‘Tis the season… for cyber attacks?

You aren’t the only one staying busy during the holiday season. Cyber criminals are, too, even more than usual! A UK-based cybersecurity firm Darktrace found that there is a 30% increase in the number of ransomware attacks every year during November and December across the globe.

Here’s Why Cyber Attacks Surge in November and December:

There are a few reasons why cyber criminals are working a little harder while the rest of us are doing our best to try and enjoy ourselves.

1. Decreased Awareness

Let’s be honest: there’s SO much going on for most of us during this time of year that we may not be QUITE as good about general security awareness as we usually are. That stray link, that high-alert email that got you up in a tizzy—those are going to hit home a little easier because we are frazzled and stressed.

When you’re feeling stressed and burnt out, that’s when cyber fatigue is going to set in. You and your employees may be quicker to click on a phishing email than usual, and criminals are banking on that.

2. Holiday Greetings

A lot of phishing attempts this time of year come disguised as holiday greetings. That Christmas postcard attachment you’re opening may not be a Christmas card at all! Be sure to stay vigilant and check to see if there’s any obvious signs of spoofing before opening attachments—is the “from” address correct? Often only a letter or two will be changed in the domain. Or the address could even be fully “spoofed” and match a client or vendor’s email address perfectly.

If something seems “off” about the message, never hesitate to contact your IT provider or internal IT team to ask them to check the email out and make sure it’s legit.

3. Out of Office?

Attacks are more likely to go unnoticed when half the office is out for the day. This makes the holidays, particularly the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day, prime time for cyber attacks. For some slow-moving attacks, time can be of the essence as the longer the malware stays in your network, the more endpoints it can compromise.

Cyber criminals know that their attempts are more likely to be ignored if the IT team is OOO. That’s why it’s so important to have a team like Facet behind you. We offer 24/7 monitoring, so even if your internal IT team is off, we are here watching your network and protecting you from threats.

Quick tips for a safer holiday season:

Take a little time this holiday season to talk to your employees about cyber awareness. Even quick reminders and training have been proven to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of ransomware.

Practice checking emails to make sure they look legitimate. Avoid clicking links in emails if possible, because many phishing scams come disguised as benign order reminders and credit card alerts. For example, if you receive an email from Amazon, make a habit of typing “amazon.com” into your search bar instead of clicking the link in the email.

Most importantly, partner with an IT and cybersecurity expert like Facet to ensure that your security is up to the task of fighting increased cyber attacks. We use a layered approach to cybersecurity that keeps you safer throughout the year. If you have an internal IT team, we can help them with extra eyes on your network while they’re out for the holidays, preventing breaches during this vulnerable time.

Contact us now to learn more about how we can help, or request a complementary audit with a roadmap to better cybersecurity for 2023.