable data and funds, yet often lack dedicated security teams.
Attackers bank on small businesses being understaffed, juggling tasks, and assuming they're too small to matter.
Reduce your risk by:
- Implementing essential security measures like MFA, regular software updates, and reliable backups to outpace neighboring businesses.
- Eliminating the mindset of "we're too small to be targeted."You're just too small to make headlines when attacked.
- Partnering with cybersecurity experts who can provide tailored protection without requiring an in-house team.
Threat #4: Exploiting New Hires and Tax Season Confusion
January's influx of new employees, unfamiliar with company protocols, creates a prime opening.
New hires, eager to help and less likely to question authority, can be tricked easily—especially during tax season scams involving fake W-2 requests and fraudulent IRS notices.
Attackers impersonate executives demanding sensitive payroll data urgently, leading to significant identity theft risks.
Protect your team by:
- Incorporating scam-awareness training during onboarding — before new hires gain email access.
- Establishing clear policies prohibiting sending W-2s via email and requiring phone verification for payment requests.
- Recognizing and rewarding employees who take extra steps to verify suspicious requests.
Prioritize Prevention Over Crisis Management
You face two cybersecurity paths:
Reacting after an attack: Paying ransoms, engaging emergency services, notifying clients, restoring systems, and repairing damage — costing tens or hundreds of thousands and taking weeks or months.
Proactive protection: Investing in robust security, ongoing team training, constant threat monitoring, and closing vulnerabilities—at a fraction of the cost and effort, ensuring peace of mind.
Think of cybersecurity like a fire extinguisher: you buy it to ensure you never have to use it.
How an Effective IT Partner Shields Your Business
A trusted technology partner helps you evade cybercriminal attention by:
- Monitoring systems 24/7 to spot threats before they escalate
- Enforcing strict access controls so one compromised password doesn't jeopardize everything
- Educating your team on sophisticated scams rather than outdated threats
- Implementing verification steps that make wire fraud nearly impossible
- Maintaining and regularly testing backups to minimize ransomware impact
- Keeping software patched to close off exploitation avenues swiftly
Ultimately, it's about preventing a breach, not scrambling after one happens.
Cybercriminals are optimistic about 2026, counting on businesses like yours to be vulnerable.
Let's prove them wrong.
Remove Your Business from Their Target List
Schedule a New Year Security Reality Check.
We'll help you uncover your vulnerabilities, prioritize what matters most, and build defenses so you're no longer an easy target in 2026.
Expect no hype. No confusion. Just clear insights and actionable steps.
Click here or give us a call at (925) 766-4005 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
After all, the smartest New Year's resolution is ensuring your business doesn't end up on a cybercriminal's hit list.
