Shield Your Business from 10 Holiday Cyber Threats

The holiday season is a time of joy, increased sales, and customer engagement — but for cybercriminals, it’s also one of the most opportunistic periods of the year. As your business ramps up for the holiday rush, threat actors are watching closely, ready to exploit distracted staff, understaffed IT teams, and high transaction volumes. Below, we break down the 10 top cyber threats your business may face during the holidays — and practical steps to defend against them.

Holiday-Themed Phishing & Smishing

What it is. Phishing remains a perennial favorite for cybercriminals, but during the holidays, attackers lean into urgency and emotion. Emails may impersonate delivery services, credit card companies, or retailers, claiming there’s a “delayed package,” “limited-time offer,” or “shipping issue.” Smishing (SMS phishing) is also on the rise, especially as employees shop via mobile.

Why does it work. Employees are juggling personal and professional responsibilities, rushing to wrap up tasks before time off, and may click without thinking. Attackers also use AI-powered personalization, making their messages more convincing.  

How to defend.

• Conduct refresher security training before the holidays that emphasizes how to spot phishing emails, check links (hover before clicking), and verify unusual requests.
• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all critical systems — email, cloud services, financial portals — to stop compromised credentials from leading to a breach.
• Use advanced email filtering and spam protection to block known malicious senders or suspicious attachments.

Business Email Compromise (BEC) & Gift Card Scams

What it is. In a BEC scenario, attackers impersonate executives, vendors, or colleagues asking for urgent payments, often in the form of gift cards. This is especially common during the holidays when “buying gift cards for top leadership” or “handling year-end vendor payments” can be framed as legitimate.

Why it works. Gift cards are almost untraceable once redeemed, making them an ideal “currency” for attackers. With staff distracted or financially generous during the season, emotional manipulation can be very effective.

How to defend.

• Establish strict internal processes for gift card purchases or wire transfers: require verification (voice/video) for any unplanned or high-value request.
• Educate your team on BEC red flags, especially during the holiday season.
• Keep a log and approval workflow for gift card purchases so every request has oversight.

Ransomware & Double-Extortion Attacks

What it is. Ransomware is on the rise during the busy holiday season, targeting businesses when response teams may be understaffed. Threat actors increasingly use “double-extortion” — encrypting data and threatening to leak it publicly if victims don’t pay.

Why it works. Reduced staffing, slower response times, and end-of-year financial pressures make businesses more vulnerable and more desperate to restore operations quickly.

How to defend.

• Ensure comprehensive, offline, and offsite backups, and test restoring your data regularly.
• Patching all systems promptly — unpatched vulnerabilities are common entry points.
• Limit access privileges: follow the principle of least privilege so fewer systems can be affected in a compromise.
• Consider using a Security Operations Center (SOC) or managed detection & response, especially during holiday downtime.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

What it is. DDoS attacks flood your online infrastructure with fake or malicious traffic, overwhelming your servers and disrupting service.

Why it works. The holiday season often brings peak traffic to websites, making it easier to mask malicious spikes in traffic. With IT teams potentially smaller or slower to respond, attackers can cause serious downtime during critical sales events.

How to defend.

• Use cloud-based DDoS protection services, such as those offered by major providers (e.g., Azure DDoS Protection).
• Monitor baseline traffic patterns carefully and configure automated alerts for unusual spikes.
• Review and stress test your redundancy, and failover plans before the holiday peak.

Bot Attacks, Credential Stuffing & Account Takeover

What it is. Automated “bad bots” can wreak havoc during the holidays. They may:

• Scrape inventory (e.g., “grinch bots” that hoard popular items to resell)
• Use credential stuffing attacks with stolen usernames/passwords from prior breaches
• Execute account takeovers to make fraudulent purchases or abuse loyalty programs

Why it works. Attackers scale these operations during periods of high traffic. Bots don’t need breaks, and credential reuse makes account takeover more likely.

How to defend.

• Implement bot-detection and mitigation tools (e.g., web application firewalls, behavioral analytics) to distinguish malicious bots from genuine users.
• Use rate-limiting on login attempts and enforce strong password policies.
• Require MFA on user accounts, especially for customer-facing or administrative systems.
• Monitor for unusual login locations or spikes in failed login attempts.

Fake E-commerce Sites & Lookalike Domains

What it is. Cybercriminals set up spoofed or fraudulent websites that mimic legitimate retailers or vendors. These sites may harvest payment data, steal credentials, or even infect visitors with malware.  Attackers also use lookalike domains (i.e., domains that look almost identical to legitimate ones) to trick employees or customers.

Why it works. During busy shopping periods, people may not double-check URLs or SSL certificates. The sense of urgency (“last-minute deal!”) makes users less cautious.

How to defend.

• Use domain monitoring tools to detect lookalike domains and brand impersonation.
• Educate employees and customers about verifying URLs, checking that sites use HTTPS, and trusting only official domains.
• Limit access to suspicious or unverified domains from within your corporate network.
• Use secure payment gateways and avoid vanity links for public promotions.

API Exploits & Third-Party Vulnerabilities

What it is. Many modern online businesses rely on APIs to integrate services. Attackers can exploit API vulnerabilities to exfiltrate data, perform unauthorized transactions, or inject malicious traffic.

Why it works. The holiday rush often increases reliance on third-party services — shipping, logistics, and customer engagement platforms — which may not be fully audited for security. Under pressure, teams may skip rigorous testing.

How to defend.

• Conduct regular API security assessments, including penetration tests and security audits.
• Enforce strict access control and least privilege for APIs.
• Monitor API usage for anomalies — spikes in calls, unusual payloads, or unrecognized clients.
• Vet and audit third-party vendors for their security posture; include security provisions in contracts.

Mobile Threats (Mishing & Malicious Holiday Apps)

What it is. As employees and customers use smartphones for shopping, they become more vulnerable to mobile-specific threats:

• Mishing: SMS messages that trick users into clicking malicious links or providing credentials.
• Malicious Apps: Holiday-themed apps that impersonate trusted retailers or delivery services and carry malware.

Why it works. Employees may mix personal shopping with work on their devices, exposing corporate systems. Attackers also take advantage of app stores and third-party app repositories to distribute malicious software.

How to defend.

• Enforce a mobile device management (MDM) policy: only allow approved apps on corporate devices.
• Use app reputation and threat intelligence tools to scan for malicious apps before deployment.
• Train employees to spot missing, avoid clicking links in SMS, and only install apps from trusted sources.
• Enable MFA and device-level encryption to protect access in case a device is compromised.

Fake Charity Scams & Social Engineering

What it is. During the season of giving, cybercriminals exploit goodwill with bogus charity campaigns, donation requests, or fake crowdfunding initiatives. Social engineering may also come via phone calls (vishing), deepfake voices, or AI-generated voice messages impersonating executives.

Why it works. People want to do good during the holidays, and they’re less likely to scrutinize requests for donations or gifts. Scammers use emotional appeals and urgency. Deepfake technology makes imposters even more convincing.

How to defend.

• Institute verification protocols for donation requests: confirm charity legitimacy through independent sources, verify URLs, or call back on verified phone numbers.
• Train staff to verify unusual donations or payment requests, especially those that reference company money or involve wire transfers.
• Maintain clear communication channels so employees know how to validate requests (for example, always cc a second person on payment requests).
• Monitor outgoing payments and flag any uncharacteristic transaction patterns.

Insider Risks & Temporary Staffing Threats

What it is. Holidays often bring in seasonal or temporary workers or ask full-time staff to multitask. These individuals may not be fully trained in your security practices. Insider risk isn’t always malicious — mistakes, misconfigurations, or just lack of awareness can open serious vulnerabilities.

Why it works. Temporary staff might not have gone through comprehensive cyber training, and internal processes may be relaxed during holiday crunch time.

How to defend.

• Provide targeted, concise security training for all workers — including seasonal staff — focusing on cyber hygiene, social engineering awareness, and your company’s holiday-specific threat landscape.
• Limit permissions for temporary staff and enforce the principle of least privilege.
• Monitor activity (access logs, file transfers, system configuration changes) more actively during the holiday season.
• Establish mandatory check-ins and audits for temporary accounts when staff leave promptly and review any changes.

Building a Holiday Cyber Resilience Plan

Identifying threats is only half the battle — you also need to build a proactive holiday cyber resilience plan. Here’s how to structure one effectively:

1. Pre-Holiday Risk Assessment.
   Begin reviewing security posture well before the rush: check patch status, audit user accounts, review vendor relationships, and test backups.
2. Security Awareness Campaign.
   Run a short but high-impact training or “cyber refresh” for employees. Reinforce phishing awareness, mobile security, and donation-scam vigilance.
3. Incident Response Readiness.
   Revise and communicate incident response protocols. Make sure your IR team (or your outsourced provider) is staffed or on-call, even during holidays.
4. Engage Monitoring & Detection.
   Scale up monitoring tools (SIEM, SOC, or MDR) during critical shopping or year-end windows. Establish alert thresholds aligned with holiday traffic patterns.
5. Backup & Recovery Testing.
   Run a simulated restore before the holiday surge to verify that backups are working, complete, and recoverable.
6. Vendor & Supply Chain Review.
   Audit third-party vendors now — especially those involved in payment processing, shipping, or APIs — for holiday-specific risks.
7. Communication Protocols.
   Create clear guidelines for approving payments, especially non-routine ones (gift cards, donations, wire transfers). Use multi-step verification for sensitive requests.
8. Post-Holiday Audit.
   After the season, conduct a security debrief: assess what worked, what didn’t, and lessons learned to prepare for the following year.

Why Taking Holiday Security Seriously Matters

• Financial Risks Are Higher: Ransomware, BEC, and DDoS attacks can create significant business disruption during peak revenue periods.
• Reputation Damage: A breach during the holidays can severely damage customer trust when you need it most.
• Understaffing Puts You at Disadvantage: Many attacks are deliberately timed for nights, weekends, or holidays — when response teams are lean.
• Attack Surface Expands: More mobile usage, guest Wi-Fi, remote working, and additional vendor integrations increase risk.

Partnering with a Trusted MSP

The holiday season promises opportunity — but threat actors know this more than most. By understanding and preparing for the 10 key cyber risks above, your business can enter the holiday rush with confidence rather than vulnerability. The goal isn’t to create a fortress that stifles productivity, but to build resilience: processes, training, and tools that allow your business to enjoy the holiday surge — without being Santa’s cyber-Grinch.

Make cybersecurity part of your holiday playbook this year. With the right planning, you can protect your revenue, your reputation, and your peace of mind.

Here at Entre, we are guided by three core values that encapsulate our ethos: Embrace the Hustle, Be Better & Invest in Others. These values serve as our compass and are what guide our business model and inspire us to create successful and efficient solutions to everyday IT problems. Contact us for a free quote today!