7 Ways to Keep Cyber Attackers Out of Your Data This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is all about family, food, and time away from work. That’s why we love it. Cybercriminals love the holidays too. When IT teams are running on skeleton crews, attackers see an open door. So here are seven ways to make sure they don’t crash your holiday party:

1. Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
   MFA is a deadbolt on your digital front door. So even if someone steals your password, they’ll need that extra MFA key to get in. It’s quick to set up and makes a huge difference.
2. Patch Before You Feast
   Before you dive into all that turkey and pumpkin pie, make sure your IT systems are updated. Hackers love outdated software. To them, it’s like leaving the back door open.
3. Keep an Eye Out, Even When You Are Away
   Set up alerts for suspicious logins, big data transfers, or other weird activity. Automated monitoring tools can be your eyes while you’re enjoying family time.
4. Less Access, Less Risk
   Do a quick permissions check. If some people don’t need access during the holiday, disable their access. Fewer active accounts mean fewer chances for trouble.
5. Back It Up
   Before you log off, back up your critical data. Store it somewhere safe, offline or in a very secure cloud. If a ransomware attack hits, you’ll be glad you did.
6. Give Your Team a Heads-Up
   Send a friendly reminder to your team members about phishing scams. Holiday-themed emails with amazing deals or charity requests are classic traps. A quick heads-up to the team can save a lot of headaches.
7. Have a Game Plan
   If something goes wrong, make sure your team knows the steps to take and who to call. A solid incident response plan can turn chaos into control.

Enjoy the Holiday, Securely

Cyber attackers don’t take the holidays off. These seven steps can help keep your IT systems and data stay safe. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

To learn more about cybersecurity, visit Celerium.com.

Celerium’s Data Breach Defender™ can safeguard your organization.