A Hacker’s 3 Favorite Words: Out Of Office

Set it. Forget it. Regret it…

 

It takes you 2 minutes, and you’re suddenly broadcasting your vacation plans via e-mail:

“Hello! I’m on vacation and will be out of the office until [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [coworker’s name and e-mail].”

Unless you’re a cyber-criminal, you’d never think this was anything other than easy, convenient and even expected.

Except…it’s exactly what cyber-criminals love to see.

The one thing meant to keep things organized and moving smoothly (your auto-reply), is a GOLD mine of intel for nefarious criminals looking for an open door to sneak in.

Let’s take a look. A typical Out Of Office message might include:

• Your name and title
• Dates you’re unavailable
• Alternate contacts (with their e-mail addresses)
• Internal team structures
• Even details about why you’re gone (“I’m at a conference in Chicago…”)

Right away, you’re giving two MAJOR pieces of information to Cyber-criminals that they need.

       1. Timing: They now know when you’re gone, so they know exactly when to time their attack so you won’t notice anything suspicious.
       2. Targeting: They know exactly who to impersonate – and who to target with the scam.

That’s the foundation for a perfect phishing or business e-mail compromise (BEC) attack.

How The Scam Usually Plays Out- 5 Steps

1: You set your out-of-office reply, kick back, and head to the beach.
2: A cyber-criminal sees your auto-reply and thinks, “Perfect—showtime.”
3: They send a super “urgent” email pretending to be you (or your backup), asking for a wire transfer, password, or top-secret file.
4: Your coworker—juggling three things and two coffees—assumes it’s real and acts fast.
5: You return from vacation glowing and refreshed… only to find out someone just wired $45,000 to “Totally Legit Vendor, Inc.”

If traveling is regular activity that staff members in your company participate in regularly (for business or pleasure), especially sales teams and executives, and other people in the office handle communications while they’re away, this allows the stars to align perfectly for cyber-criminals.

• The admin is fielding e-mails from multiple people
• Their daily work consists of handling payments, documents or sensitive requests like some sort of top secret admin ninja
• They’re working fast, surviving on caffeine and trust that the people they’re emailing are actually their coworkers

One well-crafted fake e-mail can slip through – and suddenly your business is dealing with a costly breach or fraud incident.

How To Protect Your Business From Auto-Reply Exploits

There’s no need to kick Out of Office replies to the curb like a piece of discarded furniture- you simply need to use them wisely and put safeguards in place. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Keep Details Hazy 

Skip the details. There’s no need for intimate details about when you’ll be back or who to contact unless absolutely necessary.

Example: “I’m currently out of the office and will respond to your message when I return. If you need immediate assistance, please contact our main office at [main contact info].”

2. Get On The Same Page:

You can set all the protocols in place that you want, but if not everyone is using the same system, you’re existing in a risk vacuum. Make sure everyone understands:

• Never take an e-mail at face value, especially when it comes to “urgent” money requests, payroll, or payment accounts. Basically if it has money, don’t just trust it on the sender alone.
• Always verify sensitive requests through a second channel (like a phone call)
  

3. Implement E-mail Security Tools

Utilize advanced e-mail filters, e-mail encryption, anti-spoofing measures and domain protection to minimize the likelihood of impersonation attacks reaching your inbox.

4. Use MFA Everywhere

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be enabled across all e-mail accounts. Even if a hacker obtains a password, it prevents them from gaining access.

5. Work With an IT Partner Who Monitors Activity

A proactive IT and cybersecurity partner can detect login attempts, phishing attacks and abnormal behavior before damage is done.

Want To Vacation Without Becoming A Hacker’s Next Target?

We help businesses build cybersecurity systems that work – even when your team’s out of office.

Click Here To Book A FREE Cyber Security Risk Analysis.
We’ll check your systems for vulnerabilities and show you how to lock down the risks, so you can actually enjoy that vacation without worrying about your inbox betraying you.