Christmas is just around the corner, and we’re all winding down for the year — making it the perfect time for cybercriminals to strike. Don’t let the Grinch steal your data!

As the holiday season ushers in festive cheer, it also opens the door to a surge in cyber-attacks targeting businesses when they’re vulnerable. With employees on leave, skeleton IT teams and heightened online activity, businesses face an elevated risk of ransomware campaigns, phishing attacks and DDoS disruptions. These threats often strike when organizations are least prepared, with attackers targeting critical systems and exploiting lapses in staffing and access controls.

Why the holidays are a prime target for cybercriminals

During the holidays, vulnerabilities multiply. Research shows that only 5.5% of employees work on Christmas Day, leaving workforce gaps that can create weaknesses to cyber threats and delay responses to cyber incidents. At the same time, holiday sales represent 20% of annual revenue across industries — nearly $989 billion — making this period a lucrative target for cybercriminals. Disruptions caused by downtime, data breaches or malware can result in catastrophic losses.

Common cyber-attack methods include:

  • DDoS Attacks: Flooding servers with traffic to crash systems, halting online sales or service delivery.
  • Phishing: Luring victims into revealing sensitive information through deceptive emails, often themed around holiday shopping or bonuses.
  • Malware: Deploying ransomware or spyware to steal data or disrupt business-critical systems.
  • Password Attacks: Exploiting weak, reused, or compromised passwords to access multiple systems.

Building a cyber resilient holiday strategy

Once a network is breached, organizations without robust access management controls face the risk of cybercriminals moving laterally and elevating privileges to access the most sensitive systems, accounts, and data. To combat these threats, organizations must strengthen their defenses with a proactive and layered approach:

  1. Implement Strong Password Management: Weak and reused passwords remain a primary vulnerability. Organizations should enforce the use of unique, complex passwords of at least 16 characters, containing a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. A password manager can simplify this process by generating, storing, and autofilling strong passwords while preventing employees from accessing spoofed sites.
  2. Enforce Privileged Access Management (PAM): Privileged accounts are high-value targets for attackers. A zero-trust PAM solution enforces least-privilege access, ensuring employees only have access to the resources necessary for their roles. By limiting access and monitoring privileged accounts, organizations reduce the risk of insider threats and lateral movement by attackers in the event of a breach.
  3. Educate and Empower Employees: Since 68% of breaches involve human error, employee education is essential. Tailored training on holiday-specific scams, such as phishing disguised as online shopping deals or fake gift card offers, can prevent incidents before they start. Encourage employees to report suspicious activity promptly, even during remote work or holiday shifts.

Unified platforms that integrate PAM with enterprise password management provide centralized visibility and control, enabling IT teams to enforce critical security policies, and monitor and respond to threats in real time.

Staying vigilant and proactive

Preparation is the foundation of resilience. Audit access controls and privilege assignments before the holiday season to ensure permissions align with operational needs. Lock or remove dormant accounts to shrink the attack surface.

Technology must be supported by a clear incident response plan tailored to holiday challenges. This includes predefined roles and responsibilities to enable a swift response, even with reduced staffing. Regular reviews of security measures help adapt defenses to evolving threats, ensuring businesses remain protected.

Beyond the holidays: a year-round priority 

While the holiday season amplifies certain risks, the principles of strong access management and password security apply year-round. By treating this period as a test of organisational resilience, businesses can identify gaps in their defences and refine their cybersecurity strategies for the future.

Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics, making the best defense a proactive, layered approach that combines human vigilance with technological sophistication. By prioritizing access security, enforcing robust credential practices and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness, organizations can safeguard their operations during the holidays – and every day thereafter.