It’s 4:17pm on a Friday afternoon.
Someone in accounting gets an email that looks like it’s from the owner: “Can you send me the updated banking info before you leave?”
The name is right. The tone sounds just like them. Everyone is trying to wrap up the week, and the easiest move is to hit reply.
Except the owner never sent it. 😬
The assumption that leaves people exposed
I hear this a lot from owners: “Cybersecurity is handled. We have an IT team.” The tools are running, the computers are protected and someone schedules the updates.
All true, and all important. But your defenses get tested every time an employee decides whether to trust an email, a link, or a request. That happens every day, in every department.
It’s not about whether IT has you covered. It’s about whether your people know what to do when something feels off.
Technology can’t make every call
Good security tools block a lot of attacks before anyone sees them. I’m a big fan. But no tool can make every decision for your team.
Today’s phishing copies writing styles, name-drops vendors you actually use and matches the rhythm of a normal workday. A CEO asks for an unusual payment. A vendor changes bank details mid-project. A coworker wants access to a file they’ve never opened.
Someone has to decide, right then, whether it’s real. That someone is the employee at the keyboard.
“Be careful” is not a plan
Most businesses tell employees to watch for suspicious emails. Fair enough. But then what?
Every person on your team should know:
- Who to contact
- How to verify a request
- Not to click links or open attachments
- What to do if they already clicked
- How to report it
Telling people to “be careful” with no next step puts a high-stakes decision on the person least ready to carry it. And hesitation is expensive. If someone fears they’re bothering you, or that you’ll blame them, they stay quiet. That silence can turn a small problem into a big one. </soapbox>
Let me say it plainly: the employee who reports a mistake right away is your best security tool, not your biggest problem. Punish a click in public and everyone learns to hide theirs. I’d much rather hear “I think I messed up” at 4:20pm on Friday than find out on Monday.
Leadership sets the tone
Your team watches what you do. If you skip verification because you’re in a hurry, they learn speed beats process. If flagging something feels awkward, they stop flagging.
The flip side is good news. When you make verification normal, your team takes it seriously. When someone questions an odd request and you back them up, everyone gets more careful. 💪
Here’s a question to answer honestly:
If your employee pushed back on a request from you, would you thank them?
Everyone knows their role
Back to 4:17pm. The goal isn’t to make that employee paranoid about every email. It’s to make sure they know exactly who to ask and how to verify.
Your people don’t need to become security experts. They need clear expectations, good habits and the confidence to speak up. One annual training session won’t build that. It takes the right safeguards, practical processes and steady guidance as threats change.
That’s the part I love helping with. I’ll find the gaps, tighten the protections and help your team understand the role they play.
Let’s take a look together
If any of this hit a little close to home, I’d love to help. No pitch, no pressure. Just a friendly 15-minute conversation about where you stand.
[Book a free discovery call] 🎯
Call me at (612) 380-4333 or visit us at https://cmitsolutions.com/twin-cities-west
Know a business owner who should read this? Send it their way. They’ll thank you later.