Enjoy the holidays without worry – practical tips to avoid festive cyber threats and scams

The festive season is meant for joy, shopping, and spending time with family and friends. But it’s also a busy time for cybercriminals. Increased online shopping, charitable donations, and holiday promotions make individuals and businesses prime targets for scams, phishing attacks, and ransomware. Falling victim can turn a season of celebration into a stressful experience. Here’s how to stay safe and enjoy the holidays worry-free.

1. 🎁 Beware of Too-Good-To-Be-True Deals

During the holidays, scammers often advertise products at unbeatable prices to lure victims. These fake deals can appear on social media, in emails, or even on search engines, leading to websites that steal your payment information or deliver counterfeit goods.

What to do:

• Stick to trusted retailers and verify website URLs carefully.
  
• Avoid clicking links in emails or ads from unknown sources.
  
• Look for reviews or check official brand announcements before making a purchase.

2. 📧 Spot Holiday Phishing Emails

Phishing emails increase around the festive season, often disguised as delivery notifications, e-gift cards, charity appeals, or special offers. They’re designed to trick you into giving away personal details, login credentials, or payment information.

What to do:

• Check sender email addresses carefully and look out for minor spelling mistakes.
• Avoid downloading attachments or clicking links in unexpected emails.
• Contact companies directly using official websites or customer support numbers if a message seems suspicious.
  

3. 💳 Secure Online Payments

With more people shopping online, unsecured payments can be intercepted by cybercriminals. Using public Wi-Fi, entering payment information on unencrypted sites, or ignoring security warnings can put your finances at risk.

What to do:

• Use payment methods that offer buyer protection, such as PayPal or credit cards.
• Avoid making purchases over public Wi-Fi networks.
• Check for HTTPS and the padlock icon in the browser address bar before entering payment information.
  

4. 🏢 Protect Your Business

Businesses are often targeted over the festive season through fake orders, fraudulent invoices, impersonation emails, or ransomware attacks. Cybercriminals take advantage of reduced staff and holiday downtime to exploit vulnerabilities.

What to do:

• Train staff to recognise phishing and suspicious requests, especially during busy periods.
• Keep software, antivirus, and firewalls updated to protect against new threats.
• Ensure regular data backups are in place, allowing recovery if a cyberattack occurs.
• Limit access to sensitive information to essential personnel only.
  

5. 🤖 Stay Alert on Social Media

Social media platforms are a common tool for scammers during the holidays, offering fake competitions, holiday giveaways, or links to malicious websites. These can compromise your accounts or lead to identity theft.

What to do:

• Verify the legitimacy of competitions, pages, and links before clicking.
• Adjust privacy settings to limit personal information exposure.
• Avoid sharing sensitive details publicly, such as travel plans or financial information.
  

Conclusion

The festive season should be about celebration and relaxation, not stress from cyber threats. By staying alert, practising safe online behaviour, and keeping systems updated, you can protect yourself and your business from scams and attacks.

Stay one step ahead of cybercriminals this festive season. Sign up for our free weekly cyber security newsletter by clicking on the button below and receive the latest UK-focused threat alerts, tips, and advice straight to your inbox. Keep yourself and your business safe while enjoying the holidays!