Staying cybersecurity conscious during Christmas

Staying cybersecurity conscious during the holiday season is essential to protect your personal and financial information as there is a rise in criminal activity.

We are all vulnerable to attacks from unscrupulous individuals looking to take or make money from us – and sadly, though it may be the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas can also be the most vulnerable time of the year.

We are distracted, we are spending a lot, and have lots of transactions amongst many other things – there are many opportunities for attackers to take advantage of us.

There is such a thing as cyber vulnerability where there exists a weakness or flaw in computer systems, networks, and software. It refers to any gaps within the digital world that could be exploited by threat actors. Unfortunately, anyone who uses digital technology is potentially at risk of cyber vulnerabilities.

This includes individuals, businesses, government organizations, and critical infrastructure providers. Vulnerabilities can arise from various sources, such as coding errors, misconfigurations, design flaws, or lack of security updates. Some common examples of cyber vulnerabilities include software bugs, weak passwords, and insecure network configurations, among others.

Having identified a gap, threat actors then launch cyberattacks of varying complexity on unsuspecting often, oblivious individuals/companies with a relatively higher rate of success. This easily occurs because, during the festive season, people are typically in a very ‘relaxed’ mood amid all the frenzy of Christmas shopping and activities.

There are many different things to be mindful of, but here are a few you should pay extra attention to an increase in phishing emails containing legitimate-looking holiday greetings and special offer notifications all purposefully leading to some form of credential theft; online shopping scams that could tempt you to fall victim to payment fraud; exploitation of unsecured Wi-Fi networks especially as Christmas and the New Year’s season present many opportunities to go out (restaurants, cafes, etc.), travel and be with loved ones (airport).

The likelihood of being in a public area and connecting to public networks is much higher, and further affords malicious actors the chance to intercept sensitive data.

People should generally be more vigilant during these times because it is a period when many are likely to forget themselves. With the surge in online activity, the rampant emergence of fake websites and apps, and gift card and donation scams, you will be doing yourself a big favor if you can ensure you take extra precautions, knowing there is a definite target at your back.

No digital channel is cyber-crime proof, but the good news is that there are several measures you can take to greatly reduce your chances of compromise. Here are a few note-worthy tips: always verify emails and messages, especially the unsolicited ones that seem to have some urgency attached to them, and confirm the legitimacy of the sender; if you must shop online, ensure to do so only from shops with reputable websites; use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication; be responsible with your network/Wi-Fi connections; backup all your important and sensitive data; install security software and review/customize your app permissions; regularly review your bank statements for any unauthorized or suspicious transactions; and finally stay abreast of the trends of cyberattack.

If you are intentional about working with these tips, you will be a step ahead of the pack while reinforcing a healthy cyber security culture which is crucial for maintaining a secure online environment during the festive season and beyond.