Despite record spending on email security and awareness training, phishing is getting smarter, faster, and harder for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to spot. Attackers now combine generative AI, brand impersonation, and multi-channel lures (email plus collaboration tools or SMS) to trick even savvy users into clicking, paying, or sharing credentials.

Why phishing won’t go away

Small and mid-sized businesses sit in a “sweet spot” for attackers: they hold valuable customer, payment, and cloud-account data but rarely have enterprise-level security teams or 24/7 monitoring. Generative AI has lowered the barrier to entry, helping criminals craft polished messages, realistic deepfake voices, and convincing look‑alike login pages at scale.

Brand spoofing and business email compromise are surging, with criminals imitating tools SMBs use daily – Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and collaboration platforms.

What Business & IT Leaders can do

• Make phishing resilience a priority and stay current on attack trends.

• Run continuous, bite-sized security awareness and simulated phishing campaigns focused on realistic lures like invoices and vendor updates.

• Tighten payment processes with call-back verification for bank changes and dual approval for high‑value payments.

• Implement layered controls: secure email gateways, multifactor authentication everywhere, conditional access, and strong password and patching policies.

• Prepare for the “inevitable click” with an incident playbook, rapid isolation steps, and external security partners on standby.

Beyond a laser focus on phishing threats, businesses also need to ensure their communication services stay secure and compliant.

CTS provides specialized RingCentral UC services to help your business stay resilient against emerging threats. Stay connected and stay protected.

Contact CTS today at 800.878.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.