Summer Isn’t a Vacation for Cybercriminals
Your team may be coming back from vacation, but hackers never take time off. In fact, research from ProofPoint and Check Point shows phishing attempts spike during the summer months—with August being one of the riskiest times of year for businesses.
Cybercriminals take advantage of seasonal behavior, targeting employees distracted by summer travel or preparing for back-to-school. With one wrong click, attackers can gain access to sensitive company data, leading to costly breaches.
Why Phishing Attacks Increase in Late Summer
1. Travel Scams
Check Point Research uncovered a 55% increase in vacation-related website domains in May 2025 compared to last year. Out of more than 39,000 new domains, 1 in 21 was flagged as malicious or suspicious. Fake hotel and Airbnb booking sites are common traps that trick employees into clicking harmful links.
2. Back-to-School Phishing
Late summer also brings an uptick in phishing emails disguised as university messages, targeting students and faculty. Even if your company isn’t in the education sector, employees enrolled in courses may check personal email on work devices—providing attackers with a pathway into your systems.
3. AI-Powered Attacks
AI isn’t just improving business productivity—it’s also helping cybercriminals craft more convincing phishing emails. This makes spotting threats harder than ever without proper training and safeguards.
How to Protect Your Business from Phishing
Here are 7 proven strategies to strengthen your defenses this season:
- Scrutinize Emails Carefully – Don’t just look for spelling errors. Check sender addresses and hover over links to verify legitimacy.
- Double-Check URLs – Watch for misspelled domains or suspicious endings like .today or .info.
- Visit Websites Directly – Type in the URL yourself instead of clicking links in emails.
- Enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) – MFA keeps accounts secure, even if credentials are compromised.
- Use a VPN on Public WiFi – Avoid accessing sensitive accounts without encryption.
- Keep Personal Email Off Work Devices – Mixing personal and business accounts increases risk.
- Invest in Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) – Ask your Managed Service Provider (MSP) about EDR solutions to detect, block, and alert against phishing in real time.
Stay Ahead of Seasonal Threats
Phishing attacks are getting smarter, faster, and more convincing—especially with AI making it easier for hackers to scale their scams. The best defense is education, layered security, and proactive monitoring.
Start this season secure. Book your FREE Cybersecurity Assessment today and make sure your business is protected before the next phishing wave hits.
