Email remains a vital communication tool in every Veterinary hospital—from scheduling with vendors to coordinating patient care. But today’s Veterinary teams aren’t just relying on email.
With increased use of platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, LinkedIn, and even text messaging, cybercriminals are evolving their methods to exploit these new channels.
And phishing? It’s still one of the biggest threats to your practice’s security. But the way phishing happens is changing fast—and your staff might not even recognize it.
Phishing Isn’t Just the Inbox Anymore
According to Proofpoint, there’s been a 119% increase in phishing threats that include malicious URLs delivered via email over the past three years. But threat actors aren’t stopping at email anymore.
They’re targeting Veterinary staff through a combination of channels—email, text messages (SMS), and even collaboration apps.
Why? Because it works.
A Real-World Scenario That Could Happen to Your Hospital
Picture this: A technician at your practice receives an email that looks like it’s from a Veterinary supply vendor. The message seems harmless, maybe even helpful. But two things stand out:
- The sender asks the tech to move the conversation to text message, claiming it’s “easier.”
- They also ask for the tech’s phone number.
There’s no obvious malware, no suspicious links—so your standard email filters let the message through.
What happens next is where the real danger begins.
The Attack in Action: Moving the Phishing Off-Email
- The Hook: The cybercriminal sends a friendly message, encouraging the employee to respond via SMS. This makes it harder for any security software—or your IT provider—to monitor or stop the conversation.
- The Pivot: Once the conversation moves to text, the attacker may send a malicious link, request login credentials, or ask for sensitive information under the guise of a trusted partner. With no oversight and a more “casual” tone, these requests often don’t raise red flags—until it’s too late.
The attack relies on trust, convenience, and channel switching—a social engineering trifecta that’s hard to spot without training and the right tools in place.
Why Veterinary Practices Are at Risk
Most Veterinary hospitals aren’t staffed with a dedicated cybersecurity team watching every digital move. And messaging platforms or staff cell phones aren’t typically part of the clinic’s security infrastructure.
That’s exactly what attackers are betting on.
They know that:
- Texts and chat apps are rarely monitored.
- Staff are more likely to click on links in texts than emails. (Click-through rates for SMS range from 9–14%, while emails average just 2%.)
- Conversations outside official channels are less likely to follow internal protocols.
And the data backs it up: Smishing (SMS-based phishing) attacks have seen a 2,524% increase in URL-based threats over the past three years.
So, How Do We Spot and Stop These Attacks?
The attack above was eventually flagged—not by traditional antivirus or spam filters—but by semantic analysis, a type of AI that studies the intent behind a message. Here’s how this worked in practice:
- It flagged the attempt to pivot to a personal communication channel.
- It recognized that the sender wasn’t a known contact.
- It looked for suspicious language and behavioral patterns rather than scanning for known threats.
This kind of approach is crucial because phishing attempts today often don’t include obvious indicators like malware attachments or fake websites. They rely on subtle manipulation and channel-hopping instead.
What Veterinary Practice Owners and Managers Should Do
Phishing attacks are evolving. It’s time our defense strategies evolve, too—especially in a busy Veterinary environment where your team is juggling medicine, client service, and operations every minute of the day.
Here are three key takeaways to better protect your team and your clinic:
1. Adopt Tools That Understand Message Intent, Not Just URLs
Modern cybersecurity solutions should be able to:
- Analyze the language and tone of a message, not just scan for bad links.
- Flag messages that push for personal info or alternate channels.
- Warn users when they’re interacting with unknown or suspicious senders.
If you’re unsure whether your current email filtering or cybersecurity tools can do this, talk to your IT provider.
2. Secure All Communication Channels—Not Just Email
Email is only part of the threat landscape now. Practices using:
- Microsoft Teams to coordinate scheduling,
- Slack for internal messages,
- Or texting to communicate with clients or vendors . . .
. . . need to apply the same level of vigilance across these platforms.
Look for tools that offer real-time URL scanning and cross-platform protection. These can intercept malicious links even after a message has been delivered, which is crucial when staff may open texts without thinking twice.
3. Educate Your Team with Real-World Scenarios
Training shouldn’t be just a once-a-year checkbox. Short, recurring lessons that use Veterinary-specific scenarios will help your team spot red flags faster. Make sure they understand:
- Requests to “switch to texting” from unknown contacts are a red flag.
- Giving out phone numbers or login credentials is never okay without proper verification.
- Clicking on links from anyone—even “vendors”—should always be approached cautiously.
Bonus tip: Encourage a “trust but verify” culture. If something seems off, your team should feel empowered to ask a colleague, flag the message, or loop in management before taking action.
Final Thoughts
Phishing attacks are no longer limited to shady-looking emails. In Veterinary hospitals, where teamwork and speed are everything, cybercriminals are counting on distractions and trust to sneak in through side doors like text messages or chat apps.
But with the right tools, awareness, and training, your team can spot these tricks before they turn into threats.
In today’s world, good medicine requires good cybersecurity. Let’s keep your team—and your data—safe on every channel they use.
(To learn more about how the author, William Lindus, and I.T. Guru can help provide your Veterinary practice with safe, secure, and stable technology and cybersecurity environments, book a free consultation today!)
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