Navigating the Digital Wonderland: Enhance Your Organization’s Cyber Security this Holiday Season

The holidays should be a time of joy, not a season of falling victim to cyber threats. Stay vigilant to ensure a safe and festive ending to the year.

Beware of these common holiday scams:

• Fake order receipts or tracking emails/text messages
  Mitigation Steps: Implement dual authorization controls to confirm emails and text messages.
• Gift card purchase requests that appear to have come from within the company
  Mitigation Steps: Train staff to look out for clues of potential phishing attempts.
• Donation requests, fake surveys, giveaways, and contests
  Mitigation Steps: Avoid clicking suspicious links or sharing personal or financial information.

Cyber security best practices for the holiday season

• Shut down network connected devices if your business is closed for part of the holiday season. Nothing can happen to a network if the system is offline.
• Complete any patching or system updates before shutting down for the holiday.
• Audit employee accounts. Make sure off-boarded employees are closed out, and review systems for any new or suspicious accounts.
  Prioritize staff cyber security training during the holidays and year-round.