When you hire someone new, you’re probably focused on the essentials: their laptop, their email account, system access, and maybe a quick intro to the team.

But there’s one thing most business owners overlook during onboarding — and it’s putting their entire company at risk.

New hires are the #1 target for cybercriminals

Recent research reveals a worrying trend: 71% of new employees fall for phishing or social engineering attacks within their first 90 days.

That means cybercriminals are intentionally targeting your newest team members… and too often, they succeed.

Why? Because the first few months of employment are one of the most vulnerable times in your company’s cybersecurity lifecycle — yet they often fly under the radar.

Why new hires are more likely to fall for cyber scams

Think about what it feels like to start a new job:

  • You want to make a good impression

  • You’re learning processes and tools for the first time

  • You’re unsure what’s normal communication

  • You want to follow instructions and avoid making mistakes

Cybercriminals know this.

They send convincing emails or messages that look like they come from HR, IT, or even the CEO. These scams commonly include:

  • Fake HR portals requesting “account updates”

  • Urgent, bogus invoices that look legitimate

  • Emails pretending to be from senior managers asking for sensitive info

  • Messages from “IT support” requesting password resets

Because new employees don’t yet know who’s who — or what normal internal communication looks like — they’re far more likely to take the bait.

In fact:

  • New hires are 44% more likely to click phishing links than experienced staff

  • When attackers impersonate executives, new employees are 45% more likely to be fooled

Those are major risks… and they highlight a clear problem.

The solution: cybersecurity training must start on day one

Cybersecurity training shouldn’t wait until a new hire is “settled in.”
Those early days are exactly when your employees need clear, practical guidance on:

  • How to spot phishing emails

  • What real internal communications look like

  • How cybercriminals operate

  • What to do if something seems suspicious

  • Who to contact if they make a mistake

And the data proves it works.

Businesses that deliver tailored security training and realistic phishing simulations during onboarding see their phishing risk drop by 30%. That’s a huge improvement — and it happens simply by investing a little more effort at the start.

Tools help — but people are your first line of defense

Good cybersecurity tools (like Endpoint Protection, MFA, firewalls, and email filtering) are essential.
But they can’t stop every threat.

Your people — especially your newest people — need the knowledge and confidence to recognize and report attacks before they become costly breaches.

Protect your business from day one

If you’d like help setting up simple, effective cybersecurity training for new staff — or want a full review of your company’s security posture — we can help.

Get in touch and let’s make sure your newest team members become your strongest defenders, not your biggest risk.