• Why do phishing attempts surge in the late summer months, and what does it have to do with vacations and back-to-school season?
  • Would your employees recognize a fake Airbnb or university e-mail if it landed in their inbox today?
  • With AI making phishing scams more convincing than ever, is your business prepared to spot and stop the next attack?

 

Vacations may be winding down and your team is easing back into the office, but cybercriminals never take time off. In fact, studies from ProofPoint and Check Point show that phishing attempts actually increase during the summer months.

Take one Bay Area nonprofit we recently spoke with. An employee was booking a last-minute hotel for a family trip, but instead of going directly to the hotel’s site, they clicked a link from a promotional e-mail. It looked legitimate—logo, branding, even the tone was convincing. Unfortunately, it was a fake site, and their login credentials were stolen. Since they had used the same password for both personal and work accounts, attackers suddenly had a doorway into sensitive business data. Luckily, their IT defenses blocked the breach, but it was a wake-up call for the whole team.
 

Why the Increased Risk?

Attackers know when and how to strike.

Summer travel scams: Cybercriminals take advantage of the “travel bug.” According to Check Point Research, there was a 55% increase in new website domains related to vacations in May 2025 compared to the same time last year. Out of more than 39,000 new domains, one in every 21 was flagged as malicious or suspicious. Fake hotel, airline, and Airbnb websites lure victims into handing over personal and financial information.

Back-to-school phishing: Late summer also means an uptick in phishing e-mails that impersonate legitimate universities, targeting both students and staff. Even if this doesn’t affect your industry directly, it still creates risk. Employees checking personal e-mail on work computers or networks can unknowingly put your company data in jeopardy. One wrong click is all it takes.

For many businesses, these scenarios highlight broader challenges: remote staff logging in from anywhere, lack of efficient IT processes, or uncertainty around how secure their current setup really is. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and we’ve outlined solutions for businesses facing these gaps.
 

What You Can Do

While AI is helping companies strengthen cybersecurity, it’s also enabling attackers to craft e-mails that are harder to spot. This makes awareness, training, and modern defenses more important than ever.
 

Safety Tips to Prevent Phishing Attacks

  • Scrutinize e-mails closely: Don’t rely on typos alone. Check sender addresses and hover over links before clicking.
  • Double-check URLs: Watch for misspellings or unusual domains like .today or .info.
  • Visit websites directly: Type the address or search, instead of clicking links.
  • Enable MFA: Multifactor authentication protects accounts even if credentials are compromised.
  • Be careful on public Wi-Fi: If unavoidable, use a VPN when accessing sensitive data.
  • Separate work and personal use: Keep personal e-mail and apps off company devices.
  • Ask about endpoint security: Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) software can block phishing attempts, malicious downloads, and alert IT immediately.

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If phishing risks keep you up at night, you’re not alone. Many business leaders are worried about cybersecurity but don’t know where to start. The good news is, with the right partner, protection doesn’t have to be complicated or costly.
 

The Bottom Line

At TruAdvantage, we specialize in helping Bay Area businesses secure their systems, train their teams, and stay ahead of cybercriminals. Our Managed Cybersecurity services include advanced threat detection, EDR, compliance support, and continuous monitoring—so you can focus on running your business while we safeguard it.

Phishing attacks are getting more sophisticated every day. AI is speeding that process up, but with the right defenses in place, your business doesn’t have to be vulnerable.

Need Managed IT Services?

We are an Award-winning IT Provider and Comprehensive IT Solutions in San Francisco, San Jose, and throughout the Bay Area.

Schedule A Free Consultation

We offer IT and Security Health Check. We’ll show you where your gaps are—and how to close them before they become expensive.
 

Book Your Free Consultation Now

 
 

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