June 16, 2025
You set it. You forget it. And suddenly, 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 bad actors 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 details about why you're gone ("I'm at a conference in Chicago…")
This gives cybercriminals two big advantages:
1. Timing: They know you're away and less likely to spot suspicious activity.
2. Targeting: They know exactly who to impersonate and who to target.
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, caught off guard, assumes it's 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 is especially risky for businesses with frequent travelers.
If your company has staff who travel often—especially executives or sales teams—and someone else handles communications while they're away (like a personal assistant or office admin), this creates ideal conditions for cybercriminals:
- The admin is managing emails from multiple people
- They're accustomed to handling payments, documents, or sensitive requests
- They're working quickly, trusting the people they believe they're hearing from
One well-crafted fake email can slip through, and suddenly your business faces a costly breach or fraud incident.
How To Protect Your Business From Auto-Reply Exploits
The answer isn't to stop using out-of-office replies but to use them carefully and add safeguards. Here are some tips:
1. Keep It Vague
Avoid sharing detailed plans. 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 understands:
- Never act on urgent requests involving money or sensitive info based solely on email
- Always verify unusual requests using 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 a password is 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 abnormal behavior before damage happens.
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 833-863-2120 To Book A
FREE Consult.
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.
