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Cyberattacks rarely come out of nowhere. Most hackers do their homework and are constantly looking for clues that a company’s guard is down. While we’re all told to fix weak passwords and update old software, there are quieter, more overlooked signs that signal, “Hey, we’re an easy target”.
One such sign is your ever-growing digital footprint. As businesses adopt new tools, including cloud platforms, apps, and third-party services, their exposure increases. If your security team isn’t keeping up, attackers might find old logins, forgotten test sites, or exposed cloud storage.
Therefore, it is necessary to keep an eye on what’s exposed — from old websites to open storage — to ensure that security spending keeps up with the new tools the company is adding.
Managing cyber risks
Another common, yet overlooked, indicator is the rise in phishing emails. Hackers could be testing who falls for what, spoofing internal addresses, or figuring out who has privileged access. Take every phishing report seriously. Look for patterns. Are certain roles being targeted? Are fake emails getting sneakier? Keep your team in the loop and build a strong feedback system to spot attacks.
Public exposure, such as funding or big partnership announcements, attracts unwarranted attention. Hackers are watching. They read the same press releases and LinkedIn posts that customers and investors do, and are aware that the actions following these developments, such as fast hiring and priority onboarding that can create distractions; it’s a perfect time to strike. In these moments, it is important to tighten access, double-check alerts, and prep teams for potential threats.
Using your personal device for work — especially key personnel like C-suite executives, founders, or engineers — increases vulnerability. If these devices aren’t covered by mobile device management (MDM) or endpoint detection tools, they become invisible risks.
Any compromised device can give attackers access to your organisation’s source code, customer data, and financial information. Building an effective executive cybersecurity programme, with secure apps, enforced MFA (multi-factor authentication), and training on mobile-specific threats is critical. Verify compliance regularly, not just through policy, but through tools like MDM platforms, endpoint security solutions, and mobile threat defense systems.
Supply chain attacks are a favorite among sophisticated threat actors. Even if your organisation is secure, compromised vendors, especially those with API or data access, can be used to leapfrog into your systems. Attackers often view a breached vendor as the first domino. If multiple partners have been hit, it’s more likely someone is already probing you, especially if you share similar tech stacks or cloud platforms.
A system has to be set to keep tabs on vendors regularly after a contract is signed. The system should be able to do regular check-ins for breach notifications and security updates for any third party that connects to your network.
Many organisations may have an incident response plan on paper, but not in practice. A long PDF with flowcharts might tick the compliance box. However, if no one’s ever tested it, it’s just theory. When a real attack happens, teams often freeze, because no one’s sure who does what, contact info is outdated, or decisions get stuck waiting on approvals. These problems usually don’t show up until everything’s already on fire. Attackers count on this kind of confusion. The slower the response, the more time they have to move laterally, encrypt systems, or exfiltrate sensitive data undetected.
Regularly conduct tabletop exercises involving not just IT and security but also legal, HR, PR, and executive leadership.
Simulate real-world scenarios like ransomware or insider threats and assess how your team performs under pressure. Focus on response speed, communication flow, and clarity of action.
Use the outcomes to refine and evolve your response plan; remember, in cybersecurity, practice isn’t optional. It’s survival.
Awareness is your armour
Cyberattackers follow the breadcrumbs, and those clues are often left by organisations that are growing fast and missing the warning signs. Spotting them early means you’re staying ahead of cyberthreats. In this fight, awareness is your early warning system and your best defense.
The writer is an enterprise analyst at ManageEngine.
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