Cyber Attack Seasons: Key Times When Businesses Are at Risk

While cyber attacks remain a persistent, year-round threat to organizations, cybersecurity professionals have discovered patterns in the frequency and intensity of attacks throughout the year. These attacks are influenced by various factors, including economic cycles, sporting events, and even the seasons. Understanding these patterns can help organizations prepare and reinforce defenses during high-risk periods. Here's a detailed look at when organizations are most vulnerable to cyber attacks.

5 Periods of Increased Cyber Attacks to Keep in Mind

1. Holiday Seasons

Many people know that the most pronounced spikes in cyber attacks typically occur during major holiday seasons such as Black Friday, Christmas and New Year's. During these periods, there is a significant increase in online shopping and financial transactions, making both consumers and businesses prime targets for cybercriminals. Attackers exploit the high volume of transactions and the urgency of holiday sales to target unprepared businesses.

2. Major Sporting Events

Cyber attacks also increase during major sporting events like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, or Super Bowl. These events attract a global audience, and the surge in online activities related to betting, merchandise sales, and live streaming provides a fertile ground for cybersecurity threats. Organizations adjacent to these events and related activities are at a higher risk for cyber attacks during this time. For example, the rise in bot activity during events like the Tokyo Olympics, where bot traffic increased by 103%, underscores the need for robust security measures.

3. Economic Unrest & Environmental Crises

Times of economic instability and the aftermath of natural disasters can also lead to increased cyber activity, as hackers exploit these situations to launch financially motivated attacks or spread misinformation. For instance, bad actors may take advantage of compromised security systems after a hurricane, highlighting the importance of having an incident response plan in place before disaster strikes. Such a plan allows businesses to quickly and effectively respond to cyber threats, ensuring that security measures are maintained and reducing the potential impact of cyber attacks during these vulnerable times. 

Related Read: How to Avoid Scams When Donating to Natural Disaster Charity Groups

4. Tax Season

In many countries, the tax season, typically spanning the first four months of the year, is a prime time for cyber attacks targeting personal and financial data. During this period, individuals and companies filing their tax returns become lucrative targets for cybercriminals who exploit vulnerabilities in tax-related web applications. These attacks can involve sophisticated techniques to breach application security, such as exploiting unpatched software vulnerabilities or weak authentication systems.

5. Back-to-School Periods

Another critical period for cyber attacks is the back-to-school season, typically in late August and early September. During this time, there is a significant increase in online purchases for school supplies and registrations for educational programs, involving substantial personal and payment information shared online. Both businesses and individuals are at heightened risk, but schools have increasingly become prime targets for cybercriminals seeking to steal Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of children. Attackers often deploy tactics such as creating spoofed websites and phishing emails, which mimic legitimate educational institutions and retailers, aiming to trick users into divulging personal information or downloading malware.

Protecting Your Business During Cyber Attack Seasons

Businesses can and should adopt a proactive cybersecurity strategy to mitigate the risk of cyber attacks during these high-risk periods. Key measures include:

Enhanced Monitoring and Detection

Implement real-time monitoring systems to detect unusual activity and potential threats. This enables quicker responses to attacks before they can cause significant damage.

Offensive Security

Incorporate offensive security measures, including regular penetration testing, to proactively identify and address vulnerabilities before criminals can exploit them. Penetration testing simulates real-world attacks to evaluate the effectiveness of your security defenses and uncover potential weaknesses that passive monitoring may not uncover.

Regular Security Audits and Assessments

Conduct frequent security audits and assessments to identify and rectify potential vulnerabilities in your systems. These assessments help understand the organization's security posture and ensure that all security measures are functioning effectively.

Update and Patch Systems

Update and patch operating systems, applications, and network infrastructure regularly to protect against known vulnerabilities that could be an entry point for attackers.

Staff Training and Awareness

Educate employees about the common tactics used by cyber attackers, such as phishing and social engineering. Regular training can help prevent breaches that come from inside the house, as it were.

Use Strong Authentication Methods

Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all accounts to add an extra layer of security to your systems and data, especially for access to sensitive or critical information. In tandem with the staff training awareness above, ensure that all staff members understand the importance of using MFA for any accounts that they access on their work devices.

Backup Data Regularly

Maintain regular backups of all critical data and test your backup procedures to ensure you can quickly recover from a cyber attack.

Develop an Incident Response Plan

As mentioned above, have a detailed incident response plan that includes procedures for isolating affected systems, notifying customers if necessary, and restoring operations.

Protection Across Cyber Attack Seasons with Control Gap

By integrating these practices, businesses can significantly enhance their cybersecurity posture and resilience against cyber threats, especially during times of elevated risk. This proactive approach protects the company's data and assets and preserves its reputation and customer trust, which is just as crucial. Leveraging expertise from cybersecurity firms like Control Gap can further fortify defenses through comprehensive risk assessments, compliance audits, and tailored security strategies. Implementing a robust cybersecurity framework ensures continuous protection and helps maintain regulatory compliance, safeguarding operational integrity and customer confidence. Chat with our cybersecurity experts to prepare your business for the next cyber attack season.