At first glance, the water seems still.
That's exactly what makes Shark Week so gripping each year: the real threat is never obvious on the surface. It's already in motion below.
Cybercriminals work the same way. Today's attacks are built to look like routine business activity until the moment a payment is made, a system fails, or money disappears.
And in the summer—when calendars change, employees travel, and oversight naturally loosens—attackers know businesses are easier to catch off guard.
Here are three threats they're using right now.
1. Fake invoices and vendor impersonation
In many cases, attackers don't need to break in. They only need to send one convincing email.
This tactic, known as business email compromise (BEC), relies on pretending to be a vendor, supplier, or executive your team already recognizes.
The message looks legitimate, someone pays the "vendor," and by the time the fraud is discovered, the money is gone.
These scams rise during vacation season for a reason. When the usual approver is out of office, requests get routed to people who may not know what normal looks like. Temporary backups are less likely to question urgency, and attackers count on that hesitation.
The solution is straightforward: create a verification step for every financial request that comes through email. A quick callback to a trusted number—not the one included in the message—can stop most fraud before it starts.
2. Phishing attacks aimed at distracted employees
Phishing succeeds because it is designed around busy people.
Cybercriminals time these attacks carefully. A distracted employee gets a password reset alert and clicks the link. Someone receives a text that appears to come from IT. An urgent email arrives right before a meeting asking for wire approval. Because everyone is rushing, no one pauses to verify.
The strongest defense isn't just technology—it's awareness.
Employees should feel confident slowing down when something seems off:
· An unexpected login request
· A payment instruction that came out of nowhere
· A link in an email they weren't expecting
Attackers use speed to pressure decisions. Slowing down takes that advantage away.
3. Third-party risks that spread quickly
When a vendor with access to your systems is compromised, the danger doesn't stay with them. It can move directly into your environment through the connection they already have to your business.
This is supply chain exposure, and most organizations have more of it than they realize. Connected software, service providers with stored credentials, and contractors whose access was never revoked after a project ended can all create hidden entry points that business owners often overlook.
Outsourcing a service does not outsource responsibility.
To understand your supply chain exposure, you need clear answers to three questions:
1. Which vendors can access your data or systems?
2. What are they connected to?
3. Who inside your company is responsible for managing those relationships?
If those answers aren't clear, your business may already be exposed.
By the time you notice it, the threat is already moving
Sharks don't announce themselves, and neither do the cybercriminals targeting your business.
The companies that get hit aren't always the ones that ignore obvious warning signs. Often, they're the ones that assume everything is fine because nothing looks wrong.
Summer is when schedules loosen, attention drifts, and the water looks calmest. It's also when attackers are most active.
We help businesses identify where they're vulnerable across vendors, employee behavior, and daily operations before an incident turns into costly damage.
If you're not sure where your business stands, schedule a 10-Minute Discovery Call.
Click here or give us a call at (949) 537-2909 to schedule your free 10-Minute Discovery Call.
