The holidays are busy for everyone, including cybercriminals. Every holiday season, data thieves launch various scams designed to steal valuable information they can use to access a business’s network. While you may invest in the best digital security technology in the industry, teach your employees the following tips to avoid scams and phishing attempts.

How Can Businesses Avoid Holiday Scams?

1. Use Standard Out-of-Office Replies

Cybercriminals often send out massive email blasts to random business addresses. Normally, they’re looking for people to respond, but they may be more interested in personalized out-of-office replies around the holidays.

An automated email that includes when an employee is returning, where they’ve gone for vacation, and their supervisor's name can give hackers enough information to impersonate them over the phone. To avoid any issues, enforce a policy of standard out-of-office replies that don’t provide personal information.

2. Don’t Click Unexpected Shipping Notifications

Fraudulent shipping notifications are increasingly common. They normally come through emails or text messages that tell the recipient that they have a package coming, with a link to a fraudulent website.

Clicking the link may download malware, keystroke loggers, and programs designed to disable your digital security systems. Make sure that your employees don't open shipping notifications for packages they aren’t expecting during the holiday season.

3. Require Employees to Lock Privacy Settings

Cybercriminals can also use social media content to gain personal details so they can impersonate your employees. For instance, they might find a senior supervisor posting photos of themselves visiting family in Florida. Using online job boards, they might also be able to find the name and contact information of a subordinate. With these details, they may send an email to one of their workers asking for remote login access.

Most employees don’t think of their social media platforms as a security risk, so they may have elements of their accounts open to the public. To protect your digital security system, have all of your employees make their social media accounts private.

No matter what industry you’re in, the digital security professionals at Sequential Logic in Cape Coral, FL, will protect your valuable data from cybercriminals. Serving businesses nationwide, they use the most sophisticated solutions in the industry and take pride in proactively monitoring systems for unusual activity. Visit their website to learn more about their digital security services, or call (954) 480-7901 to consult with a professional today.