Microsoft Defender for Business: What You Need to Know
- Cyber Security
- M365
The holiday season is prime time for cyber threats. Holiday cyber security isn’t just about firewalls and software updates — it’s about preparing for when your people are away, devices are left unattended, and vigilance drops. With IT teams stretched thin and staff logging in remotely (or not at all), attackers know it’s the perfect time to strike.
In this post, we’ll look at how to protect your business when offices are quiet — from preventing phishing scams to securing remote access and enforcing MFA — so you can enjoy the break without worrying about your network.
(Need support strengthening your holiday cyber security defences? Get in touch with Cloud Context — we help businesses stay secure, even when the office lights are off.)
Phishing remains one of the most common attack vectors during the holiday period — one of several types of cyber attacks every business should be ready for. Cybercriminals know staff are distracted or working reduced hours, making them more likely to click on fake delivery updates, holiday offers, or urgent “IT alerts.”
Encourage your team to:
If possible, run a short phishing simulation before the holidays as part of your regular security awareness training. According to Huntress, over 75% of cyber incidents arrive by email, and training users to spot them can reduce risk dramatically.
(Want to see how your phishing awareness stacks up? We can help you test it.)
When the office empties out, unattended devices can become weak links. Lost or unlocked laptops, idle desktops, or unpatched servers can all create easy entry points.
Here’s how to tighten things up:
Unattended devices are easy targets — and it only takes one to cause trouble. A quick audit before the holidays can go a long way to preventing downtime in January.
Many businesses rely on remote access for IT support or on-call teams over the break — but that convenience can expose vulnerabilities.
Review your remote access security setup before staff leave:
If you use Microsoft Entra, Intune, or RADIUS for authentication, now’s the time to double-check that Conditional Access and MFA rules are working as intended.
(Need help reviewing your VPN or Conditional Access setup? Talk to our team.)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) continues to be one of the simplest, most effective defences against credential theft. Yet, many breaches still occur because MFA wasn’t properly enforced.
Before the holidays:
According to Microsoft, MFA blocks 99.9% of account compromise attempts. It’s one of the easiest wins for any IT team heading into the holidays.
Even with strong defences, incidents can still happen. Have an incident response plan ready — and make sure someone’s monitoring your systems while most staff are away.
Checklist before you sign off:
If you use a managed service provider, ensure they’re across your holiday hours and escalation procedures — and that monitoring continues 24/7.
The holidays should be a time to unwind, not worry about ransomware alerts or compromised accounts. By tightening up holiday cyber security — from phishing awareness to MFA and remote access — you can reduce the risk of incidents while your team recharges. For more quick wins, check out our other blog on 8 practical cyber security tips for busy teams.
If you’d like help reviewing your setup or implementing stronger defences before the break, contact the Cloud Context team — we’ll make sure your business stays protected while everyone’s away.
Got questions, ideas, or just want to chat? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us anytime, and we'll get back to you with all the help and information you need.
