Somewhere right now, a cybercriminal is setting New Year’s resolutions too.
They’re not journaling about balance or self-care.
They’re reviewing what worked last year and planning how to steal more efficiently in the next one.
And small businesses? They’re still the favorite target.
Not because you’re careless.
Because you’re busy.
And criminals love busy.
Here’s what their 2026 game plan looks like — and how to quietly ruin it.
Resolution #1: “Send Phishing Emails That Don’t Look Fake Anymore”
The era of laughably bad scam emails is over.
Today’s phishing emails:
- Sound completely normal
- Use your company’s language
- Reference vendors you actually work with
- Skip the obvious red flags
They don’t rely on typos anymore.
They rely on timing.
January is perfect. People are catching up after the holidays, moving fast, and clicking without slowing down.
A modern phishing email doesn’t scream “scam.” It looks like this:
“Hi [your actual name], I tried sending the updated invoice but the file bounced back. Can you confirm this is still the right email for accounting? I’ve attached the new version. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks, [name of your real vendor].”
No urgency. No threats. No drama. Just familiar and believable.
Your counter-move:
- Train your team to verify, not just read. Any request involving money, logins, or sensitive data gets confirmed through a second channel.
- Use email security tools that flag impersonation attempts and suspicious sending sources.
- Create a culture where asking “Is this real?” is encouraged, not eye-rolled.
Resolution #2: “Impersonate Your Vendors — or Your Boss”
This one works because it feels real.
A vendor email shows up saying their banking info changed.
A text from “the CEO” asks for an urgent wire while they’re “in a meeting.”
Sometimes it’s not even text anymore.
Voice cloning scams are increasing. Criminals can copy a voice from a podcast, YouTube clip, or voicemail greeting. The call sounds exactly like the person it’s pretending to be.
That’s not futuristic. That’s happening now.
Your counter-move:
- Always verify bank or payment changes using a known phone number, not one provided in the message.
- No payment changes without confirmation through established channels.
- Multi-factor authentication on all finance and admin accounts — passwords alone aren’t enough anymore.
Resolution #3: “Target Small Businesses Even More”
Cybercriminals used to chase big targets. Large enterprises. Major institutions.
Then security improved. Insurance requirements tightened. Big companies became harder to break into.
So attackers adapted.
Instead of one massive, risky attack, they now go for many smaller ones that are easier and more predictable.
Small businesses are ideal because:
- You have money worth stealing
- You have data worth ransoming
- You don’t have a dedicated security team
- You’re juggling everything
And many still believe, “We’re too small to be a target.”
That belief is one of the biggest risks.
Your counter-move:
- Basic security done consistently makes you less appealing than the business next door. Attackers usually move on.
- Retire the phrase “we’re too small to matter.” You’re not too small to be targeted — just too small to make headlines.
- Get help. You don’t need enterprise-level security; you need someone paying attention.
Resolution #4: “Exploit New Hires and Tax Season Confusion”
January brings new employees. And new employees don’t know your rules yet.
They want to help.
They want to look capable.
They’re less likely to question authority.
From an attacker’s perspective, that’s perfect.
“Hey, I’m the CEO. Can you handle this quickly?”
“I need these W-2s for a meeting with the accountant. Send ASAP.”
Tax season scams ramp up fast. Once criminals get payroll data, the damage spreads to your entire team — fraudulent tax filings, identity theft, months of cleanup.
Your counter-move:
- Security basics should be part of onboarding, before new hires get full access.
- Write down simple rules: “We never email W-2s.” “All payment requests are verified.”
- Praise people for double-checking. Verification is not paranoia — it’s professionalism.
Prevention Is Always Cheaper Than Recovery
When it comes to cybersecurity, there are really two paths.
React after an attack: emergency vendors, downtime, customer notifications, reputation damage, and bills that hurt to look at.
Or prevent the attack: close obvious gaps, train your team, monitor systems, and catch issues quietly in the background.
One path costs significantly more, lasts much longer, and leaves scars.
The other is intentionally boring.
Boring is good.
How to Ruin a Cybercriminal’s Year
A good IT partner helps keep you off the “easy target” list by:
- Monitoring systems continuously
- Limiting access so one stolen password doesn’t unlock everything
- Training teams on realistic scams, not outdated examples
- Putting verification policies in place
- Testing backups so ransomware doesn’t become a crisis
- Patching systems before criminals exploit known weaknesses
Fire prevention, not firefighting.
Cybercriminals are optimistic about the year ahead. They’re counting on businesses being distracted, understaffed, and unprepared.
You don’t have to make it easy for them.
Take Your Business Off Their List
Book a New Year Security Reality Check.
We’ll show you where you’re exposed, what matters most, and what would make the biggest difference — without fear tactics or technical overload.
Because the best New Year’s resolution is making sure your business isn’t helping someone else hit theirs.
