At first glance, the water looks peaceful.
That's what makes Shark Week so gripping every year: the threat is rarely obvious from above. The real danger is already moving below the surface.
Cybercriminals work the same way. The risks businesses face today are built to look routine until the moment money is redirected, systems fail, or operations are disrupted.
And during the summer—when teams are short-staffed, schedules are unpredictable, and oversight tends to loosen—attackers know companies are often easier to catch off guard.
Here are three threats they're using right now.
1. Fraudulent invoices and vendor impersonation
Attackers don't always need to break into a system. Often, one convincing email is enough.
This tactic is known as business email compromise (BEC). It relies on impersonating a vendor, supplier, or executive your staff already recognizes and trusts.
The message looks legitimate, someone processes the payment, and by the time the fraud is discovered, the funds are gone.
These attacks increase during vacation season for a straightforward reason. When the usual approver is out of office, requests get handed to someone unfamiliar with normal payment patterns. Temporary coverage can make it easier for urgency to slip through unchecked—and attackers count on that.
The best defense is easy to put in place: create a verification step for every financial request that comes in by email. A quick callback using a trusted number—not the one in the email—can stop most fraud before it starts.
2. Phishing attacks aimed at distracted employees
Phishing works because it's designed around human behavior, especially when people are busy.
Cybercriminals create pressure-filled moments on purpose. A distracted employee gets a password reset alert and clicks the link. Someone receives a text that appears to come from IT. An email shows up just before a meeting requesting urgent approval for a wire transfer. Nobody pauses to verify because slowing down feels inconvenient.
The strongest protection isn't only technology—it's a security-minded culture.
Employees should feel empowered to stop and confirm when something seems unusual:
· An unexpected login request
· A payment instruction that appears out of nowhere
· A link in an email they weren't expecting
Attackers rely on speed to win. When your team slows the process down, you take that advantage away.
3. Third-party risk that spreads quickly
If a vendor with access to your systems is compromised, the threat doesn't remain isolated. It can move directly into your environment through the connection that vendor already has to your business.
This is supply chain exposure, and many organizations have far more of it than they realize. Connected software tools, service providers with stored credentials, and contractors whose access was never revoked after a project ended can all create openings that go unmapped for years.
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 organization is accountable for managing those relationships?
If those answers aren't clear, your business may be more exposed than you think.
By the time you notice it, the threat is already in motion
Sharks don't warn you before they strike—and neither do the cybercriminals targeting your business right now.
The companies that get hit aren't always the ones ignoring obvious red flags. More often, they're the ones assuming everything is fine because nothing looks wrong.
Summer is when routines loosen, attention drifts, and the water looks calmest. It's also when attackers often move fastest.
We help businesses identify where they're exposed across vendors, employee activity, and everyday operations before a costly incident occurs.
If you're unsure where your business stands, schedule a 15-Minute Consult.
Click here or give us a call at 804-796-2631 to schedule your free 15-Minute Consult.
