June 16, 2025
You set it. You forget it. And just like that, while you're packing for vacation, your inbox starts automatically sending:
"Hi there! I'm out of the office until [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [coworker's name and e-mail]."
Sounds harmless, right? Convenient, even.
But that's exactly what cybercriminals want to see.
Your auto-reply - the simple message designed to keep things organized - is actually a treasure trove of information for hackers looking for an easy way in.
Let's break it down. A typical out-of-office message might include:
- Your name and title
- The dates you're unavailable
- Alternate contacts with their e-mail addresses
- Internal team structures
- Even reasons for your absence ("I'm at a conference in Chicago…")
This gives cybercriminals two big advantages:
1. Timing: They know you're away and less likely to catch suspicious activity.
2. Targeting: They know exactly who to impersonate and who to scam.
This sets the stage for a perfect phishing or business e-mail compromise (BEC) attack.
How The Scam Usually Plays Out
Step 1: Your auto-reply is sent.
Step 2: A hacker uses it to impersonate you or the contact you listed.
Step 3: They send an "urgent" e-mail requesting money, passwords, or sensitive documents.
Step 4: Your coworker, surprised, assumes the request is legitimate.
Step 5: You return from vacation to find out someone sent $45,000 to "a vendor."
This happens more often than you think, and it's especially risky for businesses where staff travel frequently.
If your company has employees who travel a lot, like executives or sales teams, and someone else handles their communications (like an assistant or office admin), this creates ideal conditions for cybercriminals:
- The admin manages e-mails from multiple people
- They're accustomed to handling payments and sensitive requests
- They're working quickly and trusting the senders they think they know
One well-crafted fake e-mail can slip through and suddenly your business faces a costly breach or fraud.
How To Protect Your Business From Auto-Reply Exploits
The answer isn't to eliminate out-of-office replies, but to use them carefully and apply safeguards. Here are some tips:
1. Keep It Vague
Avoid detailed schedules. Don't name who's covering for you unless absolutely necessary.
Example: "I'm currently out of the office and will respond when I return. For immediate assistance, please contact our main office at [main contact info]."
2. Train Your Team
Make sure everyone knows:
- Never act on urgent money or sensitive requests based on e-mail alone
- Always verify unusual requests through a second channel, like a phone call
3. Implement E-mail Security Tools
Use advanced filters, anti-spoofing, and domain protection to reduce impersonation attempts reaching your inbox.
4. Use MFA Everywhere
Enable multifactor authentication on all e-mail accounts. Even if passwords are compromised, this prevents unauthorized access.
5. Work With An IT Partner Who Monitors Activity
A proactive IT and cybersecurity partner can spot login attempts, phishing, and unusual behavior before damage occurs.
Want To Vacation Without Becoming A Hacker's Next Target?
We help businesses build cybersecurity systems that keep working - even when your team is out of office.
Click Here Or Give Us A Call At 678-940-8992 To Book A
FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call.
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.
