It's the last day of Threatmas, which means it’s time to stop and think about the past year and the years ahead. Internal company policies might not be the most exciting thing to be thinking about at this time of year, but they play an important role in guiding your team as they deal with the threats we’ve discussed and more.
Read MoreWhile your business might be taking a bit of a break over the holidays, there will be plenty of cyber criminals still working hard trying to break into systems. Fortunately, software and hardware vendors also do their best to stay on top of things over this period and will continue to patch vulnerabilities they learn of. Applying patches and updates might not be high on your Christmas list, but it’s no less important in December and January than it is at any other time of the year.
Read MoreFor many of us, a huge part of the holidays is catching up with family and friends. Even if you’re travelling somewhere away from family and friends, the constant stream of updates from them on social media is bound to have you wanting to share photos of what you’re up to also.
Read MoreApple frequently sells almost twice as many devices over the Christmas quarter than it does any other time of the year. Even if you don’t personally get a shiny new phone these holidays, there’s a reasonable chance someone in your team will turn up in the new year with a phone, tablet, smartwatch or some other device ready to use it on the job.
Read MoreIf you’re travelling over the holidays there’s a good chance your mobile devices will be travelling with you. We all want to relax on holiday, but if you relax too much with a mobile device connected to your business, your holidays could end prematurely.
Read MoreDo you remember what it used to be like before we had access WiFi? Think of how much harder some everyday tasks would be if we had to go back to cables for everything!
Don’t worry, we’re not going to suggest you get rid of your office WiFi. But if you’re office is going to be empty over the holidays you might want to turn it off. Not only because it will save you some money on power, but also because with enough time most wireless networks can be accessed or misused by someone.
Read MoreYou’ve worked hard all year to meet your customer’s expectations. Just as those you rely on take time out every now and then, you and your team are also deserving of some time away from the demands of operating a small business. But radio silence on your emails may leave your customers and partners questioning what you’re up to. Fortunately the good old ‘out of office’ message is there to let them know you're away and assure them you’ll be back to business as soon as you return.
Sadly, these automatic messages can also be sent to anyone who contacts you via email while you’re away, including spammers and cyber criminals.
Read MoreIt’s time for your team to celebrate the wins and let their hair down a bit after a long year. Time for the office Christmas party!
We’ve all heard the stories of these sorts of things getting out of hand, and the prevalence of social media has only made that worse. Here are five things you or your staff could share about your office party that could be a threat to your business
Read MoreUnless you work in the North Pole with a bunch of elves, chances are you will have some sort of shutdown period coming up at the end of this year. But even if your business stays open for most of the holiday period, many of the business partners you rely on might not. Is there anyone your business relies on that might not be available when you need them towards the end of the month? Do you have plans in place to deal with any issues while they’re away?
Read MoreEmail is the lifeblood of most businesses, and at this time of year the emails are coming thick and fast. While you’re busy working towards the end of the year, your staff are planning the end of year party, your suppliers and partners are thanking you for your business and your customers are trying to get their last minute questions answered.
This is just the sort of chaos that cyber attackers love to take advantage of.
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