“I was celebrating our first $100K revenue month when the emails started pouring in: ‘Why are you spamming us?’ By noon, our domain was blacklisted. The real nightmare? Discovering it was our ‘trusted’ bookkeeper who clicked a phishing link labeled ‘URGENT TAX DOCUMENT.’”
Spot the red flags: Misspelled domain, urgent language, and fake logo.
The New 2025 Cyber War: Why Your Business Is a Target
83% of attacks now hit businesses with under 50 employees (2025 Verizon DBIR). Small = “low-hanging fruit.”
Ransomware costs surged to $2.3M per attack (up 40% from 2024), but the hidden costs are deadlier:
→ 54% of customers abandon brands post-breach (Edelman Trust Report 2025)
→ 38% of founders face personal lawsuits for negligence (Lloyd’s of London)
Three Attacks That Changed How We Operate
1. The “Freelancer” Who Stole Our Crown Jewels
The Trap: A “UI/UX designer” on Upwork delivered files infected with spyware.
The Damage:
Stolen prototype designs appeared on a Chinese marketplace within 72 hours.
$75K lost in R&D and legal fees to prove ownership.
The Fix:
✅ Now we use:TalentScreen to verify freelancers’ devices before onboarding.
✅ Rule: Never share source files—only Figma prototypes with watermarks.
2. The “CEO” Who Emptied Our Bank Account
The Trap: A spoofed email from “me@ourcompany.com” ordered urgent payments to a “new vendor.”
The Damage:
$48,000 transferred to a Cyprus bank before detection.
Our insurance denied coverage—the email used an employee’s real password from a LinkedIn leak.
The Fix:
✅ Now we use:Abnormal Security to flag impersonation attempts.
✅ Rule: All payments require Zoom call confirmations with codewords.
3. The “Customer” Who Weaponized Chargebacks
The Trap: Hundreds of “orders” from burner emails with stolen credit cards.
The Damage:
$22K in chargeback fees + payment processor suspended us.
Our ad accounts got banned due to “fraudulent activity.”
The Fix:
✅ Now we use:Signifyd to auto-cancel high-risk orders.
✅ Rule: Hold inventory for new customers until payments clear.
