Strengthening Cybersecurity Before Holiday Season Threat Spikes

Cyberattacks tend to increase during the fourth quarter when teams are stretched, staff take time off, and purchasing activity rises. This seasonal shift creates predictable gaps that threat actors exploit. Strengthening security controls ahead of these spikes helps reduce exposure and protects business continuity.

Below is a practical checklist businesses can use to reinforce cybersecurity before holiday activity accelerates.

Phishing Simulations and User Readiness

Phishing remains the most common entry point for attackers during the holidays. Higher transaction volume, vendor emails, and travel notifications make users more prone to clicking without reviewing context.

What to do

• Run a targeted phishing simulation focused on seasonal themes such as shipping notices or payment reminders.

• Review results with staff and provide quick refresher training.

• Confirm reporting channels are clear so employees can escalate suspicious messages.

MFA Drift and Identity Gaps

Multi-factor authentication is effective, but only when consistently enforced. Over time, exceptions, legacy accounts, and stale permissions create identity drift.

What to do

• Audit all accounts to verify MFA is enabled across users, admins, and service accounts.

• Remove legacy authentication that bypasses MFA requirements.

• Review administrative permissions and remove unused or overly broad access.

Review Conditional Access Policies and Auditing Logs

Seasonal work patterns often influence login behavior. Employees may work remotely, log in from personal devices, or access systems at unusual hours. Conditional Access policies should reflect these changes without opening unintended risk.

What to do

• Review login patterns in Azure AD or your identity platform.

• Validate Conditional Access rules, geographic restrictions, device compliance checks, and session controls.

• Inspect audit logs for suspicious spikes, repeated login failures, or unusual location activity.

Update SIEM Rules for Seasonal Behaviors

Security Information and Event Management platforms rely on rules tuned to normal business behavior. Holiday activity can disrupt baselines.

What to do

• Update SIEM rules to incorporate seasonal increases in purchasing, file transfers, or vendor requests.

• Set alerts for high-impact events such as privilege escalation, mass file deletions, or large data movement.

• Ensure alert routing includes coverage for staff vacation periods.

Check Backups Against Ransomware Readiness

Ransomware groups frequently target businesses during short-staffed months. Valid and tested backups are essential.

What to do

• Test restore processes and confirm recovery time meets business needs.

• Verify off-site or immutable backups are available.

• Ensure backup jobs have completed successfully and review logs for failures.

Summary

Seasonal cyberthreat activity is predictable, which allows businesses to prepare in advance. By strengthening identity controls, running phishing tests, tuning detection rules, and verifying backups, organizations enter the holiday season with improved security and reduced operational risk.

FAQ

Why do cyberattacks increase during the holiday season?

Attackers target periods when businesses have reduced staff, heavier purchasing activity, and more email volume. These conditions make detection and response slower and increase the likelihood of user error.

How often should we run phishing simulations?

Most SMBs benefit from monthly or quarterly simulations, with additional targeted campaigns before high-risk seasons such as year-end.

What is MFA drift?

MFA drift occurs when accounts fall out of compliance with MFA requirements over time due to exceptions, misconfigurations, or stale user privileges.

How do we know if our backups can withstand a ransomware attack?

Backups should be immutable, tested, and stored separately from the production environment. A successful restore test is the most reliable proof.

Should Conditional Access rules change for the holidays?

Yes. As login behaviors shift, rules may need slight updates to balance usability with security. Reviewing logs and behavior patterns helps inform those changes.