Retailers beware: the latest research from Semperis reports that cyber attackers are targeting holidays and weekends to cause maximum disruption.
With Black Friday in the rear-view mirror and Christmas coming up ahead, now is the time to focus for security teams. However, the research shows that more than half of UK organisations leave security teams understaffed during these critical times, and there is a greater risk of attacks that are designed to cause disruption to day-to-day life.
72% of UK organisations reported experiencing ransomware incidents during holidays and weekends when security operation centres (SOC) aren’t working at full capacity. Despite the ongoing risk, 52% of UK businesses admitted their SOC is only partially staffed on bank holidays and weekends – and one in 20 don’t staff their SOC at all during those times. Moreover, 42% of those who claimed to maintain a 24/7/365 SOC said that it only operates at 25% capacity. With fewer eyes on the network traffic and less attention to suspicious activity, this means hackers can slip in unnoticed – leaving organisations wide open to cyberattacks.
“With the online holiday shopping season well and truly upon us, retailers face heightened threats from ransomware and malware attacks, which can disrupt operations and compromise customer data,” says Glen Williams CEO at Cyberfort. “Cyber criminals are using malicious software to capitalise on the increased web traffic to steal customer data, payment details and much more, which can lead to both customer and retailer financial loss and longer-term reputational damage.”
Indeed, cyber-threats are present around the clock, and securing business-critical infrastructure such as core identity systems should be at the top of every enterprise’s priority list – no matter the time of year.
“It is a busy time for network teams, IT, and security teams. Traditional security defences, such as real-time threat monitoring or Denial-of-service attack protections, should be supplemented by AI systems,” shares Cristian González, Head of Content at Softonic. “Relatively new security technologies, such as AI anomaly detection, can assist in the prevention, detection, and resolving of attacks. AI can help detect suspicious transaction patterns, supply chain issues, and even equipment-related issues among others.”
Having robust, resilient, up-to-date IT systems – and a responsive support provider – in place ahead of time is not only wise; it’s business critical, asserts Colin Crow, Managing Director at Nexer Enterprise Applications.
“Retailers should be prepared to easily monitor warehouse stock vs in-store purchases, accommodate increased demand, and navigate cybersecurity issues that sadly threaten to rear their heads at this time of year,” says Crow. “Relying on legacy systems and failing to have flexible expert IT support to rectify emerging issues quickly can be a major commercial risk. Every minute a system is down, or stock runs out because the retailer hasn’t identified a need for delivery could be a costly mistake which risks businesses missing out on sales.”
“In this high-stakes period, having the right security operations platform in place to quickly identify and mitigate potential threats is crucial,” warns Williams. “Equally important is a robust incident response plan to contain, recover from, and remediate attacks effectively. By having these in place retailers can maintain business continuity and make sure the sale season is a success for everyone.”
