Your Most Vulnerable Employees Are Your Newest: The Cyber Risks Hidden in Onboarding

Your newest employee receives an email from what appears to be IT support, requesting credential verification. They click immediately. Your network is compromised.

Research shows 71% of new hires fall victim to phishing or social engineering attacks within their first 90 days. While onboarding focuses on equipment and access, a critical security gap often goes unaddressed.

Why New Hires Face Higher Risk

New employees operate in a state of uncertainty that cybercriminals deliberately exploit. They're learning organizational norms, proving their value, and eager to respond efficiently to requests. Without established pattern recognition, they cannot distinguish legitimate communications from sophisticated attacks.

The data is clear: new employees are 44% more likely to click malicious links than experienced colleagues. When attackers impersonate executives, that vulnerability increases to 45%.

Typical attacks include fraudulent HR portals requesting credential updates, fake urgent invoices, executive impersonation seeking sensitive information, and IT support scams requesting remote access during what appears to be routine setup.

Addressing the Gap Through Strategic Training

Companies implementing security awareness training and phishing simulations during onboarding reduce risk by 30%. This represents a significant return on a relatively modest investment during those critical first weeks.

Effective programs start immediately. New hires need clear guidance on communication norms, verification protocols, and reporting procedures. Simulation exercises build recognition skills in controlled environments before real threats emerge.

Establishing that questioning suspicious communications reflects professionalism—not distrust—creates a security-conscious culture from day one.

Moving Forward

The 90-day vulnerability window following each new hire represents a known risk that cybercriminals actively exploit. Your technology infrastructure provides essential protection, but cannot address the human factor.

Structured onboarding security programs require intentionality rather than extensive resources. The measurable risk reduction translates directly to prevented breaches and protected business operations.

Your newest employees will either represent vulnerabilities or become effective defenders. That outcome depends entirely on the foundation you establish during their first weeks. We can help you develop practical security training protocols that protect your organization from day one. Contact us to discuss strengthening your cybersecurity posture.