January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are setting their own New Year's resolutions — but theirs focus on targeting businesses like yours.
Unlike vision boards filled with self-care goals or achieving work-life balance, their plans are centered on refining their tactics to steal more effectively in 2026.
And guess who tops their list? Small businesses.
Not due to negligence, but because your busy schedule creates the perfect opportunity.
Busy equals vulnerable in a criminal's eyes.
Here's a breakdown of their top strategies — and how you can outsmart them.
Resolution #1: Craft Phishing Emails That Are Nearly Indistinguishable from Genuine Messages
The days of obvious scam emails filled with glaring errors are gone.
Today's cybercriminals use AI to generate emails that:
- Sound authentic and conversational
- Adopt your company's unique tone and terminology
- Include references to actual vendors you partner with
- Omit typical red flags that used to give them away
It's no longer about spelling mistakes; it's all about perfect timing.
January is prime for exploitation — everyone's distracted, rushing to catch up post-holidays.
Sample phishing email example:
"Hi [your actual name], I attempted to send the revised invoice but it bounced back. Could you confirm if this is still the correct email for your accounting department? Here's the updated file — let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, [name of your actual vendor]"
No urgent wire transfer demands. No suspicious characters — just a seemingly routine request from a familiar contact.
How to defend:
- Educate your team to verify all requests involving money or credentials through a different communication channel.
- Implement advanced email filters that detect impersonation attempts, flagging emails from suspicious sources.
- Encourage a workplace culture where double-checking and asking questions is recognized as diligence, not paranoia.
Resolution #2: Imitate Your Vendors and Executives to Trick Your Team
This tactic packs a punch because it feels incredibly authentic.
A fraudulent vendor email might state:
"We have new bank details for future payments. Please update accordingly."
Or a fake text from "the CEO" commands:
"Urgent. Send this wire transfer now. I'm tied up in a meeting and can't talk."
Increasingly, voice deepfakes make it even more dangerous. Criminals clone voices from online videos and voicemails, calling your finance team sounding exactly like your CEO requesting favors.
This isn't science fiction — it's happening today.
Your protection plan:
- Institute strict callback procedures for changes in banking info, always confirming via known phone numbers.
- Prohibit payment transactions without voice or in-person confirmation through vetted channels.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on all finance and administrative accounts to block unauthorized access, even if passwords are compromised.
Resolution #3: Focus on Small Businesses as Primary Targets
Cybercriminals have shifted their focus away from heavily fortified large organizations like banks, hospitals, and Fortune 500 companies.
With increased enterprise security and tightened insurance standards, these big players have become difficult and costly to breach.
Instead, criminals now prefer numerous smaller attacks that are easier to execute and almost always successful.
Small businesses hold valuable data and finances but often lack dedicated cybersecurity teams.
Attackers rely on knowing that:
- Your staff is stretched thin
- You don't maintain a full-time security team
- You're balancing multiple priorities
- You believe your business is "too small to matter"
That last assumption is exactly what makes you vulnerable.
Your action steps:
- Strengthen your baseline defenses—enable MFA, apply regular system updates, and maintain tested backups—to make your business a tougher target than your competitors.
- Eliminate the mindset that "we're too small to be targeted." You may be overlooked in the headlines, but small businesses face real threats.
- Partner with cybersecurity professionals who actively protect your business without the need for a full in-house team.
Resolution #4: Exploit Employee Transitions and Tax Season Distractions
January brings new hires unfamiliar with your company protocols.
Excited to make a good impression, they may unwittingly bypass security measures or fail to question suspicious requests.
For cybercriminals, this is a golden opportunity.
Examples include urgent emails pretending to be from the CEO or HR asking for W-2 forms or payroll details.
Once attackers obtain this information, they can file fraudulent tax returns using your employees' personal data, leading to rejected legitimate returns and significant identity theft issues.
How to safeguard:
- Include thorough security training in your onboarding process so new employees recognize phishing scams and understand company policies before accessing email.
- Establish and enforce clear protocols such as "We never send W-2 forms via email" and "All payment requests require phone verification."
- Create an environment where employees who verify requests are commended, promoting vigilance over complacency.
Preventing Cyberattacks Saves You Time and Money Every Time.
Your cybersecurity approach has two paths:
Option 1: React to an attack—pay ransoms, hire emergency consultants, notify clients, restore systems, and rebuild trust. This could cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars and take months to recover.
Option 2: Proactively prevent attacks by implementing robust security measures, educating your team, monitoring threats, and closing vulnerabilities before criminals strike. This is far more cost-effective and less disruptive.
Think of it like owning a fire extinguisher—you buy it not because you expect a fire, but to be ready if one ever starts.
How to Become Their Least Favorite Target
A trusted IT partner helps you avoid becoming an easy mark by:
- Providing 24/7 system monitoring to detect and stop threats before they escalate
- Securing access controls so that a single compromised password can't endanger your entire network
- Training your team on sophisticated scams that evade basic detection
- Implementing strict verification policies that prevent wire transfer fraud
- Maintaining and regularly testing backups so ransomware only causes minor disruption
- Applying timely patches to close security gaps before attackers exploit them
Focus on prevention instead of damage control.
Cybercriminals are already setting their 2026 goals, hoping your business will be unprepared and vulnerable.
Let's prove them wrong.
Remove Your Business from Their Target List Today
Schedule a New Year Security Reality Check.
We'll identify your vulnerabilities, prioritize what matters, and empower you to stop being an attractive target in 2026.
No fear tactics. No confusing jargon. Just clear, actionable insights.
Because the smartest New Year's resolution is protecting your business from becoming someone else's goal.
