The holiday season is a time for celebration, reflection, and—if you’re in IT—heightened vigilance. While employees are wrapping gifts and finalizing travel plans, cybercriminals are wrapping up attack strategies and finalizing phishing campaigns. At Logic Speak, we know that downtime costs money, and the holidays are a prime time for unexpected disruptions.

Online Shopping & Employee Behavior

Cyber Monday and year-end sales mean employees may be browsing from work devices. Whether it’s tracking a must-have toy or snagging a last-minute deal, personal browsing on company hardware opens the door to malware, phishing, and data breaches. While policies may prohibit personal use, enforcement is tricky—and unrealistic. Instead, protection is key.

What to do:
– Block access to suspicious e-commerce sites.
– Monitor for unusual activity on work devices.
– Educate employees on safe browsing practices.

Skeleton Crews & Reduced Oversight

With many team members on PTO, IT departments often operate with reduced staffing. This creates gaps in monitoring and response, which attackers are eager to exploit. Studies show a 30% spike in incidents during major holidays.

What to do:
– Automate threat detection and response.
– Use AI tools to monitor for anomalies.
– Set stricter authentication policies during off-hours.

Identity & Access Management Risks

Temporary role changes, third-party access, and privilege escalations are common during the holidays. These shifts can lead to mismanaged credentials and unauthorized access.

What to do:
– Automate onboarding/offboarding for seasonal staff.
– Set temporary access windows that expire post-holiday.
– Monitor third-party behavior for anomalies.

Holiday-Themed Scams

From fake shipping notifications to bogus gift card offers, phishing scams surge during the holidays. These emotionally charged messages prey on urgency and distraction.

What to do:
– Train employees to spot phishing attempts.
– Use anti-phishing tools and URL defenses.
– Encourage reporting of suspicious emails.

Remote Work & Travel

Employees working remotely or traveling may use unsecured networks or outdated devices. This increases the risk of breaches via compromised endpoints.

What to do:
– Enforce VPN usage and endpoint encryption.
– Provide travel-safe loaner devices.
– Limit access to sensitive systems from personal devices.

The holidays are a time to recharge, but they’re also a time to reinforce. At Logic Speak, we’ve partnered with Datto and Microsoft to ensure our clients have robust backup, recovery, and connectivity solutions in place. Whether it’s a fire, a flood, or a phishing email, we’re here to help minimize the impact and keep your business running smoothly. Let’s make this season joyful—and secure.

For more insights on building a resilient team against digital threats, check out our post on “Cybersecurity Awareness Month: How to Stay Safe Online.”