The holidays bring a whirlwind of excitement, sales, and unfortunately also scams. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Week mean increased online transactions, e-commerce traffic, and a heightened focus on fulfilling customer orders – all of which make small businesses, especially micro-businesses, prime targets for cybercriminals.
According to Bank of America’s Small Business Owner’s Report, more than half of small business owners said cybersecurity threats have impacted their business. Unlike larger corporations with dedicated IT departments, many small and micro businesses lack proper security infrastructure, leaving them more vulnerable to and harmed by threats. A single scam or breach can be costly and can put a business behind during the busy holiday season.
Scammers know how to exploit the season’s hustle and bustle. But don’t let the Grinch steal your seasonal success – arm yourself with these tips to stay protected and keep the holiday cheer intact.
The Naughty List: Common Holiday Cyber Scams
- Phishing: Fake emails or texts disguised as retailers or shipping services claim “Order issues” or “Tracking updates.” Clicking these links can lead to malicious sites or stolen credentials.
- Payment fraud: Increased holiday transactions mean a higher risk of stolen credit card use, chargebacks, and “friendly fraud,” where buyers dispute charges after receiving goods. Physically damaged cards during in-person payments and mismatched addresses for online transactions can be red flags.
- The impact of malware: Cybercriminals target businesses with malware that locks its data or steals customer information, disrupting holiday operations.
- Website vulnerabilities: Unpatched software or weak security measures on your e-commerce site can lead to data breaches or malicious code injections.
- Gift card fraud: Hackers might target or even brute-force codes for digital gift cards, either to steal funds or use them fraudulently, which can result in financial loss and impact customer trust.
In today’s digital-first world, cybersecurity is no longer optional – it’s a necessity. With cyber threats evolving constantly, safeguarding your business requires vigilance, informed employees, and robust practices. Investing in cybersecurity tools is a simple way to address these concerns.
The Nice List: 7 Cyber Safety Tips for the Holidays
- Train Employees to Spot Scams: Equip your team to recognize phishing attempts, avoid suspicious links, and adopt the mantra: “When in doubt, throw it out!”
- Secure Your Systems and Networks: Use strong passwords, enable a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for all remote work, and keep software, operating systems, and drivers up to date to patch vulnerabilities.
- Guard Sensitive Data: Avoid sharing personal or company information over email and rely on secure payment platforms to handle transactions.
- Double Down on Authentication: Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on critical accounts like banking, e-commerce, and email for an added layer of security.
- Backup Your Data Regularly: Protect yourself against ransomware and system failures by maintaining up-to-date backups of important business information.
- Protect E-Commerce and Gift Cards: Use secure payment processors and set clear refund policies to deter disputes. Employ tools that can prevent hackers from brute-forcing codes and monitor for unusual activity.
- Invest in Cybersecurity Solutions: Some tools can offer round-the-clock protection for your devices, data, and online activity – no IT skills required.
In a world where scams are harder to detect it is good to have extra help. Owners and employees can check in real-time if something might be a scam with advanced apps that are AI-powered. These apps can tell you if a text message, social media post, email or website message is likely to be a scam, what makes the content suspicious, and what to do next.
Beyond just protecting your systems, it’s essential to build trust with your customers by showing them that your business takes cybersecurity seriously. Displaying security badges on your website, being transparent about how customer data is protected, and offering secure payment options can go a long way in fostering customer confidence and retention.
The holidays are a time of opportunity for both small businesses and scammers. By adopting these best practices, you can protect your business, your customers, and your peace of mind this season.
