Don’t overlook cybersecurity in your December shutdown operational planning. This time of year, businesses are not only dealing with skeleton staff, but employees may also be working from remote locations, such as holiday destinations. There’s also an uptick in phishing scams, exploiting the reduced capacity of organisations and hoping to catch more relaxed employees off guard. The good news is that you can take proactive steps to ensure your cybersecurity posture is strong, especially when staffing is lean and external threats are heightened.
1. Review your Incident Response Plan (IRP)
An incident response plan (IRP) outlines the steps to take when a security breach occurs. During the December period, when businesses are running on reduced staff, having an up-to-date and well-communicated IRP becomes even more critical. If an incident occurs, the response will need to be swift, even with fewer personnel on hand.
Do this:
- Conduct a thorough review of your IRP ahead of the shutdown.
- Run simulations to ensure staff understand their roles and responsibilities.
- Ensure key personnel are reachable, even during the holiday period.
2. Reinforce remote work security
Remote work has become the norm, but during the holiday season, employees may log in from insecure networks, such as public WiFi in holiday destinations. This creates a significant vulnerability in your network security.
Do this:
- Mandate the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for secure access.
- Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an additional layer of security.
- Provide guidelines for securing personal devices used to access company systems.
3. Increase phishing and scam awareness
Cybercriminals are well aware that businesses operate with fewer staff during the holidays, which leads to a rise in phishing scams and other fraudulent activities. These scams often target employees who may be less vigilant during this time.
Do this:
- Conduct phishing simulation exercises to keep staff aware of common scam tactics.
- Reinforce the need for caution when opening suspicious emails.
- Create clear reporting channels for staff to flag phishing attempts quickly.
4. Monitor for unusual activity
With skeleton staff and employees logging in from remote locations, it becomes easier for a cyberattack to go unnoticed. Continuous monitoring of your network is essential to detect any suspicious activity.
Do this:
- Ensure continuous monitoring of network traffic, especially from remote logins.
- Increase the logging of security events to capture any anomalies.
- Consider enhancing alert systems to respond faster to potential incidents.
5. Restrict access for non-essential personnel
Not all employees need access to critical systems during the holiday period. Reducing the number of people with access to sensitive data helps limit your exposure to potential cyber threats.
Do this:
- Limit access to critical systems only to essential staff during the shutdown.
- Suspend accounts for non-essential personnel to reduce the attack surface.
- Review and audit current access levels to ensure compliance with security policies.
6. Ensure systems are up-to-date with patches
One of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to infiltrate a system is by exploiting outdated software. Ensuring your systems are patched and up-to-date is essential for maintaining cybersecurity.
Do this:
- Perform a system-wide audit to identify any outstanding patches or updates.
- Prioritise patching for systems that manage sensitive or business-critical data.
- Schedule automatic updates where possible to minimise the chance of oversight.
7. Secure your cloud environment
Many organisations rely on cloud services for operational flexibility, but these platforms are just as susceptible to cyber threats. During the holiday period, it is important to ensure that cloud security is airtight, particularly if employees are accessing sensitive data remotely.
Do this:
- Review security configurations for all cloud platforms.
- Tighten access controls to sensitive data, limiting permissions where necessary.
- Ensure data is encrypted, both in transit and at rest, to protect it from interception.
8. Train employees for holiday-specific threats
Employees are often more relaxed during the holiday season, which can lead to complacency around cybersecurity best practices. Providing targeted training can remind employees of the importance of maintaining vigilance, especially when they are away from the office.
Do this:
- Organise refresher training sessions that focus on holiday-related security risks.
- Provide a cybersecurity tip sheet that includes advice on avoiding public WiFi and securing personal devices.
- Remind staff to report any suspicious activity, even while on holiday.
9. Backup and disaster recovery preparedness
A robust backup and disaster recovery plan ensures that your organisation can recover quickly from any cyber incident. This is particularly important during the shutdown period when delays in response can exacerbate the damage caused by an attack.
Do this:
- Ensure that all backups are up-to-date and securely stored.
- Test your disaster recovery plan to ensure it can be executed with reduced staffing.
- Make sure key personnel understand the recovery process and can execute it if necessary.
10. Establish clear communication channels
During the shutdown, having clear and secure communication channels is critical. If an incident occurs, staff must be able to communicate efficiently, even if they are working remotely.
Do this:
- Set up dedicated communication channels for reporting security incidents.
- Ensure that all staff are aware of who to contact in the event of an emergency.
- Use secure messaging apps to protect sensitive communications from interception.
The importance of a 24/7 incident response provider
As the December shutdown approaches, businesses are exposed to increased cyber threats due to reduced staffing and remote work. The key to maintaining resilience lies in proactive planning and ensuring your organisation is prepared for the unique challenges of this period. However, even with the best planning, incidents can and do happen. This is where partnering with a 24/7 incident response provider like CyberCom can make all the difference.
CyberCom offers around-the-clock incident response services, ensuring that your business is protected, even when your staff is away. Our team of experts can step in to manage any security incident, providing immediate support to mitigate damage and secure your systems. With CyberCom can, you can have peace of mind knowing that your cybersecurity is in capable hands, even during the most vulnerable times of the year.