January 26, 2026
Right now, cybercriminals are also crafting their New Year's resolutions — but theirs are all about boosting their schemes.
These aren't resolutions about self-care or work-life balance; instead, they're analyzing their 2025 tactics and plotting how to escalate theft and fraud in 2026.
And small businesses are their top targets—not due to negligence,
but because you're busy.
Hackers thrive on busyness.
Here's a deep dive into their 2026 plans—and crucial ways you can safeguard your business.
Resolution #1: Craft Phishing Emails That Blend In Seamlessly
The days of blatantly fake scam emails are over.
Thanks to AI, attackers create messages that:
- Sound authentic and familiar
- Match your company's communication style
- Reference genuine partners and vendors
- Avoid typical warning signs like poor grammar or suspicious links
The key is timing, not typos.
January's busy pace offers the perfect cover—everyone's catching up and often less vigilant.
Example of a convincing phishing email you might receive:
"Hi [your actual name], I couldn't deliver the updated invoice—the file bounced. Could you confirm this is still the correct accounting email? Here's the new version attached. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks, [real vendor's name]."
No grandiose scams or urgent wire transfers, just a believable note from a familiar contact.
How to fight back:
- Train your team to always verify financial or credential-related requests through a separate communication channel.
- Utilize advanced email filters that detect spoofed emails claiming to be from legitimate vendors but originating suspiciously.
- Encourage a work culture where double-checking is valued, not seen as distrustful—celebrate "I verified before responding."
Resolution #2: Impersonate Your Vendors or Leadership with Precision
This tactic is particularly insidious because it feels utterly genuine.
You might get an email from a vendor saying:
"We've updated bank details. Please use this new account for future payments."
Or a text from "the CEO" demanding:
"Urgent wire transfer now. I'm in meetings and can't talk."
Even voice deepfakes are on the rise—cloning your CEO's voice from online sounds to make urgent calls that sound authentic.
What seemed like sci-fi is now an everyday threat.
Countermeasures to implement:
- Implement a strict callback verification policy for any changes in banking details—always call back using a number you trust.
- Require voice confirmation on all payment authorizations using established communication lines.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on all finance and administrative systems to block unauthorized access even if passwords are compromised.
Resolution #3: Intensify Attacks on Small Businesses in 2026
Historically, major breaches targeted massive corporations like banks and hospitals.
With those large entities strengthening defenses, cybercriminals are now focusing on small businesses, which often lack robust security.
The strategy? Instead of high-risk, one-time huge attacks, they opt for frequent, smaller hits with a higher success rate.
Your small business holds valuable data and funds, yet might lack a dedicated security team.
Attackers know you're:
- Wearing many hats as a busy owner or employee
- Without specialized cybersecurity staff
- Often assuming you're too small to be targeted
This assumption is their exploited weak spot.
Steps to protect yourself:
- Adopt foundational security practices—MFA, timely software updates, and regular backups—to stand out as a harder target.
- Reject the myth that small businesses are off-limits; recognize you're a target that flies under the radar.
- Partner with cybersecurity experts who can monitor and protect you without needing an internal security team.
Resolution #4: Exploit New Employees and Tax Season Vulnerabilities
January brings fresh hires who are eager but unfamiliar with your protocols.
Their enthusiasm and reluctance to question authority make them prime targets.
Attackers might pose as the CEO requesting haste:
"Handle this urgently—I'm traveling and can't do it myself."
Veteran staff might hesitate, but new employees might rush compliance to impress.
Tax season scams flourish, from fake IRS notices to payroll phishing targeting W-2 information.
Fraudsters impersonate HR or leadership to urgently collect W-2s, compromising employee Social Security numbers, addresses, and salaries, enabling fraudulent tax filings that disrupt your staff's legitimate tax returns.
How to defend your team:
- Integrate security training into onboarding—educate new hires on how to spot scams before accessing email.
- Establish clear policies such as "No W-2s sent via email" and "Payment requests must be phone-verified." Document and regularly test these procedures.
- Encourage and reward employees who verify suspicious requests, making caution a praised behavior.
Preventing Cyber Attacks Saves More Than Recovering From Them
You face two choices with cybersecurity:
Option A: Respond after a breach—cover ransom, hire emergency services, notify clients, rebuild IT infrastructure. Costs can soar into the hundreds of thousands, and recovery can take months, leaving lasting scars.
Option B: Proactively prevent attacks by deploying effective security measures, educating your workforce, monitoring threats continuously, and closing vulnerabilities early. This proactive approach costs a fraction of the reactive path and keeps you safely operational.
Just like fire extinguishers aren't bought after a blaze, cybersecurity should be in place before an attack.
Take Control and Protect Your Business in 2026
A trusted IT security partner helps you avoid becoming an "easy target" by:
- Providing 24/7 system monitoring to spot threats early
- Securing access with strong credential controls to limit damage from stolen passwords
- Training your team to recognize sophisticated scams, not just obvious frauds
- Enforcing verification policies to prevent wire fraud beyond believable emails
- Maintaining and testing backups so ransomware attacks remain manageable
- Rapidly patching system vulnerabilities to close doors before attackers can enter
Invest in prevention—not firefighting.
Cybercriminals are setting ambitious goals for 2026, banking on businesses like yours being caught off guard.
Let's work together to foil their plans.
Remove Your Business From Their Radar
Schedule a New Year Security Reality Check.
We'll pinpoint your vulnerabilities, prioritize what matters most, and help you stop being an attractive target in 2026.
No hype. No confusing tech jargon. Just clear, actionable insights.
Click here or give us a call at 916-626-4000 to schedule your 15-Minute Discovery Call.
Your best New Year's resolution? Ensuring your business isn't on any hacker's list this year.
