You’re running your business, responding to client messages, when suddenly strange duplicate messages and failed delivery emails flood your inbox. This is what happened to a business owner who discovered her emails—including sensitive financial data—were silently copied to hackers for weeks without her knowledge.

For small and midsized businesses (SMBs), this type of attack can result in financial loss, leaked company secrets, and damaged relationships with clients.

What Happened in This Email Breach

• Hackers guessed or stole an email password.
• They set up secret rules to forward every incoming message.
• Confidential information like Social Security numbers, tax data, and financial records were exposed.

Farmhouse Networking responded by:

• Removing malicious rules.
• Securing the account with new password protections and recovery options.
• Advising the business owner on how to monitor for ongoing fraud.
  

Practical Steps for SMBs

SMBs aren’t too small to be targeted. In fact, they’re often prime targets. Protect your business with these key actions:

• Set strong passwords and enable MFA: Critical first layer of defense.
• Regularly review email rules: Look for forwarding or auto-delete actions you didn’t create.
• Encrypt sensitive documents: Especially contracts, employee data, and customer details.
• Train employees: Staff should recognize phishing emails before they trigger a hack.
• Backup systems: Ensure backups of both email and company files are offline-protected.
• Have an incident response plan: Know what to do if a breach occurs.

Questions Your Clients May Ask

“Did hackers see my information?”
If emails contained contracts, billing, or sensitive attachments—possibly.

“Could this affect my payments or records?”
Yes. Compromised invoices or payment requests can be used in fraud scams.

“Can clients continue to trust our company?”
By demonstrating enhanced security measures and a clear recovery plan, clients can regain confidence.

How Farmhouse Networking Helps SMBs

Farmhouse Networking empowers SMBs with:

• Affordable enterprise-grade email security.
• 24/7 monitoring for account breaches.
• Employee training to reduce phishing success rates.
• Scalable security solutions for growing businesses.

Your business reputation is too valuable to be left to chance. Secure your email systems and protect your clients’ trust with Farmhouse Networking. Reach out today at support@farmhousenetworking.com.