Safeguarding your organisation during the holiday season: A proactive approach to prevent breaches

The holiday season, with its festive cheer and celebrations, can bring more than just joy to your organisation. It can also expose you to various vulnerabilities and security threats.?

As the holiday season approaches, businesses everywhere are adorned with festive decorations, and employees eagerly anticipate well-deserved time off to celebrate with family and friends. While this time of year brings warmth and joy, it also ushers in a significant and often underestimated challenge for organisations: a reduced workforce.?

The holiday exodus, with key personnel on vacation and parties in full swing, can inadvertently cast a shadow over a company's security, making it more susceptible to a host of potential threats.

In this article, our Managed Services Operations Manager, Benjamin Gordon-Edwards shares why a diminished workforce over Christmas can be detrimental to the security of a business.

The vulnerabilities of the holiday season

The holiday season introduces a unique set of challenges that can compromise your organisation's security. These vulnerabilities include:

1. Reduced workforce

During the holidays, many employees take time off, leading to a shortage of staff within the organisation. Key personnel, including IT and security experts, may be on leave, making it harder to respond to security incidents promptly.

2. Employee distractions

Employees may become distracted by personal holiday shopping, reduced focus on cybersecurity protocols, and increased social media activity. These distractions can make them more susceptible to phishing attempts and other social engineering tactics.

3. Seasonal workforce

To handle the increased demand during the holidays, many organisations hire temporary employees. These seasonal workers often have limited cybersecurity training and may pose insider threats.

4. Remote work challenges

With the rise of remote work, some employees may work from home during the holidays. This can introduce security gaps in remote work environments, especially if secure access to company resources is not adequately maintained.

So, what should you and your staff be aware of this holiday season?

Studies show a 30% increase in ransomware attacks during the holiday season, compared to the monthly average.?

Malicious attackers increase their activities specifically during this time to take advantage of the reduced staff and relaxed diligence as people wind down for holidays.?

To understand the gravity of the situation, let's look at some examples that illustrate how organisations become vulnerable during the holiday season:

1. Impersonation scams

Scammers may pose as employees, attempting to obtain login credentials by pretending to need assistance or access to specific accounts.?

The recent hack of MGM Grand highlights the severity of these impersonation scams. The attack employed a technique known as "vishing," where attackers use convincing phone calls to manipulate victims into revealing information or performing actions. In this case, the hackers impersonated an employee in a call to MGM's IT help desk to obtain access credentials.

As a result of the breach, personal information, including names, contact details, birth dates, and even sensitive documents like driver's licences and Social Security numbers, were compromised for some customers.?

The attack highlights the vulnerability of even large organisations to social engineering tactics. Ransomware attacks and vishing are increasingly common methods used by cybercriminals.?

2. Deceptive emails

Fake gift notifications and phishing attempts disguised as holiday greetings can deceive employees into revealing sensitive information. Employees may also unknowingly click on links related to tracking company packages that lead to malicious sites, or encourage them to take detrimental action.

In 2019, Crelan Bank in Belgium was the victim of a business email compromise scam that cost the company approximately $75.8 million. The phisher compromised the account of a high-level executive within the company and instructed their employees to transfer money to an account controlled by the attacker.

3. Unattended workstations

During holiday parties or events, employees might leave their workstations unattended. This presents an opportunity for unauthorised access or data theft.

4. Delayed software updates

IT teams often delay software updates and patches during the holiday season to avoid disruptions. However, this can leave systems vulnerable to known exploits.

5. Holiday-themed malware

Malware disguised as holiday-themed screensavers, wallpapers, or apps can be downloaded by unsuspecting employees, compromising the security of their devices and potentially the entire network. In July 2023, a "Christmas in July"-themed phishing campaign was identified, targeting New Jersey public organisations. Additionally, in December 2019, Christmas-themed spam emails were used to spread Emotet malware. Emotet is a sophisticated banking Trojan that can steal sensitive information and spread to other devices on a network.

6. Lack of incident response planning

Response times to security incidents may be delayed due to reduced staffing during the holidays. Organisations without effective incident response plans may struggle to contain breaches promptly, exacerbating the impact of security incidents.

A report by Cybereason found that 36% of businesses had no specific contingency plan in place to mount a response to cyber intrusions during the holiday season. This lack of preparedness can leave organisations vulnerable to attacks and hinder their ability to effectively respond and recover.

To mitigate these risks, organisations should consider a proactive approach to cybersecurity during the holiday season.?

Here's what you can do to help safeguard your organisation

Outsourcing IT

Outsourcing IT services can provide several benefits, especially during staff shortages. These include access to a pool of experts who can monitor and respond to security threats efficiently. Outsourcing IT can also reduce the burden on internal staff, allowing them to focus on critical tasks.

Outsourcing also brings external expertise, access to the latest security tools, and round-the-clock monitoring, which can be crucial when internal staff is limited.?

This approach can reduce the vulnerability of relying solely on key staff members by providing backup resources with similar skills. It allows your team to enjoy holiday breaks without jeopardising critical operations. For instance, it helps in situations with only one in-house IT engineer who cannot take time off because no one else is familiar with his responsibilities or knows how to maintain the systems.

Introducing Managed Services

Transitioning from internal IT management to managed services can help organisations build a stronger IT team with specialised expertise. Managed services providers offer comprehensive solutions that encompass security, network monitoring, and more.

Managed services can complement an in-house IT team by providing additional layers of protection, particularly during the holiday season when internal staff may be stretched thin.

The holiday season is a time for celebration and reflection, but it's also a time when your organisation faces unique security challenges. Taking a proactive approach to security during this period is essential for safeguarding your organisation from the growing threats that come with the festivities.?

By considering strategies like outsourcing IT and introducing managed services, you can ensure your organisation's resilience against potential breaches and make informed decisions for a secure future.?

Protecting your organisation during the holiday season is not only a matter of cybersecurity but also a safeguard for the reputation and success of your business.