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 meant to keep things organized and running smoothly—is actually a treasure trove of information for attackers looking for an easy way in.
Let's break it down. 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 reasons for your absence ("I'm at a conference in Chicago...")
This gives cybercriminals two key advantages:
1. Timing: They know you're away and less likely to catch suspicious activity.
2. Targeting: They know who to impersonate and who to target with scams.
This sets the stage for a perfect phishing or business email compromise (BEC) attack.
How The Scam Usually Plays Out
Step 1: Your auto-reply message is sent.
Step 2: A hacker uses it to impersonate you or the alternate contact you listed.
Step 3: They send an "urgent" email requesting a wire transfer, password, or sensitive document.
Step 4: Your coworker, surprised, assumes the request is legitimate.
Step 5: You return from vacation to discover someone sent $45,000 to "a vendor."
This happens more often than you might think and poses an even greater risk for businesses with frequent travelers.
If your company has employees who travel regularly—especially executives or sales teams—and someone else manages communications in their absence (like a personal assistant or office admin), it creates ideal conditions for cybercriminals:
- The admin handles emails from multiple people
- They're accustomed to processing payments, documents, or sensitive requests
- They work quickly, trusting the people they believe they're hearing from
One well-crafted fake email can slip through, leading to costly breaches or fraud incidents.
How To Protect Your Business From Auto-Reply Exploits
The answer isn't to eliminate out-of-office replies entirely but to use them carefully and add safeguards. Here are some tips:
1. Keep It Vague
Avoid detailed schedules. Don't list 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
Ensure staff understand:
- Never act on urgent money or sensitive requests based solely on email
- Always verify unusual requests through a second channel, like a phone call
3. Implement Email Security Tools
Use advanced email filters, anti-spoofing measures, and domain protection to reduce impersonation attacks.
4. Use MFA Everywhere
Enable multifactor authentication on all email accounts. Even if passwords are compromised, this blocks unauthorized access.
5. Work With An IT Partner Who Monitors Activity
A proactive IT and cybersecurity partner can spot login attempts, phishing, and suspicious 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 (802) 331-1900 To Book A
FREE 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.
