Why we need to beware of the cyber threat over Christmas - Dave Helm

The Christmas season can mean a significant uptick in online shopping and digital transactions. This presents a prime opportunity for cybercriminals to exploit the surge in activity.

Hackers are aware that businesses often face high traffic volumes and employees are stretched thin. This makes online stores and payment systems attractive targets for cyberattacks, including credit card fraud, phishing schemes, and payment data theft.

As employees take time off to spend with their families this often leads to staff shortages. While this is a common practice, it creates a vulnerability in your cybersecurity infrastructure. Many businesses experience a reduction in resources, especially in IT departments, which may leave security systems less closely monitored during peak times.

Cybercriminals know that companies tend to scale down operations during the holiday period, making it the perfect opportunity to launch sophisticated attacks. A lapse in regular monitoring means that suspicious activities might go unnoticed until it's too late, leading to potential breaches that could disrupt operations for days or even weeks.

Many employees will work from home or remotely during the holiday season, meaning there can be a shift in the types of devices used to access company networks. Personal laptops, smartphones, and home Wi-Fi networks may not be as secure as corporate devices or networks, introducing additional risks. Cybercriminals can exploit these less secure connections to gain access to sensitive company data, intellectual property, or customer information.

During the holiday season, businesses often rely more heavily on third-party services. While these services are essential for smooth operations, they can also present a vulnerability if their security measures are not up to par.

A breach in a third-party service could give attackers an indirect path into your business, compromising customer data or financial information.

While the risks may seem daunting, there are steps businesses can take to reduce vulnerability to cyberattacks. For example ensuring that IT departments or security teams are available throughout the holiday season, even if it means offering temporary staffing solutions. Educating employees on cybersecurity best practices. Conducting training on how to recognise phishing attempts, suspicious emails and other social engineering tactics.

Patching vulnerabilities and updating software. Strengthening vendor and third-party risk management. And testing incident response plans.

By preparing ahead of time, educating employees, and ensuring that all cybersecurity infrastructure is robust and up to date, you can safeguard your business and navigate the holiday season with confidence.

Dave Helm is a director at Rabb-IT.