A Darktrace report observed that there is a 30 percent increase in the average number of ransomware attacks over the holiday period compared to the monthly average. The researchers also established a 70 percent average increase in attempted ransomware attacks in the months of November and December, compared to January and February. Don’t let the holiday festivities distract you from keeping your data safe.
Hackers don’t take a holiday
For hackers, when everyone is out of the office and off the network, it’s like their own Christmas. Organizations must be vigilant. The reality is that organizations need to strike a balance between a rested workforce and a protected client.
Remember the basics
It’s easy to completely neglect basics when one’s mind is on holiday festivities. For IT professionals, the cybersecurity basics include regular patching, MFA (Multi Factor Authentication), and extra vigilance – no less.
Password cleanse before the holiday
The holidays are an excellent time to initiate a “password cleanse.” Having everyone do it before getting into the holidays is a great extra way to put a cheap layer of protection over the season.
User training
Hackers will likely be impersonating favorite retailers, couriers, holiday events, and payment services. With all this holiday cheer, it can be easy for someone to click an incorrect link inadvertently.
Beware the new year
New Year’s Day is a big holiday too. Because it falls as the end of a string of holidays there is a lot of cyber-fatigue by that point. People often let down their guard right after Christmas thinking that they’ve made it. Hackers know that and may take advantage of sloppiness to launch an attack.
Let Access Tech help you ring in the new year with no worries of a cybersecurity attack. We have been helping customers for decades keep their data secured with the best security options available to their business, for the right price. Contact us at Access Tech where we can help begin the process of strengthening your cybersecurity.
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