As the holiday season approaches, businesses in Canada face not just a surge in sales and activity but also an increase in cyberattacks. Cybercriminals see this busy period as the perfect opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities, targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that are stretched thin.
With more online transactions, remote work, and distracted employees, SMBs face great risks this season. They have to deal with a range of threats that could cause significant financial losses and long-lasting reputational harm, from phishing scams masquerading as festive promotions to ransomware attacks crippling critical systems.
To safeguard your SMB and stay on track for the coming year, it’s crucial to implement targeted cybersecurity measures that address holiday-specific risks.
Keep your SMB safe with these holiday-specific cybersecurity tips
Strengthen your defenses and protect your business during the holidays with these proven steps:
Be wary of holiday-themed phishing scams
Cybercriminals often craft emails that play on holiday sentiments, offering fake discounts, gift cards, or freebies. Employees might receive emails appearing to be from trusted partners, asking them to click a link or share sensitive information. However, clicking on these links could install malware on your device or steal your login credentials.
Prevent your employees from falling victim to these scams by training them on how to identify phishing red flags, including generic greetings, spelling errors, and unexpected requests for protected data. Encourage your employees to double check sender email addresses, steer clear of suspicious links, and promptly report unusual communications to your IT team. Enhance security further by using email filters and enabling multifactor authentication.
Secure online holiday transactions
Online transactions surge during the holidays, making businesses prime targets for payment fraud. Cybercriminals create fake websites with enticing discounts, aiming to steal credit card details during checkout, so be careful when you’re ordering corporate gifts or essential supplies online.
Before making purchases, always verify the legitimacy of websites. Look for HTTPS in the URL as a sign of secure encryption, and research the seller’s reputation thoroughly. Opt for secure payment methods such as virtual credit cards or trusted platforms with built-in fraud detection to reduce the risk of fraud.
Guard against fake shipping notifications
Fake shipping notifications are another tactic that is commonplace during the holidays. With businesses frequently shipping products or receiving supplies during this busy season, employees might fall for messages claiming a package is delayed or lost. In truth, cybercriminals use these messages to collect sensitive information or direct victims to phishing sites. Make sure to validate tracking numbers directly on the courier’s official website and avoid interacting with unsolicited emails or texts.
Be mindful of social media
Hackers typically monitor business and employee accounts to find vulnerabilities or create convincing social engineering attacks. For example, an employee might share a photo of a holiday party that includes a visible company badge or workstation, accidentally revealing sensitive details.
Additionally, businesses posting about upcoming holiday closures or schedules can inadvertently alert hackers to opportunities for physical or digital breaches. Advise employees to limit what they share online and to adjust privacy settings to minimize their posts’ visibility to potential fraudsters.
Beware of public Wi-Fi when traveling
For employees traveling during the holidays, public Wi-Fi poses a significant risk. Airports, coffee shops, and hotels often have unsecured networks that cybercriminals exploit to intercept data. An employee checking work emails or accessing sensitive business files over public Wi-Fi could unknowingly expose confidential information.
A simple way to prevent this is by requiring the use of a virtual private network for any remote access to company systems. Educate your team on the risks of accessing work-related data on the go, and ensure they’re equipped with secure tools before they travel.
Safeguard your SMB this holiday season with XBASE Technologies
While the aforementioned steps can help protect your organization, managing cybersecurity on your own can be daunting, especially during the busy holiday season. XBASE Technologies specializes in providing comprehensive cybersecurity solutions to specifically address your SMB’s unique needs. From real-time threat monitoring to automated data backups and rapid recovery services, our robust solutions keep your operations secure and optimized 24/7.
Fortify your systems against any Grinch-like cyberthreat. Partner with XBASE Technologies to protect your SMB now and into the new year. Contact us today