October has been a wild month for cybersecurity — and it delivered some sharp lessons for small and mid-sized businesses. Here are the most important threats and patterns we tracked:
1. Smishing (SMS phishing) attacks spiked. Fake texts posing as HR messages or package alerts tricked employees into clicking malicious links. These messages often bypass traditional email filters.
2. Fake browser updates delivered malware. Users saw popups urging them to update Chrome or Edge. Once clicked, these “updates” installed spyware or ransomware.
3. Insider threats increased during transitions. Employees leaving jobs were not offboarded quickly, leaving accounts vulnerable. In some cases, old credentials were exploited.
4. Patch fatigue continued to be a problem. Even when security patches were available, many companies delayed installation — giving attackers a wider window to exploit known bugs.
The takeaway? Train your team, stay patched, and assume that no channel (email, text, browser) is safe without layered defenses.
Cybersecurity is a moving target — but if you keep learning and adapting, you stay one step ahead.
If you are interested in learning more, Schedule a call today.