In 2026, phishing attacks are more convincing than ever. Attackers now use AI to craft highly personalized emails, messages, and even voice calls that closely mimic real vendors, executives, or clients.

Why this is a major risk:

• AI makes phishing harder to detect

• Employees are targeted based on role and behavior

• Credential theft often leads to broader network compromise

How SMBs should respond:

• Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA)

• Run regular security awareness training

• Monitor unusual login and email activity

2. Ransomware Targeting SMB Operations

Ransomware continues to evolve, focusing on double and triple extortion tactics — encrypting data, stealing it, and threatening public exposure.

Why it’s critical in 2026:

• SMBs are more likely to pay due to downtime pressure

• Attacks now target backups and cloud storage

• Business interruption costs often exceed ransom demands

Best practices:

• Maintain immutable and offline backups

• Deploy advanced endpoint protection

• Test disaster recovery plans regularly

3. Cloud Security Gaps and Misconfigurations

Cloud adoption among Canadian SMBs is growing rapidly, but misconfigured access controls and permissions remain a top cause of breaches.

Common issues:

• Over-privileged user access

• Publicly exposed storage resources

• Lack of visibility across cloud environments

Risk reduction steps:

• Conduct routine cloud security assessments

• Apply least-privilege access policies

• Enable logging and continuous monitoring