Keep your employees safe from cybersecurity threats this Christmas

Now is the time to plan your festive cybersecurity campaign

Just as we thought it safe to look up after Cyber Security Month (CSM), Christmas is waving at us from the horizon.

The festive season is a good opportunity to raise awareness among employees and remind them of the importance of cyber-vigilance. After all, looking out for phishing scams, staying safe on social media, and being wary of public wifi are year-round behaviours. To coin a phrase, good cybersecurity practice is for life, not just for Christmas.

And after all the hard work you put into CSM, now is a great time to keep the momentum going. Now is the time to think about your festive cybersecurity campaign.

No one is a safe

Clearly, it’s a high-risk time for everyone. Apart from children and many adults (more than would care to admit) excited about the festivities, there are the cybercriminals. It’s a potentially very profitable time for them. More than usually harried shoppers and businesses ramping up for their busiest period of the year are susceptible to dropping their cyber guards. Even online retailers, who should know better, are targetted. No one escapes the cybercriminals’ Christmas sights.

Some Christmas cheer

But having painted a bleak midwinter, let’s deck the halls with some positives. Providing festive-related cybersecurity guidance to your employees can be enormously helpful. Delivered in the right format it not only helps keep them safe at work, but provides easily digestible advice for their families as well.

Seasonal campaigns are particularly effective in connecting with your people. For example, competitions. The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a useful ploy for delivering important messages. FOMO acts as a driver when you place a ‘one-time’ or ‘limited period only’ aspect through, say, a competition. Knowing they won’t be able to put off looking at it until tomorrow or next week gives employees reason to engage now.

Similarly, there are the emotional connections to leverage. Holidays, especially Christmas, are a time when people change routine. They want to create positive memories. Linking your communications campaign with a seasonal event helps ensure your message is received and retained.

Your festive campaign from TSC

At the moment, we are adding the finishing touches to our festive cybersecurity campaign for 2021. Just like Christmas itself, it features a few traditional old favourites (updated, of course) and some new and exciting elements. All designed to engage your people and help them and their families stay safe over the festive period.

Look out for details in your inbox soon. Or, if you want a sneak preview contact me, Jenny, or your TSC Client Project Manager.

In the meantime, ‘trick or treat’ anyone?!...