January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are setting their own New Year's resolutions—for more effective and lucrative attacks.
Unlike your personal goals around "self-care" or "work-life balance,"
these hackers are reviewing what tactics succeeded in 2025 and strategizing how to steal even more in 2026.
Small businesses are their top targets.
Not because you're careless,
but because your busy schedule creates the perfect opportunity.
Cybercriminals thrive on distraction.
Discover their 2026 attack blueprint—and how to thwart it completely.
Resolution #1: "I'll Craft Phishing Emails That Seamlessly Blend In"
The days of obvious, poorly written scam emails are behind us.
Today's phishing messages are AI-generated to:
- Sound authentic and conversational
- Mirror your company's tone and language
- Reference legitimate vendors you actually collaborate with
- Omit typical warning signs you'd expect
Typos no longer give them away—timing does.
January is prime time: hectic schedules, post-holiday catch-up, and busy teams.
A realistic phishing email now looks like this:
"Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice, but it bounced back. Can you confirm this is still the correct accounting email? Here's the revised file — let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, [name of your actual vendor]"
No extravagant tales of Nigerian princes or urgent wire transfers—just an ordinary request from a familiar contact.
How to Defend:
- Educate your team to verify all requests involving money or credentials through separate, trusted channels.
- Implement advanced email filters that detect impersonation by flagging discrepancies like sender location versus claimed identity.
- Foster a workplace culture where verifying communications is encouraged and appreciated, not criticized.
Resolution #2: "I'll Impersonate Your Vendors or Leadership"
This tactic is especially dangerous because it feels convincing.
Imagine an email from a vendor stating:
"We've updated our bank details; please use this new account for payments going forward."
Or a text from "your CEO" sent to your bookkeeper:
"Urgent: Wire this amount now. I'm in a meeting and can't discuss."
Worse yet, voice deepfakes are increasing. Cybercriminals clone voices from public videos and voicemails to convincingly impersonate leaders over calls, requesting favors.
This isn't science fiction—it's business as usual.
How to Defend:
- Set strict callback policies for banking changes, always verifying with known contact numbers—not those in suspicious emails.
- Require voice confirmation for all urgent payment requests through established lines.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all finance and administration accounts to prevent unauthorized access, even if passwords are compromised.
Resolution #3: "I'll Double Down on Small Businesses"
Previously, cybercriminals aimed at large targets like banks and hospitals.
With enterprise security tightening and regulations increasing, big firms have become challenging and less profitable to attack.
So hackers shifted focus:
Instead of risking a handful of big attacks, they launch many smaller, almost guaranteed hits.
Your small business holds valuable data and money—but often lacks dedicated security staff.
Cybercriminals know:
- You're short-staffed
- You don't have a specialized security team
- You manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously
- You believe you're "too small to be a target"
This underestimation makes you vulnerable.
How to Defend:
- Eliminate easy entry points with fundamental security: MFA, timely software updates, and verified backups keep you a difficult target compared to others.
- Reject the myth of being "too small." While small businesses may not hit headlines, they remain prime targets.
- Engage professional cybersecurity support to partner with you—no need for large, in-house teams.
Resolution #4: "I'll Exploit New Employees and Tax Season Confusion"
January's fresh hires haven't yet mastered company protocols.
Eager to impress and helpful, they are less likely to question unusual requests.
From a hacker's angle, these new employees represent ideal targets.
Messages like:
"I'm the CEO. Can you handle this quickly? I'm traveling and can't talk now."
Veteran staff may hesitate; new hires might comply immediately.
Tax season heightens risk with scams involving W-2 requests, payroll phishing, and fake IRS notices.
These scams aim to steal employee tax data, leading to fraudulent returns and causing employees to face rejected tax filings for "duplicates."
How to Defend:
- Incorporate security awareness during onboarding, ensuring new hires recognize scams before they access company email.
- Enforce explicit policies such as "W-2s are never emailed" and "All payment requests require phone verification." Regularly review and test these.
- Encourage and reward employees who verify suspicious requests—valuing caution over speed.
Prevention Always Beats Damage Control.
Your cybersecurity choices are clear:
Option A: React after an attack—pay ransoms, hire crisis teams, notify clients, recover data, and rebuild reputation—costing tens or hundreds of thousands and taking weeks or months.
Option B: Proactively protect your business—implement security measures, train employees, monitor threats, and close vulnerabilities continuously, all at a fraction of reactive costs.
Think of security like a fire extinguisher: you buy it not because you want fires, but because you're prepared if they happen.
How to Remove Your Business From Their Target List
A reliable IT partner safeguards your operations by:
- Constantly monitoring systems to detect and stop threats before they escalate
- Locking down access controls so a single compromised password doesn't grant full entry
- Educating your team on sophisticated modern attacks—not just the obvious scams
- Enforcing verification protocols that prevent wire fraud beyond convincing emails
- Maintaining tested backups, ensuring ransomware causes inconvenience, not disaster
- Applying timely patches to seal vulnerabilities before criminals exploit them
Preventing attacks is smarter than fixing their aftermath.
Cybercriminals have set ambitious goals for 2026, hoping to exploit unprepared, understaffed businesses.
Let's make sure your business is not on that list.
Schedule Your New Year Cybersecurity Assessment Today
We'll identify your vulnerabilities, prioritize security measures, and help your business stop being an easy cybercrime target in 2026.
No fear-mongering or technical jargon—just clear insights and actionable solutions.
Click here or give us a call at (336) 443-0061 to book your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Because the smartest New Year's resolution is ensuring your company isn't anyone else's target.
