As the holiday season ramps up, so does cyber risk. Increased digital activity, reduced staffing, and urgent end-of-year pressures make this a prime window for threat actors. While businesses focus on customer demands and closing out the year, attackers exploit the lull in vigilance.

Why the Holidays Are High-Risk

Cybercriminals are strategic. They know your defences are likely under strain during weekends and holiday periods. A recent Semperis 2025 Ransomware Holiday Risk Report revealed that 52% of ransomware attacks occur on weekends or holidays across ten countries, including Australia.

Key vulnerabilities during this time include:

• Delayed patching due to holiday freeze windows
• Reduced SOC coverage and slower incident response
• Inactive vendor support, elevating third-party risk
• Increased remote access without adequate controls
• Dormant accounts that remain exposed

These are not just IT problems—they are business continuity threats.

How to Build Resilience Before the Holiday Crunch

CISOs and security leaders must proactively mitigate these seasonal risks. Here’s how:

• Run a pre-holiday security audit to disable unused accounts and validate access control.
• Maintain 24/7 monitoring coverage with a defined on-call escalation plan.
• Conduct targeted penetration testing to identify last-minute vulnerabilities.
• Segment critical systems to reduce the blast radius of an incident.
• Confirm vendor support coverage across the holiday period.
• Rehearse your incident response plan, ensuring readiness even with reduced personnel.

Final Thought

The holiday season may be a time for rest—but not for your security posture. Organisations that act now will avoid costly breaches later. Don’t wait until attackers are inside your network to realise your defences weren’t ready.

Cyber Node helps Australian organisations secure their environments during peak risk periods. From penetration testing to incident response planning, our experts ensure you stay protected—when it matters most.

📩 For tailored support, contact us at sales@cybernode.au or visit https://www.cybernode.au