On the surface, everything looks calm.
That’s what makes Shark Week so interesting—it’s never the water you can see that’s the problem. It’s what’s already moving underneath.
Cyber threats work the same way.
Most businesses don’t get hit because they ignored obvious red flags. They get hit because everything looked normal right up until the moment money moved, accounts were compromised, or systems went down.
And during the summer months, when teams are traveling, schedules are lighter, and oversight is stretched, attackers know attention is divided.
Here’s where we’re seeing the biggest risks right now—and what to do about them.
Fake Invoices and Vendor Impersonation (BEC)
Sometimes it only takes one email.
Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks are designed to look like everyday communication, often impersonating a vendor, partner, or executive your team already trusts.
The numbers behind these attacks are hard to ignore:
- BEC scams caused over $3 billion in reported losses in the U.S. in 2025
- Globally, BEC is one of the most financially damaging cybercrimes, with billions lost each year
- In many cases, phishing is the root cause of nearly 73% of BEC incidents
Why summer makes this worse: When your usual approver is out, requests get rerouted. Temporary coverage teams don’t always know what “normal” looks like, and urgency wins.
What works: A simple verification process makes a big difference.
- Confirm payment requests using a known phone number
- Never rely on email alone for financial changes
- Slow down anything marked “urgent”
Phishing Attacks Targeting Distracted Employees
Phishing isn’t about technology—it’s about timing.
Attackers design messages to hit when people are busy:
- Right before a meeting
- During travel
- When someone is covering for a teammate
And it works.
- Over 90% of cyberattacks start with phishing
- Around 60% of breaches involve human interaction
- Roughly 1 in 3 employees are susceptible to phishing without training
This is why technical tools alone aren’t enough.
What works: Create a culture where employees feel confident pausing, even when it’s inconvenient. Encourage them to question:
- Unexpected login or MFA requests
- Payment or wire transfer instructions
- Links they weren’t expecting
Speed is what attackers rely on.
Slowing down is the easiest way to take that advantage away.
Third-Party and Supply Chain Risks
Most businesses underestimate how many outside connections they have.
Vendors, tools, contractors—each one is a potential entry point.
And that risk is growing fast:
- 30% of data breaches now involve a third party
- The average cost of a data breach is over $4.4 million globally
When a vendor is compromised, the impact doesn’t stay contained—it moves directly into your environment through existing access.
What works: You don’t need to eliminate vendors; you need visibility.
Start with three questions:
- Which vendors have access to your systems or data?
- What exactly do they connect to?
- Who internally owns that relationship?
Outsourcing a service doesn’t outsource accountability.
By the Time You Notice, It’s Already Moving
The biggest risks don’t show up as alarms—they show up as normal activity.
An email that looks routine.
A request that feels urgent.
A system that “just works”… until it doesn’t.
That’s why visibility matters more than ever, especially during times when focus is naturally split.
How We Help
At Advantage Industries, we help businesses identify where they’re exposed across:
- Vendor access
- Employee activity
- Day-to-day operational workflows
Before something goes wrong.
If you don’t know where your biggest risks are today, let’s take a quick look together.
Schedule a 10-minute discovery call HERE or call us at (866) 443-8238.
Sources: FBI IC3 Annual Report (2025), Verizon DBIR (2025), IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report (2025), KnowBe4 Phishing Benchmark Report (2025), Proofpoint State of the Phish (2024), and additional industry cybersecurity research.
