Cybersecurity threats are a major concern for businesses, especially during the December shutdown period. It’s a time of year that presents a unique set of challenges and vulnerabilities, making businesses more susceptible to cyberattacks.
‘Tis the season for cyberattacks
South Africans love December. Summer is in full swing and most businesses either shut down completely or operate with skeleton staff over the period. It’s a time when almost the entire country is on holiday. Which is exactly why threat actors love it so much.
When so many employees take leave—including members of the IT department—it can lead to reduced vigilance and oversight into network activity. This decrease in active monitoring can be exploited by cybercriminals, who use the opportunity to compromise a system.
Holiday distractions don’t only impact monitoring and the successful detection of breaches, however. Cybercriminals have found that employees about to go on leave after a long year of work can often be more easily exploited. Employees may unintentionally become a security risk by falling for phishing scams or by not following security protocols. An increase in online shopping also gives threat actors the opportunity to target individuals through great retail deals. These ‘fake’ online stores infect devices with malware, which can quickly spread across a network.
Distracted employees eager to reach the beach may also fall short of following security protocols, weaking an organisation’s security posture even further.
The end-of-year rush also typically involves a flurry of final invoices and the wrapping up of accounts. It’s the ideal opportunity for cybercriminals to leverage social engineering or business email compromise (BEC) scams to send fake invoices, change the banking details of legitimate clients, or request urgent payments from spoofed email accounts mimicking leaders in the business. The festive season’s flurry of activity can also mask unusual network behaviours, allowing malicious activities to go unnoticed longer than they might during regular business periods.
It’s the perfect storm – but there are ways businesses can protect themselves.
Mitigating cybersecurity risks in December
As an IT leader, one of the primary steps you can take is to ensure that all systems are updated with the latest security patches before the shutdown period. It’s also important to conduct a thorough review of the company’s cybersecurity policies and procedures, ensuring that employees are aware of and adhere to best practices. Training staff on recognising and reporting suspicious activities can significantly reduce the risk of successful cyberattacks.
Educating staff on the importance of cybersecurity and ensuring they understand their role in protecting the company’s digital assets is essential. Regular reminders and training sessions can help keep cybersecurity at the forefront of employees’ minds, even when the office is operating at reduced capacity or people are getting ready to go on leave.
In particular, IT leaders should alert employees to be extra cautious about unsolicited emails, phone calls, or messages that request sensitive information or prompt them to perform unusual actions.
Implementing multi-factor authentication and securing remote access points are also critical steps in protecting the network when employees work from different locations, which is common during the holiday season. Your employees may be on leave, but they’ll most likely check a few emails, or even do some work if they need to.
Work with cybersecurity experts
Working with a managed services provider (MSP) that offers 24/7 response capabilities adds an additional layer of security to your business. An MSP can monitor a business’s network around the clock, even when in-house IT staff are not available, providing immediate response to any potential threats. This constant vigilance is invaluable, as the speed of response to a cyberattack can drastically reduce the potential damage. An MSP can also provide expertise and resources that might not be available in-house, such as advanced threat detection tools and specialised knowledge in cybersecurity and digital forensics.
At CyberCom, or role goes beyond just monitoring and rapid response. We offer strategic guidance on cybersecurity, helping businesses to develop and implement long-term security strategies that are tailored to their specific needs and risk profiles. We regularly conduct security assessments, identify vulnerabilities, and recommend improvements to ensure that a business’s cybersecurity posture remains robust and resilient.
During the December shutdown period, I’s also essential to have a robust disaster recovery and business continuity plan. As we know, cyberattacks can lead to data loss, service disruption, and significant financial and reputational damage. CyberCom can assist in developing and testing disaster recovery plans, ensuring that businesses can quickly recover from any cyber incidents and minimise downtime. This planning is crucial for maintaining customer trust and business operations.