Are Cyber Attacks Increasing Over the Holidays? How You Can Stay Vigilant With Cybersecurity

According to CISA, “Recent 2021 trends show malicious cyber actors launching serious and impactful ransomware attacks during holidays and weekends.” As the holidays approach, companies will often switch into holiday mode and neglect cybersecurity. However, it is during these times when cybercriminals are more likely to attack.

You can prevent a cyber attack during the holiday season by understanding what cybercriminals look for and implementing cyber attack prevention tactics.

Cybercriminals Don’t Take Holidays Off

Cybercriminals know businesses are less prepared to defend against an attack during the holiday season. Many companies lower their guard without realizing it. You might ask yourself how to prepare for a cyber attack. Firstly, it is important to know what signs cybercriminals will look for:

• Companies completely closed for the holidays
• Fewer people available to defend and respond to attacks
• Remote workers using unsecured Wi-Fi
• Increased use of personal devices for work
• Laxer cybersecurity policies
• Busy companies shifting their focus to meet end-of-year goals

Stay Vigilant: How to Prepare for a Cyber Attack

As a business owner or manager, it’s important to be aware of the heightened risk of cyber attacks and take steps to protect your company. Here are some tips on how to prepare for a cyber attack:

1. Partner with a Managed IT Service Provider

Successful cyber attacks are getting more and more sophisticated, but a managed IT service provider (MSP) has the experience and expertise to help tighten your organization’s cybersecurity posture.

The holiday season is already busy and difficult to work through, and adding cybersecurity can make your workload feel overwhelming. However, keeping up with the basic cybersecurity practices on your own and letting an MSP do the heavy lifting can help reduce the risk of a costly and devastating cyber attack during the holidays. Managed IT service providers can also watch your business when your business is closed.

2. Create an Incident Response Plan

Sometimes cyber attacks are simply unavoidable regardless of how careful your company is. By having a plan in place, you can minimize the damage, reduce the cost of downtime, and get your business back up and running as quickly as possible.

Your incident response plan should be tailored to your company’s specific needs, but at a minimum, it should include:

• A list of who to contact in the event of a cyber attack
• A detailed plan of how to contain the attack and limit its spread
• Clear guidelines on how to communicate with employees, customers, and the media

3. Update Your Software

When the popup reminder to update your software appears, most of us click “remind me later.” But putting off these updates can leave your organization at risk for cyber attacks. The purpose of software updates is to patch vulnerabilities in your systems, making it a crucial part of cyber attack prevention.

Since cybercriminals are continually looking for ways to exploit vulnerabilities, keeping your software up-to-date can make it more difficult to break into your systems. Before you leave for the holidays, take care of any updates you’ve been putting off.

4. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a powerful cyber attack prevention tool that does more than prepare you for a cyber attack. It requires users to provide two or more pieces of evidence to verify their identity, and Microsoft reported in 2019 that it can block more than 99.9% of account compromise attacks.

If a cybercriminal were to crack your account’s password while you’re away on vacation, you would get a notification sent to your phone. Without your second factor of authentication, the cybercriminal wouldn’t be able to get into your account and you would keep your data safe.

5. Educate Your Employees on Cybersecurity

Employees are largely the first line of defense when it comes to cyber attack prevention. That’s why it’s crucial to educate your employees on cybersecurity best practices and make sure they know what to do in the event of a data breach.

During the holiday season, make sure your employees watch out for these common risks:

• Phishing emails
• Online holiday shopping scams
• Unencrypted financial transactions

You can start educating your employees by holding regular cybersecurity training sessions and circulating helpful resources. And if you don’t have a cybersecurity policy in place, now is the time to create one.

Relax for the Holidays and Let adrytech Take Care of Your Cybersecurity

Don’t let a cyber attack ruin the holidays. At adrytech, our cyber attack prevention solutions are designed to give you the peace of mind you need to relax and enjoy the holiday season.

Contact our team of experts who will work with you to create a tailored cybersecurity plan that meets the unique needs of your business. We’ll be there 24/7/365 to monitor your systems so that you can take a much-needed break for the holidays.