Insurance Advisors: Why Phishing Attacks Spike In AugustInsurance Agencies in Salt Lake City Face Rising Cyber Threats During Late Summer

Just because you or your producers are getting back from vacation doesn’t mean hackers are kicking back.

In fact, it’s the opposite.

Cybercriminals ramp up phishing attacks during late summer—right when most Salt Lake City insurance agencies are easing back into their routines. And if your staff is logging into your AMS or CRM from a hotel WiFi connection or clicking travel-related emails on their workstations, your agency could be one wrong click away from a full-blown breach.

Why The Late Summer Spike in Phishing?

Hackers are exploiting two seasonal behaviors:

  1. Travel Scams: According to Check Point Research, there was a 55% increase in vacation-related domains in May 2025 vs. May 2024. Many of them mimic Airbnb, hotel booking sites, or even fake reservation portals. One in every 21 new domains was flagged as suspicious or malicious.
  2. Back-to-School Phishing: Even if your agency doesn’t insure educators, your CSRs, producers, or their kids might be heading back to class. That means university-themed phishing attempts are rising—and they often sneak into work devices through personal email.

When your team lets their guard down during summer, your agency becomes an easier target.

What Salt Lake City Insurance Firms Can Do Right Now

While artificial intelligence is making cybersecurity tools smarter, it's also helping cybercriminals write emails that are eerily convincing. That’s why real IT support for insurance agencies needs to include employee education.

At Qual IT, we see it constantly: strong security starts with strong habits. Here’s what we recommend.

Practical Steps To Stop Phishing Attacks Before They Cost You:

  • Scrutinize all email details. Don’t just scan for bad grammar. Today’s phishing emails are professionally written. Look for strange domain names and mismatched URLs.
  • Manually verify suspicious sites. Instead of clicking links, type known URLs into your browser. It’s the only way to guarantee you're not walking into a trap.
  • Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). This is non-negotiable. Even if credentials are stolen, MFA gives your agency a safety net.
  • Avoid public WiFi without a VPN. If you’re quoting policies from a coffee shop or checking CRM updates at the airport, your data is at risk unless you’re protected.
  • Keep work and personal emails separate. A phishing attack from a personal inbox can still compromise your agency’s data if it’s accessed on a business device.
  • Implement Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR). This is next-gen protection for your agency. EDR monitors every device for suspicious activity and immediately alerts your IT provider when something isn’t right.

Don’t Let a Single Click Bring Down Your Agency

The rise of AI is helping both sides: your defense tools and the attackers. That’s why the best protection for Salt Lake City insurance firms isn’t just technical. It’s cultural.

If your team knows what to look for—and has the right IT provider behind them—you can stop most attacks before they start.

Start the season secure. Click here to book your FREE network assessment with Qual IT. We’ll audit your defenses, test your email security, and give you real answers—without the tech jargon.