At first glance, the water appears perfectly still.
That's exactly what makes Shark Week so gripping every year. The threat isn't always on the surface—it's what's already swimming below it.
Cybercriminals work the same way. Today's attacks are built to look normal until the moment something fails, funds disappear, or systems shut down.
And in the summer, when routines change, employees take time off, and oversight naturally slips, attackers know businesses are easier to catch off guard.
Here are three threats circling right now.
1. Fake invoices and vendor impersonation
Attackers don't need to break into your network to steal money. Often, one convincing email is all it takes.
This tactic is known as business email compromise (BEC). It works by pretending to be a vendor, supplier, or executive your team already trusts.
The message looks routine, someone sends payment to the "vendor," and by the time the fraud is discovered, the loss has already happened.
These scams surge during vacation season for a reason. When the person who normally approves payments is away, requests get passed to someone who may not know what's legitimate. Temporary coverage creates gaps, and attackers count on that.
A simple safeguard makes a big difference: create a verification step for every financial request received by email. A quick call to a trusted number—not the one in the message—can stop most fraudulent requests before money moves.
2. Phishing attacks that target distracted employees
Phishing succeeds because it's designed around human behavior, especially when people are busy or distracted.
Cybercriminals plan for those moments. A rushed employee sees a password reset alert and clicks. Someone receives a text that appears to come from IT. An email arrives just before a meeting asking for urgent wire transfer approval. When people feel pressed for time, they're less likely to verify first.
The strongest defense isn't just technology—it's a workplace culture that rewards caution.
Employees should feel comfortable slowing down when something seems unusual:
· An unexpected login request
· A payment instruction sent without warning
· A link in an email they weren't expecting
Attackers rely on speed. When your team pauses, verifies, and asks questions, you take that advantage away.
3. Third-party risks that travel fast
If a vendor with access to your systems is compromised, the threat doesn't stay with them. It can move straight into your environment through the connection they already have to your business.
This is supply chain exposure, and many businesses have far more of it than they realize. Connected software, service providers with stored credentials, and contractors whose access was never removed after a project ended can all create hidden entry points that go unnoticed.
Outsourcing a service does not outsource accountability.
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 responsible for managing those relationships?
If those answers aren't clear, your business may already be exposed to unnecessary risk.
By the time you notice it, it's already in motion
Sharks don't warn you before they strike, and neither do the cybercriminals targeting your business right now.
The companies most likely to get hit aren't always the ones ignoring obvious warning signs. They're often the ones assuming everything is fine simply 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 a problem turns into a crisis.
If you don't know where your business stands, schedule a 10-Minute Discovery Call.
Click here or give us a call at 973-439-0306 to schedule your free 10-Minute Discovery Call.
