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The holidays have arrived, bringing snow, a magical feeling, and cyber criminals. The comfort and warmth of blazing fireplaces, delicious food, and loved ones all around bring us the joy and comfort we only associate with the year’s colder months. It is indeed one of the happiest times of the year!
The holiday season can be both exciting and stressful. However, cyber criminals can ruin your holidays by exploiting your excitement and stress levels. They are actively working to cause harm, and, unfortunately, their intentions are far more sinister than your in-laws’.
Did you know that winter is when cyber crime rates are at their highest compared to any other season? Protecting your online security should be a top priority during these cold months. Stay vigilant and take extra precautions to keep your personal information safe.
Winter Brings Snowstorms and Cyber Criminals
Ransomware attacks skyrocket from November through January, increasing by over 70%, putting you at an even greater risk of being the victim of cyber attacks.
It’s essential to realize the gravity of the situation: Cyber Criminals attempt 1.7 million ransomware attacks daily. There’s already a significant risk that they could be targeting you, and the risk increases during the winter holidays. It’s not just snowstorms that can ruin your day!
Why Winter Brings Cyber Attacks
Why are we more vulnerable to cyber threats in colder months? During the winter season, people tend to spend more time inside and online. The holiday season offers a perfect opportunity for cyber criminals to target individuals shopping online, using social media, or playing games while on vacation from work or school. It’s essential to stay vigilant and take precautions to keep yourself safe online.
People tend to be more careless with their personal information during the holiday season. With all the stress and distractions caused by the holidays, people are more susceptible to clicking on phishing links or giving out their personal information to scammers. It is essential to be vigilant and cautious when protecting your personal information, especially during this time of year.
Cyber criminals know that people are more likely to be online and careless with their personal information during this time of year. Much like bank robber Willie Sutton, who said the reason he robbed banks was “because that’s where the money is,” cyber crime goes up because people are more active online during the winter months.
Being vigilant is crucial to ensure the safety of your systems and personal information. Knowing the various scams and schemes, along with their timing, can help prevent an attack and avoid a data breach.
The holiday season is a time for joy and celebration, but the last thing we want is to experience a data breach or spend more money than we can afford. While gift-giving can be stressful and time-consuming, we must slow down and ensure that the websites we use to buy gifts are legitimate and secure before we input any financial information or create an account. These precautions can help us avoid potential risks and enjoy a safe and happy holiday season.
You could be putting others at risk.
Using your work devices or work network to order gifts could harm your entire network. This can even cause problems for other accounts on the same system and local devices. Such a situation could ruin the celebration for everyone involved. Protect your private data and loved ones year-round with vigilance.
Are you worried about your own safety and security or that of your organization? Look no further than Commonwealth Sentinel. We offer a wide range of services, including software and hardware solutions, training, and policy implementation, to help you minimize risks and ensure the well-being of everyone. To learn more about how we can help you achieve peace of mind or to schedule a consultation today, please or contact us directly at (502) 234-5554.
At Commonwealth Sentinel, we stay focused on cyber security so you can focus on other things.