Frequently Asked Questions
Why are cyber attacks more common during the Christmas period?
Cyber criminals often take advantage of holiday periods when businesses are operating with reduced staffing levels. Fewer employees are available to spot suspicious activity, investigate alerts or respond quickly to security incidents, making Christmas an attractive time for attackers.
What are the most common Christmas cyber scams?
During the festive season, businesses often see an increase in:
- Parcel delivery phishing emails
- Fake Microsoft 365 login pages
- Supplier invoice fraud
- Business email compromise (BEC)
- Gift card scams
- Ransomware attacks
Many of these attacks rely on employees being distracted, rushed or expecting legitimate seasonal communications.
What is a Christmas Cyber Risk Assessment?
A Christmas Cyber Risk Assessment is a short assessment designed to identify vulnerabilities that could expose your organisation to cyber threats during the festive period. It reviews areas such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), employee awareness, backup processes, monitoring and incident response preparedness.
How long does the assessment take?
Most businesses can complete the assessment in less than two minutes. You’ll receive an instant risk score along with practical recommendations based on your answers.
Are out-of-office replies a cyber security risk?
They can be. Out-of-office messages often reveal who is unavailable, when they’ll return and who is covering their responsibilities. This information can help cyber criminals craft convincing phishing emails or identify alternative targets within your organisation.
Why do parcel delivery scams increase at Christmas?
Employees are more likely to be expecting deliveries during November and December, making them more susceptible to fake notifications from providers such as Royal Mail, DPD, Evri and Amazon. These emails or text messages often contain malicious links designed to steal credentials or payment information.
How can Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) help protect my business?
MFA adds an additional layer of security to user accounts by requiring a second form of verification. Even if a password is compromised through phishing or reuse, MFA can help prevent unauthorised access to systems such as Microsoft 365.
What should businesses do before closing for Christmas?
Before the festive break, organisations should:
- Verify that backups are completing successfully
- Ensure MFA is enabled for all users
- Update critical systems and software
- Remind employees about seasonal phishing scams
- Review out-of-office messages
- Confirm who is responsible for handling security incidents
- Maintain appropriate monitoring during shutdown periods
How do ransomware attacks affect businesses?
Ransomware can encrypt business-critical systems and data, preventing access to files, applications and services. Recovery can take days or weeks, resulting in downtime, operational disruption, financial losses and potential reputational damage.
Does Cyber Essentials help improve cyber security?
Yes. Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification that helps organisations implement key security controls. Many of the areas assessed within this quiz, including access controls, secure configuration, malware protection and security updates, align with Cyber Essentials requirements.
What is considered a good cyber risk score?
A higher score generally indicates stronger security controls and better preparedness for seasonal cyber threats. However, every organisation is different, and even businesses with strong security measures should remain vigilant during holiday periods.
What happens after I complete the assessment?
You’ll receive a personalised Christmas Cyber Risk Score along with recommendations to help strengthen your security before the festive break. Depending on your results, you may also identify opportunities to improve areas such as MFA adoption, backup resilience, staff awareness and incident response planning.
Can Bluecube help improve our cyber security posture?
Yes. Bluecube helps organisations improve cyber resilience through Managed IT Support, Cyber Security Services, Microsoft 365 Security, Backup & Disaster Recovery solutions and Cyber Essentials certification support. If your assessment identifies areas for improvement, our team can help you create a practical plan to reduce risk.
Is the assessment free?
Yes. The Christmas Cyber Risk Assessment is completely free to complete and provides instant insights into your organisation’s readiness for seasonal cyber threats.
