January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are crafting their New Year's resolutions, but theirs aren't about self-improvement or balance.
Instead, they are analyzing last year's tactics and plotting how to exploit vulnerabilities even more effectively in 2026.
And guess what? Small businesses remain their prime targets.
Not because you're careless,
but because your busy schedules create openings criminals eagerly exploit.
Here's the cybercriminals' 2026 playbook — and how you can dismantle it.
Cybercriminal Resolution #1: Craft Phishing Emails That Seem Legitimate
The days of blatantly fake scam emails are over.
Thanks to AI, fraudulent messages now:
- Sound natural and unforced
- Match your company's tone and terminology
- Include references to real vendors you collaborate with
- Avoid obvious spelling mistakes or suspicious links
These messages capitalize on perfect timing rather than glaring errors.
January, with its holiday distractions and rushed catch-ups, offers the ideal opportunity.
Imagine receiving an email like:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the revised invoice, but it bounced back. Could you please confirm if this is the correct email for accounting? Here's the updated copy — let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, [name of your actual vendor]."
No outrageous tales or urgent demands—just a plausible request from a familiar contact.
Your Defense Strategy:
- Educate your staff to verify requests, especially regarding finances or sensitive data, through a separate communication channel.
- Implement advanced email filters that detect impersonation, like emails claiming to be from your accountant but originating from suspicious servers.
- Foster a workplace culture where double-checking is encouraged and seen as prudent, not paranoid.
Cybercriminal Resolution #2: Impersonate Your Vendors or Executives
These scams hit hard because they feel utterly authentic.
Your vendor might send an email saying:
"Our bank details changed; please update your records for future payments."
Or your CFO receives a text from "the CEO":
"Urgent: wire funds now. I'm in a meeting and can't talk."
Modern scams have even advanced to deepfake voice calls, mimicking CEOs or managers flawlessly by analyzing online audio.
This isn't fiction—it's today's reality.
How to Protect Yourself:
- Adopt a strict callback protocol for changes to bank information, using verified numbers, not those provided in suspicious messages.
- Require spoken confirmation via trusted lines before executing any payments.
- Activate multi-factor authentication on all financial and administrative accounts to prevent unauthorized access.
Cybercriminal Resolution #3: Focus Their Attacks on Small Businesses More Than Ever
Previously, cyberattacks targeted large corporations—banks, hospitals, Fortune 500s.
But as corporate defenses tightened and regulations increased, those lucrative attacks became riskier and less rewarding.
So, the attackers changed tactics.
Rather than risking a massive $5 million breach, they prefer numerous smaller $50,000 hits with a higher success rate.
Small businesses are lucrative targets because:
- They often lack dedicated security staff
- Employees are stretched thin
- They sometimes underestimate their risk
That underestimation is exactly what attackers exploit.
Your Protective Measures:
- Implement fundamental security tools like multi-factor authentication, regular updates, and routine backups to make your business a tough target.
- Reject the myth that you're too small to be targeted; in reality, small breaches often go unreported.
- Partner with cybersecurity experts who can safeguard your operations without the need for an internal team.
Cybercriminal Resolution #4: Exploit New Hires and Tax Season Confusion
January brings new employees who are eager but unfamiliar with company protocols.
Attackers exploit their desire to please by impersonating executives with urgent requests.
For example, a fake email from the CEO might say:
"I need all employee W-2 forms sent immediately for an important meeting."
With these forms, criminals access sensitive employee information and can file fraudulent tax returns, causing significant issues for your staff.
How to Shield Your Team:
- Include thorough security training during onboarding, so new hires recognize typical scams before accessing corporate email.
- Enforce clear policies: no W-2s sent via email, and payment requests must always be phone-verified.
- Encourage employees to verify suspicious requests without fear of judgment; make double-checking a praised habit.
Prevention Always Beats Recovery
When it comes to cybersecurity, you face two choices:
Option 1: React after a breach—pay ransoms, hire specialists, notify clients, and rebuild, enduring lengthy and costly consequences.
Option 2: Proactively secure your business—train staff, monitor threats, patch vulnerabilities, and avoid incidents altogether.
Think of cybersecurity as a fire extinguisher—you invest to prevent disaster, not after a fire starts.
How to Thwart Attackers This Year
A reliable IT partner helps you stay off cybercriminals' radar by:
- Providing 24/7 threat monitoring to stop breaches before they happen
- Securing access controls so one compromised password doesn't endanger your entire system
- Educating your team on sophisticated scams
- Enforcing verification protocols that prevent wire fraud beyond easy email tricks
- Maintaining and testing backups to make ransomware an annoyance, not a disaster
- Applying patches promptly to close security gaps before criminals find them
Invest in prevention, not firefighting.
While criminals are gearing up to exploit unprepared businesses in 2026, you can be their biggest disappointment.
Remove Your Business from Cybercriminals' Radar
Schedule a New Year Cybersecurity Assessment.
We'll identify your vulnerabilities, prioritize what matters, and guide you to avoid being an easy target in 2026.
Clear, straightforward advice—no fearmongering or jargon.
Click here or give us a call at 816-238-3777 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Make your best New Year's resolution: not ending up on a cybercriminal's to-do list.
