The Philippine holiday season, a time for celebration and cheer, has also become a critical period for businesses to brace against cyber attacks. With increased online activity, holiday shopping, and reduced staffing in IT departments, cybercriminals are seizing the opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities.
Statistics reveal a stark reality: only 5.5% of employees work on Christmas Day, leaving significant gaps in workforce availability. Meanwhile, the holiday shopping rush contributes to 20% of annual revenue globally, amounting to nearly $989 billion, which creates a lucrative target for attackers.
The threats lurking during the holidays
From phishing to DDoS attacks, cybercriminals deploy various tactics to disrupt operations and steal sensitive data. Here’s how they strike:
- DDoS attacks: Overloading servers with traffic to crash websites, crippling sales or services.
- Phishing scams: Tricking victims with fake holiday promos or fraudulent bonuses to steal information.
- Malware campaigns: Deploying ransomware to hold data hostage or spy on business operations.
- Password breaches: Exploiting weak or reused passwords to gain unauthorized access.
Strengthening cybersecurity defences
To combat these threats, businesses must adopt a proactive and layered approach to cybersecurity. Here’s how companies can safeguard their operations:
- Robust password management: Use unique, complex passwords of at least 16 characters. A password manager can simplify this process while preventing access to spoofed sites.
- Privileged access management (PAM): Implement zero-trust strategies to limit access only to necessary resources, reducing insider threats.
- Employee education: Training employees to recognize holiday scams, such as phishing emails posing as gift card offers, can drastically reduce risks.
Unified security platforms that combine PAM and password management enable IT teams to monitor and respond to threats efficiently, even during holiday downtime.
Beyond the season
The holiday season highlights vulnerabilities, but these lessons extend throughout the year. Regular audits, employee training, and robust incident response plans tailored to peak periods help businesses remain resilient against evolving cyber threats.
In the Philippines, where digital transactions are surging, fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness and enforcing strong credential practices can shield businesses from attacks, not just during the holidays, but every day.
This article references insights from Darren Guccione, CEO and Co-founder of Keeper Security.