Person wearing a Santa hat sitting in a dark room surrounded by multiple computer monitors displaying code, representing hackers targeting businesses during the Christmas season.

The Christmas Effect on Cybersecurity: Why December Is a Risk Window for SMBs

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The Christmas season changes how businesses operate. Staff take time off, offices run on minimal coverage, and vendors slow down. Attackers pay attention to those patterns. They know December is a time when systems are left unattended, alerts are missed, and emails are answered in a hurry. The result: a higher chance of successful breaches and fraud.

1. The Out-of-Office Window

During Christmas week, many offices rely on automatic out-of-office messages and temporary coverage. Attackers take advantage of that to figure out who’s away, who’s covering, and which inboxes are quiet. They then send targeted messages that look like they come from your own team.

Before the holidays, remind your team to:

  • Keep out-of-office replies short and generic. Avoid listing names, roles, or dates that show when you’ll be back.
  • Be cautious of unexpected emails from staff who are away. Verify requests for payments or files by phone.
  • Double-check requests sent to backup staff or shared inboxes. Substitutes are often targeted because they may not know standard procedures.

2. Year-End Finance Rush

December brings bonus processing, final invoices, and vendor payments. Attackers exploit this rush with business email compromise (BEC) schemes — fake invoices, spoofed vendor addresses, and urgent payment requests.

Before year-end, ask your finance team to:

  • Confirm any banking changes with vendors directly using verified contact details.
  • Slow down approvals. No payment should be processed solely based on an email request.
  • Check sender domains carefully — small differences (like “@supplier-co.net” instead of “.com”) are a red flag.
  • Require verbal confirmation for large or unusual transactions.

3. Remote Access and Home Devices

During the holidays, staff often log in from home or while travelling. That means personal devices, shared Wi-Fi, and connections made outside normal office protections. A single unprotected device or saved password can become the way an attacker gets in.

Before the holidays, remind your team to:

  • Use company laptops only. Don’t log in to work accounts from shared or family devices.
  • Keep VPN and software updated. Install any pending updates before leaving.
  • Avoid public Wi-Fi when possible. If necessary, use a secure hotspot or VPN.
  • Log out when finished. Don’t leave remote sessions or VPN connections running over the break.

Related Reading: Remote Work Security Tips for Small Teams – practical ways to keep offsite connections safe year-round.

4. Suspended Vigilance

Distraction and compressed schedules make people more likely to click without thinking. Attackers use the season’s themes — charity drives, gift exchanges, shipping notices — to deliver malware or phishing links that stay dormant until January.

In the lead-up to the holidays, remind your team to:

  • Take a second look before opening attachments or links related to holiday activities.
  • Delete unsolicited messages about donations, gifts, or last-minute sales.
  • Never enter work credentials into external websites.
  • Report anything that looks suspicious — even if it turns out to be legitimate.

5. Vendor and Supply Chain Gaps

Your IT vendors, SaaS providers, and MSPs often operate with reduced staff between Christmas and New Year’s. That means slower patching, fewer alerts, and delayed support — a gap attackers can use.

Before the break, check in with your vendors and MSP to:

  • Confirm their holiday coverage hours and emergency contact process.
  • Ask if any system updates or security patches are pending.
  • Make sure critical alerts are being monitored or redirected to an active inbox.
  • Review your escalation plan for service disruptions.

Before You Log Off for the Holidays

A few small steps can make a big difference in how quickly your business bounces back if something goes wrong. Treat this like a year-end security checklist – simple, practical actions to close out the year safely.

  • Confirm backups and test a restore.
  • Review admin access and disable accounts not needed over the break.
  • Run a Dark Web credential scan to identify exposed accounts.
  • Verify your MSP’s holiday response procedures and emergency contacts.
  • Remind staff: slow down, check senders, and never approve payments over email.

December may feel like downtime, but it’s not for attackers.

A few small precautions now will save hours of disruption later.

If your business is in Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton or surrounding areas, Horizon’s TotalCare team can keep your systems monitored while you’re away – from patching and backups to security alerts.

Start with a free Dark Web Scan.

Find out if your company’s credentials are already exposed before the holidays begin.

Request a Free Dark Web Scan