Cybercriminals are ever-vigilant to develop new and more sophisticated ways to implement cyber attacks and steal your business data. They’re also opportunists- always looking for the easiest opportunities with the highest likelihood of success. The holidays serve as one of these prime opportunities.
Holiday Data Breach: The Increasing Threat
The holidays are full of food, festivities, and high spirits. People gather with friends and family to celebrate and enjoy each other. Unfortunately, cybercriminals see this as a prime opportunity to wreak some cyber havoc with your data. Consider the following facts about holiday data breaches:
Reason 1: Volume of purchases.
For many, many businesses the holidays represent a large portion of their annual sales. This means there are large volumes of purchases transpiring in a very short period of time. This increased financial activity signifies an opportunity for hackers to steal information.
Reason 2: Everyone is distracted
Not only is everyone spending more, but everyone is also distracted by the holidays. Shopping, working longer hours to have extra money, attending dinners and parties and hosting family from out of town. No one is focused on beefing up security precautions and people are likely to be less cautious.
Targeted Assets
In the midst of all the holiday cheer, good tidings, and the hectic frenzy to finish your shopping, cybercriminals are targeting your assets. They’re interested in acquiring your client data, payment card information, and cash and financial transactions information. They’re actively seeking out your information, looking for weaknesses in every network, and pouncing every weak spot they can find. You may not have the time or resources to pay extra attention to your network security during the holidays or even during the rest of the year. Consider managed IT services as a great alternative to keep your important and sensitive business data safe year round.
‘Tis the Season to be Vigilant
The holidays always bring a sense of relief as the year ends. Time seems to slow down, people gather with friends and family, and everyone let’s loose a little to enjoy the holiday cheer. As a business owner, however, you’re also getting ready for the new year. You’re also reviewing the previous year and making new plans for growth and a better coming year. Don’t forget to take some time to protect yourself against a holiday data breach. You can’t afford to not being vigilant during this holiday season. The stakes are too high.
To learn more about keeping your business network and data secure through managed IT services, Contact Us.
