Phishing isn’t a possibility anymore, it’s a certainty. We see phishing attempts targeting Sacramento and Bay Area businesses every single week, but these attacks aren’t the clumsy, typo-ridden scams of the past. They’re sophisticated, well-crafted, and designed to trick even the sharpest employees.

Cybercriminals know that small and mid-sized businesses are prime targets. In fact, nearly half of all cyberattacks now hit businesses in this category. Why? Because they often lack the enterprise-scale defenses of larger corporations. A single successful phishing email can lead to compromised financials, stolen credentials, or ransomware deployment.

For regional businesses in construction, engineering, professional services, and beyond—the very industries Sacramento is built on—the impact can be devastating. 

One of the most common scams we encounter is the “CEO fraud” email. Here’s a dangerous scenario: your CFO receives a message that appears to come directly from your CEO. It looks authentic, complete with a correct signature and company logo. The email requests a wire transfer for a “time-sensitive vendor payment.” Without proper training, a well-meaning employee may act quickly to avoid holding up operations. By the time the fraud is discovered, the funds are long gone.

This type of Business Email Compromise (BEC) has become so widespread that the FBI reports billions in annual losses tied to these scams. And Sacramento businesses are not immune.

One of the best ways to combat this growing phenomenon is high-quality, interactive training and ALWAYS using “out of band verification” to verify these requests sans technology. That’s why many cyber insurance providers increasingly require phishing awareness training. Foresight IT knows that simply checking the box for cyber insurance doesn’t target the actual root of the phishing problem. 

We’ve designed intuitive security training that engages employees and sticks with them. Our approach includes:

• Short, easy-to-digest videos that explain threats in plain English.

• Monthly phishing simulations tailored to real-world scenarios.
  Gamification and reporting dashboards so leaders can track progress and teams stay motivated.

• Real-world examples that reflect the exact scams we see in Sacramento every week.

Because we serve as the IT department– or the co-managed IT partner– for many regional businesses, we don’t just hand off a training program. We deliver it shoulder-to-shoulder with your training team, adapting to your industry needs.

The truth is, no software or firewall can stop every phishing email. That’s why building a culture of security is critical. When your employees are equipped to spot suspicious emails, confirm wire instructions through secure “out of band” channels, and think twice before clicking unknown links, your entire business becomes more resilient.

At Foresight IT, we combine real-time monitoring, advanced phishing detection, immutable backups, and hands-on employee training. It’s a layered defense strategy designed to keep Sacramento and Bay Area businesses protected.

Phishing isn’t going away. In fact, it’s becoming more sophisticated by the day. But with the right training and security stack, you can stay ahead of attackers. If you’re a Sacramento or Bay-area business leader ready to turn your employees into your strongest line of defense, let’s talk. At Foresight IT, we don’t wait for the breach. We prevent it.