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 meant to keep things organized—is actually a treasure trove of information for hackers 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 spot 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 e-mail compromise (BEC) attack.
How The Scam Usually Plays Out
Step 1: Your auto-reply message is triggered.
Step 2: A hacker uses it to impersonate you or the backup contact.
Step 3: They send an "urgent" e-mail 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 discover someone sent $45,000 to "a vendor."
This happens more often than you might think and is especially risky for businesses with frequent travelers.
If your company has staff who travel regularly, especially executives or sales teams, and someone else manages communications while they're away (like a personal assistant or office admin), the risk increases because:
- The admin handles e-mails from multiple people
- They're accustomed to managing payments, documents, or sensitive requests
- They work quickly and trust the people they believe they're communicating with
One well-crafted fake e-mail can slip through, leading to costly breaches or fraud.
How To Protect Your Business From Auto-Reply Exploits
The answer isn't to eliminate out-of-office replies but to use them carefully and implement safeguards. Here are some recommendations:
1. Keep It Vague
Avoid detailed itineraries. Don't name your backup contact 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 your staff understands:
- Never act on urgent money or sensitive requests based solely on e-mail
- Always verify unusual requests through a secondary method (like a phone call)
3. Implement E-mail Security Tools
Use advanced e-mail filters, anti-spoofing technology, and domain protection to reduce impersonation risks.
4. Use MFA Everywhere
Enable multifactor authentication on all e-mail accounts. Even if a password is compromised, this prevents unauthorized access.
5. Work With An IT Partner Who Monitors Activity
A proactive IT and cybersecurity partner can detect suspicious logins, phishing attempts, and unusual behavior before damage occurs.
Want To Vacation Without Becoming A Hacker's Next Target?
We help businesses build cybersecurity systems that keep you safe—even when your team is out of the office.
Click Here Or Give Us A Call At (918) 770-9150 To Book A
FREE 15-Minute 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.
