Spring cleaning usually starts with closets.
But for most businesses, the real risk is not what is hanging up.
It shows up in an inbox. Usually on a Tuesday morning.
An email that looks like it is from the CEO. The name matches. The tone feels right. Even the signature looks familiar.
“Hey, can you help me with something quickly? I am in back to back meetings. Need you to handle a vendor payment. I will explain later.”
Every business has seen something like this.
The difference is who receives it.
A new employee. Four days in. Still figuring things out. Still trying to make a good impression. Not quite sure what is normal yet.
So they do what most good employees do.
They help.
And just like that, the damage is done.
Why the First Week Is the Most Dangerous Week
Every spring, businesses bring in new employees. Recent graduates. Interns. New hires stepping into unfamiliar roles.
For you, it is onboarding season.
For attackers, it is opportunity.
According to a Keepnet study, CEO impersonation emails are 45 percent more likely to succeed with new hires than experienced employees.
That is not because new employees are careless.
It is because they are new.
They do not know how the CEO normally communicates. They do not know what a typical request looks like. They have not built the confidence to question something that feels off.
And they do not want to be the person who slows things down in their first week.
The most dangerous employee is not the one who ignores the rules.
It is the one who is trying to do a good job.
The Real Problem Is Not Training
Think back to your last new hire.
Was everything ready on day one?
Or did things get pieced together as the week went on?
Maybe their laptop was not fully set up. Maybe access was still being configured. Maybe they had to borrow a login just to get started. Maybe they saved a file locally because they could not get into the shared drive yet.
None of that feels risky in the moment.
It feels like being resourceful.
But those small workarounds create gaps.
Shared credentials create accounts nobody tracks. Files end up outside your backups. Personal devices get used for business tasks. And no one has clearly explained what to do when something does not feel right.
That is the environment the phishing email walks into.
The attack did not create the vulnerability.
The first week did.
What a Better First Day Looks Like
Fixing this does not require a long security presentation.
It requires a little preparation before the employee walks in the door.
First, their access should be ready. Laptop configured. Credentials created. Permissions set. No borrowing logins. No temporary fixes.
Second, they should know what normal looks like. A simple conversation goes a long way. Does leadership ever request payments over email? What should they do if something feels off? Who should they ask?
Third, give them a place to ask questions.
Most first week mistakes happen quietly because new employees do not want to look inexperienced. If they know exactly who to go to, they will use it.
Give them a person. Give them a process.
This Is Not About Perfect People
Security issues do not happen because people are trying to cause problems.
They happen because people are trying to help.
New employees will click faster. They will respond quicker. They will try to solve problems on their own.
That is not a weakness. That is exactly what you want in a team member.
But your systems need to account for it.
Good security is not about perfect behavior. It is about creating an environment where mistakes do not turn into incidents.
If you are bringing on new employees this season, it is worth getting this right before that Tuesday email shows up.
And if you want a second set of eyes on your onboarding and security process, we are happy to help.
Just a quick conversation. No pressure. Book a 10-minute discovery call