The holiday season is filled with distractions, making it easier for cybercriminals to strike. As the festivities approach, it’s the perfect time to review your IT security. Here are 12 tips to help protect your business this holiday season.
From office parties to year-end sales, the holiday season brings a whirlwind of activities. Yet, amid the festivities, it’s easy to let our guard down — and this is something cybercriminals count on. As the holidays approach, now is the perfect time to review your IT security practices and protect your business. In the spirit of the season, here are 12 IT security tips to protect you during the holidays.
Day 1: Be cautious if rushed to get on a deal
Flash sales and limited-time offers can be tempting, but don’t let the urgency cloud your judgment. Cybercriminals often use fake promotions to lure victims into making hasty decisions, leading to identity theft, financial loss, or malware infections. Take a moment to research the deal and verify the website’s legitimacy before making a purchase. Look online for reviews and check the site’s security by looking for the lock icon and “https” in the URL.
Day 2: Verify people and organizations
The holiday season sees a surge in scammers pretending to be charities, suppliers, or even internal staff. Before making donations, approving payments, or sharing sensitive data, take the time to independently verify the organization or individual. Look up their contact details from a trusted source and avoid relying on information provided in emails.
Day 3: Avoid public Wi-Fi networks
Free public Wi-Fi networks in airports, cafes, or malls often don’t have the same protections you’d find on your office or home network, and anyone can intercept information traveling through them. The best defense against this is to avoid using public Wi-Fi altogether. If that’s not possible, use a virtual private network. Or, better yet, just use your phone’s hotspot for a secure connection.
Day 4: Treat every email with suspicion
Emails with subject lines such as “Holiday greetings from your CEO” or “Update your delivery preferences” are often a common guise for phishing scams. These emails may contain dangerous attachments that can infect your computer with malware or links that lead to fake websites designed to steal your login credentials.
To stay safe, a healthy dose of skepticism is required. If an email seems suspicious or unexpected, don’t open any attachments or click on any links until you’ve verified the source. Confirm the sender’s identity by contacting them separately on their official website or phone number.
Day 5: Be skeptical of cold calls
Instead of emails, some cybercriminals may resort to cold calling to trick their victims. They may pretend to be from a tech support company, fake charity organizations, government agencies, or even your bank. Remember, legitimate companies or organizations will never ask for sensitive information or demand immediate action over the phone. If you receive a suspicious call, end it immediately and contact the organization through their official channels to verify their legitimacy.
Day 6: Strengthen passwords
There’s no greater gift to a cybercriminal than a weak password. During the holiday rush, it’s easy to use simple passwords and reuse them across multiple accounts out of convenience, but this can lead to devastating consequences if one of your accounts is compromised. It’s best to use long passwords or rely on a password manager to generate and store unique passwords for different accounts, and encourage your employees to do the same.
Day 7: Use more than one authentication factor
Even the strongest passwords can’t completely protect your accounts from a determined cybercriminal. That’s why it’s important to use multiple authentication factors, such as biometric data or one-time codes sent to your phone, to add an extra layer of security. This additional step in the login process significantly makes it more difficult for hackers to gain access to your accounts.
Day 8: Update your software
Operating systems and software gradually become more vulnerable over time as cybercriminals discover and exploit new weaknesses. It’s therefore crucial to install the latest updates and security patches to safeguard your devices. These include not just your computer, but also your phone, tablet, and even smart home devices. Set all devices to update automatically so you don’t have to constantly remember to do it yourself.
Day 9: Don’t leave your devices unattended
If you’re traveling for the holidays, it’s important to keep an eye on your devices at all times. Leaving them unattended in public places increases the risk of theft or tampering, so don’t lose sight of them. Also, set your devices to lock automatically after a period of inactivity, and use strong passwords to prevent unauthorized access.
Day 10: Beware of social media oversharing
Posting pictures of your holiday travels, office parties, or end-of-year celebrations might seem harmless, but it provides cybercriminals with useful details about your whereabouts and habits. Review your privacy settings to control who can view your posts, and be cautious about sharing sensitive information.
Day 11: Conduct a holiday security check
The end of the year is an ideal time to perform a security health check for your business. Review user access to sensitive systems, ensure backups are working, test your incident response plan, and remind employees to report suspicious activity. A proactive approach reduces the risk of holiday-related breaches.
Day 12: Hire an IT security expert
If there’s one gift you can give your business this holiday season, it’s investing in cybersecurity. Consider hiring a cybersecurity professional to perform a comprehensive assessment of your systems and offer guidance on shoring up your defenses. With an expert’s support, you can have peace of mind knowing your business is well protected against potential cyberthreats.
Make cybersecurity a top priority this holiday season by teaming up with Info Advantage. Call our experts today to prepare your business for any threat that comes its way.