As winter brings a surge in online activity and seasonal staffing changes, businesses—especially small and medium-sized ones—face heightened cybersecurity risks. Cybercriminals know that the combination of increased transactions, distracted staff, and new devices creates the perfect storm for attacks. Here’s how to keep your business safe during the winter rush.
Common Winter Cybersecurity Threats
- Phishing & Social Engineering: Attackers ramp up phishing campaigns disguised as holiday offers or urgent requests, preying on distracted employees and customers.
- Ransomware: With more revenue at stake, businesses are prime targets for ransomware attacks, where criminals lock your data and demand payment for its return.
- Account Takeovers: Seasonal staff churn and remote work can lead to weak or reused passwords, making it easier for attackers to hijack accounts.
- IoT & Smart Device Attacks: Security cameras, thermostats, and kiosks multiply your attack surface. IoT malware has surged by over 100% in the past year.
- Gift Card & Payment Fraud: Automated bots and fraudsters target e-commerce platforms and point-of-sale systems, especially during peak shopping periods.
Why Are Businesses More Vulnerable in Winter?
- Increased Online Transactions: More sales mean more opportunities for attackers to intercept payments or steal data.
- Remote Work & Home Networks: Employees working from home often use less secure networks, making it easier for cybercriminals to gain access.
- Seasonal Staffing: Temporary staff may lack cybersecurity training, and frequent account changes can create security gaps.
- Reduced IT Oversight: Holiday schedules and vacations can slow down incident response times.
Actionable Cybersecurity Tips for Winter
- Layer Your Defenses
- Use endpoint detection and response (EDR), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and DNS filtering to block the majority of common attacks.
- Monitor Systems 24/7
- Proactive monitoring detects outages or suspicious activity before customers are affected.
- Manage User Accounts Diligently
- Promptly add and remove user accounts as staff changes to prevent unauthorized access.
- Patch and Segment Smart Devices
- Regularly update IoT devices and keep them on separate networks from payment systems.
- Educate Your Team
- Train all staff—including seasonal hires—on how to spot phishing emails and scams.
- Test Your Backups
- Ensure you can quickly restore data in case of a ransomware attack or outage.
- Secure Remote Access
- Require VPNs and strong authentication for remote workers.
- Monitor Transactions for Fraud
- Use transaction monitoring tools to spot unusual activity, especially with gift cards and payments.
The Cost of Inaction
A single data breach now averages nearly $5 million, and even a brief outage can cost a small business $100,000 per hour. Proactive cybersecurity is a fraction of the cost compared to the damage of a successful attack.