August 18, 2025
While you and your team may be returning from vacation, cybercriminals remain relentless year-round. Research from ProofPoint and Check Point reveals a notable surge in phishing attacks during the summer months. Here’s how you can stay vigilant and safeguard your business.
Why Are Summer Months Riskier?
Cyber attackers exploit the summer travel season by mimicking hotel and Airbnb websites, according to Check Point Research. They identified a 55% rise in vacation-related domain registrations in May 2025 compared to last year, with over 39,000 new domains—one in every 21 flagged as malicious or suspicious.
The late summer back-to-school period also triggers a spike in phishing scams impersonating university emails aimed at students and staff. Even if your business isn’t directly linked to education, employees checking personal emails on work devices can inadvertently expose your company to attacks through a single misstep.
How to Protect Yourself and Your Team
While AI enhances cybersecurity defenses, it also enables cybercriminals to craft more believable phishing attempts. Training your team to recognize these threats is crucial to prevent dangerous clicks.
Follow these essential safety measures:
• Vigilantly scrutinize emails. Beyond spotting typos and awkward phrasing, verify sender addresses and hover over links to confirm their legitimacy—AI-generated emails can appear flawless.
• Inspect URLs carefully. Watch for misspelled domain names or unusual extensions like .today or .info, which are common in scam sites.
• Access websites directly. Instead of clicking embedded links, manually type URLs or use trusted search engines to avoid phishing traps.
• Enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA). MFA adds an extra layer of security, protecting your credentials and sensitive data even if a breach occurs.
• Use caution with public WiFi. When accessing sensitive information on public networks, always connect through a VPN to shield your data.
• Avoid checking personal emails on work devices. Keep personal and professional accounts separate to minimize risk exposure.
• Consult your MSP about endpoint security. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools monitor devices, block phishing attempts, and alert your managed service provider instantly during breaches to limit data exposure.
Phishing tactics grow more advanced daily, accelerated by AI innovations. The best defense is educating your team about these evolving threats. Stay informed, stay protected!
Kick off the season with confidence—click here or call us at 817-277-1001 to schedule your FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call today.
