August 18, 2025
As you and your team return from summer breaks, remember that cybercriminals remain relentlessly active. Research from ProofPoint and Check Point reveals a surge in phishing schemes during summer months. Here's how to enhance your vigilance and protect your business.
Why Are Phishing Risks Higher in Summer?
Cyber attackers exploit summer travel trends by mimicking popular hotel and Airbnb sites, according to Check Point Research. Their findings show a staggering 55% rise in new vacation-related website domains registered in May 2025 versus last year—over 39,000 new domains registered, with 1 in 21 identified as suspicious or malicious.
Additionally, late summer ushering in back-to-school season triggers a spike in phishing emails impersonating university communications, targeting students and staff. Even if your industry isn't directly affected, employees checking personal emails on work devices for school or travel can unwittingly provide cybercriminals onramp access to sensitive company data.
Effective Strategies to Stay Protected
While AI strengthens cybersecurity defenses, it also enables more sophisticated phishing attacks. Training yourself and your team to recognize subtle signs of phishing is critical to prevent costly breaches.
Key safety measures to avoid attacks include:
· Watch for suspicious emails. Beyond spotting misspellings or odd phrasing, carefully verify sender addresses and link URLs, since AI-generated phishing emails can appear flawless.
· Scrutinize URLs. Look out for misspelled web addresses or uncommon domain extensions like .today or .info, which are often linked to scams.
· Access websites directly. Rather than clicking links in emails or messages, manually type the website's address or use a trusted search engine.
· Activate Multifactor Authentication (MFA). MFA adds an essential security layer, ensuring that even if credentials are compromised, your sensitive data stays protected.
· Use caution with public WiFi. When connecting on public networks, always use a VPN to safeguard access to confidential platforms such as booking portals or banking sites.
· Keep personal emails off work devices. Restrict personal accounts to personal gadgets and reserve company devices exclusively for professional use to minimize risk.
· Consult with your MSP about endpoint security. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools monitor devices, block phishing and malware attempts, and alert your managed service provider instantly upon breach detection—greatly reducing your exposure.
As phishing tactics evolve rapidly with AI advancements, continuous education is your strongest safeguard. Empower your team with up-to-date knowledge to recognize and avoid threats.
Secure your business this season —
