As the holiday season approaches, businesses are bustling with activity, rushing to meet deadlines before the year ends and preparing for the celebrations. However, amid the festive cheer, cybercriminals lurk in the shadows, ready to exploit vulnerabilities and take advantage of unsuspecting victims.
Why is the holiday season a prime target for cybercriminals?
There are many reasons why cyberthreats intensify during the holidays:
Distractions abound
The holiday season's hustle and bustle can make employees more susceptible to phishing scams and other social engineering tactics. Focused on holiday shopping, family gatherings, and end-of-year deadlines, employees may be less vigilant about their online activities and more likely to click on suspicious links or open attachments without thinking.
Increased online activity
The holiday season is a time of increased online activity as people shop for gifts, compare prices, and take advantage of holiday promotions. This surge in internet traffic provides cybercriminals with a larger pool of potential targets.
Year-end rush
Many businesses experience a year-end rush as they try to close out the year strong and meet their sales goals. This can lead to hurried decisions and potential security lapses among employees and managers who are stretched thin. Knowing that businesses tend to overlook security protocols during this hectic period, cybercriminals may take advantage by launching attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software or unpatched systems.
What are the common cyberthreats during the holidays?
Cybercriminals use various tactics to victimize businesses during the holiday season:
Phishing scams
Cybercriminals send holiday-themed phishing emails or text messages that appear to be from legitimate companies, such as Amazon or PayPal, to trick potential victims into revealing passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information. These messages often include harmful links or attachments.
Such emails may contain the following:
- A too-good-to-be-true deal on a holiday must-have from a popular retailer
- A request for donations to help those in need during the holidays
- A request from a friend or family member, asking for your help with a last-minute holiday shopping emergency
- A notification from a shipping company claiming your package has been delivered or that you need to reschedule your delivery
Malicious ad campaigns
During the holiday season, cybercriminals often launch fake ads that are purportedly from legitimate organizations. They put these up on social media, search engine results pages, or trusted pages. When someone clicks on a malicious ad, they may be taken to a spoofed website that is designed to steal their personal information or install malware on their computer.
Magecart attacks
In a Magecart attack, malicious actors inject malicious JavaScript code into the checkout pages of online stores. This code steals customer payment card data, which the cybercriminals can then use to make fraudulent purchases.
Related reading: 4 Mobile security threats and how to protect your business from them
How can you protect your business from holiday-themed cyberthreats?
Here are steps you can take to safeguard your business from cyberthreats:
- Train employees in cybersecurity: Educate your workforce on common cyberthreats during the holidays as well as how to identify and report suspicious activity and adhere to cybersecurity protocols.
- Implement strong authentication measures: Require your employees to use strong, unique passwords for all online accounts. To further enhance security, implement multifactor authentication, which requires users to provide another proof of identity in addition to a password.
- Keep software up to date: Unpatched systems may have vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit. This is why you must ensure that all software programs are regularly updated.
- Secure online transactions: If your business handles online transactions, implement robust payment gateways that adhere to industry security standards. Encrypt sensitive data, such as credit card information, to prevent unauthorized access.
- Conduct 24/7 network monitoring: Implement real-time network monitoring to identify and respond to unusual activities immediately. Set up alerts for potential breaches so you can quickly take steps to mitigate risks.
- Implement backup and disaster recovery processes: Regularly back up critical data and systems to ensure business continuity in the event of a cyberattack. Your disaster recovery plan should have detailed procedures for restoring operations and minimizing downtime.
By implementing these measures, you can effectively shield your business from cyberattacks during the holiday season and beyond.
NetQuest offers comprehensive cybersecurity services and solutions to keep your business safe. Take the first step toward enhancing your cyber defenses by requesting a risk-free security audit today.
