Is Your Business Ready for a Cyberattack? What Every Owner Needs to Know

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-09-01

Cybercrime is getting smarter, and phishing attacks are becoming harder to spot every single day. One wrong click from an employee can cost your company thousands of dollars, damage your reputation, and take weeks to recover from. That's why we sat down with Manon Vandebergh, COO of Phished, to talk about how businesses can actually protect themselves in today's threat landscape. Manon doesn't sugarcoat it: humans remain both the strongest link and the biggest risk in any cybersecurity strategy. You can have the best firewalls and encryption in the world, but if someone in accounting opens a cleverly disguised email, all of that goes out the window. The good news? There are simple steps you can start taking today to make your organization dramatically safer. ### Why Phishing Keeps Getting More Dangerous Here's the uncomfortable truth: phishing attacks aren't the clumsy, poorly written emails you might remember from a decade ago. Today's attackers use sophisticated social engineering, real-time data, and even AI to craft messages that look like they're from your bank, your boss, or a trusted vendor. They create urgency, fear, and curiosity to get people to act before they think. Some of the newest techniques we discussed include: - Deepfake audio and video calls where attackers impersonate executives - Multi-stage phishing campaigns that build trust over several messages - QR code phishing that bypasses traditional email filters entirely - Spear phishing targeting specific employees with personalized details Manon emphasizes that awareness training isn't a one-time checkbox. It's an ongoing process that needs to evolve as fast as the threats do. The companies that stay safe are the ones that make security part of their daily culture, not just an annual HR requirement. ### How to Spot a Suspicious Email You don't need to be a tech expert to catch most phishing attempts. Manon shared a few practical red flags that everyone should look for before clicking anything: - Check the sender's full email address, not just the display name - Hover over links to see the actual URL before clicking - Be wary of messages demanding immediate action or threatening consequences - Look for subtle spelling or grammar errors that feel just slightly off - Verify unusual requests through a different channel, like a phone call If something feels wrong, it probably is. Trust your gut and take an extra minute to verify. That pause alone could save your business from a major headache. ### Building a Global Scale-Up: Lessons from Phished Beyond the technical side, Manon shared an inspiring story about growing Phished from a Belgian startup into an international player. One concept that stood out was the idea of an "unfair competitive advantage" — finding something your competitors simply can't easily replicate and doubling down on it. For Phished, that advantage came from combining deep behavioral research with practical training tools. But Manon also stressed that culture matters just as much as product. Their "Parlez-Vrai" philosophy — which basically means speaking honestly and directly — shapes how they hire, how they give feedback, and how they build trust with clients. She also had some advice that might surprise founders: stay close to sales, even as you scale. When leaders stay connected to customers, they hear real feedback, spot market shifts early, and keep their teams grounded in what actually matters. ### Women in Tech: You Don't Need a Technical Background Finally, we touched on a topic that's close to Manon's heart: women in technology. Her message is clear — you don't need a computer science degree to build a successful career in tech. The industry needs people who understand business, communication, strategy, and human behavior just as much as it needs coders and engineers. Whether you're a business owner, a team leader, or just someone curious about how to grow with impact, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways. Cybersecurity is everyone's job, and the best time to start strengthening your defenses is right now. Want to dig deeper into these insights and hear the full conversation? Stay tuned for more episodes that tackle the real challenges entrepreneurs face every day.