While everyone is on holiday, hackers are at work.

From December to January, cybercriminals target SMEs that have reduced staff, slower response times, and weaker monitoring.

Here’s how to stay protected during the festive season.

1. Turning Off Systems or Monitoring

Many SMEs shut down servers, laptops, or security tools to “save power” during the break — but this also disables alerts and threat detection.

Risk: Attacks go unnoticed for days.

Fix: Keep essential monitoring, email security, and threat detection running.

2. Using Weak Passwords for Shared Access

Teams often create temporary shared logins during the holidays.

These accounts commonly use simple passwords like “Holiday123”.

Risk: Easy account takeovers.

Fix: Enforce strong passwords and MFA, even for temporary access.

3. Ignoring Holiday-Themed Phishing Emails

Hackers take advantage of festive promotions, parcel deliveries, and donation drives.

Risk: Staff may click on fake promos or “delivery updates”.

Fix: Train employees to check senders, avoid unknown links, and verify offers.

4. Not Updating Devices Before Leaving

Outdated laptops and servers are an easy gateway for attackers.

Risk: Vulnerabilities remain open throughout the holiday.

Fix: Run updates and patches before the office closes.

5. No Automated Backups or Alerts

If something goes wrong during the break, many SMEs won’t know until they return.

Risk: Ransomware or data loss goes undetected.

Fix: Enable automated backups, email alerts, and incident notifications.

Secure your business this holiday with ACE CyberShield’s automated protection.

Want peace of mind while your team takes a break?

Contact us for automated protection and PSG-supported security packages.

Contact Us

For any enquiries, please contact us at 📩 enquiry@acebizservices.com or 📞+65 6262 0402.