June 16, 2025
You set it. You forget it. And just like that, 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—can be a treasure trove of information for attackers 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 big advantages:
1. Timing: They know when you're away and less likely to notice 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 goes out.
Step 2: A hacker uses it to impersonate you or the alternate contact you named.
Step 3: They send an urgent e-mail asking for a wire transfer, passwords, or sensitive documents.
Step 4: Your coworker, caught off guard, believes the request is legitimate.
Step 5: You return from vacation to discover 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—executives or sales teams—and someone else handles communications while they're away (like a personal assistant or office admin), cybercriminals have an ideal setup:
- The admin receives e-mails from multiple people
- They're accustomed to handling payments, documents, or sensitive requests
- They work quickly and trust the people they think they're hearing from
One well-crafted fake e-mail 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 protections. Here are some tips:
1. Keep It Vague
Avoid detailed schedules. 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 help, please contact our main office at [main contact info]."
2. Train Your Team
Make sure employees know:
- Never act on urgent requests involving money or sensitive info based only on e-mail
- Always verify unusual requests through a second channel, 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 stolen, 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 unusual behavior before damage happens.
Want To Vacation Without Becoming A Hacker's Next Target?
We help businesses build cybersecurity systems that protect you—even when your team is out of office.
Click Here Or Give Us A Call At 832-536-9012 To Book A
FREE 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.
