Did you know that the incidence of cyber security attacks rises significantly over the December/January holiday period? While you’re winding down, cyber criminals are often planning their surprise gift for you. With the current climate seeing hackers targeting businesses daily, you need to be aware of the dangers and have a proactive cyber security strategy if you don’t want a cyber-attack to be the Christmas gift that keeps on giving.
How up to date is your cyber security strategy?
If your answer is ‘not particularly’ or ‘what cyber security strategy?’, then we suggest changing that quick smart! It’s not just large companies getting hacked – over 20% of businesses fall victim to cyber crime every year.
Why you need to be extra vigilant about cyber security over Christmas
Studies show that cyber crime rates go up during the holiday season for a number of reasons:
Fatigued staff
You could have prison-level security on your building, but none of that matters if an employee leaves the door open. The same applies for your security online. Coming into the end of the year, your staff are likely to be tired, distracted with family and holiday events, and hanging out for some time off. These distractions make them more susceptible to being fooled by malicious links, attachments, or BEC emails.
Skeleton staff or closure
Even if you remain open with only a handful of staff, there are fewer people available to notice and respond to issues, making it easy for an attack to go undetected.
Transfer of responsibilities
It’s a common time of year for employees to go on holiday and temporarily transfer their responsibilities to someone else, who may have little experience carrying them out. Backups and other security procedures may not get completed correctly and things can get missed, exposing you to a cyber attack.
Cyber security tips for the holidays
The good news is that you can develop a strategy to place you on the front foot with these potential threats fast. Here are a few ways we recommend to get started:
Backups
Having a fit-for-purpose, regular backup plan means you will always have a recent digital copy of your business information on an external device. It’s not just about saving the data – it’s about accessing it quickly so your business can recover faster.
Staff education
Malware, Ransomware and Phishing attacks generally come through email and external links clicked on whilst logged into your network. Criminals are getting better and better at making these look realistic, but if your staff are educated and vigilant, they will be able to avoid these threats to your business.
Software updates
Keeping automatic updates on your software means they will occur as soon as one is available. Updates often fix known bugs or weaknesses used to facilitate cybercrime.
The three-pronged approach
At Calvert Technologies, we believe in a three-pronged approach to your cyber security strategy – one that that handles technology, people and processes. Developed over years of experience, we guide you in where to focus your efforts and how to invest in security technology for data loss prevention, web filtering and wireless security, to name a few. We train you to recognise and deal with threats appropriately, and we’ll aid you in developing policies and procedures so your their businesses remain secure.
Free e-book: your checklist for keeping cyber attacks off your Christmas wish list
To make sure the basics are in place before you leave for the holidays, check out The plain English guide to cyber security for your business. It’s a guide with simple (and mostly free) strategies to keeping your business protected.
